"His target is Rebecca! The rules don't forbid doing this, but I personally despise this kind of behavior!"
Shiryu didn't take part in the chaotic brawl in the arena over who would obtain the Quake-Quake Fruit. Nor did he attack the fighting fish while others were busy fighting. Instead, once most people had found their own opponents, his gaze fell on two people who were on their own.
He had racked his brains but couldn't think of any way to attack members of the Beasts Pirates and get away smoothly. His only option was to wait for the fights to grow more intense, then look for a chance to strike midway.
Redfield and Yamato occupied the main battlefield, while the others were locked in their own fights. Haki collided against Haki, and various attacks erupted one after another. The only ones not taking action were Rebecca and Buggy.
Rebecca was a defensive counterattacker by nature. Since no one was paying attention to her, and she didn't take the initiative to attack first, she appeared to Shiryu as the perfect target.
There was no doubt that Rebecca's strength did not match the level of the finals stage. If not for Redfield, Diamante would definitely have taken that spot in the tournament.
As the former Head Jailer of Impel Down, Shiryu had already recognized Redfield's identity. He'd seen the legendary "Aloof Red" more than once in Level 6.
Whether during his days as Head Jailer or as a prisoner, Shiryu's impression of Redfield had always been that of a reclusive old man. In his eyes, Redfield had let Rebecca advance simply on a whim.
Once the finals began, Redfield immediately went to fight Yamato, leaving Rebecca on the sidelines, which only reinforced Shiryu's belief.
He had wanted to cut down Buggy instead, but Buggy's ability was far too troublesome. Despite being incredibly weak, he was like a fly that just couldn't be hit. This made Shiryu decide to target Rebecca first.
The blood of the weak brought him greater pleasure, so Shiryu attacked Rebecca.
Clang!
Rebecca gripped her sword with both hands, barely blocking Shiryu's heavy swing, but the situation didn't develop like usual. When she tried to use her technique to knock his weapon aside, she realized she couldn't do it at all.
Even with only one arm, Shiryu's body was as tough as an iron tower. The hilt of his sword felt welded to his hand; no matter how hard Rebecca tried, she couldn't budge it an inch.
"It's useless, woman. Our bodies are worlds apart. This stage doesn't belong to you. The weak don't get to decide their own fate."
Raiu slid down Rebecca's blade, and Shiryu used his sheer strength to forcibly fling Rebecca's weapon away.
Kyros, turned into a toy, had diligently taught Rebecca self-defense skills, and Rebecca also underwent prolonged training at the Corrida Colosseum, but the level of combat and her natural talent limited her growth significantly.
Against opponents of roughly equal level, Rebecca could still hold her own. But when faced with an overpowered enemy like Shiryu, she naturally fell into a disadvantage. Against such overwhelming strength, her techniques were useless.
Rebecca's sparse armor was as fragile as paper in Shiryu's eyes, yet his sword couldn't seem to strike her down, no matter what.
An opened umbrella had appeared in front of him at some unknown time. The rapidly spinning surface of the umbrella deflected his slashes, and its sharp edges generated several sweeping winds.
Each wind blade was as sharp as a Flying Slash Attack, sealing off every path he could use to attack Rebecca.
The pattern on the umbrella's surface had already blurred into a red wheel from the spinning, but Shiryu was extremely familiar with that scarlet color. It was Redfield's pirate flag.
When the umbrella, like a boomerang, returned to Redfield's hand, that emblem became even clearer.
"Redfield?!"
"Oh my, so my identity has been found out? Well, that's only natural, seeing as you were the Head Jailer."
"Why are you doing this? You have no connection to this woman whatsoever!"
"Why? Interesting question, but there is no 'why.' I did it because I wanted to. That's all there is to it."
Without a crew of his own, Redfield had sailed the seas alone for decades. Everything he did stemmed solely from his own will, unaffected by the thoughts of companions or the bonds of camaraderie. He was the pure embodiment of egocentrism.
"You… So the ones from Level 6 really are all a bunch of reckless ba*tards, huh?"
"Aren't you one of those Level 6 b*stards yourself? You know, I used to think an aging body could accomplish nothing, but some people showed me otherwise. They proved that even old men can still chase after their dreams. Even old fogeys have things they want to protect."
These were lessons Redfield had gained after escaping the prison. He had seen old beggars who had lost their dreams, begging dejectedly by the roadside, and he had also met old soldiers covered in scars who still guarded their island.
He had encountered countless people of all kinds, and in doing so, rediscovered something within himself.
"That Newgate, dragging around his aged body, rampaged freely across the seas, protecting his sons. Kong, Garp, Tsuru, Sengoku, Charlotte Linlin; all these old fogeys are still active even now.
Half of the familiar faces from back then are gone… but there are still some who continue to shine brightly."
While Redfield seemed to be reminiscing, Shiryu dared not relax in the slightest. His breathing grew heavy; he knew exactly how terrifying the monster before him was. This was a man capable of fighting against a Marine Fleet Admiral.
