The Young Earl's Invincible Bearing

"To become the 'King of the Pirates,' one needs considerable resolve."

Faced with the little raccoon's heartfelt words, the Red Earl simply raised his hand: on the back of his hand, which was no longer plump, ugly age spots had begun to creep up.

"Gol D. Roger, Edward Newgate..."

"Even Sengoku and Garp have retired to the second line due to old age."

No matter how glorious their legends were, they are now old, so old that they can no longer roam the seas.

"To surpass them, one must abandon all naivety, compassion, and constraints..."

As he spoke, the Red Earl glanced at the little raccoon in front of him.

"I admit it, Pato."

"Keeping you by my side all this time was a result of my 'weakness.' Now:"

"You are free!"

Ignoring the shocked little raccoon, the Red Earl casually pulled out an 'apple' with purple patterns from his bag and held it up in front of himself.

"Zoan, Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Vampire Form. With this, I can have eternal youth—"

"Therefore, I will surpass humanity! I will become the king of this ocean!!"

·······

Why are you vampires all so 'unhuman'?

Just as Roman was internally ranting, the Red Earl took a small bite of the Devil Fruit, tossed it aside, and then:

"Stop!!"

Luffy leaped up immediately because in the future he 'saw':

"Now, I will discard the last thing—"

While Luffy was still in mid-air, the Red Earl had already unleashed a powerful kick! And the target was none other than:

The Pato in front of me.

Call out--

In an instant, the little raccoon transformed into a cannonball and shot off to the side, smashing through a building with a deafening roar! It disappeared into the ruins.

Bang!

Luffy's fist finally arrived and struck the spot where the Red Earl was standing, but it only pierced through the roof in an instant. The Red Earl, who could read minds, had already disappeared with a whoosh.

"There it is—!"

"Get out here—!!"

Brush,

"Careful!"

In an instant, an aura of arrogance, fierceness, and coldness surged up from behind the Straw Hat crew! A crimson figure stood there, holding a...

"Yaya?!"

His name is Yadoya...

Before the surprised Straw Hat crew could react, the Red Earl, now with two more fangs, bent down and bit the innkeeper's neck.

Boom--

A crimson flame shot into the sky, staining the entire night sky red! A domineering, cold, aloof, and icy aura pressed down on the entire Straw Hat crew like an invisible hand, making them feel as if their hearts were being choked, and they even forgot to breathe.

"This is···"

"Conqueror's Haki?"

"That's only natural, after all, he's a legendary powerhouse who's said to be worth an entire Four Emperors crew!"

Snap,

Her once-brown, bun-like hair had turned a dry, brittle color, and her smooth skin was now covered in wrinkles. The innkeeper girl, Yadoya, had instantly transformed into an old woman, landing on the ground. In contrast:

"What did you do!?"

Faced with Sanji's angry rebuke, the Red Earl simply wiped the corner of his mouth lightly.

"I absorbed her 'lifespan'."

"Hahaha, it's back to me, the power of my youth!"

Having regained his youth, the Red Earl, like a wicked nobleman, looked up at the sky, clenched his fist, and questioned.

"Do you see? The power that 'time' stole from me has returned to my body! You men who have succumbed to the years!!"

Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Garp, Sengoku...

"None of you are a match for me!"

However, there was not a trace of joy in his words; instead, they were filled with resentment.

"You're so weak! That old Whitebeard man is several times stronger than you are now!!"

Facing Luffy, who had leaped off the roof and landed in front of him in a rage, the young the Red Earl simply waved his hand lightly.

A mist began to shroud the battlefield. Although the 'Vampire Fruit' meant that vampires from other worlds wouldn't die from sunlight, weak sunlight was still a given. Even though it was night, the Red Earl still created a mist first. Then:

"Roger was executed,"

?!

In that instant, a figure flew out from the Straw Hat crew like a phantom, the distance of a dozen meters seemed to disappear, and a black and white longsword was already slashing towards Luffy's back!

