Naruto: Copy System#657+658: Calculated Risk, The Death of the Red Count

"Hancock, this is the Red Count we're talking about—a living legend. They say he was strong enough to rival Whitebeard and Roger all on his own. I'm curious to see what he's made of."

Shin's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Of course, the main reason is to get revenge for my people."

Since they were under his protection, they belonged to him. If the Red Count killed his people, Shin would make damn sure he paid with his life.

"Alright." Hancock nodded obediently.

Olvia immediately set out to gather information on the Red Count. The Kuja Pirates' intelligence network had become quite formidable.

The fact that Redfield was still in Shin's territory meant it wouldn't take long.

If he had already left, tracking him down would have been a bit more complicated.

But only a bit. Shin had several giants of the underworld under his thumb.

—————

The next day, Olvia returned with the intel, her speed surprising even Shin.

"You found him already? I have to admit, that was impressively fast," Shin couldn't help but comment.

"Honestly, we got lucky. Someone happened to run into him and was fortunate enough to escape. The Red Count is still in our territory."

As she spoke, Olvia's expression turned icy. Redfield had some nerve.

To cause trouble in their territory and then have the audacity to stick around—it was a blatant provocation.

"Then let's go. Time to pay the Red Count a visit." Although Shin's face showed no trace of anger, he had already sentenced Redfield to death in his mind.

Shin felt it was time to remind the world of his power. And the Red Count was the perfect example to make. After this, he'd see if anyone else was stupid enough to step out of line.

The Pluton, which had been dormant for some time, set sail once more. Their destination was a small, unremarkable village where the infamous Red Count was currently hiding.

It only took a few hours for Shin and the Kuja Pirates to arrive.

"He's still here. Is he waiting for me on purpose?" Shin's Observation Haki detected a powerful presence.

The aura was incredibly strong, certainly no weaker than Whitebeard's. And Shin could also sense a distinct scent of blood. Who else could it be but the Red Count?

The ship docked at the small port, and Shin disembarked immediately. Hancock, Robin, and the others followed him ashore.

Olvia and the rest, however, remained on the ship as Shin had instructed.

Dealing with someone like the Red Count didn't require the entire crew.

—————

"The villagers... they're all dead."

Robin's face was grim. This small village had suffered the same fate as the last one—everyone's blood had been drained.

"I think he's baiting me deliberately," Shin said with a cold smirk.

"The bastard deserves to die." Hancock's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, a startling killing intent radiating from her.

The moment her killing intent flared, the Red Count, who was in the center of the village, sensed it. A wicked smile crossed his face, and he moved towards them like a phantom.

In an instant, Shin and the Red Count were face to face.

He didn't look old. Sucking blood also allowed him to absorb lifespan, and the Red Count had already restored himself to his youthful prime.

He carried an umbrella, which was actually his weapon. He had a tall, slender build, and his entire outfit, from his cape to his clothes, was blood-red.

"So you're Shin Uzumaki, the man who managed to get the best of Whitebeard?" the Red Count spoke first.

Redfield's own Observation Haki was incredibly powerful, even allowing him to see into people's hearts and read their memories, but he couldn't see through Shin.

"Patrick Redfield, give me an explanation," Shin said flatly.

He wasn't about to let the murder of his people slide.

"I acquired the Vampire Fruit. To regain my youth, I must drink blood," the Red Count stated calmly.

He had recently obtained the Vampire Fruit, and was eager to restore himself to his prime.

Redfield was no saint. Sacrificing a few people to return to his peak strength was a price he was more than willing to pay.

"Heh, if you had chosen some other place, I couldn't have cared less. But to come to my territory... aren't you getting a little too full of yourself?"

Shin sneered, then lashed out with a kick.

Redfield had been on guard. The moment Shin moved, he immediately blocked with his umbrella.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Red Count was sent flying, crashing into a distant mountain.

"..." Shin appeared in an instant in front of the downed Redfield, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up.

At this moment, Redfield's appearance had completely changed.

His ears had become long and pointed, making him look even more like a vampire.

"Such incredible power. No wonder you could defeat Whitebeard." Redfield had managed to gather some information.

After all, it had been a long time since he had escaped from Impel Down. He had familiarized himself with the current state of the seas.

He knew that the strongest on the seas now were the Four Emperors, each one more powerful than the last. Whitebeard was one of them. And Whitebeard had been defeated before. The title of World's Strongest Man now belonged to Shin.

He did intend to push Shin's buttons—to see what he was really made of.

"You may be strong, but you won't defeat me so easily," Redfield sneered, his body dissolving into a swarm of countless bats.

"Didn't know you had that trick up your sleeve." Shin watched with mild surprise as Redfield escaped his grasp.

But it was only a moment of surprise. Classic vampire move.

As for Redfield's other abilities, Shin wasn't familiar with them. He didn't know much about the Red Count.

WHOOSH!

Redfield's figure instantly appeared behind Shin, his umbrella-sword slashing down.

Redfield used his umbrella as a sword, and his swordsmanship was quite formidable. An average person probably couldn't block his moves, but Shin was no average person.

The sword aura passed straight through Shin's body, leaving him completely unharmed.

"No damage?"

Redfield frowned. The attack just now hadn't felt like it hit a solid body. Was that just an illusion?

What kind of Devil Fruit ability was this? Redfield hadn't been able to find out what Devil Fruit his opponent had eaten.

