Over the six years since boarding the Whitebeard Pirates, Chronos had been well protected by Whitebeard.
Although whenever Chronos requested to fight, Pops never held back.
When it came to guidance on Haki, Whitebeard was also frank and generous with his teachings.
Yet under Whitebeard's wing, Chronos rarely encountered truly formidable enemies.
Just like in the original story, when facing Kouzuki Oden in Wano Country, Whitebeard personally stepped forward, fearing his children would get hurt.
Or during the great battle with the Roger Pirates—though they fought all out, after three days and three nights, not a single life was lost, and they even exchanged supplies afterward.
Aside from Ace, who grew up overseas, none of the other Whitebeard Pirates members possessed Conqueror's Haki, which speaks volumes about Whitebeard's protection.
Chronos's growth in strength was methodical, unlike the protagonist Luffy's pattern of breaking through mid-battle and winning through sheer resilience.
Thus, to avoid having his fighting spirit dulled under Whitebeard's sheltering arm, Chronos chose to leave independently.
Over those six years, Chronos had long completed his training in Two-Colored Haki and often sparred with Marco and the others.
But due to the absurd nature of Marco's Phoenix Fruit ability, Chronos, then a non-Ability User, often lost more than he won.
That's why Chronos focused on the power of Devil Fruits, hoping to achieve a qualitative transformation like Marco's.
After gaining the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and defeating Moria, Chronos's confidence—or perhaps arrogance—continued to grow.
At the same time, thanks to the good fortune of meeting Whitebeard, the blood now flowing from Chronos seemed to be the first time in this world he had suffered such heavy bleeding.
Releasing his hand, Chronos looked at the bright red on his palm and instinctively licked the fangs in his mouth.
"Seems… it doesn't hurt that much!"
Chronos murmured, then an exaggerated, excited smile gradually spread across his face.
So this is it, this is what a bloody battle feels like?
Just like when facing Rocks, Chronos grew excited once more.
"Thank you, old-timer!"
"I'll do my best to inflict wounds like mine on you!"
Chronos clenched his fist abruptly, and the blood from his wound and his hand surged simultaneously.
In the next instant, the wound closed, and the blood in Chronos's hand coalesced into a sword-like shape.
His pupils dyed red, the bat wings on Chronos's back spread wide.
Crackle!
Frenzied currents manifested on the blood sword.
Godspeed, activate!
Life Orb, activate!
Overload, activate!
Blood Thunder Sword: Crying Swan!
That wild and sinister vampire figure appeared before the Red Count, trails of blood and ominous crimson lightning trailing from his body.
Finally getting serious?
The Red Count assumed a defensive stance. As an old-timer, attacking a newcomer was already shameful enough, but under the guise of guidance, it was different.
Swish!
Chronos swept his blood wings, and a crimson shadow shot toward the Red Count, the racing Blood Thunder Sword brimming with extreme energy and cutting power awaiting its strike.
Slash!
The sword's edge came straight for him, yet Red Count did not yield in the slightest. Despite having no special abilities, his physical prowess alone allowed him to keep up completely!
With a heavy clash, the Thunder Sword met the umbrella sword, only to disengage immediately. A contest of brute strength like two bulls locking horns would not appear between these two now.
Crimson and crimson intertwined and shifted, as if constellations in the sky were being connected. From every angle, all manner of mystical images unfolded one after another.
The crisp, metallic clanging continued incessantly, as Chronos poured all his effort into leaving his mark on Red Count.
Red Count also grew serious. If he were wounded by this brat, he would never have the face to drink with Newgate and Roger again!
One minute, five minutes, ten minutes...
Thanks to the endless vitality from the Life Orb, Chronos's Overload was incredibly enduring.
As for Red Count, there was no need to even mention it. At his level of strength, every fighter was a monster of stamina.
Seeing that the thunder could no longer break the stalemate, Chronos realized that his own constitution was temporarily suppressing the power of Thunderclap.
Just like the great battle between Kizaru and Nika—though both sides may have been holding back—Kizaru's mobility far surpassed Nika's, but in terms of damage, under the exchange of blows, the Glint-Glint Fruit's attacks only managed to break the skin.
In contrast, the battle between Kaido and Nika was a true exchange of injuries, with every punch landing squarely.
Facing Red Count, whose physical constitution far exceeded his own, the scorching and paralyzing damage of Thunderclap was greatly reduced, and its speed was still within Red Count's ability to keep up.
Just as an old wolf fears the staff, so too with swordplay. In terms of experience, Chronos could hardly overpower Red Count.
Thinking of this, Chronos forcefully pushed aside Red Count's umbrella sword. The crimson lightning on his body remained still, but the power of the vampire began to stir.
The power of blood gradually spread to his limbs, even to every inch of his meridians and internal organs. Slowly, everything inside his body seemed to be undergoing assimilation.
Blood: No Vital Point Body!
The swift swordplay shifted. Chronos gripped his sword with both hands and delivered a massive downward slash, deliberately leaving a huge opening.
Without a second thought, Red Count seized this opening and thrust his umbrella straight through the body shimmering with crimson lightning.
