Dawn broke, and dusk fell once more.
A full day and night of slaughter.
The sea around the G-5 Branch had been completely reshaped by the battle.
The frozen sea surface was shattered, only to be refrozen by Kuzan, who watched from a distance, repeating over a dozen times. The distant cluster of barren islands had long since sunk beneath the waves, becoming new reefs.
The entire sea area had been permanently altered by the clash of these two monsters.
Clang—!
Zangetsu and the Red Umbrella collided once more, sparks exploding like fireworks.
Red Count's breathing was no longer steady. His signature burgundy suit was soaked through with sweat, blood, and seawater, tattered and clinging to his body. The arm gripping the Red Umbrella trembled slightly, muscles twitching uncontrollably.
His experience, skill, and mastery of Haki were textbook perfection. In the first half of the battle, he had used these to suppress Kane.
But Kane was no human!
This guy's stamina seemed bottomless!
Every time he was hit, his wounds would squirm and heal within a few breaths; every time he seemed exhausted, the power he unleashed the next moment was even more ferocious than before.
What truly unnerved Red Count was that Kane's swordsmanship was growing at a visible, frenzied pace during this extreme battle!
From initially being overly fierce but lacking finesse, to now, every slash carried a terrifying sense of pressure.
And the most frustrating part was that against this madman, his unbeatable trump card—Mind Reading—was utterly useless!
That Navy man's mind held nothing but thoughts of "making money" and "scoring points," with not a single notion belonging to a normal swordsman!
Unable to predict his moves, Red Count was forced into this quagmire of pure physical endurance.
"Hah… hah…" Red Count gasped heavily, his crimson eyes fixed on the blood-soaked madman opposite him, whose spirit only grew more frenzied.
"Monster…"
"Likewise," Kane grinned, revealing teeth stained red with blood. He bore even more wounds, one even piercing through his abdomen, yet the fighting spirit in his eyes burned brighter than when they first met.
Ding! Detected host's swordsmanship realm breaking through during an extreme life-or-death battle with a legendary pirate!
Swordsmanship level increased: Great Swordsman -> Peak Great Swordsman!
Violation Value +50,000!
"Oh?"
Feeling the new insights into swordsmanship, Kane's grin grew even more savage.
"Still up for it, Red Count?" Kane slung Zangetsu over his shoulder. "I'm not done yet!"
Red Count's pupils contracted sharply.
This guy… intended to wear him down to death!
He couldn't drag this out any longer!
Red Count's eyes suddenly turned resolute. He poured every last bit of his remaining Haki into the Red Umbrella in his hand!
Hum—!
A crimson Haki erupted, dyeing the clouds in the sky a deep, bloody red.
"It ends here, Navy!"
He erupted into motion, transforming into a blood-red meteor that tore through heaven and earth, thrusting straight toward Kane's heart! This was an all-or-nothing strike, the pinnacle of his power!
Seeing this, Kane didn't evade. Instead, he let out a hearty, unrestrained roar of laughter.
"Now this is more like it!"
Gripping Zangetsu with both hands, he perfectly merged the realm of a Great Swordsman with the power of the Storm Fruit. The black blade surged with raging winds and thunder, his Haki profound as an abyss!
"Getsuga Tenshō: Wind God's Demise!"
A pitch-black crescent moon, over a hundred meters long and wreathed in countless razor-sharp wind blades and violent lightning, slashed forth to meet the blood-red meteor!
BOOOOOOM——!!!
An indescribably terrifying explosion erupted between sea and sky!
The two extreme forces of black and red clashed and annihilated each other violently. The resulting shockwave sent everything within several kilometers flying! The ice surface Kuzan had just frozen shattered like fragile glass into countless ice crystals, only to be vaporized into a blanket of white mist the next instant by the intense heat!
The three observers in the distance had to unleash their full power just to barely maintain their footing at the storm's epicenter.
As the dust settled...
Kane and the Red Count stood facing each other from a hundred meters apart.
Guh!
The Red Count suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, swayed unsteadily, but ultimately used his Red Umbrella—its tip now cracked—to prop himself up from collapsing. His energy had weakened to its absolute limit.
