"Looks like he isn't dead?" Adrian's lips curved slightly. "Doflamingo, your life looks tough."
He raised his right hand, and another God's Sanction shot out.
BOOM!
A massive pillar of thunder, more than ten meters wide, descended from the sky again. Doflamingo, who had just been fished out of the water, watched it fall, his face instantly turning pale. The last glimmer of hope that the World Government would help him reclaim Dressrosa vanished. Now, he just wanted to escape with his life.
BOOM!
Just as the thunder pillar was about to strike, a shocking, cerulean slash ripped through the sky, shattering the column of lightning into pieces.
A moment later, a lone figure and a small boat came into view.
The man had short black hair, sharp, eagle-like yellow eyes, and wore a black top hat, a wine-red patterned shirt, and a black trench coat. A small cross-shaped knife was fastened at his chest, and slung across his back was the world-famous black blade, Yoru, the strongest sword in the world.
The man was none other than Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye.
"Hawkeye, have you been summoned too?" Doflamingo's face lit up with joy. The indifferent man before him was no less powerful than an Admiral. If they could join forces, maybe the tide of battle could turn.
However, Mihawk ignored him completely, his sharp gaze fixed on Adrian. "I came here specifically to challenge your swordsmanship," he said loudly, his eyes filled with a fierce fighting spirit.
As the world's greatest swordsman, Mihawk had long been without a worthy opponent, save for Red-Haired Shanks. But Shanks had bet his right arm on a kid from the East Blue, and since then, their duels had become rare. To be honest, Mihawk had been very lonely these past few years. For a swordsman, having no opponent was undoubtedly the most painful thing.
Then, he had witnessed Adrian fighting Whitebeard during the Summit War. A powerful desire to fight was ignited in his heart. He wanted to test himself against a swordsman who might very well surpass him. So, when the World Government contacted him, he readily agreed.
Mihawk wanted to know just what kind of power this young man, who had become famous during the Summit War, possessed.
BOOM!
A ferocious and unparalleled slash blasted out from him, sharp as a sword capable of cutting the world in two. His black blade, Yoru, buzzed with excitement.
SWISH!
The sharp slash shot forth, and for an instant, the world seemed to dim. A crescent-shaped, pale blue wave of sword slash with its astonishing power came hurtling toward Adrian.
"You really know how to pick a time to bother me, Hawkeye."
Instead of fighting back, Adrian simply sat down on the throne made of quicksand. Akainu's unexpected "slacking off" had brought a little relief to the tense battlefield. As for Hawkeye's challenge, he simply ignored it. He didn't have a sword on him, and even if he won using devil fruit powers, it would be pointless. It would be a victory with no honor. Besides, another of his men, a powerhouse on par with an Admiral, was now back.
BOOM!
Before Hawkeye's slash could reach the coast, it was stopped by a figure that suddenly descended from the sky.
He wore a blood-red cloak and had long white hair braided into two plaits that hung down over his shoulders. His figure was tall and slender, his temperament extremely calm. He had blocked the slash with nothing but a seemingly ordinary slender umbrella.
"What? Did you see it? That old guy blocked the world's number one swordsman's slash with just an umbrella?"
"What's wrong with Hawkeye? He can't even deal with an old man."
"The Warlords are useless guys after all…"
"But that old guy looks familiar…"
"That's right, that outfit… it's Aloof Red, Patrick Redfield?!"
When the members of the World Government coalition forces saw his face clearly, a roar of shock erupted. Another old-era powerhouse on par with Whitebeard? Even Hawkeye, standing opposite him, felt his eyes widen as Redfield so easily blocked his slash with an umbrella.
Since Redfield had been imprisoned in Impel Down before Mihawk had even set sail as a teenager, Hawkeye didn't know his true identity. Even so, he was keenly aware that the man opposite him was truly powerful.
"Redfield, did you find the Vampire Fruit so quickly?" Adrian asked with a smile.
"It is all thanks to the captain's grace that I was able to save my life and find that fruit in such a short period of time," Redfield responded. He knelt on one knee, a respectful expression on his face. "Captain, I will never forget your kindness in giving me a new life. Please, allow me to deal with this person who has committed a crime against you."
A collective gasp of shock went through the World Government coalition. The jaws of many dropped. Even Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji's expressions changed drastically. What in the world was going on? One of the Rogers Pirates was scary enough. But now, the famous Aloof Red, a man who had single-handedly fought Roger and Whitebeard, had become Adrian's die-hard loyalist?
Were people really supposed to fight against this?
"Go on. It's time for you to mark your return," Adrian said, waving his hand casually. "Otherwise, Kaido might show up and try something." Kaido's title as the "Pirate World's No. 1 Sneak Attack King" wasn't for nothing, so it was best to be cautious.
"Yes!"
Redfield stood, his old eyes instantly locking onto Hawkeye in the distance. In the next second, his tall, thin body disintegrated, turning into a swarm of red-eyed vampire bats that swept out like a black curtain.
"Ah… my neck…"
"Get away, don't suck my blood…"
"Help…"
Where the vampire bats flew, nearly a thousand soldiers of the World Government coalition fell to the ground, howling in pain. All those whose blood had been sucked began aging at a speed visible to the naked eye.
When Redfield's figure reappeared, his appearance had changed. His body had rejuvenated, his age dropping from his seventies to what looked like his sixties. Although he still appeared old, the shock this caused in the hearts of those present was immeasurable. What kind of strange ability was this, to make a person look ten years younger in the blink of an eye?
"Are the commoners so ineffective?" Redfield frowned slightly, obviously a little dissatisfied with his rejuvenated appearance. He hadn't had time to test the effects of the Vampire Fruit on the way back. Even so, the aura and power emanating from him had already improved significantly.
"Hey, kid with a sword," he said, his eyes on Mihawk. "You were the one who attacked my captain just now, right?"