"Michael?"
"Indeed, it's me." Michael hovered midair, gazing at the colossal azure dragon before him—the world's strongest creature, Kaido.
"Come to think of it... this might be our first proper meeting?"
"I'm surprised too..." Kaido's massive draconic head twisted into a vicious grin. "Never imagined someone I'd never met before would repeatedly disrupt my plans... even taking my daughter and adopted children away from me..."
"Let me clarify—Yamato, Ulti, and Page One's situations are entirely not my responsibility." Michael shook his head, his smile tinged with mockery.
"Sometimes, as a father, you should reflect on whether you're even fit for the role."
"Reflect? No, no. I'll just rip those showy angel wings off your back and drag Yamato home myself."
"So that's what you think?" Michael blinked his eyes. "Seems like after lying low for so long, you must have quite a few trump cards... Otherwise, how would you dare speak to me like this?"
"Trump cards are just bargaining chips for a desperate fight..."
"How about we change locations?" Michael pointed to Onigashima in the distance. "You once ruled Wano from there... Seems fitting for it to become your burial ground."
"Burial ground?" Kaido sneered coldly. "I don't think so..."
"Trust me, I've prepared a huge surprise for you too."
...
"Honestly, is this really the level of the younger generation these days?"
Redfield sighed, turning to effortlessly dodge Enel's "30 Million Volt: Raiju" once again.
He then shook his head, looking at the four Logia users before him with disappointment in his eyes.
"Hey, who exactly is this half-old geezer?" Smoker asked loudly while using his smoke to clear out the surrounding grunts.
"Isn't his strength a bit too ridiculous?"
"I think I heard Garp-san mention a name," Stella said, her Disaster Cloud form intertwining lightning and ice across the battlefield.
"Red Count, Patrick Redfield, also known as 'The Solitary Red'... A figure from the same era as Roger and Whitebeard. A lone wolf, yet ranked alongside Roger and Shiki."
"But according to Garp, this guy wasn't significant enough to leave his mark in history," Crocodile said, her eyes fixed on Redfield, ready to strike at any moment.
"Was that old bastard Garp really not spouting nonsense?" Enel's face remained cold, but his eyes were filled with wariness.
"No matter how you look at it, this old man is absurdly strong!"
"So you're Garp's subordinates or students?" Redfield swung his sword again, forcing Enel's lightning form back.
"Even I have to admit, Garp's assessment of me was accurate... At least, that's how I was back then."
"Just witnessing Roger and Whitebeard at their peak was enough to make me lose heart, voluntarily hiding in Impel Down to end my days..."
"Is there anyone in the world more cowardly than me?" Redfield laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! But Garp still acknowledged my strength! Otherwise... do you think that old man would have even mentioned my name to you?"
"Desert Spada!" Crocodile muttered under her breath.
The sand transformed into a sharp blade slashing toward Redfield, only to be blocked by the umbrella he wielded as a sword.
"You are indeed strong."
"But what use is strength when you're alone?"
"Your fleet is already showing signs of collapse under our assault."
Crocodile kept her hands in her pockets, her golden hook floating beside her, carried by a stream of sand like a scorpion's stinger.
"Hmm, I have to admit, Logia fruits are indeed amplified endlessly in a battlefield like this... But just as you four coordinate, I didn't come alone either."
After speaking, Redfield unleashed two more Flying Slashes, then dove towards the pirate ship below while the four Logia users were busy blocking or dodging.
"You've shown me the power of Logia..."
"So, as a return gift..."
"We'll let you witness the might of Paramecia-type Devil Fruits!"
As soon as the words fell, the pirate ship exploded on cue.
A massive mechanical base was revealed.
Powered by some unknown force, it floated atop the sea.
And standing atop this base were two men.
Douglas Bullet.
Bryndy World.
"Hey, you're the one they call the 'World Destroyer'... Show me the limits of the more more fruit!"
"You're one to talk... Just how monstrous can the so-called 'Demon Heir' become?"
The two exchanged a grin.
And then...
"Medium Bullet! Activate!"
With Bullet's roar, a strange substance began flowing out from his own body.
In an instant, the entire base was enveloped.
Suddenly, a combined robot towering over ten meters appeared before everyone's eyes.
From within the combined robot, the voice of Bryndy World echoed.
"Multiply! Tenfold!"
The moment the voice rang out, the combined robot grew with the wind.
From over ten meters, it directly transformed into a colossal existence over a hundred meters tall.
Now standing face to face with the four Logia users in mid-air.
Under the eerie substance secreted by the Combine-Combine Fruit, the giant robot revealed a faint smile.
"Round two... begins."
"Marines."
...
"My goodness! What the hell is that thing?"
Shu swiftly extended his hand, knocking down the surrounding pirates.
Meanwhile, whether it was blades, guns, or bullets, everything turned into rust upon contact with him...
Having awakened the Rust-Rust Fruit, he had completely nullified most decaying materials.
Unless they were entirely encased in Armament Haki, airtight.
"That's Douglas Bullet's Combine-Combine Fruit..." Hina continuously conjured massive black spears from thin air, turning distant pirate ships into porcupines.
"Hina once read records about the Combine-Combine Fruit... If Hina is not wrong, this is also a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit capable of causing natural disasters!"
"I'm more curious about the fruit ability that allowed Bullet to multiply in size!" Marigold swung her enormous hammer, her face flushed with excitement as she gazed into the distance.
"I really want to compete with him to see who's stronger!"
"You should take a break..." Sandersonia wiped the blood off her dagger, "I've cleared this area. Now, the only one left is... Hawkeye."
"This guy... is somewhat interesting."
Hawkeye's voice rang out, accompanied by the clashing of metal.
It was the sound of Gecko Moria's greatsword colliding with Yoru.