After being bitten, the complexion of Whitey Bay, the "Ice Witch" and a captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, gradually turned a deathly pale.

Finally, Redfield’s fangs withdrew from her neck. Her body went limp, tumbling across the ship’s prow several times before being caught by the frantic Whitebeard crewmen before she could hit the ice below.

At that moment, everyone witnessed a grotesque transformation in Redfield. The wrinkles on his face vanished; his ears sharpened, elongated, and tapered upward, stretching past the crown of his head.

Deep purple fur began to sprout across his neck and scalp. His silver-white hair regained the rich, dark crimson hue of his youth.

"He... he turned young?"

"He regained his youth just by biting the Ice Witch!?"

"Stay calm! That’s a Devil Fruit power!"

Hyde, a member of the 17th Division, and a former core member of the Red-Haired Pirates now covering Ace’s retreat, gritted his teeth. "I’ve heard rumors of a fruit capable of restoring youth. Like the vampires of legend, it allows the user to steal the lifespan of others by drinking their fresh blood."

"I’ve heard of it too," added Izo, Commander of the 16th Division. "The Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, a Mythical Zoan."

"You mean he’s already stolen Whitey Bay’s lifespan?" a crewman asked, his voice thick with resentment.

"Most likely," Izo nodded grimly.

Robin watched this unfold, thinking to herself: A Vampire Model? There’s a true vampire standing right here...

"Oh... when did you get those powers?" Alucard asked, strolling forward leisurely.

"Teach used this ’item’ to strike a bargain with me. Only then did I agree to assist him temporarily," Redfield stated plainly. The rasp of age was gone from his voice. He raised his hands high, looking intoxicated by his own strength. "Ah... the sensation of youth!"

"But your soul is already rotten to the core," Alucard’s mockery returned.

Redfield’s face darkened as his Conqueror’s Haki manifested physically. A blood-red mist surged through the air, visible to the naked eye. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I’ve given you plenty of leeway, Alucard. Don’t push your luck."

The great cloak draped over Redfield’s shoulders flared out, forming the shape of crescent-like bat wings. "This isn’t like our battle at the Sabaody Archipelago twenty years ago. I have completely restored the power of my prime."

Hearing this, the surrounding pirates and Marines alike took on expressions of extreme caution.

Though not ranked among the "Great Three Pirates" of the old era, Redfield was a monster who, much like "World Destroyer" Byrnndi World, had once stood toe-to-toe with Gol D. Roger.

The fact that he had regained his peak strength while allied with the Blackbeard Pirates boded ill for everyone present.

Sengoku, standing on the opposite side, remained on high alert. He decided to observe for now, letting these two rabid dogs, Alucard and Redfield, tear each other apart while he waited for the outcome.

With that in mind, Sengoku barked to the other Marines, "Kill Fire Fist Ace! Only his death will represent a total victory for the Navy!"

The Marines snapped back to attention. No matter who showed up, Fire Fist Ace could not be allowed to escape.

"A difficult crowd..."

Fujitora squatted atop a high rock, facing Ace, Sabo, Namur, and the other Division Commanders.

Suddenly, Fujitora’s focus shifted. "No matter how strong you are, you still need ships to escape, don’t you?"

With a flick of his wrist, he unsheathed his blade and sent a gravitational wave into the sky. Moments later, several meteors streaked down, targeting warships and pirate vessels alike in a display of indiscriminate destruction.

"Stop Fujitora!!" shouted Namur, Commander of the 8th Division. "He’s destroying the ships! Stop him, quickly!!"

Despite the command, many were helpless against the Admiral because of his ability to hover in the air.

"Dragon Charge!"

Suddenly, Fujitora felt a powerful shockwave beneath his feet, followed by the roar of a dragon. The rock he was perched on shattered instantly.

"Hah!"

CLANG!!

Sabo’s pipe collided with Fujitora’s gravity blade.

"A Vampire type, is it?"

Alucard let out a dark chuckle. "Fine. I’ll show you how a real vampire fights in the dark!"

With that, Alucard’s body vanished, dissolving into a swarm of bats that blanketed the sky as they swarmed toward Redfield.

Redfield snapped his umbrella shut, returning it to sword form. He unleashed a power several times greater than before. With a single swing, the Whitebeard ship beneath his feet was completely demolished, providing the momentum for his red sword-pressure to meet the swarm.

The bats were swallowed by the attack but did not disappear. Instead, they transformed into a black mist that began to envelop Redfield.

The stray sword-light from their clash surged past Whitebeard and Teach, striking the already ruined fortress and grinding the remaining "building blocks" into fine dust.

Coby, who had once been helped by Luffy, stood frozen in place. Staring at the powdered stone of the fortress, he stammered, "This... this is the battle of the strongest pirates..."

"Hmm?"

Redfield didn’t understand the nature of the mist, but his instincts told him that staying still was a mistake. He leaped into the air, his cloak flapping like crescent bat wings.

The black mist began to swirl and dance like a storm. Alucard’s body gradually materialized within it, his sunglasses glowing as two distinct red dots in the gloom.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A torrential rain of bullets erupted from the mist, soaring toward the sky. Seeing this, Redfield extended a hand, palm open.

A powerful shockwave exploded from his palm. To the observers, it looked as though Alucard’s bullets had hit an invisible wall, frozen in mid-air.

Redfield seized the opening, flickering past the bullets to appear directly in front of Alucard. "You’re finished!"

Coating his umbrella-sword in Armament Haki, Redfield slashed toward Alucard’s throat, intent on decapitating him.

CLANG!

Suddenly, Redfield felt his blade strike something immovable.

"Blocking with bat-like sonic waves? If that’s all you’ve got, you’re just a bat. You’re a far cry from a vampire!"

Alucard had blocked the Haki-infused blade with his own forearm, likewise coated in Armament Haki.

Redfield’s face soured. He flew back nearly a hundred meters and said coldly, "In that case, I’ll show you the true power of the Vampire Fruit."

Moving with lightning speed, Redfield snatched several female Marines and pirates to replenish his energy. A massive amount of black fog billowed from his body, turning a one-mile radius into a space shrouded in eternal night.

"A vampire’s true strength only manifests in the darkness! Prepare yourself!" Redfield tossed the women aside, heartlessly discarding them onto the ground.

"Heh... hehe... AHAHAHAHA!!"

Alucard clutched his stomach, laughing maniacally. "You have guts... I’ll give you that! You actually have the nerve to fight me in the dark?! HAHAHAHA!"