"A lone wolf that loses its fangs is no longer a wolf, it’s merely a dog."

Alucard’s disappointment in Redfield was no less than what he had felt for Luffy moments ago. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Though he lacked the profound reverence for the sanctity of aging life possessed by the original Alucard, seeing a living legend degrade into a mere "decrepit survivor" still kindled a spark of irritation within him.

If his disappointment in Luffy stemmed from the expectations he held for a "protagonist," then his disdain for Redfield was far sharper. Here was a man with genuine, world-class power who had fallen so far as to compromise his dignity; for that, Alucard felt only contempt.

Redfield, sensing the shift in Alucard’s demeanor, narrowed his eyes coldly. "You intend to kill me?"

When he was first imprisoned, Alucard was already a notorious "Man-Slaying Pirate," but he hadn’t yet reached the level of a mindless slaughterer.

Furthermore, they were arguably old acquaintances. Redfield found it difficult to grasp Alucard’s motive. Why? Does he simply wish to eliminate a potential rival ahead of time?

"You don’t even understand why I want to kill you? It seems you truly are beyond saving."

The seal on the back of Alucard’s white gloves glowed with a crimson light. "No matter. Dying in the midst of a world-shaking war is a far better end than gasping your last breath from old age. Consider this my gift to you."

Redfield was not a man of mild temperament. At Alucard’s provocation, a terrifying aura erupted from him. A faint red mist seemed to diffuse through the air; the sheer pressure nearly sent Robin to the ground, and she only managed to remain upright by drawing upon her vampire strength.

"What a unique Conqueror’s Haki... Fuffuffuffu," Doflamingo chuckled. "The old man still has some bite."

With a sudden movement, Doflamingo took to the air, retreating toward the rear. "I’d best keep my distance, lest I get caught in the crossfire."

Seeing this, Robin also retreated hastily. She was well aware of the terrifying reputation of Red the Aloof.

Redfield swung his unique, red umbrella-sword, the one with the bat-shaped handle, unleashing a slash that tore through the air.

The blade had not dulled with age, yet it felt... "wrong."

To reach such a pinnacle without a Devil Fruit was a testament to his status as a peak combatant of the previous era. However, the past was the past, and the present was now.

Crimson, flame-like Haki coated the edges of Redfield’s sword pressure as it exploded forward.

Alucard reached into the pool of blood and drew forth the Impaling Castle, meeting Redfield’s umbrella-sword head-on. In an instant, the red sword-light shattered like a burst of raindrops, scattering across the battlefield.

As they landed, each droplet detonated like a miniature bomb. Observing from the sky, Doflamingo thrust his palm forward, manifesting a "Spider’s Web" shield to protect himself.

"Hey, hey... what kind of fight is this?" Doflamingo muttered, his brow furrowing.

"King of Execution!"

After the initial exchange, Alucard did not rush to follow up. Instead, he slammed the base of the Impaling Castle into the ground, causing it to vanish into the shadows.

"The move he used against Hawk-Eyes."

Redfield, along with Teach, had been observing the battle from behind the fortress ruins, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Naturally, he had seen the duel between Alucard and Mihawk.

In the corner of the plaza, Mihawk, who had been acting as a mere spectator since his defeat,looked up. He wanted to see how the legendary Red the Aloof would handle the technique that had nearly claimed his own life.

The next instant, ripples flickered through both the earth and the sky. Countless stakes, each skewered with corpses and stretching to an exaggerated length of over ten meters, erupted outward.

Redfield thrust his umbrella-sword forward, using it as a shield. He fused his unique Conqueror’s Haki with Armament Haki, creating a tangible, red flame-like sword pressure that coated the umbrella’s surface.

Gripping the handle, Redfield began to spin his body at a high velocity. To the onlookers, he appeared encased in a hemispherical red shield that ground the sharp stakes into splinters.

A defensive barrier? Mihawk thought to himself. I see. Since the move is impossible to dodge, he simply created a defensive perimeter that the stakes cannot breach.

But at that exact moment, Alucard moved.

Mihawk froze for a second, followed by a surge of grim realization.

Yes, this was exactly why he had lost.

While he was occupied fending off the King of Execution, he had been unable to defend against Alucard’s own direct assault. That was the point of failure. Red the Aloof was now in the exact same predicament; would he have a way to break the deadlock?

Alucard raised his black pistol, Jackal, aiming for a gap in Redfield’s violent rotation.

A bullet roared forth. Under normal circumstances, such an attack would be impossible to block in this state.

Now, what will you do, Red Count? Mihawk mused silently.

Just as the Seastone explosive round, the natural enemy of all ability users, was less than half a meter from Redfield, a hemispherical space of deep, almost black-crimson energy suddenly enveloped him.

"What is that?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Mihawk took two steps forward, trying to get a clearer look.

The bullet slammed into the black void, the two forces grinding against each other in a stalemate until a massive explosion erupted. The resulting shockwave forced everyone to shield their eyes.

However, when the black space dissipated, Redfield was nowhere to be found.

"He disappeared?" Robin blinked in confusion.

Mihawk’s hawk-like eyes darted around, settling on a point to his left. "There."

The spectators turned their heads to see a ship bearing the Whitebeard insignia. Redfield had landed on the figurehead, appearing directly behind one of the few female captains under Whitebeard’s command: Whitey Bay, the "Ice Witch."

"You..."

Whitey Bay spun around, startled by the man who had dropped from the sky. Before she could speak, Redfield seized her by the shoulders and sank his teeth into her neck.

"Ah...!"

Seeing this, Robin instinctively remembered what Alucard had done to her in Arderay’s castle. She reached up, her hand brushing against her own neck.

"Red Count, you bastard! What are you doing to our comrade!?" the members of the Whitebeard Pirates roared in fury.

Even Whitebeard, locked in combat with Teach and several other members of the Blackbeard Pirates, couldn’t help but glance over.

"Zehahaha! A moment’s distraction is all it takes to be fatal, Pops!"

Teach seized the opening. His hand, transformed into a "Wolf’s Claw," tore across Whitebeard’s chest, leaving three terrifying, jagged gashes of blood.