"No, that Devil Fruit is mine."
Blackbeard's eyes turned bloodshot as thick black mist erupted violently from his body. The darkness coiled around him like a living entity. Under its shroud, his wounds began to close at a visible speed.
"Damn it! I will kill you!"
Roaring in fury, he thrust his palm toward .
A sharp red glint flashed across Redfield's pupils. His Observation Haki had already foreseen what would happen. If he allowed himself to be caught, he would be dragged in by the Dark Dark Fruit's gravitational pull and restrained.
In a blur of motion, Redfield vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of Trebol and Diamante. With two swift kicks, he sent them flying straight toward Blackbeard.
The sudden obstruction forced Blackbeard to halt his Dark Water mid activation.
Seizing that instant, Redfield moved again. He appeared before the heavily injured Baby 5, grabbed her by the waist, and in the next moment, a pair of massive bat wings burst from his back.
He shot into the air.
Redfield had no intention of fighting Blackbeard head on. His Observation Haki was so refined that he could not only glimpse fragments of the future but also hear the thoughts of others. He knew exactly how dangerous Blackbeard was. In his aged body, facing a dual Devil Fruit user directly would be unwise.
"Bastard, stop right there!" Blackbeard bellowed.
Rage twisted his features as he gave chase.
Beside him, burned with humiliation. As a swordsman, a wound on his back was disgraceful. Since obtaining the Clear Clear Fruit, he had always been the one ambushing others. To be struck from behind so effortlessly was an insult he could not tolerate.
The two of them surged forward first. The rest of the Blackbeard Pirates staggered to their feet and followed, suppressing their pain.
It did not take long for Blackbeard and Shiryu to catch up.
Redfield hovered above the ground, gripping Baby 5 tightly. In his Vampire form, elongated fangs sank mercilessly into her neck.
"Redfield!" Blackbeard roared. "What have you done to my comrade?"
Moments later, Redfield released his bite and casually tossed Baby 5 aside.
She hit the ground limply. Her body was shriveled, her skin pale, and two distinct fang marks were visible on her neck. The severe blood loss had left her unconscious.
Redfield slowly reverted to his human form.
"Hmph. Her blood is not particularly pleasing."
The transformation was obvious. His once seventy year old appearance had changed drastically. Wrinkles faded, his posture straightened, and his features regained vitality. He now looked closer to a man in his fifties.
"He… got younger?" Blackbeard muttered, shock flickering across his face.
Redfield spoke coldly, "The Vampire Fruit grants true vitality. Decades ago, I searched tirelessly for this power. When I finally learned of its location, I was defeated by Garp and imprisoned in Impel Down."
At the mention of Garp, the weight of the past lingered in the air.
"None of that matters!" Blackbeard roared, his voice trembling with fury.
The humiliation burned inside him. The treasure he had painstakingly uncovered had been stolen before his eyes. For a pirate, nothing was more unbearable than watching his prize taken away.
He wanted only one thing now, to kill Redfield and claim the Vampire Fruit. With three Devil Fruits under his control, he would stand at the apex of this era.
Redfield's Observation Haki picked up Blackbeard's thoughts instantly.
"A three Devil Fruit user?" he said in mild surprise. "How fascinating."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But the Vampire Fruit is something I have pursued for decades. I will not relinquish it. And you cannot kill me."
Blackbeard's pupils contracted. He could not understand how Redfield seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. This was not mere future sight.
Shiryu spoke calmly, though his expression remained grim.
"Redfield's Observation Haki is extraordinary. He can foresee the future and hear the thoughts of others. It is close to mind reading."
Blackbeard's expression darkened further.
More than twenty years ago, Redfield had stood alone on equal footing with legends such as , , and . He was a pirate whose name once shook the seas.
Blackbeard grinned coldly.
"Hmph. That was the past. Now he is just an old relic clinging to former glory."
He stepped forward, murderous intent pouring from him like a storm.
"I was not interested in you before, Redfield. But since you stole my Vampire power, do not blame me for what happens next."
Redfield's gaze remained indifferent.
"If this were before I consumed the Vampire Fruit, you might have had a slight chance."
He clenched his fist, feeling the rejuvenated strength surging through his body. Excitement gleamed in his eyes.
"Now I have regained my youth. I am not yet at my peak, but with a little more nourishment, I will return to it soon."
His voice lowered, filled with growing madness.
"With this power, I can surpass Roger and Whitebeard in their prime. I can become the strongest."
In his youth, Redfield had once dreamed of becoming Pirate King. Proud and solitary, he refused to rely on comrades. Even when he stood equal to Whitebeard, Roger, and Shiki, he fought alone.
Yet he had seen the true heights of Whitebeard and Roger at their peak. He had understood then that they were stronger than him.
They, despite their strength, relied on their crews. Redfield never would.
Now both Roger and Whitebeard were dead.
He remained alive.
And he possessed the power he had sought for decades.
His buried ambition surged back to the surface.
He no longer sought merely the title of Pirate King.
He wanted to defeat everyone.
He wanted to stand above the seas as the true king of the world.