Armament Haki and Observation Haki locked on simultaneously. Even if Chronos attempted to evade by turning into his elemental form in advance, Red Count could still accurately strike his torso.
Was it over?
Red Count felt a slight regret. After all, Chronos had only set sail not long ago. Being able to fight him for this long was still quite impressive...
Squelch!
The umbrella sword pierced through Chronos's body, its blade emerging from his back stained with copious amounts of blood—undoubtedly a fatal wound.
But Red Count's expression shifted. The sensation didn't feel like piercing human flesh, but rather... a water balloon?
Crack!
Chronos's body contracted internally, and a torrent of blood surged forth, coating Red Count's sword blade in an attempt to trap it completely.
In the split second he realized something was wrong, Red Count swiftly withdrew his umbrella sword.
But a miss is as good as a mile.
Chronos swung down his blood-thunder sword, and a rapid slash attack followed.
Red Count blocked with his sword just in time, but on his hand and shoulder, a small wound slowly appeared.
And then...
Splat!
That wound, less than three centimeters long, suddenly gushed out more blood than if a major artery had burst.
Red Count quickly covered the wound with Armament Haki, successfully preventing further blood loss.
A blood sphere nearly the size of a human head floated in the air. Through it, one could see the "ruddy" complexion of Red Count.
Chronos smiled, drawing the blood sphere toward him and absorbing it directly with his hand.
Under the perception of Observation Haki, Chronos's wound was not a horrifying cavity of missing organs but a mass of constantly moving fresh blood.
With another swipe over the hole in his abdomen, Chronos's wound slowly healed until the bloody cavity vanished, and his fair skin was restored to its pristine state.
Red Count halted his movements, giving Chronos's body a deep, lingering look before turning slightly to examine the wound on his own arm.
Only after being washed over by Haki did the influence on his blood dissipate.
But aside from the blood loss, Red Count could clearly see that the inch of skin had become slack—not due to the wound but due to aging.
His lifespan had been stripped away, even if only a little. It was still lifespan.
"Is this the fundamental reason why the Vampire Fruit allows eternal youth?"
Red Count sighed.
"Yes, senior. Whether through bloodsucking or physical contact, as long as I touch someone, I don't just take their blood—I also steal their lifespan."
Chronos twirled his sword with a flourish and laughed.
Now it was halftime.
"Truly a terrifying ability."
The most terrifying aspect of the Vampire Fruit's power lay precisely in this: the Ability User could steal the opponent's lifespan through physical or blood contact.
In theory, powerful Haki was enough to evade or defend against this ability, but in battle, it was difficult to avoid injury entirely.
During the God Valley battle, Rocks, Garp, and Roger were undoubtedly top-tier fighters, yet even they were wounded and bled in the chaotic melee.
Although such minor injuries hardly affected their movements or combat capabilities, it proved they couldn't maintain Haki protection over their entire bodies at all times.
The stolen lifespan wasn't a Devil Fruit-imposed status effect but genuine plunder—actual damage. No amount of powerful Haki could restore it.
Realizing this, Red Count's gaze toward Chronos now held unprecedented wariness, even a hint of killing intent.
With such a means of stealing lifespan through contact, fighting Chronos required either a one-hit kill or maintaining a completely unscathed state with full-body Haki defense throughout.
Otherwise, in a prolonged battle, one would only suffer increasing losses.
As humans—flesh and blood beings—lifespan had its limits.
If Chronos seized an opportunity, he could steal lifespan by the month or even the year. The longer the fight dragged on, the more one might lose, potentially accelerating into old age.
For this reason alone, Chronos could be said to feast on easy opponents in low-stakes battles, hold an innate unbeatable position in mid-tier fights, and potentially turn the tables in high-stakes confrontations given the slightest opening.
And what's more…
The power of the Vampire Fruit was at work. Chronos had devoured Red Count's blood, and his pale skin now exuded a faint crimson aura.
Along with that tiny bit of Red Count's lifespan.
Using the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit, he offered it as a sacrifice!
With a dull thud, Chronos's body seemed to swell slightly—almost imperceptibly, yet in Red Count's eyes, it appeared immense.
"What is that now?"
Red Count was growing increasingly vexed. The bizarre abilities of this young man before him were making him regret ever coming to test him.
"With the small amount of lifespan you possess, Senior Red Count, I tried offering it as a sacrifice—and the results were quite delightful~"
Chronos wore his most carefree smile. The lifespan plundered through the Vampire Fruit was far superior in quality than he had imagined, with virtually no loss in the process.
Big Mom's performance in Wano Country demonstrated that she could use the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit to steal the soul-lifespan of foot soldiers to heal her own injuries.
Yet, the combined soul-lifespan of a group of people couldn't fully heal Big Mom's wounds, indicating that the quality of an ordinary person's soul-lifespan was insufficient to match her monstrous constitution.
However!
The Vampire Fruit's performance in the story was entirely different.
The aged Red Count drank the blood of an ordinary young girl, and by plundering her lifespan in this way, he instantly restored himself to his youthful prime!
