The cold wind howled across the frozen battlefield, carrying the sharp, metallic scent of blood over the jagged ice.
Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki stood in a tight triangle formation. They trapped the solitary figure in red right in the center, blocking every possible path of retreat.
Sakazuki's face was a mask of cold fury. The magma bubbling on his fist made a constant sizzling sound, looking as if it would melt through the chest of the legendary pirate at any moment.
It is finally over.
Borsalino had his usual lazy expression, looking like a man who was desperate to finish his shift. He started muttering under his breath.
For the overtime pay we should get when we return, I will have to ask Kane for triple the usual amount.
Kane was in no rush to give the final execution order.
He stepped onto the crushed ice that littered the ground and walked slowly toward the Red Count.
Under the intense gaze of those crimson eyes, which were filled with both caution and exhaustion, Kane let out a sharp clink as he stabbed the Tensa Zangetsu sword into the ice directly in front of him.
He unhurriedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Most of them were ruined by seawater, but he managed to find one that was barely dry enough to smoke. He put it in his mouth and flicked his lighter with a steady click.
He took a deep breath, pulling the smoke into his lungs before exhaling a long cloud.
The white smoke drifted slowly between the two men.
Patrick Redfield.
Kane looked down at the man who had caused so many headaches for the World Government.
You are strong. You are as powerful as a monster. If you had teammates, even just one person by your side, the ones lying dead on the ice today might have been us.
Hearing those words, a mocking sneer curled the pale lips of the Red Count. His voice was raspy from the battle, yet it remained incredibly arrogant.
A loss is a loss, brat. There is no need to insult me with such cheap flattery. Only the weak feel the need to huddle together in groups. The truly strong have always walked their paths alone.
Walked alone?
Kane flicked the ash from his cigarette, and for a moment, his eyes showed a hint of faint pity.
That is only because you are still young. You can still swing that broken umbrella of yours, and you can still rely on your Haki to run wild across the sea.
But what about ten years from now? What about twenty years from now?
Kane took a single step forward. His voice dropped to a low whisper, and every word he spoke felt like a needle piercing the deepest, most secret fear in the heart of the Red Count.
When you are old, when you can no longer swing your umbrella, and when your Haki begins to fade away... when you have lost all your teeth and your strength, who will be there to block the blades of the young, ambitious pirates for you?
Roger has Rayleigh and his crew. That old man Whitebeard has a ship full of foolish sons who are willing to take a blade to the chest for him. Even a fool like the Golden Lion has an entire Sky Fleet he can use as cannon fodder.
And then there is you. The solitary Redfield. Think about the day you become old and weak and finally fall from your throne.
On this vast, uncaring sea, will there be even one single person who cares whether you live or die?
The words hit their mark.
The crimson pupils of the Red Count suddenly tightened.
His hands, which had stayed perfectly steady even while fighting three Marine Admirals at once, actually began to tremble slightly at this moment.
Aging.
This was the greatest nightmare of his entire life.
He had spent his life pursuing the ultimate level of personal military power. He trusted nobody, formed no alliances, and refused to take on a crew. But because he stood alone, he feared the passage of time more than anyone else. He feared the loss of his power and knew exactly what kind of lonely, miserable end waited for him once his body failed.
It seems I have hit the mark.
Kane grinned, showing his teeth like a predator.
What you really want is power that reigns supreme over everything. But your human body limits you. It will age, and eventually, it will decay.
Do you want to break free from those shackles?
Do you want to transcend humanity, gain true immortality, and possess a youth that never fades away?
The Red Count stopped breathing for a second as he stared intensely at Kane.
What... what are you talking about?
Zoan, Mythical Zoan, Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire.
Kane spoke the words slowly, letting them slam into the mind of the Redfield like a hammer.
Eat it, and you will no longer be a simple mortal. You will be a king who walks through the dark of the night. You can restore your youth simply by sucking the blood of the strong. Your peak years will no longer be a short few decades. They will last forever.
Boom!
The mind of the Red Count went completely blank.
Immortality!
That was the fruit of a god, something he had dreamed about and searched for over many years without success.
You actually have this fruit?
For the first time, the voice of the Red Count lost its calm. It was filled with an undisguisable longing and a noticeable tremor.
