Observation Haki · Great Swordsman

Everything was blurry before his eyes, and by the time Wang Chuan regained his senses, he had already arrived at a nondescript, unfamiliar coastline.

Just then, an elegant male voice drifted into Wang Chuan's ears.

"Interesting. To see such a nostalgic place, it is exactly as it appears in my memories. Is this your ability?"

"To have my memories read in reverse."

"This is the first time in my life."

"Although I would like to thank you for making me recall these things."

"But I truly loathe anyone prying into my memories. Let us end this farce, and with your life, you shall pay for the sins you have committed."

As the man finished speaking, Wang Chuan's expression shifted; he hurriedly turned around and raised his hands, coating them in Armament Haki.

Bang!

A formidable force struck him, sending Wang Chuan flying backward. He skidded over a hundred meters across the sand, finally catching a clear look at his attacker.

The man was tall and slender, with wine-red hair braided at his temples and eyebrows that ended in distinct spirals. A golden chain pierced his lower left lip, connecting to his left ear.

He wore an exquisite red cape, and even his shirt and trousers were various shades of red.

To top it off, he wore a pair of polished black leather boots and carried a refined umbrella with a bat-shaped ornament at the tip, making him look like an elegant aristocrat bathed in blood.

These distinct features all pointed to the identity of this legend.

In the Pirate World, before Mihawk, he was the most renowned lone great swordsman on the seas, a top-tier powerhouse capable of standing on equal footing with the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates.

[The Red Count]!!!

Patrick Redfield!!!

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Seeing that his strike had failed to claim Wang Chuan's life, a flicker of surprise crossed Redfield's eyes, though he quickly became indifferent again.

After all, that had merely been a casual swing.

Since that strike hadn't killed the fellow, he would simply use a bit more strength for the next one.

With a thought, Redfield arrived before Wang Chuan and swung his rod-like umbrella, slashing toward him.

That's right; as a top-tier great swordsman, Redfield's weapon was not a sword.

It was nothing more than an umbrella!

Wang Chuan had no time to overthink.

Because he could truly feel a sharpness capable of severing everything emanating from that umbrella. He could only instinctively condense his Armament Haki to the limit over his hands and block above his head, attempting to catch the blade with his bare hands.

In an instant, Wang Chuan was forced to one knee, veins bulging on his face as he clearly exerted every ounce of his strength.

Although Wang Chuan had known the man was strong upon realizing his identity, he hadn't expected him to be this powerful.

He was in a completely different dimension from Zephyr!

Was this the level of the top powerhouses on the seas before the era of the Four Emperors?

A mere casual strike had left him in such a wretched state!

At this moment, Redfield finally took a sliver of interest in Wang Chuan.

"Interesting. To be able to block two of my strikes, you are no longer a nobody on these seas."

"It is a pity that not only did you pry into my memories, but you also attempted to use your ability to manipulate me into teaching you Observation Haki. That is truly foolish."

Redfield said nonchalantly.

The next instant, the force in his hand surged, and the sharpness condensed by his Armament Haki instantly sliced through Wang Chuan's skin, which was as tough as steel.

Wang Chuan's face changed drastically. He wanted to speak, but his teeth were clenched tight, leaving him speechless, and he could only roar internally.

"What a joke! How could I possibly die so easily just after my cheat code upgraded!"

"At least give me some time to explain!"

"You twisted, psychopathic bastard!"

In a flash, Wang Chuan's hair grew wildly, transforming into thousands of sharp needles that thrust toward Redfield's face.

An ordinary person would likely have been turned into a pincushion in an instant.

But a red light flashed in Redfield's eyes; with a flick of his wrist, he raised his hand and severed all the hair-needles attacking him.

Advanced Observation Haki: Future Sight!

After finishing this, Redfield's expression turned visibly gloomy.

Because a technique like Life Return was not something an ordinary person could learn—even he couldn't do it; only the lackeys of the World Government could.

Therefore, at this moment, Wang Chuan had been branded by Redfield as a member of the World Government.

And to Redfield, who possessed an innate mind-reading Observation Haki.

The hearts of those from the World Government were far uglier than those of ordinary people, and they disgusted him even more!

So, in the next instant, Redfield swung his sword—or what could be considered a serious strike—and split Wang Chuan in two from head to toe in the most gruesome fashion.

Even with the extensive experience of death Wang Chuan had previously accumulated under Zephyr, this particular experience was a brand-new way to die.

In the final moments before his consciousness faded into silence, Wang Chuan cursed inwardly.

If you have mind-reading powers, then use them!

I really didn't use any ability to scheme against you; I'm just a user of this cheat, not the producer!

And just like that, in his first meeting with Redfield, Wang Chuan was thoroughly defeated.

Back in reality, after Wang Chuan woke up, he felt as if he had just had a nightmare; he was drenched in cold sweat, gasping for air, his eyes filled with indescribable terror.

The sensation of being sliced in two by a single sword stroke was truly hellish.

Especially since the weapon the opponent used was an umbrella!

Wang Chuan decided he needed to take a good, long break before entering the cheat interface again.

Because the flow of time in the cheat differed from reality, time inside had stopped the moment he exited.

The problem was that Redfield wasn't someone with a good temper like Zephyr.

If he couldn't come up with a way to withstand the opponent's attacks, or find a way to make Redfield realize that he had been forcibly summoned by the cheat rather than being influenced by a Devil Fruit ability, then he was doomed.

Wang Chuan was certain that every time he went back in, he would die all over again!

The end result would be that not only would he be repeatedly tortured to death, but his physical body in reality would be unable to fall into a deep sleep to recover, eventually leading to his death from sheer exhaustion.

Just then, Zhao Wuji, who was on night watch, noticed Wang Chuan's abnormal state and asked with blunt concern.

"Boss, what's wrong? Why do you look like you were scared by a nightmare?"

Wang Chuan waved his hand with a smile, signaling that he was fine.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some important matters and woke up startled. I won't be able to fall asleep for a while, so you should get some rest first."

Zhao Wuji didn't suspect anything; although the physique of a Spirit Master allowed him to maintain high energy for long periods, years of high-intensity training had given him the ability to fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Thus, accompanied by the sound of Zhao Wuji's snoring, Wang Chuan's super-intelligence began to simulate in his mind how exactly he could overcome this difficult hurdle.

At first, Wang Chuan considered several stalling tactics, hoping to let Redfield exhaust his Haki in an attempt to break the fruit ability, thereby realizing that the world wasn't a product of such powers.

But then he remembered that Redfield hadn't even used Advanced Conqueror's Haki before brushing him aside like a stray dog on the side of the road.

This made the corners of Wang Chuan's mouth twitch helplessly, and he abandoned that unrealistic idea.

The reason was simple: the gap in strength between the two was too vast—so vast that if the opponent got even slightly serious, even escaping would be a luxury.