That ordinary girl seemed to be the bespectacled daughter of the restaurant owner Chronos had encountered earlier.
Clearly, the lifespan seized through the Vampire Fruit was equivalent in value.
An aged Emperor-level powerhouse didn't need to absorb the blood and lifespan of thousands of ordinary people to regain his youth.
One ordinary person was enough.
Chronos had already witnessed the absurd capabilities of the Tanuki Transformation Fruit, and now he had obtained the equally absurd Vampire Fruit.
With the power of the Triple Devil Fruit allowing them to merge, the lifespan acquired through the Vampire Fruit could also be utilized by the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Thus, by sacrificing the "equal lifespan" obtained from the Vampire Fruit through the Soul-Soul Fruit, the enhancement Chronos gained far exceeded the power he would have obtained by sacrificing his own soul-lifespan through the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Red Count grew increasingly silent, his mood souring. If nothing had gone wrong, that Vampire Fruit should have been his.
Yet now, it had been snatched away by this damned brat before him.
Red Count wanted to kill someone, but this kid was also the child of his acknowledged friend Whitebeard and the captain to whom he wanted to entrust his own child, Patton.
The more outstanding Chronos proved to be, the happier Red Count should have been—so why did his heart feel so stifled?
"Don't worry, Senior Red Count. I can return an equal amount of lifespan to you for what was taken—perhaps even restore your youth."
Chronos spoke politely. He could tell that Red Count didn't truly wish to be his enemy; it was merely the classic pride of an older-generation powerhouse.
He still wanted to recruit the little tanuki Patton, and even use information to recruit Red Count along with him, so he naturally had to show some respect.
!
This time, Red Count was genuinely shocked. He looked at Chronos with a complex gaze—he had truly missed out on the ability he desired most.
However...
Red Count's gaze suddenly shifted to Patton, who was still "playing dead" in the distance, and he smiled faintly.
Indeed, those who seek freedom on the seas should not have children, for they become vulnerabilities.
"One more move. I'll make one more move, and then we'll end this spar. How about it?"
Red Count replied with a slight smile. He no longer wanted to fight either. Already nearing sixty, continuing the battle would only push him closer to his sixtieth birthday.
"And, you're a clever kid," he added, his expression softening. "That child... I entrust him to you."
"Agreed."
Chronos first responded to Red Count's first question, then followed up with his own.
"But that child admires you so much, and you see him as your own son, Senior. Why separate?"
"Because I am the Red Count." Baron Redfield stepped forward, opening his arms wide, laughing loudly.
"The solitary Red does not need companions! Patton needs to find truly suitable partners to journey with!"
Glancing at Patton, who was struggling to regain movement, Chronos chuckled inwardly—he had only made Patton lie down, not knocked him unconscious.
"Regarding this matter, although I too desire Patton's formidable abilities, I would rather Patton act according to his own will, rather than being subjected to an adult's one-sided 'for your own good.'
After this is over, why not ask Patton what he himself thinks, Senior Red Count?"
"After all, a reliable adult should 'make even a crying child break into a smile,' not make children cry, right?"
It had been a long time since he had heard those words. The Red Count's entire body stiffened, his gaze shifting between shock and suspicion toward Chronos, a burning sensation almost piercing through his skull to peer into his mind.
"What do you know?"
"Once we finish fighting, Senior, you can ask me all you want. If I know, I will tell you everything."
Gripping the Blood Thunder Sword in his hand, Chronos spoke each word deliberately.
It's coming—the ticket for kings to reach the summit.
"..."
After a moment of silence, the Red Count laughed.
"As you wish!"
Boom!
A violent and terrifying aura erupted, like the raging waves of the sea, eroding and swallowing everything in its path.
As if at the peak of his power, the Red Count's imposing presence spread outward, his crimson Haki writhing wildly like flashing lightning.
Haki slowly coiled around the bat-umbrella sword in his hand, transforming into serpentine black thunder that crackled incessantly, striking fear into all who heard it.
Chronos stared directly at the black thunder, his heart pounding wildly.
It felt like fear, like excitement, but even more, an unimaginable greed coiled around his heart.
I want it—I want this power, this power I can master!
Conqueror's Haki! Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
Thump!
Chronos struck his own heart heavily once more, the sound of a great drum echoing like muffled thunder.
"Come, Senior!"
He unleashed all his Haki and power—the thunder of Thunderclap, the blood of the vampire, a portion of his lifespan from Soul-Soul...
The Blood Thunder Sword instantly became a chaotic mix of colors, transforming into the all-encompassing black.
Kui!
Raising his eyes, their gazes met—Chronos and the Red Count locked in a silent exchange.
In the next instant, two crimson figures crossed paths. The umbrella sword writhing with black thunder clashed with the Blood Thunder Sword infused with blood, thunder, soul, and lifespan.
They did not touch.
And then...
Great sound is silent—all noise seemed to vanish from the eardrums.
A flawless light appeared, enveloping and concealing everything.
In the distance, Moria, who was retreating, abruptly turned and instinctively looked upward.
The thick currents of air were severed as if by nothing, revealing an extremely long fissure.
The sky had split open.
"What happened?"