Deeper in the heart of the island's ancient jungle, a small bird with striking crimson fur glided effortlessly through the massive, twisted canopies above.
Just below, Van Augur was in hot pursuit.
The sniper from the Caribbean Pirates moved like a shadow, his polished boots making no sound as they pressed against the damp moss and decaying leaves beneath him.
His keen eye, enhanced by a custom targeting scope, remained locked on the peculiar bird. Every now and then, the creature would glance back, its sharp eyes checking to see if the sniper was still on its tail.
"Hm," Augur murmured, his tone flat and analytical. "So, you're leading me on. Is this a trap, or perhaps a hint at some hidden treasure?"
He couldn't deny that Jack's influence had him on the lookout for any whispers of sea treasures.
As they ventured deeper, the jungle grew increasingly hostile. The ancient trees closed in around them, their gnarled roots twisting like serpents ready to strike.
A thick, oppressive mist rolled across the forest floor, reducing visibility to just a few feet.
Suddenly—
SCREECH!
The crimson bird let out a shrill cry, its wings flaring wide as it shot up into the sky.
BOOM!
The mossy knoll where the bird had just been erupted in a violent explosion of dirt, splinters, and black smoke.
"!!"
Augur's Observation Haki flared to life, sending a single, urgent command through his mind: DODGE.
With reflexes that seemed almost superhuman, Augur twisted his body to the side.
SWOOSH—!
A massive shockwave of compressed air and invisible force rushed past him, missing his face by mere inches. The sheer pressure sliced through a dozen ancient oak trees behind him, sending them crashing down in a thunderous roar.
Without a hint of panic, Augur smoothly raised his rifle, Senriku, to his shoulder. His scope scanned the fog ahead.
Just a hundred feet away, a figure stood perfectly still amidst the falling timber.
Step.
A man emerged from the mist.
He held a sleek, closed umbrella resting casually over his right shoulder, almost like a walking cane.
Dressed in a pristine, high-collared crimson coat embellished with intricate gold embroidery, he wore a long, dark cape that billowed dramatically, even without a breeze.
His hands were covered in spotless white gloves, and his polished aristocratic boots barely left a mark on the muddy ground. Neatly combed silver hair framed his sharp, angular face, complete with a meticulously groomed moustache and goatee.
He looked like a high-ranking noble stepping out of a royal carriage.
Except for his eyes. Those were a striking, glowing crimson.
The eyes of a predator surveying its prey.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Augur didn't waste time with words. Three bullets shot through the mist, racing at hypersonic speeds toward the stranger's vital points.
The man didn't even lower his umbrella.
With movements so fluid they resembled a dance, he effortlessly sidestepped each bullet. They whizzed past him, embedding harmlessly into the distant trees.
Augur's finger lingered over the trigger, a rare frown breaking his stoic demeanor. "...Impressive. His evasion wasn't a panicked reaction; it was calculated."
A crimson bird swooped down from the canopy. Instead of fleeing, it landed right at Augur's feet, trembling slightly and looking up at him as if seeking refuge.
Finally, the aristocratic stranger spoke. His voice was smooth, carrying the effortless, chilling authority of someone born to command.
"Hand over the bird."
He adjusted the drape of his dark cape.
"And I shall grant you... a peaceful death."
Augur held Senriku steady, locking eyes with the man's striking crimson gaze. "I don't know who you are, and frankly, I have no interest in the whims of an old man chasing after a bird."
The stranger halted in his tracks, a faint, mocking smile creeping across his lips, dripping with condescension.
"How dreadfully unfortunate," he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
"The younger generation seems utterly oblivious to the true history of the sea. They're too busy chasing after inflated bounties and fleeting fame. They race across the oceans, yet they fail to recognize the real masters who forged the path."
He straightened up, an overwhelming, oppressive aura suddenly radiating from him. The air around them chilled instantly, and the mist froze in midair.
The crimson bird edged closer to Augur's boot, letting out a frightened whimper.
The stranger tilted his head slightly, his crimson eyes glinting with an ancient, sinister intent.
"I suppose a little history lesson is necessary before your demise. There was a time when just the sound of my name could silence entire buster calls and dismantle fleets."
He pointed his umbrella forward, the steel tip aimed directly at Augur's chest.
"My name... is Patrick Redfield."
DON!
"And I demand... that you surrender Pato."
Van Augur was no stranger to the absurd.
Since he joined the Caribbean Pirates, he had seen his captain declare war on the World Government on a whim. He had faced death when a rogue swordsman smashed his beloved rifle, and he had weathered Grand Line storms that should have turned the Black Pearl into kindling—all while relying on a broken compass and a captain who believed in "destiny" over a Log Pose.
Yet, even by those wild standards, the current situation was downright bizarre.
Augur glanced down. A peculiar, crimson-furred tanuki-bird was cowering behind his long coat, trembling like a leaf.
Across the wrecked clearing stood Patrick Redfield.
The infamous pirate had his sights set on the creature. And somehow, the creature had decided that Augur was its new protector.
Augur couldn't remember signing up for pet-sitting.
"I don't recall adopting you," Augur muttered, his tone icy.
"Chi!" Pato chirped back, clearly panicked.
Augur adjusted his glasses, his attention snapping back to Redfield. Every instinct in his body screamed one thing:
Run.
Patrick Redfield stood there, exuding an unsettling calm.
He showed no fear of the barrel of Senriku pointed right at his forehead. Instead, he regarded Augur with the casual indifference of someone watching an ant scuttle across a table.
To make matters worse, Redfield's eyes sparkled with an unnerving clarity. Whispers about the "Crimson Count" suggested he possessed an Observation Haki so powerful it could read the very thoughts and emotions of his targets.
Redfield already anticipated Augur's next move before Augur's muscles could even tense.
"I care little for your reasons for pursuing this creature," Augur said, his finger poised on the trigger. "But since you've threatened my life, fate compels me to defend it."
Redfield's face remained a mask of aristocratic boredom. "A foolish choice."
"I've made worse."