Not right now.
Kane shrugged his shoulders and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The fire in the eyes of the Red Count cooled down instantly, and his killing intent began to surge once again.
Are you playing games with me?
Do not be in such a hurry.
Kane pointed to his own head with the finger that was holding his cigarette.
But I know exactly where it is located, and I know exactly how to get it. In this entire world, I am the only person who can help you find it.
That is a priceless treasure, Redfield.
Kane held up one finger, finally revealing his true plan.
Ten years.
Work as my shadow for ten years. If you do, that four billion berry debt you owe will be completely erased.
I do not need you to be my dog. I just need you to deal with the trash that is inconvenient for justice to handle in the darkness.
In ten years, I will personally hand you this fruit and give you back your freedom.
At that time, if you want to go and overturn Mary Geoise or fly to the moon to be the Chief of the Planet, that is up to you.
Of course...
The tone of Kane's voice changed instantly. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold stare.
You are also free to refuse. You can keep your ridiculous, solitary pride.
And then, you can be turned into roasted meat by Sakazuki right this second.
Silence.
A heavy, deathly silence covered the broken field of ice.
The veins on the temples of Sakazuki began to throb with anger. The magma on his fist dripped onto the ice, creating a sharp, piercing sizzle.
Kane! Do you have any idea what you are saying right now?
Sakazuki finally reached his limit and stepped forward in a total rage.
Making a deal with a pirate? You are even talking about giving him a Devil Fruit? This is a complete desecration of the word justice!
Kane turned around slowly. He spoke in a cold voice that was only loud enough for the four of them to hear.
Sakazuki, a brain is a very useful thing to have. I really hope you start using yours.
If we kill him now, we get nothing but a dead body and a few words of praise from headquarters. But will the number of pirates on the sea decrease? No, they will not.
But what if we put a collar on this lone wolf and make him bite all the other wolves to death?
We use evil to wipe out other evil. We use the darkness to swallow the darkness. If you are not willing to get your hands dirty, how do you ever expect to climb to the highest position to enforce your Absolute Justice?
Or do you plan to be an Admiral who only knows how to kill people on command for the rest of your life?
The body of Sakazuki froze in place.
He looked deep into the bottomless black eyes of Kane. He saw an ambition that was hotter than his own magma and darker than the deepest abyss.
Using black... to nurture the white...
Sakazuki gritted his teeth. He spoke the theory that Kane had pushed on him once before with great difficulty.
Finally, the boiling magma on his fist slowly died out with endless reluctance.
He had given in.
The Red Count watched the entire scene unfold.
He looked at the young Marine standing before him.
The face was young, but it was filled with greed and a very clear ambition.
A Marine?
No, this guy was more of a monster than even the worst pirate.
But... the prize was eternal youth.
After a long time passed.
A twisted and relieved smile slowly appeared on the proud, pale face of the Red Count.
To think... that such an interesting monster would actually appear within the Marines...
He struggled to move, leaning heavily on the handle of his broken umbrella to stand up. Even though he was shaky, he kept his spine perfectly straight.
Ten years of service in exchange for immortality... this deal.
It is a bargain.
[Ding! Detected that the host not only released a legendary Great Pirate without any authorization but also reached a filthy dark deal with him, attempting to artificially create a monster-level combatant with eternal life!]
[This behavior seriously violates the highest principles of the Marine Justice Code and may even lead to a huge deviation in the future timeline!]
[Obtained discipline points: 100,000 points!]
[Current discipline points balance: 501,800!]
As the cold, mechanical voice of the system congratulated him in his mind, the smile on the corner of Kane's mouth looked three times more evil than that of the Red Count.
He walked forward, grabbed the blood-stained hand of the Red Count, and shook it with energy.
Welcome to the G-5 family, Old Red.
From this day on, you are the base's... specially appointed off-staff personnel.
Also, since you have joined us, you need to pay your entry fee first.
Kane spread his palm open, acting as if this was perfectly normal.
Your ship is gone, but I see those gem rings on your fingers are quite valuable. Let us use those to pay off part of the interest first.
Red Count: ...
Sakazuki: ...
At that moment, the legendary Red Count began to have very serious doubts about what his life would look like for the next ten years.
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