On the small boat, a man dressed in splendid wine-red clothing, leaning on an elegant red umbrella, walked out slowly from the cabin.
He stood quietly at the bow, his face pale, with smooth silver hair cascading over his shoulders. His expression carried a trace of travel weariness, but it couldn't conceal the innate majesty ingrained in his bones.
The man slowly looked up and a pair of crimson eyes, in the deep night, flickered with a soul-stirring light.
The shouts from the loudspeaker instantly caught in the throats of the G-5 Marines.
"This... this person is..."
"That monster... how could he be here!?"
"Re... Red Earl!!!"
The Marines who were swaggering just a moment ago now trembled, the den den mushis in their hands clattering onto the deck.
The lookout's stammering report came through the den den mushi. "Boss! It's... it's the Red Earl! Patrick Redfield!"
Tatsuki's telescope clicked shut, and he casually tossed it back onto the table. Deep within his pupils, two flickers of bloodthirsty flame ignited.
Patrick Redfield.
That solitary monster, renowned alongside Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki, yet who refused to become a 'King'.
The 'Aloof Red' who needed no crew, capable of rivaling an entire fleet single-handedly.
At this moment, he had not yet consumed the Mythical Zoan-type: Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, but his power had already reached its peak.
"Interesting." Tatsuki grinned, a low chuckle rolling from his throat.
"Finally, a big fish has arrived."
He slowly drew the Zanpakutō from his waist. The jet-black blade reflected a cold, murderous intent under the moonlight.
"Gion, order all patrol warships to return to base immediately." Tatsuki's voice carried an undisguised excitement.
"Having them participate in a battle of this level would only be a waste of lives."
Gion watched the fanatical expression on Tatsuki's face, her heart trembling. She rarely saw Tatsuki show such an expression.
It was the uncontrollable excitement and thirst of an apex predator upon seeing the supreme prey it had long dreamed of.
She didn't ask further, immediately picking up the den den mushi to relay the order.
"Boss, are you going?! That's the Red Earl!" The lookout cried out tearfully.
"Nonsense!"
Tatsuki snapped coldly into the den den mushi. "This is a huge fat sheep! Anyone who tries to steal my kill, I'll chop them up!"
He grabbed his coat of justice and flung it over his shoulders, the wide hem flapping violently behind him.
Tatsuki, sword in hand, strode out of the office with great strides.
...
"Has the Marines fallen to such depths?" Patrick Redfield spoke softly, his voice flat yet carrying a natural authority.
He watched the G-5 patrol warship frantically turning, trying to flee. A flicker of displeasure crossed his crimson eyes.
He drifted alone on the sea, seeking only true 'entertainment'. And now, these buzzing flies had disturbed his momentary peace.
An intangible yet substantial Haki erupted from him like a tsunami.
Boom!
The sky suddenly seemed to press down. The sea churned violently, and waves several meters high rose from the calm surface.
On the rapidly fleeing G-5 patrol warship, the Marines didn't even have time to scream before collapsing in waves, their eyes rolling back as they fainted.
The sea within a radius of several hundred meters was instantly cleared by this burst of Haki.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
A wild, unrestrained laugh tore through the oppressive atmosphere created by Patrick Redfield's Haki.
A streak of white shockwave tore through the night sky in the distance, like a comet striking the moon, its speed surpassing sound.
Godspeed: Flowing Light!
A new move Tatsuki recently developed while exploring the Storm-Storm Fruit.
Using the devil fruit's power to maximally compress and jet air currents behind him while enveloping his body in airflow to minimize drag, achieving ultra-high-speed, long-distance travel over the sea.
BOOM!
An ear-splitting sonic boom exploded a hundred meters in front of Patrick's small boat.
Tatsuki's figure appeared as if out of thin air. A pair of wind wings unfurled behind him, allowing him to hover steadily above the churning sea.
He held Zangetsu in hand, his coat of justice whipping wildly in the gale behind him. The smile on his face was brazen and arrogant.
"Redfield."
"You violently resisted law enforcement, knocking out an entire ship of my brothers. Medical expenses must be paid."
"Your vessel entered my G-5's sea of justice. A toll must be paid."
"Most importantly, you scared me. I've suffered severe psychological trauma. Compensation for emotional distress is non-negotiable."
Tatsuki held up three fingers, beginning to calculate the bill with a serious face, "Considering it's your first offense, I'll give you a 20% discount. Thirty billion Berries. Hand it over, and I'll let you go."
The air above the sea seemed to freeze solid.
Redfield's eyes lifted slightly, clearly reading Tatsuki's inner thoughts—an undisguised malice.
"Interesting brat. Your heart's voice is filthier than this sea." Redfield smiled.
It was the first time he'd seen a Marine who could justify 'robbery' so righteously.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course I do." Tatsuki replied nonchalantly, picking his ear with his pinky.
"Patrick Redfield. Known on the seas as the the Aloof Red. What? Trying to use your reputation to settle the debt? Sorry, I don't accept IOUs here."
Redfield's smile gradually faded. A trace of chill finally surfaced in those crimson eyes.
"Since you know who I am, yet still dare to reach out your hand to me..."
"It seems you've already made your resolve to welcome death."
Boom!
Redfield's aura abruptly changed.
If before it was just a gentle breeze, now it was a Category 10 typhoon.
A dark red Conqueror's Haki, like a sea of blood, instantly engulfed Tatsuki.
"Redfield, since you don't want to pay, then you'll have to pay with your life." Tatsuki's smile grew even more ferocious.
"Although that face of yours is worth some bounty money, around here, cash is king."
He wasted no more words. The tip of his Zangetsu pointed directly at Redfield. At the same moment, all of his Haki erupted without reservation.
BOOM!
Two Conqueror's Hakis collided violently on the sea's surface. Black and red lightning bolts danced like frenzied giant pythons around them, crackling and popping.
The sky was torn open by this power. The sea was stirred into a complete frenzy by these two terrifying auras.
"Hmph." Redfield let out a cold snort.
The elegant red umbrella in his hand gave a slight tremble.
Swish!
A crimson slash, fast enough to split the sea itself, swept horizontally towards Tatsuki. This slash was silent, yet it contained the terrifying will to sever everything.
Tatsuki's pupils constricted sharply.
"Tensa Zangetsu!" He chanted softly.
A speed far surpassing his normal state instantly suffused his entire body.
The flow of time around him seemed to grow sluggish.
"Disappeared?!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Redfield's eyes, which saw through everything.
Relying on the extreme speed granted by Tensa Zangetsu, Tatsuki's figure vanished from the slash's path like a phantom.
Even Redfield's keen Observation Haki experienced a momentary gap.
(End of Chapter)
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