In contrast, although Kane was also wracked with pain and his Justice Coat was reduced to tatters, his chest remained proudly upright. His monstrous physical resilience was rapidly repairing his damaged internal organs.
"Heh... heheh..." Kane chuckled lowly, step by step advancing toward the Red Count. "It seems... I've won."
The Red Count lifted his head, giving him a deep, complex look. His eyes held astonishment, resentment, but more than anything, a recognition of a fellow madman.
He knew that continuing this fight would mean certain death for him.
This Navy man was a complete monster. It wasn't worth it to fight to the death with such a reckless fiend here.
Without a word, the Red Count turned, dragging his severely injured body, preparing to leave.
"Did I say you could go?"
Kane's voice cut through the air, icy cold.
The Red Count paused mid-step, slowly turning back, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Brat, always leave some room. Forcing me to my death won't benefit you."
"Benefit?" Kane laughed, a wildly arrogant laugh. "The phrase 'quit while you're ahead' isn't in my dictionary!"
"Kuzan! Borsalino! Sakazuki!"
Kane abruptly turned and roared at his three stunned companions in the distance.
"Your turn! Surround him for me! Today, he either leaves behind the four billion Berries, or he leaves behind his life!"
"My, my, what a troublesome fellow~" Borsalino's form transformed into a golden light, instantly appearing to the left of the Red Count, light gathering at his fingertips.
"Ara ara... Kane, you really know how to order people around." Kuzan yawned, an ice path spreading beneath his feet, sealing off the Red Count's retreat.
"Hmph! It should have been like this from the start!" Sakazuki's roar descended from above as he transformed into a massive magma meteor, crashing violently toward the Red Count!
The Red Count's face finally darkened completely.
One-on-one, he was already exhausted. Now, he had to face these three monster-level Logia-type ability users as well?
"Navy..." Red Count's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "You're digging your own graves!"
He completely abandoned any thought of escape, a crazed glint flashing in his eyes.
If he couldn't leave, then he'd drag these brats down to hell with him!
"Come on!"
Even severely wounded, the Red Count in his prime still erupted with terrifying, heart-stopping combat power!
With his battered body, he stubbornly withstood the combined assault of the three future Admiral Stars!
"Dog Bite: Crimson Lotus!"
Sakazuki's magma dog head was shattered by a sweep of Red Count's umbrella, splattering magma that sizzled against his skin, yet he didn't even flinch.
"Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi!"
Borsalino's light sword was deflected by the handle of Red Count's umbrella, narrowly grazing past his neck.
"Pheasant Beak!"
Kuzan's ice bird was crushed under Red Count's foot!
But two fists could hardly fend off four hands.
Especially when the main attacker was Kane, that bottomless health bar of a madman!
"Go down!"
Kane's figure moved like a ghost, repeatedly appearing in Red Count's blind spots, Zangetsu tracing cunning and deadly arcs.
Sakazuki fully embraced the "trade injury for injury" fighting style, willingly taking a heavy blow from Red Count on his shoulder just to leave a gaping hole in his body with a magma fist!
Borsalino and Kuzan continuously harassed and controlled the battlefield, worsening Red Count's predicament.
The battle lasted from the early morning of the second day until dusk.
As the last ray of sunset sank below the sea's horizon.
Clang.
The red umbrella that had accompanied Red Count for half his life finally snapped in two.
Thud.
Baron Redfield, the legend who stood alongside Roger and Whitebeard, had finally exhausted his last ounce of strength, kneeling on one knee on the ice field stained with blood and magma.
He did not fall, his spine still ramrod straight, but his heavy panting and the countless deep, bone-exposing wounds covering his body declared his defeat.
Opposite him, Kane stood bare-chested, revealing muscles as formidable as a demon's back. Though he too was breathing heavily, his face wore a greedy smile like a wolf spotting fresh meat.
"Hey, Red Count."
Kane stepped closer, sword in hand, the ice beneath his feet crunching with each step.
"Can you still dance?"
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