Recruit Luffy at the start and build the strongest navy.

His figure was hidden in the darkness, making it impossible to see his appearance.

But you could sense a deep malice in those eyes.

After a long while, his gaze remained fixed on the three people above, as if waiting for some opportunity...

Above the sky, the battle between the four continued fiercely, with each collision causing the void to tremble slightly.

The powerful aftershocks continued to sweep around the four people.

Rumbling--

A series of tremors came from the void.

After another terrifying collision, the shockwave sent all four flying, each staggering back over a hundred meters.

After regaining his balance, the Red Earl stared intently at the three people opposite him, his eyes filled with intense excitement.

"Hahaha! This is hilarious, so hilarious!!"

The Red Earl couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"It's been so long since I've experienced a battle like this!!"

"I apologize for my previous disrespect towards you, you—"

"You're qualified to be my opponent!!"

"So, from now on, I will give it my all, and I hope you'll let me have a good time!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Red Earl's eyes narrowed sharply, and then the blood-red wings behind him slowly contracted, eventually enveloping him.

hum-

The next second, a strange fluctuation emanated, and the world seemed to pause for a moment, causing Luffy and his two companions to freeze in their tracks.

"Um?!"

The next moment, Sanji couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, and then looked at the two people around him.

Upon noticing the slight change in their expressions, he spoke in a low voice:

"You felt it too?"

"Yeah! For a moment just now, I felt like I was disconnected from the world."

Zoro's gaze was fixed on the Red Earl, who was enveloped in blood-red wings not far away. Sensing the ever-growing aura emanating from him, his expression became even more solemn.

"Looks like we're in for a tough fight!"

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, Luffy chuckled softly.

"That's what makes it interesting; otherwise, it's a bit too boring!"

"I still have some good stuff I haven't used yet~"

As soon as these words were spoken, both pairs of eyes turned to look at them.

Then Zoro and Sanji spoke at the same time:

"What good stuff?"

However, Luffy didn't answer them, but just looked at them with a mysterious smile:

"You'll find out soon enough!"

boom--

Just then, an incredibly terrifying shockwave suddenly exploded, drawing all three of them's attention.

!!!

The old man who had been the Red Earl had vanished, and a young man had appeared before the three of them.

His skin was deathly pale, his vertical pupils were scarlet, and his fangs were exposed.

Two pairs of giant dark purple bat wings unfolded behind him, and his body was surrounded by blood-red mist. He gave off a sinister and fierce feeling, just like the true ancestor of ancient vampires.

At this moment, the bloodlust in the Red Earl's eyes reached its peak, and then he spoke softly:

"Now... the second round begins!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Count Red had already vanished from the spot.

hum-

A whooshing sound came, and the Red Earl appeared in front of the three in the blink of an eye, his umbrella sword slashing out with lightning speed.

! !

Zoro's pupils contracted, but he reacted in a very short time, raising his sword to meet the attack. However, at the moment of contact, his expression changed again.

"This power..."

The moment the thought crossed Zoro's mind, he was sent flying like a cannonball at incredible speed.

Zoro, who was flying backward, was filled with shock. The power carried by the Red Earl's slash was greater than ever before, and he was completely unprepared.

Naturally, they were unable to unleash power matching their opponent's, which is why they appeared to be utterly and easily cleaved away.

However, he wasn't entirely useless; at least after Zoro blocked the attack, the Red Earl's umbrella sword slashing speed slowed down considerably.

This gave the other two an opportunity. Sanji and Luffy had already come to the left and right sides of Red Earl, one foot and one fist approaching him.

However, the Red Earl's expression did not change at all. He then kicked and punched with lightning speed.

Two feet and two fists collided and struck each other.

A terrifying shockwave suddenly exploded, creating an aftershock that swept outwards.

This time, however, Red Earl's power was not great enough to overwhelm Sanji and Luffy; instead, they were evenly matched.

That's normal, after all, it's just a transformation, and the strength isn't that much greater.

The reason Gang was able to achieve that effect was largely due to his extreme speed, which resulted in immense power, allowing him to send Zoro flying in an instant.

Speaking of which, Zoro is probably the unluckiest one.

But Red Earl's transformation wasn't for nothing. Suddenly, the pair of huge, dark purple bat wings behind him hardened like iron, and then slashed fiercely at Luffy and Sanji from the left and right.

At this moment, the pair of bat wings seemed to transform into two enormous guillotines, and even before getting close, one could feel the sharpness contained within them.

Luffy and Sanji's expressions changed simultaneously. They had no doubt that being struck by those bat wings would cause damage no less than being slashed by a sword.

Without the slightest hesitation, the two of them suddenly pushed off into the air, retreating a considerable distance and dodging the bat wings' attack.

The Red Earl's lips curled into a wicked smile. He pressed his advantage relentlessly, and with a flap of his bat wings, he shot out once more.

And his goal...

It's Luffy!!

In his opinion, although Luffy had just displayed a considerable amount of Conqueror's Haki, the strength he showed in the previous battle was actually the weakest.

Choose the softest persimmons to squeeze!

He understood this principle very well.

Therefore, taking care of one enemy first will definitely be more advantageous for the subsequent battle.

Furthermore, he could see that Sanji's demon form was taking a huge toll on his opponent, who was already panting heavily after only a short time.

If he just stalls for time, he won't even need to fight Sanji head-on; the opponent will naturally back down on his own.

Therefore, all things considered, prioritizing the resolution of Luffy's situation is the optimal solution.

Luffy narrowed his eyes as he looked at Red Earl who had come up in front of him, and then immediately made a decision in his mind.

I was originally planning to wait a bit longer, but since Count Red is in such a hurry, it wouldn't hurt for him to show it off ahead of time!

……