The Conqueror's Haki of the Red Count and Kane collided violently, sending out a shockwave that instantly alerted Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki back at the G-5 Base. The three of them stood up abruptly from their wine table, their expressions shifting as they sensed the world-destroying aura radiating from the distant sea.
"Haki of this intensity..." Sakazuki's face was filled with solemnity. It was a level of raw power he had never felt before in his life.
"Yeah~ really, the money I just got hasn't even warmed up yet, and I already have to work overtime..." Borsalino took off his sunglasses and wiped them slowly, but the lenses couldn't hide the sharp golden light dancing in his eyes. In the next instant, he turned into a beam of pure golden light, tearing through the night sky and shooting toward the battlefield first.
"Ara la... this commotion. A formidable guest has arrived." Kuzan exhaled a cold white mist. A path of crystal-clear ice quickly condensed under his feet, carrying him forward as he slid away at high speed.
Sakazuki snorted in anger. The magma beneath his feet erupted with a roar, turning him into a human cannonball as he soared into the sky and charged straight for the battle!
...When the three arrived, they saw the explosive moment where Kane's black blade slashed down in a fury, clashing directly with the Red Count's red umbrella. The terrifying shockwave tore a bottomless crater into the seawater beneath them.
"So full of energy~" Borsalino's sleazy, drawn-out tone echoed above the battlefield. In the next instant, a barrage of light bullets poured down, indiscriminately covering all of the Red Count's room to evade. "Yasakani no Magatama!"
Almost simultaneously, Sakazuki's roar came from high above. "Great Eruption!" A giant magma fist, even larger than a warship, trailed a long wake of black smoke as it smashed down toward the Red Count! The scorching high temperature even caused the air to distort.
Kuzan's figure followed closely behind, pressing both hands directly onto the sea surface. "Ice Age!" The extremely cold frost swept out in a fan shape, instantly freezing the entire sea area and even enveloping all the aftershocks of the light and fire attacks, forming an inescapable cage of interwoven ice and fire!
Facing the thunderous combined attack of these three future Admirals, even the Red Count showed a hint of surprise on his face. The red umbrella in his hand danced into a dazzling blur of afterimages, and with every nonchalant swing, he precisely parried those lethal attacks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ice beneath his feet was pierced by light beams and melted by magma, yet he was always able to move unharmed, his figure flickering and unpredictable.
"Hmph, truly noisy flies." The Red Count twisted his body eerily in mid-air, dodging Sakazuki's pursuit, and with a flick of his umbrella tip, he actually reflected a golden light beam back with precision!
"Don't underestimate us!" Sakazuki roared, as more magma fists crashed down like a rainstorm.
Seeing this, Kane grinned, and his figure disappeared amidst the sound of a sonic boom. Tensa Zangetsu drew a pitch-black arc of death, slashing fiercely toward the Red Count's neck from another direction!
A cold light flashed in the Red Count's crimson eyes. He indeed felt the pressure. The Marine before him had sharp Haki, fierce swordsmanship, and even more inconceivable speed. And the three next to him—light, magma, and ice—had troublesome abilities, and their coordination had a natural, seamless quality.
"Four people joining forces... you've certainly given me a massive surprise." The Red Count's tone was no longer relaxed as his figure suddenly shot upward. The red umbrella in his hand thrust out rapidly, its tip drawing a thin blood-colored line in the air, pointing straight at Kane's throat!
Clang——!!!
The collision between the Zangetsu and the umbrella tip erupted in an ear-piercing shriek.
"How scary~ Four against one, you're really bullying me~" Amidst Borsalino's mockery, a laser beam silently shot toward the Red Count's ankle.
The Red Count's figure was forced to pause. In that split second of hesitation, Sakazuki's magma and Kuzan's ice blades had already sealed off his retreat from both sides.
Boom! Crack!
The Red Count swung his umbrella to block Kane's slash while twisting his body to an incredible angle to dodge Sakazuki's magma fist, but his left arm was grazed by Kuzan's ice blade, leaving a shallow bloodstain. Redfield looked at these three young Marines who had suddenly appeared, then at Kane, who had a fanatical smile not far away; even with his temperament, he felt his scalp tingle.
Where the hell is this place? It's just a base; how could it be hiding four monsters?! Every single one of them had the potential to dominate the seas in the future!
"Mad dog-like Marines." The Red Count straightened his slightly messy collar, his elegance gone, replaced by a hint of genuine anger in his voice. "For that bit of toll, do you want to perish together with me?"
"Perish together?" Kane laughed wildly, his pitch-black Zangetsu pointing toward the Red Count from a distance. "Aren't you overestimating yourself!"
He suddenly turned his head and barked at the three behind him who were preparing to attack again: "Everyone fall back! Just watch from the side!"
Sakazuki and the other two were all stunned upon hearing this.
"Kane! Are you crazy?!" Sakazuki's serious face was twisted with rage, and magma bubbled on his fists. "The opponent is a legendary pirate on par with Roger! Why talk about the pedantic rules of a duel at a time like this?!"
"Cut the crap!" Kane's tone was cold and overbearing. "This guy is my prey!"
He ignored his companions' shock, turned back, and locked his eyes onto the Red Count, his boiling battle intent almost manifesting into substance. "The Solitary Red! Next, it's time for just you and me!"
He wanted to see exactly where his limit was with 90 points of Physique, plus Ryuo, the Storm-Storm Fruit, and Tensa Zangetsu! Kane slowly extended his right hand, pointing it toward the sky.
The night sky, which had been relatively clear, was instantly covered in dark clouds, with countless silver snakes darting wildly through the cloud layers! Storm-Storm Fruit ability activated!
"Raigo!"
A terrifying bolt of lightning, thicker than a water bucket, descended from the sky, instantly locking onto the small boat beneath the Red Count's feet.
Boom——!!!
Accompanied by a deafening roar of thunder, that poor small boat was directly blasted into dust by the lightning, completely disappearing from the ice. Kane grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his eyes fanatical. He looked at the Red Count again and declared war word by word:
"Let's fight to the death! The Solitary Red!"
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