"Shanks, you lost."
Bagi, holding his short saber, looked at the panting Shanks before him and chuckled mockingly.
Shanks frowned at the words.
Staring at Bagi, Shanks suppressed his aura and said calmly, "Bagi, what exactly happened to you after you entered the Extreme Evil Land?"
"Your changes, your demeanor, they make me very uncomfortable."
Bagi laughed exaggeratedly and sinisterly.
His scattered body reassembled, and he stared at Shanks, grinning, "No, I've simply become stronger."
"You lost, Shanks!"
"Defeating you has always been my goal."
"And now, I've achieved it."
Shanks' gaze swept across the surroundings, observing the ravaged landscape caused by their battle, and he fell into a brief reverie.
He had thought his fight with Bagi was merely a simple spar.
He had never expected the spar to turn into a near-death battle.
And the outcome was even more unexpected.
He had actually lost.
He had lost, even by a single move.
However, Bagi's techniques were something he hadn't anticipated.
In the half-year they hadn't seen each other, Bagi had grown taller and stronger.
But his personality and strength had changed; he was no longer the Bagi he remembered.
"Can you tell me about the Extreme Evil Land?"
After a period of silence, Shanks inquired.
"Many things happened, it's difficult to explain."
"If you want to know, you should experience it yourself."
"After all, you've been there before."
Bagi did not answer Shanks' question directly, cleverly evading it and prompting Shanks to seek the answer himself.
Shanks understood Bagi's implication and ceased further discussion on the matter.
"I'm leaving now."
With that, Shanks prepared to depart.
Bagi glanced at Shanks, then immediately flew in front of him again and said, "Shanks, you're free now. Come and join me."
Shanks looked into Bagi's eyes, then after a moment, smiled and said, "Thank you, Bagi."
"I only want to complete my exploration right now."
"I'm not a pirate anymore."
Shanks naturally refused Bagi's offer.
He would invite Bagi to be his crewmate and companion.
But he would not become Bagi's crewmate.
Regardless of his past identity as a pirate or his current identity as an explorer.
Secondly, he sensed a faint unease from Bagi.
Perhaps Bagi was hiding some secret.
He was grateful that Bagi had been willing to help them escape prison back then.
And he was also grateful for Bagi's hospitality earlier.
However, before he understood Bagi's specific secrets, he would not get involved.
"Alright."
"But I believe we will meet again."
Bagi was not surprised by Shanks' refusal.
After all, this was the Shanks he was familiar with.
At the same moment.
Benedict, who had been standing in the clouds, saw the two finish their battle and prepare to leave, so he flew down.
Benedict's appearance quickly caught the attention of both men.
When Bagi saw Benedict, his gaze flickered subtly.
Shanks, however, subtly observed Bagi's demeanor.
This fellow is highly suspicious.
"Bagi, your strength is somewhat beyond my imagination."
"Watching your battle, I'm very curious about your limits."
"Why don't you let me have some fun with you?"
Benedict looked down at Bagi, extended his hand, and unleashed a powerful aura, then, without hesitation, punched towards Bagi.
Shanks, standing nearby, was also within the range of the attack.
Seeing this, Shanks didn't hesitate and dodged immediately.
Bagi also swiftly flew away.
"Marshal, are you serious?"
Bagi, while dodging, looked somewhat dishevelled and called out.
"You'd better fight seriously, or people might die." Benedict's eyes flickered a few times before he attacked again.
Bagi watched the even faster punch, his face turning green.
"Random Fist!"
Bagi fought back with all his might.
Covered in Armament Haki, his Devil Fruit ability activated.
Bagi's body split apart, and he shot his own body out like bullets.
Boom boom boom!
Bagi's counterattacks carried significant force.
However, they were still no match for Benedict.
Bang!
Although Bagi tried his best to split, many parts of his body were still hit and sent flying.
Bagi's head narrowly dodged a blow. Seeing this, he quickly shouted, "Marshal, this is going to kill me."
Benedict chuckled and said, "Then, you must be prepared to be killed."
Benedict teleported and appeared before Bagi, reaching for his head.
"Splitting into Ten Thousand!"
Bagi's body instantly fragmented into countless particles and dissipated.
Then, Bagi's figure reappeared behind Benedict.
"Bagi Cannon!"
Bagi extended his hand and activated his ability.
The air seemed to undergo a violent reaction, and in an instant, a terrifying energy erupted.
The energy burst forth and continued to split.
Boom!
Before the Bagi Cannon could reach Benedict, Benedict turned and punched.
The two forces collided.
Although the Bagi Cannon exploded, it failed to harm Benedict.
On the contrary, under the force of the impact, Bagi was sent flying backward.
"Fist Aura!"
Benedict pressed his advantage, directly smashing Bagi into the large pit in the ground with a single punch.
The immense power made Bagi spit blood.
At this moment, Bagi felt like he was walking on the edge of death.
Benedict's strength was not something he could contend with.
As such, Bagi's heart was filled with an intense anxiety.
"He wants to kill me."
"Did he discover you?"
"Rocks!"
"You damn bastard, I don't want to die."
...
Bagi's voice echoed in the depths of his mind.
Rocks, hidden within, gazed at Benedict in the void through Bagi's eyes.
He also felt a sense of powerlessness.
"Shut up!"
"He hasn't discovered my existence yet."
"You've been hiding exceptionally well; he wouldn't be able to find me at all."
"As long as you don't expose yourself, you'll be fine."
"Right now, this is very likely a test for you."
"He wants to test your strength, so just go all out."
"I've noticed that in the current Xuanwu Navy, if you don't have enough strength, you won't be taken seriously."
"Therefore, you don't need to hold back anymore; you can even use that method."
Rocks, seeing Bagi's emotional state beginning to break down, immediately expressed his displeasure while also attempting to soothe Bagi's emotions.
Bagi tremblingly stood up.
He looked disheveled and his face was pale.
Shanks looked at Bagi in the deep pit and frowned.
But at this moment, he knew he couldn't say anything.
Furthermore, he wanted to see how Bagi would react next.