"Gu la la la... I am Whitebeard!" Whitebeard laughed heartily.
"I need no one's help. King of Heroes, step aside."
"Is that so?"
Vladimir's gaze turned amused as he looked toward a certain point in the sky.
"If I told you there was yet another hiding here... would you still be so confident?"
"What?" Whitebeard's eyes sharpened, and instantly spread his Observation Haki wide.
Sure enough, high up in the sky, he sensed a distinct, unique presence.
"Tch... so I've been found out."
Suddenly, a figure materialized out of thin air and leaped down.
He wore a crimson cloak and had a pale, almost bloodless complexion, resembling a vampire.
"Patrick Redfield!"
The five old legends cried out in shock.
"You old monster... you're still alive?!"
Demon Granny spoke grimly, her eyes locked onto the newcomer.
In their era, Patrick Redfield's fame had even surpassed Whitebeard's.
His strength alone was said to rival that of the entire Whitebeard Pirates crew.
There was no doubt about his power — he was a true Emperor-level figure.
Now, he descended from the sky, leaning on a cane shaped like an umbrella, its handle spreading out on both sides like bat wings.
"It's been a long time, Whitebeard."
Redfield smiled softly as he landed in the center of the battlefield.
"How ridiculous... in the blink of an eye, Roger has been executed, and you are now hailed as the 'Strongest Man in the World'."
"What are you doing here?" Whitebeard asked in a deep voice, staring straight at him.
"Someone like you shouldn't have any interest in the Pluton blueprint."
"I simply came to see if you were dead yet. And... to find someone."
As he spoke, Redfield suddenly looked up, straight toward Vladimir aboard the Golden Vimana Ark.
"King of Heroes... I have never heard your name before. Yet your power is immense, and your abilities are strange and mysterious. I suspect... you belong to Phantom, don't you?"
"Hahaha..."
Vladimir stood up from his throne and walked slowly to the bow of the airship, looking down with calm, unwavering eyes.
The Star That Knows All, Sees All — Activate.
"Patrick Redfield... fifty-nine years old. Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan — Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form. Am I correct?"
Redfield's gaze hardened for a moment, then he grinned.
"Exactly right. And thanks to Phantom, I was able to escape from Level 6 of Impel Down. I intended to find you all and express my gratitude, but once I got out, I realized how much the world has changed."
He paused, then glanced again at Whitebeard.
"The great pirates who ruled the New World back then are all growing old. Only you still maintain such immense prestige. And you, Demon Granny..."
He turned his eyes to the five old legends.
He knew exactly who each of them was. In the past, he had fought them all — and defeated every single one.
Demon Granny — real name unknown. A legendary female pirate who shook the world, with a bounty of 3.1 billion berries — the highest ever recorded for a woman.
The old man in the straw hat — known years ago as the Sun King. It was said that under the sunlight, no one could defeat him. Though perhaps an exaggeration, his bounty stood at 1.48 billion berries.
Beside them stood three other equally formidable veterans.
"Demon Granny, the Sun King, Dayma the Knight of the Sea, and the Curse-Wielder... How mighty you five were in your prime. But times change. No matter how powerful you are, you cannot escape the cycle of life, death, and most of all — the power of aging."
Redfield laughed loudly. "It's the same for you too, Whitebeard. You've grown old, and your strength is fading. You must feel it yourself — your stamina, your energy, your power... everything is declining, and it will never stop."
"What are you trying to say?" the straw-hatted old man — once the Sun King — snorted angrily.
"Have you always been this long-winded? Are you trying to tell us you are still young? Don't make me laugh!"
"Indeed — I am still young. No... to be precise, I have reclaimed my youth!"
Redfield chuckled darkly. "In prison, every day I could feel my power slipping away. The very first thing I did after escaping was find a way to restore my youth. But restoration was not enough... I needed life that lasts forever!"
"So that is why you sought the Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form?"
Vladimir spoke indifferently, as if watching a jester perform.
"Precisely! As far as I know, there are only five abilities in this world that grant true immortality!"
Redfield declared solemnly.
"First: the Life-Life Fruit.
Second: the Time-Time Fruit.
Third: the 'Eternal Life Surgery' performed by the Op-Op Fruit user.
Fourth: the Immortal-Immortal Fruit.
And fifth... the Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form!"
Suddenly, amidst the chaotic fighting below, a figure rushed rapidly toward them.
The man became shrouded and covered entirely in blood, then dove straight into the ground.
A moment later, he emerged right in front of Redfield.
A mass of blood bubbled up from beneath the earth. As the blood receded, the figure within was revealed.
Vladimir recognized him instantly: Lance, captain of the Lance Pirates — one of the three great crews of the Chaotic Seas, and user of the Blood-Blood Fruit.
"Red the Aloof!"
Lance knelt on one knee, showing deep respect.
"I have already obtained it... eternal life..."
Redfield murmured softly. He leaned forward and sank his fangs deep into Lance's arm.
Immediately, a shocking transformation took place.
Patrick Redfield began to regenerate at a visible pace. His muscles, withered by age, swelled back to the robust strength of his youth.
His hair turned jet-black again, wrinkles vanished from his face, and every trace of his vitality surged to incredible heights.
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