Shanks

The air in the abandoned fortress went dead silent, a heavy, suffocating pressure settling over the room like an anvil. You were slumped against the shattered stone wall, coughing up dust and gasping for air that wouldn't come. The blow to your stomach had stolen all the breath from your lungs, and the force of hitting the wall had left your head spinning before darkness finally pulled you under. Your eyes fluttered shut, your body limp against the cold floorboards.

Standing over you, the pirate captain who had ambushed your group cracked his knuckles, a triumphant smirk plastered across his face. "Not so tough after all, were you?"

He didn't get to finish his laugh. A wave of violent, suffocating Conqueror’s Haki erupted through the hall, shattering every glass window in the building instantly. The floor beneath the villain’s feet fractured like thin ice under immense weight.

Shanks stood in the doorway. The usual easygoing smile and relaxed posture were completely gone. His eyes, usually bright and full of amusement, were icy, dark, and lethal. The aura surrounding him was so raw and intense that several of the villain's henchmen dropped to their knees, unconscious before they even realized what was happening. "Sh-Shanks..." the captain stammered, his bravado evaporating as he stumbled back, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Wait, she was our enemy—" In a split second, Shanks closed the distance. There was no theatrical battle stance, no banter. Just absolute, terrifying speed.

Before the man could raise his weapon, Shanks caught him by the throat, slamming him into the opposite wall with enough force to cave the stone inward. The grip on his neck was steel.

"You hit her," Shanks said, his voice deadly low, vibrating with a rage that sent shivers down the spine of everyone left in the room.

"She—she fought us first!" the man choked out, clawing at Shanks’ arm. Shanks didn't argue. He didn't care about their rivalry, their past fights, or whose side you were on. Seeing you collapsed on the floor, helpless and unmoving, had wiped away every bit of restraint he possessed.

With a single, brutal twist of his arm, Shanks threw the captain straight through the reinforced outer wall of the fortress, sending him crashing hundreds of yards down onto the jagged rocks below.

The silence returned, save for the crackle of falling debris and the whistling wind.

Shanks turned around immediately, his fury melting into sheer urgency the moment his eyes fell back on you. He crossed the room in two long strides and dropped to his knees at your side.

"Hey..." His voice was entirely different now—gentle, strained with concern.

He slid a large, warm hand behind your back, supporting your head as he carefully pulled your limp body up against his chest. His thumb brushed a trace of dust and blood away from your cheek, his heart hammering against his ribs as he checked your pulse. Finding it steady, he let out a long, ragged breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"I've got you," Shanks whispered softly into your hair, wrapping his cape around your shivering frame before effortlessly lifting you into his arms. He looked down at your pale, unconscious face, his jaw tight. "Nobody touches you like that again. Not while I'm breathing."