A legend from the same era as Golden Lion and Roger. The dignity of the strong meant that Roger and his peers wouldn't gang up on him. Without a life-or-death feud, there was no benefit in offending such a lone wolf.
But regardless, Redfield was someone who could compete with the strongest members of those pirate crews.
"But, no matter what, old is old. A decaying body ultimately can't act as willfully as it did when it was young. Not being able to compete with the new generation in my prime... that's my life's regret."
"I heard that Newgate regained his youth back then. It's a pity I didn't get to see him then. So, to show my respect to that young lady and to ensure this little girl's safety, I'll just borrow your youth."
A blood-red afterimage appeared beside Shiryu. With a single strike, he achieved what Rebecca never could. Then, he grabbed Shiryu's head with one hand.
Shiryu tried to fight back. His right hand, coated in Haki, struck towards Redfield's face. Even if Redfield was strong, he refused to die without resistance.
But with only one arm left, Shiryu was no match. No matter how he swung, his fist couldn't touch Redfield at all. And as the seconds passed, his punches grew slower and slower.
"What's… happening…?"
Redfield clearly hadn't done anything, yet Shiryu could feel his stamina draining away. His fists felt heavier, and when he tried to voice his question, he discovered his own voice had become incredibly aged.
Before him, Redfield's wrinkles had vanished, and even the bat fur from his transformation had become sleeker and more lustrous.
"Your youth, I'll be taking it."
"Y–You…"
Looking at Redfield, who had recovered his youth, Shiryu was speechless. It wasn't from fear, but from the power of time. In the span of just a few exchanges, Shiryu had transformed from a man in his prime into a frail old man.
His thin arms quivered uncontrollably, and even standing upright was extremely difficult. His face, already bearing numerous scars, looked even more terrifying.
"This… is the power I sought from this fruit — youth!"
The Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire granted its user the ability to drain the life force of others for their own use. In capable hands, it could even bring one close to true immortality.
"Don't worry. I just want to have an all-out fight with that young lady, so I just borrowed a little."
Sensing a trace of fear in Rebecca's emotions, Redfield made a point to explain.
"This man is no longer a threat to you. Do whatever you want with him. I'd say he's got less than an hour left."
Compared to instant death, this kind of ticking countdown of life was far more terrifying. Especially for Shiryu, who could feel his life constantly draining away. He wanted to reclaim his youth, but it was impossible.
All he could do was watch Redfield slowly walk away.
"By the way, you were right. The weak cannot decide their own life or death. But in my eyes, you are also weak."
Before returning to the battlefield, Redfield turned back and said that to Shiryu. But Shiryu couldn't quite hear him clearly. In his ears, there was only a jumble of distorted echoes.
"What an incredible ability! Contestant Red has actually regained his youth! He was already so powerful when he was old, so what kind of feats can he accomplish now that he's young again?!"
"No matter how you look at it, this is an incredibly terrifying ability! And I think what he did was completely right!"
At that moment, the female commentator beside Gatz wobbled as she sat up. She'd been unconscious, but Gatz's thunderous shouting had woken her up.
"Gatz, you're not supposed to put your personal feelings into the commentary. You're overdoing it again…"
Her duty is to keep Gatz in check; otherwise, his commentary might include some outrageous content. Judging from how he was acting now, it seemed Gatz had already started letting loose.
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Now we can begin the second round."
Having regained his youth, Redfield arrived in front of Yamato, signaling that she could make her move.
"You said one minute. This was definitely more than a minute."
"When people get old, they tend to talk more. Looking back, I've wasted decades of my life. I'll have to make up for it slowly from now on."
But you're just as interesting as that little girl. You've been waiting here for several minutes. With your strength, it wouldn't have been difficult to go and help your subordinates deal with some of their troubles, would it?"
From Redfield's point of view, whether it was Katakuri or Chinjao, Marco or Luffy; they were all the same. It was just a matter of one strike or two.
Even if Marco and Katakuri were both Vice-Captains of the Four Emperors, there was still an unbridgeable gap between a Vice-Captain and a true Emperor of the Sea. If Yamato had wanted to, that chaotic fight on the other side would have been over long ago.
"Ah, whatever. It's fine. They won't finish anytime soon anyway, and they all seem to be enjoying themselves, so let them play for a while.
I'm glad you regained your youth. Although it will definitely be a hassle later, it will make things easier to explain."
Redfield didn't quite understand what Yamato meant. To him, her words sounded almost like the ramblings of a madwoman.
He didn't know that for Yamato, the Quake-Quake Fruit was just a bonus. She had to bring it back, but her purpose in bringing the fruit wasn't really about the fruit itself; it was just an excuse to report back.
Even if she can't avoid the calamity called Kaido, being able to get Arceus to overlook some minor issues is better than anything.
TN: Hey guys, I've picked up a new One Piece novel. You can search it: One Piece: The Undying King.
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