"Wh-What the hell?"
Abel, who had just arrived, swallowed hard, his face twitching.
"What a powerful slash! Truly astonishing swordsmanship!"
Even the now-powerful swordsman Oliver couldn't help but be shocked upon witnessing this incredible scene.
"Damn it, are all old men this strong?" Enel was aghast and said with unconcealed reluctance.
To unleash such a powerful attack using only one's own strength, without relying on Devil Fruit powers, was what caused his shock.
"Mo-Monsters! They are all monsters!"
"Is this the power of the monsters from the previous era?!"
"Run! Run! Get out of this city now!"
"As expected of the man who could wound Whitebeard at the Paramount War. This level of combat can probably only be intervened in by other powerhouses of the same caliber!"
Under such cataclysmic power, the people still left in the city were fleeing frantically. Their faces were pale and filled with terror as they flocked, trying to escape the city. Even those confident in their own strength kept their distance, daring not to get too close.
Far away, on a tall tower, several men and women with reddish-purple hair gathered at the top.
"As expected of Redfield-sama! He's truly incredible!" one muscular man with a buzz cut exclaimed in admiration.
"Incredible, yes, but right now, the fact that Aeridar-sama is even stronger is what we should be hoping for!" a beautiful woman with long reddish-purple hair said with a grave expression. "Zeldan, you need to know that our betrayal will be exposed sooner or later. Once he knows, given his temper, will he tolerate our continued existence?"
"Tch, who knew such a thing would happen? That he'd actually escape from Impel Down!" The man named Zeldan grumbled irritably.
"We had no choice. After Redfield-sama was captured by the Navy and thrown into Impel Down, we lost his protection. We were subsequently targeted by over ten Emperors in the Underworld. On the surface, during the Grand Tesoro War incident, we also managed to offend three of the Yonko, two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and Gild Tesoro, the 'Golden Emperor.'" A middle-aged man in a suit next to him sighed helplessly.
"Facing hostility from so many powers, we had to find a new great tree to shelter under!"
…
Mariejois, Holy Land.
"Gorosei! Gorosei!"
A CP officer rushed into a palace, his face alight with shock.
In the palace hall, the Gorosei were either seated on sofas, leaning against support pillars, or sitting on the steps.
"Gorosei, Patrick Redfield, the 'Red Count,' has appeared in Micity Port in the Clifford Kingdom, and is currently engaged in a fierce conflict with the Chris Pirates!"
The officer rushed through his report without even catching his breath: "Golden Ring Aeridar, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is currently fighting him, and Slayer Oliver, Enel the God of Lightning, and Angus Abel the Steel Devil are also present on the battlefield."
"Furthermore, several high-ranking officers of the Chris Pirates are rushing to Micity Port, and the figures of the Crimson Family and the Vanley Family have also been spotted in the port!"
"What? Redfield and Golden Ring Aeridar have actually started a war?!"
The Gorosei were astonished.
The large gathering a while ago had already made them extremely anxious, only for the investigation to reveal it was just a meeting. Now, Aeridar was suddenly fighting Redfield. What exactly was going on?
"The Golden Lion died at his hand, and Whitebeard was also wounded by him. Now it's Redfield's turn. Does he intend to wipe out all the remnants of the previous era?"
"It's also possible he's seeking revenge for the Grand Tesoro incident back then!"
"Young people hold grudges and don't like to lose face. Given that fellow's level of madness, it's not impossible!"
"Starting a fight in his own port… is there some other meaning to this?"
The Gorosei discussed amongst themselves, making various speculations.
"G-Gorosei, there's one more thing!"
Seeing the Gorosei debating, the Marine Captain nervously added, "Our intelligence officers have also vaguely spotted the figures of Doflamingo and Gild Tesoro, but it's not entirely confirmed yet!"
"Nani?!"
The Gorosei were taken aback.
"This is truly an attempt to settle old scores from back then!" the scimitar-bearded Gorosei murmured ominously.
"Order the intelligence personnel on the island to closely monitor the outcome of the battle!" the blonde Gorosei commanded.
"In addition, order the Marines on leave in the Clifford Kingdom to be ready to mobilize at any time. If necessary, apprehend Redfield!" the curly-haired Gorosei added.
"Understood!" The Marine Captain bowed in response.
…
New World, Clifford Kingdom, Micity Port.
Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang...
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom...
Rumble! Rumble!
The great battle continued. Micity Port was already ravaged, with eyesores of ruins and shattered walls everywhere. Two figures moved and attacked each other at super-high speed, occasionally exploding into white air rings that formed hurricane-like airwaves, repeatedly sweeping the surroundings clean.
The ground continuously endured the impact waves and the air columns resembling elephant's feet, with seven or eight massive craters successively appearing in the port's landscape.
Furthermore, the ground of Micity Port was constantly flipping over, forming one gigantic, roaring lion's head after another.
However, the blood-red sword energy continuously erupted, shattering the earth and mercilessly slicing apart the giant lion's heads.
"Damn it! Die! Crimson Solitude: Stab!!!"
Redfield roared, his long umbrella erupting in scarlet blood-light as he thrust it out.
"The one who should die is you! Shigan: Impact Fist!!!"
Aeridar clenched his fist. The air seemed to burst open as three circles of ripples shot out.
Clang!
As the fist and umbrella met, a wave of distorted ripples swept outwards, exploding into a white air ring. The ground beneath their feet instantly fractured and collapsed into a depression, with dense cracks spreading in all directions.
"Impact Gun!"
Aeridar flipped his left hand, tucked his thumb against his index finger, and snapped it out. The air rippled slightly as an invisible air current flew out at high speed.
"Hmm?!"
As if sensing danger, Redfield moved his body, intending to dodge something.
Bang!
However, just as his body moved, a burst of blood splattered from his abdomen.
"Urgh…"
Redfield cried out in pain, his focus momentarily lost.
"A good chance!" Aeridar was overjoyed and rushed forward, delivering a punch.
"Get lost!" Redfield reacted incredibly fast, letting out a furious shout as he quickly swept his long umbrella upward through the air.
Zing!
Before Aeridar's punch could connect, a blood-red sword energy slashed across his chest, which was black like metal, sending him flying backward instantly.
"He actually broke through my Armament Haki defense! But thankfully, it's just a superficial wound!" Redfield knelt on the ground, glancing at the wound on his abdomen. His muscles writhed, already stopping the flow of blood.