One Piece: My Name is Jack, I'm Very Resistant to Beating

Rumble... Rumble...

A bear, fresh out of hibernation and looking for breakfast, blinked groggily as a human sprinted past. It rubbed its eyes and glanced sideways—then froze. Fear struck its heart, and it promptly wet itself before bolting at full speed.

Shanks watched the bear outrun him and pushed himself harder, his legs pounding the ground as he caught up and surged ahead once more.

The bear, tongue lolling and breathing heavily, accelerated again and left Shanks behind.

"Hey! You overgrown furball! Wait for me!" Shanks yelled. "Damn it! What kind of bear runs this fast?!"

But just as Shanks paused for a moment, the bear vanished from sight. Turning his head, Shanks saw the mammoth hot on his heels and shouted, "Can we call it quits already? This is exhausting!

"I forgive you for kicking me in the ribs, okay?

"Oh, come on!"

BOOM!

A massive tree grazed Shanks' face as it flew by. His pace quickened as he sprinted for dear life.

"This guy Jack really takes Zoan fruit powers to the extreme," Shanks grumbled, dodging another tree. "Tough hide, insane stamina—he's unbreakable! I was hoping to knock him out and end this ridiculous fight, but he's too damn tanky! Even my Haki couldn't put him down.

"Five emissions strikes—five! And he's still charging at me like it's nothing! Seriously, what's with this guy? Does he have no internal organs left or something?"

Shanks panted, slowing down for a moment to catch his breath. "I'm wiped. Gotta regroup."

From a distance, Benn Beckman peered through a spyglass at the chaos. He nudged a crewmate and said, "Hey, this Jack guy is something else. His defense might even surpass Lucky Roux's."

"He's taken Shanks' strongest attacks head-on and is still chasing him down. And look at the size of that mammoth form. Is Kaido's crew churning out monsters on par with him now?"

Nearby, Lucky Roux, chomping on a roasted leg of meat, adjusted his sunglasses. He swallowed and wiped his hands before declaring, "Doesn't matter. I'm faster than him.

"I'm a nimble fat guy, after all."

"Keep eating like that, and you won't be for long," Benn teased.

Jack, meanwhile, roared with fury, using his trunk to uproot tree after tree and hurl them at Shanks. His anger burned hot.

"What's your problem, huh? You're faster, your Haki's stronger, and now you're taunting me too? If you're so great, just kill me already! What, can't manage that? Fine, I'll run you ragged!"

As Jack decimated the surrounding forest, a sudden burst of overwhelming energy erupted from Shanks. The intense wave of Conqueror's Haki toppled the few remaining trees around Jack.

When the dust cleared, Jack looked at Shanks, who now wore a deadly serious expression.

"Conqueror's Haki," Jack growled. "Kid, how many tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

Years of dealing with Kaido's drunken rampages had given Jack a solid resistance to Conqueror's Haki. Even so, Shanks' display surprised him. It wasn't as refined as Kaido's, but it was impressive nonetheless.

"Not bad," Jack admitted, "but I'm not wasting my energy on flashy moves. Unlike Yamato, who makes it look like a breeze, I'd just embarrass myself."

Shanks raised his voice. "Jack! Let's call a truce. There's no point in fighting like this. I don't want to make an enemy of the Beasts Pirates." He grinned. "Cut me some slack, will ya?"

Jack's response was to launch another tree, narrowly missing Shanks' head.

"I'll cut you a piece of my trunk! How about that?!" Jack roared.

"Damn it, this guy's relentless," Shanks muttered. "What's his deal? I don't even want to kill him! Does he think he's indestructible just because he's eaten a Zoan-type fruit?"

Fueled by indignation, Jack shifted into a hybrid form and charged with his massive tusks. Shanks barely dodged and burst into laughter.

"What's so funny, you bastard?" Jack snarled.

"Nothing, nothing," Shanks said, holding his stomach. "It's just hilarious watching you jump like that."

"Laugh while you can!" Jack bellowed, leaping into the air and swinging his tusks downward. Shanks blocked with Gryphon, but the impact cratered the ground beneath him.

"I warned you," Shanks said, his tone dropping. "I don't fear Kaido, and I won't hesitate to deal with you either. Stand down, or face the consequences."

"Consequences, my ass!" Jack roared, attacking again.

Sidestepping the blow, Shanks adjusted his straw hat and whispered, "Guess I'll have to show you."

Another wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth, this time concentrated solely on Jack. Stunned, Jack momentarily froze in place as Shanks' sword glowed with a dark purple aura.

"If you survive this," Shanks warned, "consider it your lucky day."

Jack saw the strike coming and knew he couldn't dodge. Instead, he threw aside his tusks and charged forward, his body coated in Armament Haki.

"Bring it on!" Jack bellowed. "I don't believe you can kill me!"

SHINK! BOOM!

The sound of piercing flesh echoed as Jack's chest erupted in a bloody mess. He collapsed, motionless on the ground.

Shanks exhaled, sheathing his sword.

"What a waste," he muttered. "A true warrior, but this is the pirate's way. Now I've got Kaido's wrath to deal with. Great."

He shook his arm to relieve the ache. "Damn, that guy could take a hit."

A shadow loomed over him. Shanks looked up, sweat dripping down his face.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

CRASH!

Jack's trunk slammed down, shattering the ground and sending debris flying. Shanks barely dodged as dirt and rocks pelted him.

Jack, bloodied but standing, glared at Shanks. "You talk about peace now? How about another round instead?"

Shanks sighed, holding up his hands. "Alright, alright! Let's calm down. How about we settle this over a feast? My crew's cook makes amazing barbecue."

Jack spat at him, roaring, "I'll give you a feast of pain!

"Ivory Cannon!"

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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg