The Red Earl slowly opened his eyes.
Two piercing lights flashed from them like lasers, locking straight onto Kaito. His gaze was deep — vast as a sea of stars, yet dark like a black hole that seemed to devour light itself.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his expression filled with arrogance befitting someone like Uchiha Madara.
He sneered. "You? A little brat like you dares to invite me to your crew? You have no idea how high the sky is."
"Me? A little brat?"
Kaito's expression didn't change. He stepped forward, his voice calm yet brimming with confidence. The air around him grew heavier as his presence began to overflow unconsciously.
"I, who defeated the three Marine Admirals," he said quietly. "The same me, who defeated Garp and Sengoku. I crushed Marine Headquarters itself. They gave everything they had… and still lost."
Each word carried the weight of a storm. By the time Kaito finished speaking, the oppressive pressure surrounding him had reached its peak — violent and crushing, like waves battering a mountain range.
"This presence…" Kizaru muttered, sweat sliding down his face as he instinctively stepped back. The air around Kaito seemed to form a vacuum, too heavy to endure.
The Red Earl's sharp eyes flickered. He was clearly surprised by the young man's words — and by the suffocating pressure that filled the room.
"The old man takes back what he said," Redfield admitted with a faint smile. "You're no ordinary brat… But! For me to serve under you, to join your crew, this strength alone isn't enough!"
Kaito didn't reply. Instead, he lifted a hand, his index finger glowing faintly as compressed wind energy gathered at its tip.
With a flick, several razor-thin wind blades shot toward the seastone shackles binding Redfield.
Crack! Crack!
The restraints shattered instantly.
Kaito knew exactly how to deal with a man like Redfield — brute strength and absolute confidence. Impress him first, then break him through battle.
The Red Earl looked down at his broken shackles, disbelief flashing across his face. These seastone cuffs had trapped him for decades, yet this young man had destroyed them in a heartbeat.
"Hmph. Even if you freed me, boy, I wouldn't join your crew. But for setting me loose, the old man owes you a favor."
"I don't need your favor," Kaito said, turning to leave. "When your strength is fully restored, we'll fight. If you win, I'll release you. If you lose—"
His voice went cold. "You'll join my crew."
"And if I refuse?"
Kaito glanced back at him, eyes sharp as blades. "Then you die."
The words dropped like ice, and for a moment, even the air froze.
"What an arrogant brat," Redfield muttered, but a flicker of respect passed through his eyes.
He followed behind Kaito without hesitation. He might have been freed, but his power wasn't yet restored. For now, sticking with Kaito was the smarter move — and besides, the young man's strength intrigued him.
As they stepped back into Eternal Hell, the prisoners erupted into whispers.
"That's the Red Earl?"
"He looks like some dying old man!"
"Maybe that kid made a mistake!"
Ignoring them all, Kaito scanned the prison cells until his gaze locked on a tall, muscular figure.
The man looked straight back at him, eyes full of challenge. Their gazes clashed — a silent storm of power and pride.
"Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir," Kaito said, stopping before the cell.
"Hahahahahaha," Bullet laughed with a crooked smile. "I heard what you said earlier. But if you want me in your crew… you'll have to prove your strength first."
Kaito grinned. "No problem."
He swung his hand. A compressed grey wind blade flashed, cutting through the seastone door like paper.
Bullet stepped out calmly, raising his shackled hands with an expectant smirk.
Kaito obliged — a single flick, and the chains burst apart.
Kizaru watched in silence, his expression grim. This isn't good, he thought. I can feel it — Bullet's strength rivals an Admiral's. If Kaito truly manages to recruit both him and the Red Earl… the sea will never be the same. The balance of power will collapse. We might not have four Emperors anymore — but five.
"Since you've freed them," Kizaru said cautiously, "you should honor your promise and leave with them."
Kaito shook his head. "Not yet. These people are all condemned anyway. Let Redfield regain his strength."
"What do you mean?" Kizaru frowned.
Even Redfield turned to him in surprise. "How do you know about my Devil Fruit ability?"
Kaito didn't answer. He simply looked at the Red Earl. "You can use your fruit, right? Then go ahead. Don't tell me you can't handle these ordinary prisoners."
A wicked grin spread across Redfield's face. "Then I won't hold back."
His form blurred — and in an instant, he dissolved into a swarm of tiny bats.
The nearest prisoner screamed. "W–what are you doing?! Stay away from me!"
The bats swarmed him before he could react.
Chirp—splat! The sound of tearing flesh echoed through the cell. Within seconds, the man's screams stopped. His once-mighty frame shriveled and collapsed, drained completely of blood.
Moments later, Redfield reformed, wiping a crimson streak from his lips. "Not bad," he said with a satisfied smile. "For someone imprisoned here, his blood's quite rich. I feel my strength returning already."
"Good," Kaito replied coolly. "There are more over there. Keep going."
Redfield chuckled darkly and disappeared again, flying toward another cell.
Kizaru's face darkened, but he said nothing. He could only watch — powerless. The two monstrous auras around him had already fixed their attention on him, warning him not to interfere.
The shadows of the cell danced as Redfield's bats returned, leaving behind a trail of chaos. Prisoners who had dared to speak before now cowered in silence, their eyes wide with terror.
Kaito's calm demeanor contrasted sharply with the carnage, his presence alone keeping the remaining captives at bay. Every flick of his finger, every command to Redfield, reinforced the unspoken hierarchy in the room: he was in control.
Bullet's smirk widened as he observed the display. Though restrained, the aura of Kaito and Redfield intimidated even him. For the first time in years, he felt a curiosity — a hunger to see just how far this young captain could push them all.
The air grew thick with anticipation, the distant clang of metal and the whispers of terrified prisoners mixing into a tense symphony. Kizaru's unease deepened. If this alliance between Kaito, Redfield, and Bullet solidified, the world's oceans would tremble in ways even the Marines could not contain.
Redfield reappeared, landing gracefully on the floor with a soft thud. "Who's next?" he asked, scanning the remaining captives with predatory eyes.
Kaito nodded slightly, his gaze steady. "The ones who resist will regret it. The ones who comply… will live to fight another day."
A cold wind swept through the hall, carrying the promise of destruction and the birth of a new era — one in which Kaito's crew would redefine the balance of power on the seas.
The prisoners' eyes flickered between fear and awe, realizing that their fates were now entirely at the mercy of forces far beyond their comprehension.
And somewhere in the shadows, Kizaru clenched his fists, knowing the storm had only just begun.