Gloog… gloog…
In the streets of the bustling capital of Orunidia, a thick, almost solid river of blood flowed slowly in one direction. The blood of countless people merged, forming a single river.
"What… what happened?"
Crouching behind a broken shack, a young mother holding a newborn baby was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She had no idea what was going on or why a city that was fine just last night had become like this.
Ghouls gnawed on corpses and searched for new prey. A sea of fire consumed Orunidia, and rivers of blood flowed across the ground, turning the city into a living hell.
"Waaah! Waaah!"
Suddenly, the baby in the woman's arms started crying for no reason, startling her. The cries also attracted a ghoul gnawing on a corpse nearby, which immediately rushed toward them.
"Stop crying, stop crying," the woman whispered frantically, trying to quiet her child. She got up, hoping to escape the alley, but as she did, she found both ends of the alley were blocked by the grotesque, zombie-like creatures. They were hunched over, their eyes full of predatory intent, fixed on the mother and child.
"U-ugh..."
The woman was too terrified to speak. As she took a step back, the ghouls from both sides swarmed her. Amidst her screams and the baby's cries, they were devoured.
The blood of a million people gushed out, flowing toward the palace.
Alucard stood on the highest point of the royal palace, gazing at the human slaughterhouse below. He was completely unmoved by the citizens' plight, excitedly controlling the flow of the river of blood.
"This is the first time I've eaten so much at once. It's truly thrilling…"
Alucard controlled the river of blood. When it reached the base of the palace, it rose like a tsunami, pouring into his body like a pet obeying its master.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Alucard's maniacal laughter echoed from the top of the now-extinct Orunidia royal palace, along with the screams of the few remaining survivors hiding in every corner of the city.
The ghouls were hunting them down, and the threat of death was closing in, pushing them to their breaking point.
Two days later.
"Well, if you run into him, you should think about how to retreat rather than fight. I don't want to fight a freak like that. Anyway, keep your Den Den Mushi ready... Honestly, why did they give this mission to me instead of someone hot-blooded like Sakazuki? What a pain..."
Kuzan led his fleet to Orunidia, grumbling as he walked toward the city.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, is it wise to lower morale before we've even started fighting?" his subordinate asked with a wry face.
"Ah, you wouldn't say that if you'd been there for the last fight against him," Kuzan said listlessly.
Suddenly, Kuzan stopped in his tracks, his lazy expression turning serious. The soldiers behind him also stopped.
"What… what is it?" the subordinate asked, confused.
"Such a thick… smell of blood…"
Kuzan hurried into the city. Along the way, he found no bodies or anything of note, but the dense scent of blood in the air made him frown.
When Kuzan's group entered the city, they were stunned by the sight before them.
Kuzan was certain that no matter what kind of hell he saw, he wouldn't be surprised, as he had seen it all before.
But this time, it was different, because this was a ghost town.
How could he describe it?
It looked like it had been through a horrific war. The whole city was in ruins, with twisted streetlights, shattered glass, and collapsed buildings. Yet, in this scene of utter devastation, there was not a single living person or a single corpse to be found.
If there had been rivers of blood and piles of corpses, it wouldn't have been so shocking for a battle-hardened Marine like Kuzan. But a ghost town like this was bone-chilling.
"In… investigate…"
Kuzan could barely manage the a word. The subordinate beside him didn't hear him at first. Suddenly, Kuzan's voice rose several octaves, his tone completely different from his usual lazy self. "Investigate! Find any survivors!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines rushed to search the city. Not only was it completely deserted, but what was even more horrifying was the complete lack of any bloodstains on the ground. Who has ever heard of a slaughter without a single drop of blood?
"My god, were we too late?"
Kuzan stood alone, then sat down on a piece of debris. He took out a Den Den Mushi. "I'll report to headquarters first. The closest kingdom to here is… Laguna, right?"
At the thought of this, Kuzan felt a chill run down his spine. "I remember Sakazuki is currently patrolling that sea. I hope he doesn't get carried away by the fight…"
Unfortunately, what a person fears most often comes to pass.
After Kuzan reported the situation in Orunidia, headquarters immediately relayed the contents to Sakazuki. Since Sakazuki was patrolling the seas near the Laguna Kingdom, which was the closest to Orunidia, it was a logical conclusion that Alucard's next destination was Laguna.
"Retreat? That's impossible!"
In the seas of Laguna, Sakazuki held the receiver, his voice filled with dissatisfaction. "We must completely and mercilessly annihilate pirates to prevent future trouble."
The eyes under Sakazuki's hat flashed with killing intent. "I will deal with him myself!"
Hearing Sakazuki hang up the Den Den Mushi, the Marine staff officer at headquarters looked helpless. He turned to another officer and said, "I can't get through to him. Let Fleet Admiral Kong try."
Sakazuki's methods against pirates were too extreme, but it depended on who he was fighting. He wouldn't be able to defeat Alucard, and he couldn't be allowed to face him head-on. There was no choice but to report it to a higher authority.