Those who cheered for Alucard's so-called "defeat" in the newspapers, whether Marines, pirates, or civilians, were all amateurs.
Those who were truly in the know, like the Marines, had already begun to move the fleet organized by Kuzan, Issho, and Sakazuki toward the twelve countries Alucard once controlled.
They were already taking precautions in case Alucard was alive.
Even top-tier pirates like Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Whitebeard gave the newspaper a quick glance before tossing it aside. When their subordinates asked them about it, they all gave the same answer: "He's not dead."
Kaido, who had fought Alucard most often, understood how terrifying that immortal bastard was. The article didn't mention Alucard being captured and sent to Impel Down, nor did it contain a death certificate. So Kaido was sure that the bastard wasn't dead. He was absolutely not dead.
Of course, some people didn't think that far ahead. These were the amateurs, like those in Dressrosa.
Queen Riku walked into her eldest daughter Scarlett's room. It was decorated in a pink, girly style, but there was no one in it. When Queen Riku looked at the maid standing at the door, the maid bowed without waiting for her to speak. "Your Highness, the Princess has gone to the flower field."
"That girl never ceases to worry me..." Queen Riku rubbed her temples in frustration.
In the sunflower field, Scarlett, the eldest daughter of the Riku royal family, stood in the center, wearing a golden dress the same color as the sunflowers. A gentle breeze blew, causing the dress to flutter behind her.
She usually came here to relax, but ever since she saw the newspaper article half a month ago, she had been coming here almost every day.
Now, it was even more extreme. Other than eating and sleeping, she was always here. She would stay until very late and not even realize it until her younger sister, Viola, came to get her.
Every time she stood here, Scarlett couldn't help but see the image of that man in her mind. He liked to sit under the big tree in the middle of the flower field on a large chair he had somehow gotten there.
Cawww~~
Suddenly, the sound of birds chirping and the flapping of their wings came from the sky. Scarlett quickly ran out from under the tree's shade and waved at the news coo above. "Hey! Over here! Give me a newspaper!"
One of the news coos heard Scarlett's call, flew down, and landed in front of her. It took a newspaper out of its shoulder bag and took the Berries from Scarlett's hand.
Scarlett impatiently opened the new newspaper, wanting to see if there was any information about that man. However, to her disappointment, the headline had nothing to do with Alucard, at least from her perspective.
"Marine Headquarters forms a new Marine fleet to patrol the New World; new pillars Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Issho lead the charge."
This was today's headline.
Of course, Scarlett didn't know that Kong had so urgently organized a new fleet because of Alucard. She just saw that the title didn't have Alucard's name and threw the newspaper away.
Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Issho each led their own fleet. They acted separately, and as Vice Admirals, they had long been qualified to travel alone in the New World.
As for Issho, though his rank was only Captain, everyone knew that he only needed a little more time and merit to rise through the ranks. No one was unreasonable enough to object.
"Snore... snore..."
On the warship, Kuzan lay on a deck chair with a book covering his face, sleeping soundly. He was sailing in the seas near Wyveraal in the New World.
Wyveraal was an island rich in special ores, but the reason Kuzan was patrolling the area was that just a month ago, it was one of the countries that flew Alucard's flag.
Kuzan woke up naturally as the sun set. He took the book off his face and asked a nearby subordinate, "Hey~ How long have we been patrolling... this area?"
"Reporting, sir. Including today, it's been eight days," the subordinate replied.
"Have Sakazuki and Issho found anything?" Kuzan asked again. "No, sir."
Kuzan got up and twisted his shoulders, which made a cracking sound. He complained, "I really hope I don't run into him. Otherwise, I'm done for. But the chances of that happening should be very low..."
Kuzan was right. Three fleets were patrolling twelve countries, and they didn't even know when Alucard would show up. As long as Alucard didn't cause any trouble, the chances of running into him were minimal.
Pere pere pere pere~~
"Huh?" Kuzan turned around, and a soldier brought a Den Den Mushi to him. "Moshi moshi, this is Kuzan," Kuzan said lazily, picking up the receiver. "Kuzan, go to Orunidia."
The Den Den Mushi opened its eyes, and Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice came through. "Huh, Orunidia?" Kuzan scratched his head as he recalled. "I remember... it was one of the..."
"That's right. One of the twelve countries Alucard once occupied. It's a big country for entertainment and tourism."
A bad feeling rose in Kuzan's heart, and his expression began to freeze. He said with difficulty, "Hey, hey, you don't mean..."
"Yes, our worst fear has come true," Sengoku said seriously. "The kingdom's army sent a message saying they saw someone who looked a lot like Alucard. Go take care of him."
"No, let's not do that? I don't want to die yet~" Kuzan said, touching the back of his head with a lingering sense of fear.
"Don't give me any more nonsense! You're the closest Marine to that location. Get over there with maximum speed!" Sengoku hung up without giving Kuzan a chance to talk back.