"The Roger Pirates—some are dead, some have fled, some are hiding. How many are left now?" A slight grin appeared on Alucard's lips, revealing his sharp fangs.
"Even if I'm the only one left, I've inherited the Captain's will." Shanks was unfazed and didn't get angry at Alucard's insulting words.
Casually sitting down on the red carpet, Shanks said, "The first thing I decided to do after entering the New World was to visit all of the Yonko one by one. Everyone in my crew was getting impatient five years ago and were desperate to enter the New World, but I decided to stay in the four seas."
"A smart choice. Otherwise, you would've died," Alucard said with a faint smile. He continued, "So, what's your plan? After you visit them all, are you going to take one of them down?"
"I see you have some booze. I'll just take a sip of this."
Shanks glanced at a small side table next to Alucard's throne, took a steel flask from inside his coat, and chugged a few gulps. Little did he know that the bottle contained not liquor, but blood.
Gulp, gulp…
After drinking a few mouthfuls, Shanks let out a belch and continued, "Nah, I really don't have a plan. I just wanted to visit you all, as for what happens after… I can't say."
Shanks' meaning was a bit vague, but it could be interpreted as, "I have no intention of taking your place right now, but who knows what the future holds?"
"However, something very interesting happened during my visit with Big Mom. She wanted me to marry one of her daughters, and I was so scared I ran away on the spot, hahaha…" A vein popped on Shanks' forehead as he spoke, showing that the incident had genuinely scared him.
"That's very interesting indeed. You should've agreed. That would've been even more interesting," Alucard chuckled. The veins on Shanks' forehead grew even more prominent.
In Alucard's eyes, Big Mom was a reproductive organ—no, a breeding machine. She could have children so easily that over 70% of her high-ranking crew members were her own kids, making one wonder if she rarely fought because she was giving birth every day.
"I really don't have any other intentions. I just came to pay a visit. I was going to invite everyone to a banquet, but the atmosphere isn't quite right. I'll be taking my leave now." Shanks stood up.
As Shanks turned to leave, Alucard suddenly said, "I have something to tell you." Shanks' footsteps stopped. He turned around and asked eagerly, "Oh? I'm all ears."
"There will never be a Fifth Emperor in this sea. There are only four. If you want to climb to the top, you have to take one of the four of us down. Or…" Alucard's smile grew even wider as he continued, "Wait until I get bored and kill one of them. Then you can take the chance to fill the vacancy."
Shanks' expression changed. A hint of anger appeared on his usually calm face, but it quickly dissipated. He said with a forced smile, "That's some terrifying confidence… But I feel like you're underestimating me. I don't need the second option."
Shanks was a man who was rarely angered. The fact that Alucard could make him show anger during their first reunion in a decade was a testament to his power. The thought of waiting for Alucard to take someone down so he could pick up the scraps was the ultimate insult.
Blackbeard Teach would have loved that kind of rise to power, but Shanks hated it.
"So, you're going to take one of us down?" Alucard said, crossing his legs. "Is it… me?"
Shanks lowered his head for a few seconds, his expression tightening. Then, he slowly raised his head, a hint of Roger's aura subtly emanating from him. "No. I told you, this is just a visit.
Besides, after fighting those bizarre monsters earlier, my crew has suffered a great deal. I can't afford to fight anymore."
After saying that, Shanks left without looking back. Alucard's blood-red glasses stared at his retreating figure. "Is it a good idea to reveal your military strength like that? I could send people to kill you right now."
"If I was afraid of that, I wouldn't have shown up in front of you."
Shanks left the castle and said to Beckman and the others waiting at the door, "Let's go, guys. Time to set sail again."
Urdaha and his subordinates stood their ground, letting the Red Hair Pirates leave. Alucard had given the order not to pursue, but he had also given a separate order to Dr. Indigo's crew, which meant they would likely attack the Red Hair Pirates again.
Inside the castle, Alucard dialed a Den Den Mushi and said only two words to Viola on the other end before hanging up.
"Make your move."
After receiving those two words, Viola put away the small Den Den Mushi and said to Wolf beside her, "This is a direct order from the Captain."
Wolf twisted his massive body and dived into the sea, saying, "I know, I know~~"
Whenever someone ordered Wolf or asked for his help, he would retort, "I joined the crew before you. You have no right to order me," which made many people dislike him. However, they had to admit that Wolf's strength was immense, especially in naval battles. This time, with Viola relaying a direct command from Alucard, Wolf had no choice but to obey.
"Let's go, Shirahoshi." Viola walked over to Shirahoshi, who was resting on the shore.
"O-okay," Shirahoshi said, still a bit nervous.
She and Viola had been summoned to this island by a single Den Den Mushi call from the New Fish-Man Island. While a normal ship would take two days to get there from the New Fish-Man Island, Shirahoshi's speed as a mermaid allowed her to reach it in less than three hours at full speed. Viola was asked to accompany her to ensure she would not be in any danger.
The reason for summoning the two of them… Well, it was another one of Alucard's twisted hobbies.