The moment the Bahade Pirates' ship entered the cannon's firing range, Captain Julius, one of the highest-ranking Marine commanders here, roared, "Fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Sparks erupted from the muzzles of three large cannons simultaneously, and three dark cannonballs hurtled towards the pirate ship.
"Hmph!"
Alucard, who was controlling the ship's helm, sneered. In an instant, he moved to the bow, facing the three cannonballs. He pulled out his white gun Casull and fired repeatedly.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
As the owner's abilities grew stronger, so did its power.
The cannonballs exploded in mid-air, but this scene didn't surprise Julius. It was to be expected; if a great pirate with a bounty over 30 million could be so easily killed by cannons, he'd suspect it was a fake.
Suddenly, the pirate ship accelerated. Using cannons at such close range carried the risk of splashback. Julius took a step back and waved his hand, shouting, "Rifle squad, prepare!"
Immediately, the rifle team, carrying rifles over a meter long, stepped forward, knelt, and aimed at various points on the pirate ship. The moment a figure appeared, they were to take them down immediately.
When everyone saw the shadow at the bow, someone immediately opened fire.
"It hit!"
A marksman shouted excitedly. He had seen with his own eyes his bullet hit a pirate standing at the bow, blowing his head apart.
"Not yet."
Julius said gravely.
Those who were still cheering looked again.
The pirate, whose head should have been blown apart, stood eerily upright despite the headshot, his head tilted backward. Now, it slowly turned back around.
Next, a horrifying scene unfolded. A boy, about fifteen years old, was biting a bullet with his teeth, his face contorted in a ferocious expression as he stared at them.
'Biting a bullet with his teeth! What incredible reflexes!'
Julius realized the problem and quickly asked his adjutant beside him, "Who is that young man from the Bahade Pirates?"
As a top-bounty pirate in the North Blue, Bahade's movements had always been closely monitored by the Marines. Julius remembered all intelligence, including any new members joining his pirate crew, but he had no recollection of this young man.
If that were the case, then who was he? Was he a new recruit?
The Marine Officer nearby pulled out a stack of wanted posters from somewhere. After quickly flipping through them, he turned to his superior and reported, "Report! He's not on any of the Bahade Pirates' wanted posters!"
'Could he be a new recruit?' This thought surfaced in Julius's mind. He never believed the young man at the bow had the strength to kill Bahade. He looked only about fifteen, and while geniuses weren't unheard of on the Grand Line, such individuals weren't easy to stumble upon.
But unfortunately, he had stumbled upon one.
"Marines?"
Alucard looked at the group of soldiers dressed in blue and white below, instantly recognizing their identity. Although this world had many factions, it could broadly be divided into two main forces: the Marines and pirates.
"You're taking me for a member of that pirate crew? Don't make me laugh."
Alucard tossed the putrid corpse he was holding overboard. The Marines below flinched as a foul-smelling corpse was thrown from the ship.
Then came the second, and the third. Due to the previous battle, many had fallen into the sea; only seven bodies remained in total.
"This is..."
Julius began to inspect the corpses. It was already autumn, and the weather was cold, so the bodies hadn't decomposed too quickly, and their faces were still recognizable. However, the stench was truly unbearable.
"This is... Halter Bahade's corpse!" The Marine Officer exclaimed in shock, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Julius looked closely: the height, facial features, and distinguishing marks. After a careful comparison, he realized it was indeed him!
A great pirate with a 35 million Berry bounty had actually been killed!
With that realization, Julius turned his head to look back at the pirate ship. Alucard had already jumped from the bow, landing on the dock.
"Are you... a pirate hunter?" Julius asked gravely.
"Give me the bounty." Alucard's single sentence made everything clear. He didn't admit to being a pirate hunter, but claiming the bounty was an easy take. Why not?
Julius frowned tightly. After glancing at his subordinates, he shouted, "Fall back!"
"You, what's your name?" As his subordinates began preparing to return to camp, Julius asked Alucard with a serious expression.
"Alucard."
For a man like him, whose subordinates had dared to shoot at him moments ago, Alucard had no pleasant words to offer.
His immortal body couldn't yet survive without food and drink, so he still needed money. Moreover, Alucard was a thorough hedonist, so he greatly desired wealth.
Ten years of living like a savage was truly unbearable.