After hearing this, the Donquixote Family officers were all shocked. Vergo had to bolster their confidence, so he continued,
"No need to worry. He was imprisoned in Impel Down for over thirty years. He's old and frail now, no longer the man he once was!"
"Haven't you noticed? He's getting weaker as the fight goes on!"
Redfield didn't care for Vergo's words and said proudly,
"My body is indeed old and decrepit, but killing you all is still child's play."
"The only reason I've played along with you until now is to find out where that thing I want is!"
Redfield was a bit out of breath after fighting for a while, but his physical state only strengthened his resolve to find that item.
Unfortunately, though his powerful awakened Observation Haki allowed him to see through the hearts of those before him, the whereabouts of what he sought remained unknown.
"What boastful words! Old man, you should be more humble at your age. Learn from me and know some respect..."
Lao G stuck out his rear, striking a ridiculous pose. Just as he was speaking, a red figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Redfield's left hand lightly covered Lao G's forehead, and his powerful Observation Haki erupted instantly,
Then, before anyone could react, he flashed back to his original position.
"It seems you really don't know the whereabouts of that item!"
Redfield sighed with regret and looked toward the tallest peak in the center of the island,
"Little ones, clear the way. I'm going ahead to take a look!"
Vergo and the others were stunned by Redfield's move. The confidence they had just built up crumbled again, and for a moment, they were hesitant.
"Oh? Do you want me to go back and ask the people over there?"
Seeing no response, Redfield glanced back at the battlefield on the east coast and murmured softly,
"True, the battle over there is intense. Thinking about it, the people there must be quite strong and should know more than you!"
With that, he turned around and began walking back.
Vergo, who had rushed here from the east coast, happened to be in Redfield's path.
He instantly coated both his arms and his bamboo stick with Armament Haki, attempting to block Redfield.
"Whoosh!"
Redfield appeared before Vergo like a blood-red afterimage. With a horizontal slash of his Umbrella Sword, he actually sliced straight through the bamboo stick in Vergo's hand.
At the same time, the Armament Haki on Vergo's arms failed to completely block the sword.
"Slash!"
Two streams of blood sprayed from his arms. Vergo's arms trembled as his body was forced back over a dozen meters.
Vergo was horrified. He hadn't expected an old man who had been imprisoned for over 30 years without seeing the sun to still possess such explosive power.
Redfield's eyes were now crimson, and even his eyebrows had turned bright red. His Aura grew increasingly cold and sinister.
"People like you, who believe in Family and comrades in your hearts, truly disgust me."
"I only want that item. Since you don't know where it is, get lost!"
Vergo's defeat didn't make the Donquixote Family retreat. Instead, they gathered around Vergo, firmly blocking Redfield's path.
The Young Lord's order was not to let anyone interfere with his and Diamante's actions. This order had to be executed without fail.
It didn't matter if someone wanted to go to the mountain peak in the center of the island or to the east coast.
The actions of the Donquixote Family members completely infuriated Redfield.
A murderous Aura permeated his entire body. The crimson in his eyes gradually became as thick and viscous as blood, radiating an extremely cold Aura,
"You're looking for death!"
He raised his sword again, but just as he was about to strike, there was a rustling in the nearby bushes.
"Boss, I finally caught up to you! Let me stay by your side!"
A cute voice called out, and then a small figure pounced out from the bushes toward Redfield.
It was a strange creature that looked like a tanuki but could speak the human tongue!
Redfield reached out his left hand and grabbed the tanuki pouncing at him. Despite the tanuki's joyful expression, he tossed it away,
"Get lost. I don't need anyone following me!"
The tanuki hit the ground and rolled several times before stopping. With tears in its eyes, it whimpered softly,
"Boss, I want to be with you..."
Redfield glared at the tanuki with blood-red eyes, his voice icy,
"Pato, my saving you was just a coincidence. I don't need you staying by my side!"
He had been imprisoned in Impel Down for over 30 years. If his contemporaries like Roger and Whitebeard hadn't all fallen, he might have accepted ending his days in prison.
But now, he was determined to surpass those men and reach the top as the new Pirate King.
Having seen through the filth of the world, he trusted no one but himself.
Unfortunately, his old and weak body made him feel his strength fading rapidly.
Therefore, he must find that item as soon as possible to restore his "youth."
A violent explosion erupted from the battlefield in the center of the island, followed by silence.
Donquixote Doflamingo sat on a boulder, his right hand supporting his knee and his other hand on his forehead, a sinister grin on his face,
"It seems things over there have finished. It's time for us to end things here as well!"
Taro was also resting on the ground, calculating in his mind,
Judging by the intensity of the battle over there, it was unlikely to be the fight between Vergo and Redfield.
No matter how old the solitary red was, Vergo would be no match for him.
So, what exactly was Vergo doing over there?
However, if this dragged on any longer, there might be more complications!
Thinking of this, Taro stood up and coated his blade with Armament Haki.
Mingo also grinned and stood up with ease.
Just as the two were about to strike, they both looked toward the southeast.
Their Observation Haki, spread across the entire battlefield, allowed them to detect someone approaching.
Taro's heart sank. Mingo did indeed have other helpers!
He didn't believe the newcomer would be his own ally, because the Marines under him couldn't possibly come to the New World!
"Clack, ting! Clack, ting!"
The sound of footsteps accompanied by the crisp clinking of metal drew closer.
Taro's expression turned grim. He had already sensed who was coming.
From the flattened forest, a tall man stepped out. His overall outfit was heavily styled in dark metal, yet he wore a white scarf.
With short amaranth hair and a proud, cold expression, Katakuri walked to a spot about twenty meters from Taro and stopped.
"You're Taro, right?"
His expression didn't change at all, and his tone remained steady as he spoke Taro's name.
Taro grew more wary. His face was a bit stiff, but his tone remained casual,
"So it's you, the leader of the 'Three Sweet Commanders' of the Big Mom Pirates, Katakuri!"
When Katakuri heard Taro mention the "Three Sweet Commanders," his brow furrowed, and his expression instantly turned dark.
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