On the other side, in a bar in the bustling district of Fish-Man Island.
"Is that so? Indeed, the era initiated by Roger has inspired countless new-generation pirates!"
Redfield swirled the ice in his half-filled glass of whiskey and said thoughtfully, "A few years ago, I had a great battle with Shiki. After losing to him, I retreated with severe injuries. After a long period of recovery, I reappeared a few months ago and only then, through the newspapers, did I realize the sea had become like this!"
During their brief conversation, Grimm also learned why Redfield was on Fish-Man Island.
Four years ago, he had fled after being severely injured in a fight with Shiki. After recovering, he had recently reappeared and wanted to return to "Paradise" to find the Devil Fruit he desired. He had obtained information about that particular fruit.
Redfield had always regretted not having fought Roger for a long time before Roger became the Pirate King.
But now that Roger was dead, he had lost that opportunity. He decided to go to Loguetown to see what scene Roger had witnessed before his death.
"You call all pirates trash. That's a very broad generalization. If that's the case, aren't you and I, as pirates, also trash?"
Redfield asked with ulterior motives, unsure if he wanted to provoke Grimm, who had uttered the statement.
"Heh heh, you could say that, but who's to blame when anyone with a bounty is called a pirate? However, perhaps in the future, people won't call me a pirate anymore!" Grimm said, looking up at the sky.
"Heh!"
Redfield chuckled softly and downed the whiskey in his arms. "Do you have any plans? Could it be?"
Grimm didn't answer but instead asked, "Speaking of which, how did you, a lone individual and not a Devil Fruit user, manage to enter the 10,000-meter-deep sea?"
Grimm had commandeered a ship and coated it. He assumed Redfield had done the same.
Speaking of ships, Grimm had received a complaint from Yasuo a couple of days ago. Apparently, he got lost in the New World, smashed a warship, killed a Vice Admiral, and stole a Marine navigator. However, the navigator later committed suicide…
But all of this was irrelevant to Grimm now. Yasuo could fend for himself. When it came to piloting a ship, he always relied on his "swag," just do whatever felt right…
"Heh, what's so surprising about that? I just killed a few people and threatened them into bringing me here. I plan to do the same to get to the East Blue later!" Redfield said. "Just like you, right?"
Grimm could only offer silent condolences to the pirates who would be chosen by him next. Before even reaching the true New World, they had already attracted the attention of an old monster.
"I met with Big Mom and Mad Dog recently!" Grimm said.
"Mad Dog?" Redfield sounded confused, then understood. "Oh? Kaido? Although I haven't formally fought him, I know his personality. The nickname 'Mad Dog' suits him better than 'Hundred Beasts'!"
After a pause, Redfield continued, "The fact that the three of you met on Cheese Island recently is all over the New World. It's not surprising!"
"Charlotte Linlin said you'll be captured!" Grimm suddenly said, smiling as he observed Redfield's expression. As expected, Redfield's expression turned grim. He added with a somewhat wicked grin, "Mad Dog and I have the same idea!"
A killing intent flashed through Redfield's body, and he asked sideways, "On what grounds do you say that?"
He was nearing sixty and had been a pirate for over forty years, always acting alone. No Marine had ever captured him in all this time. On what basis could these juniors claim that he, a senior, would be caught?
"You're not stupid, Redfield. Can't you figure it out?" Grimm tilted his head back, looking at the crystal ceiling of the Fish-Man Island bar. "Your age, your strength—one increasing, the other decreasing. Plus, you've always been alone, practically a lonely old man. Being caught by the Navy is only a matter of time!"
Grimm's simple words struck a nerve with Redfield, hitting the nail on the head.
He was eight years older than Whitebeard, causing him to age faster than the latter. Moreover, Whitebeard had a family full of children and grandchildren.
It is said that as people age, they fear loneliness and death.
Redfield was experiencing a similar psychological state.
He didn't care if people insulted him or said he lost to the Shiki. What he feared most was the word "old."
A slight crack appeared in the wine glass he was holding, and Redfield's tone carried a hint of killing intent. "Don't speak so arrogantly to a senior, you youngsters of the 'Three Monsters'!"
Damn it, why don't I have the Revive-Revive Fruit or the Vampire-Vampire Fruit? Damn it, Redfield was frustrated.
"Young? That's not a word you're willing to bring up now, is it!" Grimm always looked like he was in his twenties because Holy Light granted him eternal youth. Upon hearing Redfield's words, Grimm continued, "How about it? Are you interested in pledging allegiance to me and becoming my subordinate? I can grant you youth!"
Grimm suddenly thought that if he could bestow upon him the abilities of the Blood Mage from DNF, the compatibility would be extremely high. But currently, Devil Fruits were lacking.
"Bastard, there's a limit to your arrogance! You can say such nonsense, young man!" Redfield crushed the glass. He didn't believe for a moment that the other party could make him younger. This was clearly mocking him.
"Alright, how about letting me experience your strength, senior!"
"Oh… that would be best. Shall we fight right here?" Redfield really wanted to teach this kid a lesson. How dare he mock his age! Senior Brook, even at his old age, had become a lively skeleton, and he could too, as long as he found the Vampire-Vampire Fruit.
Grimm immediately rejected the idea. "No, Fish-Man Island can't withstand such a commotion. Aren't you heading to the first half of the Grand Line? It's right there once we leave here. It will take some time to find an island in the New World to fight on."
Redfield's pupils contracted. "Are you talking about Sabaody Archipelago?"
If they went from Fish-Man Island to the New World, it would take at least several days to land on an island in the New World. However, if they went to Sabaody Archipelago, it would only take a few hours.
But that was no simple place. It was Celestial Dragon territory, the island closest to Marine Headquarters.
"Don't you find it interesting?" Grimm smiled like a child. "Fighting while also preparing to face the Marines? Isn't that exciting? And… if we're lucky, we might even clear out some trash…"
Grimm was referring to the Celestial Dragons as trash. Redfield, on the other hand, thought he meant pirates. If he had seen through Grimm's intentions, he would have said: Damn it, I'm not going…
Redfield stared at Grimm for a long time, then suddenly said, "Before I came to Fish-Man Island, I met Whitebeard. He said you are a more insane lunatic than Kaido, full of Holy Light, with a dark heart and filled with malicious humor. It seems that's true!"
"So, you agree? If you refuse, it proves you're truly old, in every sense of the word!"
Another mention of "old" made Redfield's forehead twitch. "Then let me, your senior, test your strength…"
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