The battle split into two fronts, and just at that moment, the duel between Uchiha Madara and Patrick Redfield reached its absolute climax.
With Sengoku no longer present to restrict his movements, Madara abandoned all restraint and engaged Redfield in a fierce, blood-soaked clash.
The fine rapier and the staff blade traded blows back and forth, leaving countless jagged sword-scars carved across the battleground.
Patrick Redfield was actually unable to achieve an absolute advantage over Uchiha Madara?!
This was a legendary super-pirate who stood on equal footing with the likes of Golden Lion Shiki and Whitebeard in the Grand Line!
Madara took a heavy step forward. Every pore on his right arm burst open, venting a terrifying surge of dark flames that propelled his fist forward with explosive velocity and crushing power toward his opponent.
The roaring dark flames ignited the surrounding air on impact, interweaving into a dense web of fire.
The fiery net contracted instantly, condensing into a specialized Dark Majestic Fire Annihilation that slammed sideways into Redfield.
Ignoring the incoming fireball, Redfield extended his hand and clenched his five fingers tightly. Droplets of blood seeped from his pores, flowing as if endowed with a life of their own to form a sinister, monstrous blood-hand that met Madara's fist head-on.
BOOM!
The flame light dimmed as the crimson energy shattered. Redfield was knocked back several steps, his shoulder struck by the dark flames and blasted into a bloody mess.
Madara stood firm, intending to press his advantage and finalize the kill. However, he suddenly felt an invisible force pushing through the void, forcing him to take a few steps back as well.
At the same time, an eerie explosion of air currents burst around his shoulder, tearing his clothes to shreds and lacerating his skin, muscle, and fascia.
Evidently, Redfield had deployed the unique blood-burst ability of his Vampire Form, leaving multiple severe wounds across Madara's upper body.
A legendary pirate who dominated the Grand Line was certainly no pushover!
Yet, the battered state of both combatants was proof enough that Madara had begun to seize command of the duel.
During their previous encounter, Madara's power had been incomplete, allowing Redfield to hold the upper hand. Though over two years had passed since then, Madara had always regarded that setback as a deep humiliation.
Reenacting their duel now, even though Redfield possessed the mythical Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, Madara harbored not a single trace of fear. Dark flames condensed around his staff blade, emanating an unsettling, oppressive aura.
Concentrating the dark light to a single point, Madara leaped into the air, transforming his entire body into a charging storm of black lightning.
Seeing this, Redfield danced his rapier, gathering a dense crimson point at its tip. The blood of fallen Marines and pirates around the battlefield converged into his hands, forming a massive wave of blood-red energy.
An unbearable, sickening stench of blood filled the air. Madara and Redfield let out synchronized roars as the staff blade and the rapier pierced straight through each other's bodies.
Their ultimate strikes intersected in midair, opening a breathtaking, blinding cross-fire. A massive shockwave rolled outward, and moments later, both Madara and Redfield landed heavily on the ground.
Unexpectedly, a blood-fog explosion erupted across Redfield's body, though he managed to suppress his injuries quickly. Meanwhile, Madara looked deathly pale, his knuckles white as he tightly gripped his staff blade.
"Cough, cough... To think your swordsmanship and Devil Fruit mastery have advanced to such an extent."
Injured, Redfield spread his bat wings and was forced to retreat from the field.
Madara's body was visibly weakened. Seeing the Marines closing in once again, Shiraishi swooped down from above.
Unleashing a massive blast of frost to drive back the approaching Marines, he scooped Madara up directly into his arms and took flight toward the Shukaku.
"Let go of me!"
Shiraishi had rescued him using a full-blown princess carry. This posture caused Madara's expression to turn exceedingly awkward and embarrassed, though Shiraishi did not care about his reaction in the slightest.
"Stop trying to act tough. You're completely drained and don't even have the strength to break free."
This bastard!
"Besides, the intelligence Roger left at the Final Island confirmed several of my theories. The solution we are seeking to save our world might be linked to the fruit located at the Final Island."
Shiraishi's greatest harvest from Loguetown was learning what the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had seen at the Final Island—something that was very likely a Fruit of the Divine Tree.
Of course, because the laws of this world suppressed the formation of Chakra, the Divine Tree here could only remain in its most primitive form.
At the mention of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the Fruit, Madara went quiet for a moment before speaking: "Does the Otsutsuki Clan possess many similar Divine Tree Fruits?"
"There are twelve..."
A long, long time ago, a single Divine Tree existed in the universe, bearing twelve fruits. At set intervals, life would be born from within these fruits, producing both males and females.
Among them, the fourth life born from a fruit was codenamed Maw, also known as Otsutsuki Kaguya!
Otsutsuki Ryushiki was the fifth existence born, codenamed Dragon. This intelligence was obtained by Shiraishi when he defeated Otsutsuki Asura.
Although the exact identity of that mysterious Otsutsuki Asura remained uncertain, Shiraishi roughly guessed that he was likely born from a fruit of a branch of a Divine Tree.
Originally, the Otsutsuki Clan planted fruits on other planets, and the new life born from those fruits would be granted the Otsutsuki surname, much like Otsutsuki Kinshiki. However, through a twist of fate, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother became Otsutsuki Kaguya's biological sons.
The collapse of the Pure Land was tied to a cross-dimensional experiment conducted by Otsutsuki Asura. His arrangements across various worlds likely concealed a much deeper agenda.
Roger's revelations basically confirmed that Otsutsuki Asura had left a contingency behind at the Final Island as well.
Furthermore, whether Menma Uzumaki had ever truly existed was open to question. That explained why Madara had controlled this physical body so effortlessly—it was possible that Menma Uzumaki's soul had never resided in this shell to begin with.
The soul power of the Dark Nine-Tails was too strong, misleading everyone's judgment. Combined with Madara's immense pride, he had been reluctant to accept the analytical assessments of specialists like Yachiru Unohana and Kikyo.
It was only Roger's words that finally validated Shiraishi's long-standing deductions.
"The Divine Tree cannot condense a Chakra Fruit here because this world's natural laws are intact. Therefore, what we will obtain is a Fruit of the Divine Tree in its most primitive state."
"Someone else must have their eyes on the fruit at the Final Island as well."
Shiraishi naturally understood what Madara was referring to: "Patrick Redfield was likely just an exploratory tool used by him. However, I've already begun preparing countermeasures to deal with him."
An invisible contest in the dark had already commenced. For now, Shiraishi held a massive advantage due to his early start in the Sky Islands. The battle of Loguetown would establish even greater prestige for the Sunagakure Pirates.
"Captain, we have successfully cleared Loguetown! The Marines aren't pursuing us for the time being," Moyade said, wiping a cold sweat while his voice thrummed with excitement. "Where are we heading next?"
"We'll use the Sky Island Corridor to descend directly into the New World."
Shiraishi had clearly decided to take the Sky Island route, dropping straight into the New World to immediately begin expanding their territory and claim a piece of the realm in the second half of the Grand Line.
"Whitebeard's ship is right ahead..."
In front of the Shukaku, a massive pirate ship was anchored across their sailing route.
"Gurararara! Kid, come over and have a drink!"
Standing at the prow, Whitebeard held his bisento and bellowed a hearty invitation.
Before Shiraishi could respond, the masked Ace dashed forward: "Hahaha, we can't miss out on a banquet!"
Faced with Ace's excitement, Shiraishi was not petty. He respected and understood Ace's lingering affection for Whitebeard. Spreading his wings, Shiraishi glided down onto Whitebeard's deck.
"Sounds good. I'd love a drink too."