Victory here would decide everything. If their side lost, there would be no future left to speak of.
With that thought, Shanks turned his head, only to see Benn Beckman being forced into a defensive scramble by Kirk.
Kirk had clearly taken an interest in Beckman's black gun. He shifted his focus and applied the same tactics he had previously used against Yasopp.
A shot was fired toward both Silvers Rayleigh and Beckman. Beckman reacted quickly, attempting to intercept the bullet as before.
This time, something went wrong.
He successfully blocked the shot aimed at himself, but the bullet targeting Rayleigh vanished the moment he intercepted it.
A split second later, Rayleigh sensed danger and moved to dodge. Just as he shifted, a ripple in space appeared, and the bullet Beckman had fired earlier crossed space itself and struck Rayleigh's left arm.
A precise combination of delayed and redirected fire.
Even with Gaban's earlier injury as a warning, Rayleigh could not fully avoid it. Anticipation alone was not enough against an ability like this.
Now both veterans bore identical wounds to their left arms.
Rayleigh's situation remained manageable since he wielded his sword with his right hand, so his combat ability did not drop significantly. Gaban, however, relied on dual axes. Losing full use of his left arm crippled both his offense and defense. It was no exaggeration to say he had lost half his strength.
Under Pini's relentless pressure, Gaban was already struggling to keep up.
With the balance restored in favor of Pini and Youki, Kirk shifted his full attention to Beckman.
Beckman, however, was far more dangerous than Yasopp. After witnessing Kirk's ability to displace bullets through space, he stopped firing recklessly. Instead, he relied entirely on Observation Haki, narrowly evading each incoming shot.
Shanks felt the pressure building. Beckman's combat ability might rival his own, but speed was not his strength. He could not force Kirk into repositioning the way Shanks could.
Since even bullets could be displaced instantly, Beckman's role as a suppressive force had effectively been neutralized.
Shanks had no choice but to rely on his own speed again. By constantly chasing Kirk, he could at least limit those unpredictable attacks.
At the same time, he believed he had already taken care of McKinley, which should have reduced pressure on Beckman and allowed support for Rayleigh and Gaban.
With that in mind, Shanks turned and charged at Kirk once more.
What he failed to notice was that McKinley, who had been struck down earlier and nearly cut apart, was now almost fully restored under Conis's healing light.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh and Gaban were in far worse condition than they appeared.
After being captured and held for so long, their bodies had been worn down. Though they had not been mistreated and were given proper meals, the constant high-intensity sparring had drained them significantly.
Most of their time had been spent restrained with Seastone, and the presence of weakened Devil Fruit effects had prevented full recovery.
Before this battle, they had even torn open their own chests to remove implanted bombs. Then Kirk's bullets struck them again.
Unlike Zoan users, they lacked the regeneration needed to recover quickly. Age had already reduced their stamina, and now their strength was nearly exhausted.
On the battlefield, Shanks pushed his speed to the limit, relentlessly chasing Kirk. Kirk maintained distance with ease, guiding Shanks while occasionally firing shots toward Rayleigh, Gaban, or even Shanks and Beckman themselves.
However, ordinary firearms had their limits. Even reinforced with Armament Haki, they could not endure rapid, repeated use.
In a short span, Kirk had already used spatial displacement to gather nearly every firearm on the battlefield and fire them in succession.
To avoid unnecessary risk, he decided to conserve what remained.
While continuing his evasive movements, Kirk glanced at Ash, who had already finished his snacks and was yawning nearby. The sight annoyed him.
Pini and Youki were the ones who wanted to challenge a Yonko, yet he was the one doing most of the work.
At that moment, Beckman finally found an opening. Breaking free from Kirk's pressure, he raised his gun and fired multiple shots toward Pini and Youki.
Just as the bullets left the barrel, a dense electric net appeared out of nowhere, intercepting them midair.
The first few bullets were stopped completely. The rest broke through, but their force had been significantly reduced.
The crackling sound of electricity was subtle, but it immediately caught the attention of both Shanks and Beckman.
They recognized it instantly.
This was the same method used earlier to disrupt their attacks.
Both turned toward the direction where McKinley had fallen.
There he stood, fully recovered, grinning widely. His left hand supported his right wrist as he continuously released layers of electric nets around Beckman.
"If my attacks can't hurt you, then I'll make sure yours don't work either," McKinley said, his tone full of mockery.
His idea of fighting was simple, drag everything into a stalemate.
He even spared time to taunt Shanks. "You don't actually think your blade did much to me, do you?"
Ash nearly choked watching this and wondered where McKinley had learned to talk like that.
Shanks frowned, his eyes fixed on McKinley's fully restored body. He was certain his earlier strike had nearly cut the man apart. There had been no sign of elemental evasion. The impact had been real.
Which meant the answer lay elsewhere.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, briefly passing Ash before locking onto Conis high in the sky, now little more than a distant point.
Her ability was the key.
Before he could think further, a heavy sound echoed across the battlefield.
Shanks turned sharply.
Gaban's axe fell from his hand. He clutched his chest as his knees hit the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to remain upright.
Without hesitation, Shanks abandoned Kirk and rushed toward him.
Pini recognized that his previous strike had already decided the outcome. He did not interfere and instead drifted back slightly.
Blood covered Gaban's beard as he lifted his head, looking at Rayleigh still holding on, and Shanks rushing toward him.
In that fleeting moment, Silvers Rayleigh reflected on his life.
He thought of meeting Roger, of joining the crew, of countless battles and adventures. From clashes with legends to the journey to Laugh Tale, his life had been filled with combat and camaraderie.
So much of it had been spent fighting.
Yet the memories that lingered most were the days sailing freely with Roger.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes.
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