<><><><><><><><>

It wasn't surprising that he hadn't found out. Everyone—from the Five Elders and the Marines to other pirates—desperately wanted to know what Devil Fruit Shin had eaten.

Only the Kuja Pirates knew the truth: Shin had never eaten a Devil Fruit.

If that got out, it would probably cause a worldwide shock. The idea of Shin being so powerful without a Devil Fruit was simply unbelievable to them.

Even Blackbeard suspected that Shin had eaten more than one Devil Fruit, because Blackbeard himself knew his own body was unique.

"Is that all you've got?" Shin asked Redfield calmly.

"Hmph, don't get ahead of yourself, young man."

The Red Count snorted coldly, then swung his umbrella, creating a net of sword slashes that completely enveloped Shin.

But without exception, every attack passed through Shin, failing to cause even the slightest bit of damage.

"Kamui really is useful."

Shin was, of course, using Obito's Kamui. It was worth copying that ability.

It was incredibly effective. An average person couldn't break through it. Anyone without spatial abilities was helpless against it.

"Is this a spatial ability?" Redfield asked Shin.

Space-type Devil Fruits, though incredibly rare, were not unheard of. But Redfield had never encountered an ability like Shin's before.

"That's right, it's a spatial ability," Shin said flatly. Even if you know, can you do anything about it?

Obito had been able to dominate the Naruto world with Kamui, it was a tricky ability even in the later stages of the story.

In the original story, Madara had to get his hands on Kakashi's eye and use its Kamui to deal with Obito.

And in Shin's hands, the power of Kamui was clearly even greater.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Shin threw a punch, blasting Redfield into a swarm of bats. The bats then re-formed into Redfield's body.

This ability was similar to elementalization, perhaps even more advanced. Even an Armament Haki attack could likely be survived with this trick.

But it wasn't without a cost. Redfield's face was a shade paler, and he looked slightly older.

Using his swordsmanship again, this time Redfield coated his umbrella with Armament Haki, but he still couldn't hit Shin.

No one could imagine the frustration Redfield felt at this moment. You can hit me, but I can't hit you.

How could anyone not feel aggrieved? Anyone in his position would feel the same.

The Kamui ability was just that unfair. As for the weakness of being vulnerable while attacking, Shin had already improved upon it.

"Turning into bats... I wonder, if I kill all your bats, will you still be alive?"

Shin asked with a curious expression.

Redfield's face paled even further. If even one bat survived, he wouldn't die. But if all the bats were killed, then he would have no choice but to die.

"<Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!>"

Shin performed a jutsu he hadn't used in a long time. It was even more exaggerated than Madara Uchiha's version. A sea of fire instantly engulfed the Red Count.

He let out a miserable scream. Turning into bats was useless.

With this move, the bats would be burned to death the moment they appeared.

"<Blood Release!>"

The Red Count roared, his body dissolving into blood that seeped into the ground. The blood then re-formed into his body.

However, he had lost his previous elegance. His body was covered in severe burns, his figure somewhat stooped. The once-youthful Red Count had aged again, looking even older than before.

"You have quite a few life-saving tricks,"

Shin said, looking at his seemingly endless supply of escape techniques. He was almost on par with Orochimaru in that department.

"Hmph, I'll remember this."

The Red Count snorted coldly, then prepared to retreat. He was decisive. Realizing he was no match, he immediately prepared to flee.

However, just as he was about to leave, a pink sword aura slashed him back. It was Hancock.

"Trying to escape? I don't think so," Hancock said, looking at Redfield with cold eyes.

Hancock's strength was not much different from Redfield's. And now, Redfield was injured.

Caught off guard, he took a direct hit from Hancock's sword, nearly getting killed on the spot.

"DAMN IT!" Redfield roared, his eyes filled with furious killing intent as he stared at Hancock.

"The one who should be damned is you."

Shin stepped on Redfield's head, stomping him into the ground.

Being stomped on was extremely humiliating for Redfield, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He had just witnessed Shin's strength. He was no match. This was the first time he had encountered such a powerful being.

The most crucial thing was the strangeness of his techniques. Even when Shin stood there and let him attack, he couldn't do anything.

"Aren't you going to say something now? Like begging for mercy."

Shin looked down at Redfield. The current Red Count probably didn't have the ability to use his bat transformation to escape.

Of course, it was also possible that Redfield was just pretending, waiting for a chance to escape when Shin let his guard down.

That possibility wasn't out of the question.

"Beg for mercy? I, the Red Count, would never beg for mercy." Redfield stared at Shin angrily. He felt Shin was going too far.

"Alright. In that case, I'll give you a quick death."

A golden light shone from Shin's hand, piercing through the void and heading for Redfield's head.

If it hit, it would definitely put a hole in his head.

Just at that critical moment, Redfield's body once again turned into bats.

However, the laser Shin shot out suddenly split into a hundred beams, simultaneously hitting all the bats—

"I didn't even get a chance to act," Hancock came over and complained to Shin.

"Isn't it better if you don't have to act? I wouldn't want you to," Shin said, stroking Hancock's soft hair.

"I feel like a third wheel here." Robin, seeing Shin and Hancock together, suddenly became expressionless.

Shin looked at Robin, smiled, and walked over to her. He also patted her head and asked, "Could it be that you're jealous, Robin?"

"..." Seeing the teasing smile on Shin's face, Robin's expression changed slightly. Her already blushing face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she immediately turned and returned to the ship.