The strangest thing is that such a terrifying speed did not produce the slightest sound of air being torn apart, nor did it cause any air to surge.

When the sword struck behind Luffy, the air exploded! A fierce wind arose, sand and stones flew, and Haki surged forth. As the black and white sword slashed towards the spot, the Red Earl suddenly appeared!

Clang!

However, this sword strike failed to achieve its purpose, because the five fingers covered in Armament Haki firmly gripped Roman's longsword, leaving him unable to advance or retreat.

"You concealed your aura well, timed your attack perfectly, and your technique of using the surrounding wind to counteract air resistance is also excellent..." The Red Earl praised him repeatedly without turning his head, but Roman, one of the White Knight, had a change of expression!

Brush--

In an instant, Roman Observation Haki, sensed a powerful sense of danger. The White Knight immediately released his longsword and retreated rapidly, his feet sliding backward. However:

Puff,

Tear!

A smooth crack suddenly appeared on the White Knight's body as he retreated, revealing Roman, who was protected by an aura of Haki.

"Tsk, you think you can break through my defenses with a casual strike?"

It's important to know that Roman's paper is inherently harder than steel, and it's been continuously imbued with Armament Haki, so while it didn't forge a suit of 'black armor,' its hardness is still such that it could stand and withstand attacks from a group of Great Pirates without sustaining a scratch. The result:

"Roman?!"

It's a long story, but the entire exchange just now lasted less than half a second. The rest of the Straw Hat crew had barely assumed their attack stances when Roman had already completed his 'surprise attack' and 'flying backwards' sequence.

"I'm fine,"

Beneath the shattered White Knight, Roman glanced deeply at the Red Earl who Luffy... no, more like toying with Luffy, who had just regained his senses. A red line of blood was slowly appearing on Roman's chest! Like a henchman caught in the throes of a lightning-fast blade, not yet having reacted.

Of course, Roman is no weakling! This sword strike only scratched the surface at most.

"What an amazing sword!"

In that split second, the Red Earl used one hand to restrain Roman's longsword, then swung the umbrella in his other hand backward with a backhand strike. Despite the unsuitable angle, the sword still pierced the White Knight's defenses and wounded Roman inside.

The sword mark emanated a chilling, ruthless killing intent that seemed to annihilate everything, along with a thirst for and Milton of life born from this killing intent and destructive will!

If Roman hadn't been a master of 'Life Return', the blood from his wounds would have already been gushing out under the influence of some unknown force, heading straight for the Red Earl, who was surrounded by a crimson mist and toying with Luffy.

"Be careful, his attacks will draw blood from your wounds!"

"Let's do it together—"

Before Nami could finish speaking, an overwhelming and terrifying aura of arrogant killing intent swept over them once more! Even those present, all masters of the sea, were momentarily stunned by this surge of Conqueror's Haki. Roman, Zoro, Sanji, and Jinbe all paled in shock!

"Careful!!"

Almost simultaneously, Roman lunged at Nami, Sanji instantly moved to Brulee's side, and Zoro simultaneously covered his three swords with Armament Haki, suppressing his killing intent, demonic aura, and Haki to the extreme, waiting for a devastating blow.

Clang!

Almost simultaneously, Roman had already swung his black and white longsword. With a roar like a supersonic fighter jet passing by, followed by a weapon impact so loud that it completely drowned out the previous sound of air being torn apart, a red light enveloped Roman at the same time.

Puff puff puff puff—

In an instant, a burst of dazzling sparks erupted from Roman's White Knight armor—the scattered sword energy of the Red Earl! This also indicated that Roman was at a disadvantage in the previous weapon clash.

"This is·····"

Although Nami couldn't see the Red Earl, she knew Roman was under attack. Her "Thief's Intent" instantly exploded with plasma Lightning Flash, turning the area around her and Roman into a sea of thunder! This was to hinder the high-speed enemy, but:

"A good response, but unfortunately."

