"Pato, don't worry—if Luffy said he'd do it, he'll definitely help you find that promised island!"
Aboard the Thousand Sunny, the tanuki Pato was chatting with Chopper as they sat on the grassy deck.
Sanji had just served some delicious snacks, and the rest of the Straw Hat crew had gathered around the strange little creature, listening intently to his tale.
"I've heard about inanimate objects 'eating' Devil Fruits before... but I didn't expect to actually see a Mythical Zoan!"
Franky eyed the fountain pen-shaped tail attached to Pato with curiosity.
"A Bake-danuki, huh? No wonder. That's a type of yokai said to possess intelligence equal to humans!"
"That's why Pato can talk and think like a person?" Chopper tilted his head. "Kinda reminds me of my own Human-Human Fruit~"
"Nope… he's a Mythical Zoan. We're talking the same class as former Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Marco the Phoenix," Usopp countered, shaking his head. "Yours is just a regular Human-Human Fruit, you know!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Chopper puffed his cheeks, fake-angry. The others burst into laughter.
"Hey, Chopper, you're a tanuki too, right? It's my first time meeting one of my kind, nukiki~!"
Pato was thrilled. It was rare enough to meet another talking tanuki, let alone one as friendly as this.
"I'm a reindeer!" Chopper snapped, pointing at his antlers. "See? Antlers! Not ears!"
"Eh~? But that just looks like a hat with antlers on it?"
"Of course not, you idiot! See, I still have antlers after I take it off!"
"Ah... but you really do look like a tanuki, nukiki~"
"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT!"
"Hahaha..."
The Straw Hat Pirates were currently sailing across the sea. Usopp had been fishing when he caught a peculiar creature—Pato the tanuki! Having been living off nothing but fish for several days, Luffy and the gang were just about ready to throw him in the pot for dinner... until Nami stepped in and stopped them.
After explaining that he was supposed to meet someone on an island up ahead, Pato requested the Straw Hats' help.
Luffy readily agreed to help him reach that destination—but he had no idea who Pato's "boss" actually was.
The "boss" that this little tanuki was looking for… was none other than the infamous pirate who once stood shoulder to shoulder with legends like Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, and the Golden Lion—Patrick Redfield, also known as "Red the Aloof."
Unlike Roger, Whitebeard, or Shiki, all of whom commanded powerful pirate crews, Redfield had always sailed alone—never one to rely on others. And even then, he'd carved out a name as one of the most fearsome pirates of his age. A true monster of the seas.
During the Summit War at Marineford, just after his escape from Impel Down, Red the Aloof appeared on the battlefield by himself. It was said he arrived to send Whitebeard off personally. Even before he made his entrance, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Hero of the Marines Garp, and Admiral Issho were all on high alert, forced to divert their attention due to the sheer threat of his presence. That's how intimidating he was.
The World Economy News provided an extensive post-war analysis, covering every detail—from the top military brass on the Navy's side to the strongest pirates and escaped prisoners from Impel Down. Every piece of information was laid bare.
Although the World Government was furious at Morgans for stoking the flames, they couldn't do much against the feathered reporter, especially given his close ties to Gran Tesoro.
As a result, the world gained a much deeper understanding of what the Navy had accomplished during that era—how many latent threats they had eliminated and just how much pressure the Marines had truly been under.
Naturally, Red the Aloof's danger level became common knowledge as well. It even came to light that he once defeated Commander-in-Chief Kong in less than a single move.
Whitebeard may have fallen, but Redfield had resurfaced. Still, unlike Whitebeard, he was alone. Without a crew or an organization, he was seen as far less of a threat.
And he was old. Even a healthy Whitebeard ultimately lost to age and the overwhelming might of the Navy. Redfield, though uninjured, had clearly aged as well. That alone made him seem less dangerous.
But Wright knew exactly what Redfield was planning.
The problem was… Redfield was fast. Incredibly fast. Even in his twilight years, his movements were like a ghost—impossible to track.
The Admirals all had their own duties. To handle someone like Redfield, unless the battlefield could be sealed off or unless he had a reason to fight to the death, swarm tactics simply wouldn't work.
And since each Admiral was occupied elsewhere, none could afford to track Redfield full-time. Not unless at least two of them joined forces—one alone would never be enough.
Even with four Admirals available, the Navy couldn't justify throwing that much firepower at an old man who hadn't yet shown any overt threat.
But now, a perfect chance had appeared. A way to lock down the battlefield and force Redfield into a fight.
If they could intercept him before he acquired the Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit: Vampire Form… and if Smoker could hold him off until reinforcements arrived…
Then, maybe—just maybe—they could bring him in.
Only then would deploying two Admirals be worth the cost.
Smoker stood at the bow of the Marine battleship, twin cigars clenched between his teeth, expression grim.
He had come a long way since his early days. After constant battle on the front lines of the New World, Smoker's strength had grown dramatically.
At G-11 Branch, stationed at the New World's outermost edge, Smoker's usual targets were Yonko-affiliated pirates. He had even gone head-to-head with commanders under Whitebeard himself.
Though other Vice Admirals—and even some Admirals—rotated in to provide backup, as the commanding officer of G-11, Smoker bore the brunt of the pressure.
This mission, leading a task force to intercept Red the Aloof, had him in high spirits.
According to intelligence, Redfield had separated from his pet tanuki and was likely somewhere in these waters—not yet at Dressrosa, but beyond G-5's patrol zone.
The Navy had deployed surveillance assets here equivalent to those used against Whitebeard's remnants.
"Leave it to Wright... always one step ahead," Smoker muttered. "Just because Redfield's been quiet doesn't mean he's not a threat."
He clenched his fist, a rare grin tugging at his lips.
"This time, Wright's finally given me a decent mission…"
"Sure, the front lines in the New World are intense, but this—this is on par with facing a Yonko head-on!"
"Patrick Redfield… 'Red the Aloof'... I think I can hold him off long enough!"
"…Is that so?"
A low, sinister voice suddenly echoed out of nowhere.
Smoker spun around instantly, cold sweat dripping down his neck. Standing atop the ship's mast, cloaked in blood-red with a blue rose pinned to his chest, dressed in a rose-pink coat and crimson slacks, leaning on a bat-handled umbrella—
—was an elderly man with silver hair and a predatory smile.
"Redfield!"
Smoker clenched his cigars between his teeth. When the hell did this guy get here?! He hadn't sensed anything!
"Your Observation Haki still needs work... Vice Admiral."
Redfield smirked, ignoring the Marines rushing toward him.
"You plan to hold me back?"
"If you think you can… go ahead and try."
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