Chapter 412: You Win
The island was scarred—grooves torn into every corner.
Not a patch of land remained untouched.
"Count's Blade!"
High above, the Red Count descended.
Conqueror's Haki burst forth like thunder, red and black lightning dancing around his parasol.
Charlotte looked up.
In his hands, the Seven-Star Sword gleamed—red and green lightning coiled around it like twin serpents.
"Demon Sword: Overlord!"
He slashed upward, his own Conqueror's-infused strike shooting toward the heavens.
BOOM!
The two attacks collided in midair.
Charlotte smirked. The Red Count's eyes glowed crimson.
Above them, the clouds split apart—heaven itself torn in two.
"The sky… it's breaking open!"
Many of the younger Rockefeller Pirates were stunned.
"LONG LIVE THE ROCKEFELLER PIRATES!"
"LONG LIVE OUR CAPTAIN!"
A roar shook the sea.
This—this was their captain.
The world's greatest swordsman.
One of the Four Legendary Pirates.
Pride flooded every member of the crew.
Charlotte heard it all, the cheering washing over him.
He grinned and pushed forward.
The sword aura surged.
BOOM!
A burst of pressure slammed toward the Red Count's face.
"What?!"
The Red Count was stunned—his Observation Haki couldn't see it!
He raised his parasol just in time—
CRASH!
He was launched over a hundred meters.
"What kind of attack was that?! My Haki… couldn't sense it…"
But Charlotte didn't give him time to think.
He charged.
"Demon Sword: Overlord!"
Another Conqueror's-infused strike exploded from his blade.
The air around Charlotte shimmered strangely. Greenish ghost-flames rose from his shoulders.
His aura surged erratically—like a raging beast barely held in check.
BOOM!
The Red Count was sent flying into the sky.
He caught himself, flipped midair, and landed, staggering.
Charlotte didn't follow up. He stood, smiling.
The Red Count's breathing was ragged.
His clothes were ripped, hair whipping in the wind.
He narrowed his eyes and rushed in.
CLANG!
Charlotte parried—but the Red Count had blocked from behind, spinning his parasol into place.
"Oh? You read it?"
Charlotte was surprised—but only for a moment.
He wasn't going to win with tricks anymore.
He twisted his sword and aimed for the chest—
But the Red Count vanished again.
Danger tingled.
Charlotte's Observation screamed.
He stomped three times in midair to gain leverage—
"Demon Slash!"
His blade swung down—
CLASH!
The Red Count reappeared—barely a meter away.
They met midair, their slashes erupting in a blast.
Both were thrown apart—again.
And then—
Again, they charged.
---
Days passed.
"Ughh… still not done? How long are they going to keep at it?"
Caesar slumped over a railing, bored out of his mind.
"A fight at this level? Ten days at least,"
Estes said with burning eyes, unable to look away.
"So exhausting to watch…"
Caesar yawned.
"It's almost over,"
Barrett said, stepping up beside them.
Both turned.
"Who's winning?" Caesar asked.
Barrett shook his head.
"Can't say. Not until the very last moment."
---
Day 8.
The duel had raged for eight days.
Charlotte swayed slightly, exhaustion plain on his face.
The Red Count was gasping, shoulders rising and falling.
They had both reached their limits.
No—the Red Count had reached his limit.
Charlotte was just barely holding on.
What started as a battle of skill had become a war of attrition.
"Charlotte,"
the Red Count said, jamming his parasol into the ground,
"Let's end this. One final strike. Whoever stands afterward… wins."
Charlotte didn't say more than a single word:
"Okay."
This was the hardest fight of his life.
Even harder than his duel with Zephyr, which had only lasted four days.
Zephyr had been defeated—but this fight had dragged into endurance.
"Count's Blade!"
The Red Count summoned his last reserves of Conqueror's Haki.
It was faint—barely a third of its former power.
But still deadly.
"Demon Sword: Overlord!"
Charlotte did the same.
The Seven-Star Sword shimmered, its aura thin but sharp.
BOOOOM!
Red and green clashed again.
Then—
Both men collapsed.
Conqueror's Haki continued to rage between them.
The clash lingered for thirty seconds before finally dispersing—
CRACK!
The island shuddered.
Waves crashed. The ground tilted.
"The island's sinking!"
Barrett was the first to notice.
"Move in! Bring the captain back!" he shouted.
Caesar and Estes paled and scrambled to assist.
The island rocked violently.
In the center—
a hand reached up from the rubble.
Charlotte forced himself upright, chest heaving.
"So it's sinking, huh…"
He looked at the crumpled figure nearby—
the Red Count, unmoving.
"…Looks like I win," he muttered, dragging himself to his feet.
He staggered to his rival's side, scooped him up in one arm, and retrieved the parasol.
The crew's ships were rapidly approaching.
"Ha… you win,"
came the weak, bitter voice by his ear.
Charlotte didn't respond.
He just kept walking—across the crumbling island, toward his crew.
---
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