The Red Earl had already appeared on the other side, followed by a slight metallic scraping sound. His umbrella, used as a weapon, was pressed against Sanji's leather shoe, but judging from Sanji's grim expression and the fan tip embedded in the shoe...

"Even my 'Tranquil Garden' couldn't be pierced in one go. Not bad Armament Haki."

The Red Earl's voice seemed full of admiration, yet it made the listener's heart sink.

"What do you intend to do to my companion—"

Hurry, hurry, hurry!!

A jet-black fist tore through the air and arrived in an instant! It stood in front of Sanji as if it had always been there! It's just that none of them noticed it.

"Rubber Black Mamba!"

"Catch him, Orochi!!"

As the Red Earl retreated instantly, Luffy's fist, like a leaping, venomous python, continued its forward lunge, twisting and turning! Although to most of the Straw Hat crew it seemed as if Luffy's fist was chasing thin air, however:

"Hmph, using predicted 'future' to constantly close in and compress my space to dodge?"

"Franky Freezing Beam!"

Franky, being a robot, had long since replaced his eyes with prosthetics. While he lacked Observation Haki, his senses weren't suppressed by the Red Earl's. As he clasped his hands together, golden light shone between his fingers—a Observation Haki emanating from Vegapunk.

However, the Red Earl, who was dodging at high speed, simply raised his hand and flicked a blood ball the size of a marble, which landed on Franky's chest at an incredible speed.

Then:

In an instant, Franky felt as if he had been transported back to the time more than ten years ago when he was hit head-on by the Sea Train. He was thrown backward involuntarily, and his chest was completely numb, with no sensation at all.

He managed to look down and discovered that not only had his outer skin disappeared, but even his composite material armor, which was no less defensive than any steel, had been completely shattered, with various parts blown off and cola spilling out!

If his 'heart' hadn't been modified with Wapol Metal, this blow would have taken half his life! —Even so, Franky, who was sent flying backward, instantly lost his fighting ability.

"Franky!!"

Chopper roared and threw a Rumble Ball into his mouth, preparing to enter 'Monster Enhancement'! But:

"Too slow,"

?!

Before Chopper could even react, he found himself being rapidly backward when the Red Earl suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a Rumble Ball! The crackling sound behind him made his vision go black.

"Ghostly Aura - Nine-Sword Style - Asura - Sword Draw - Play of the Dead!"

Zoro's Haki suddenly surged wildly and endlessly, accompanied by an increasingly ominous ghostly aura, transforming him into a three-headed, six-armed Asura, with nine samurai swords spinning like wheels as he attacked the Red Earl!

At the same time, Zoro's spinning slash causes him to vibrate at an unpredictable frequency, deflecting and dodging attacks aimed at him. It can be said that this move is truly like a terrifying hurricane without substance, yet capable of penetrating everything and cutting through all things, making thousands of troops move as if they were in an empty land, leaving a bloody storm in its wake while remaining completely unscathed himself.

"Good!"

Zoro's move earned him a second glance from the Red Earl. In an instant, Zoro transformed from extreme motion to extreme stillness, from an elusive, unseen dodge to a grounded, solid stance. Red Earl's umbrella, "Tranquil Garden," precisely struck the most intense point of Zoro's sword strike, a deliberate attempt to overcome strength with force!

Clang!

With a deafening roar, centered on the collision of the umbrella and the samurai sword, the air suddenly appeared with dense black patterns, resembling shattered porcelain.

"Good,"

Puff--

As the two brushed past each other, a spurt of blood shot from Zoro's abdomen. The Red Earl glanced at the torn cuff on his arm and the fleeting red knife mark below.

With his vampire Devil Fruit ability, any wound can stop bleeding and close up instantly, as if it had never happened!

He could take them down with a single move, making him virtually invincible.