"Captain, a pirate crew has been spotted," Wolf said.
Following Wolf's words, Alucard, who had been resting with his eyes closed, looked forward and indeed spotted three extra-large warships. All three ships flew the same pirate flag: a skull with a pair of purple wings behind it, and two rapiers crossed as the skull and crossbones.
"I don't recognize them. Probably a third-rate pirate crew."
Alucard's clasped hands suddenly spread open. He murmured a phrase, "The Bird of Hermes is my name. Eating my wings to make me tame."
A pool of crimson blood surged from the deck, gradually rising and condensing into a human figure. The plasma then slowly receded, revealing a man: Byrnndi World! The World Destroyer whom Alucard had killed just a short while ago!
Alucard raised his white gun, Casull, and aimed it in the direction of the three ships, while World gently placed one hand on the muzzle of Casull.
Boom!
"More-More: 100x Bullet!"
In an instant, the bullet flying from the muzzle swelled to the size of a cannonball. It struck the outermost pirate ship on the right. The speed and destructive force were completely different from before. The large warship was pulverized the moment it was hit, and the other two ships were also heavily impacted. The ship closest to the blast was flipped over, its deck plunging into the sea.
"It's just like a cannonball fired by Garp the Fist, Captain," Wolf exclaimed in admiration at the sight.
"Not bad. Try this one next."
Alucard was clearly very satisfied with the effect of the first shot. He lowered the white gun and brought the black gun into play.
However, when World placed his hand on the black gun, he was unable to activate his ability for a long time. Instead, his massive body seemed to be struck by a heavy blow and began to kneel. Alucard frowned, carefully examined the black gun Jackal, and after a few seconds, understood why World couldn't use his power on it.
The recoil from Jackal's Seastone explosive bullets was extremely powerful, and the flying casings had already covered the entire gun in Seastone powder. Alucard had used the gun for so long that its surface was now coated with Seastone, which was why World felt extreme weakness when he put his hand on it.
"What a letdown."
The excitement he felt moments ago was completely gone. Alucard pulled World back into the River of Death and said, "The rest is for you. Go eat some snacks."
"Oh, yes, please!" Wolf said eagerly.
Two years had passed since Red-Haired Shanks was killed by Alucard and Sengoku took the position of Fleet Admiral. The sea had been relatively peaceful for two years. But in this short month, too many events had occurred, any one of which could have shocked the entire world.
First was the discovery of the four Road Poneglyphs left behind by Roger, which can lead to the final island, Laugh Tale.
Second was the exposure of Z's betrayal, with over four thousand Marines, led by Ain and Binz, defecting to his side.
Third was the battle between Alucard and Kaido over the Poneglyphs.
Fourth was the escape of Kaido, Dragon, and Byrnndi World from Impel Down.
In addition, there was World's death at Alucard's hands, the Revolutionary Army resuming their activities, and the World Government's attempt to acquire the Titan Fruit from Tesoro—all major events.
On this day, the news published a bombshell headline.
The newspaper that printed the story was not an official government one, but a private news agency. News from such agencies usually didn't garner much attention, but this time was different. The headline announced a death decree issued by the Immortal Pirates: Anyone who dared to eat the two Devil Fruits listed below would be considered an enemy of the Immortal Pirates.
The article also published two photos of Devil Fruits on the front page. From their cantaloupe-like appearance, they appeared to be Paramecia types.
This was done by Dr. Indigo under Alucard's command. As one of Shiki's original crew members, Indigo had been with him since Shiki was a rookie. He had encountered these two Fruits during his past voyages and published their images, serving as a warning bell to the whole world, but more so as a veiled act of defiance against the World Government.
"The Government must be shocked, right?"
Alucard looked at the two Devil Fruit pictures on the newspaper. He still didn't know if the Titan Fruit had fallen into the Government's hands, but this action was a huge slap in their face.
Smash!
In Mariejois, the sound of a table being smashed rang out. A high-ranking CP0 official, dressed entirely in white—white top hat, white suit, white leather shoes—roared, "How does Alucard know about this?! The Titan Fruit and the Swap-Swap Fruit should be top-secret information known only to the highest echelons of the Marines and the Government!"
"According to Tesoro, an Alucard spy accidentally infiltrated his vicinity," another CP0 member below him replied.
"He's using that kind of excuse to fool us..."
The CP0 superior clenched his fist under the table and asked, "Has the transaction not been completed yet? We already offered a price, didn't we?"
The subordinate was silent for a few seconds before replying, "That man recently added another bargaining chip. He wants to use the Red Line channel reserved for Marine and Government personnel to enter the New World, and he demands full Marine protection. Only after we agree to this condition will he propose his next request, and only then will he give us the item."
Upon hearing this, the CP0 superior couldn't help but punch a hole through his desk. "That bastard! He actually thinks he's some big shot, even threatening the Government's purchase!
"So, do we agree or not?" the subordinate asked.
"...That's not for us to decide. Wait for the decision of the higher-ups. In any case, keep a close eye on Tesoro and Alucard's movements."