The Kuja Pirates' ship sailed slowly across the sea. Only four royal territories remained; once they were destroyed, only Mariejois, atop the Holy Land, would be left standing.
The moment that place collapsed, it would truly signal the total end of the World Government's eight-hundred-year reign.
Alucard sat upon his coffin lid, contemplating the "Schrödinger's Cat" evolution and the quantum mechanics of parallel universes the system had mentioned previously.
Evolution leading to travel through time, space, and... dimensions?
Did it mean he could reach other worlds?
Clink.
Suddenly, a fresh glass of red wine was placed on the small side table by Alucard's hand. Glancing sideways, Alucard realized the previous bottle had already run dry.
The person serving the wine was Scarlett's younger sister, Viola.
Feeling Alucard's gaze, Viola's face burned with a flushing heat. She averted her eyes, not daring to look him directly in the face.
"That hateful little hussy..."
Hancock stood at the bow not far away, gritting her teeth. Why hadn't she thought of that?
Unfortunately, her pride as the Pirate Empress was etched into her very bones. No matter the situation, the idea of serving someone tea or water simply never crossed her mind; it wasn't a matter of whether she could do it, but that her brain lacked the cognitive pathway to even consider such a task.
"Snake Princess, our supplies are running low. We won't reach the next royal territory like this."
Koala approached Hancock's side to report. "There is a country called Amystia about a hundred nautical miles to the southeast. Let's resupply there."
Hancock waved her hand dismissively. "Fine. You decide."
Seeing Hancock still staring indignantly at Viola standing beside Alucard, Koala's lip twitched slightly. She turned and ordered the helmsman to change course.
Two hours later, the Kuja ship arrived at Amystia.
"I've actually wanted to come here and see this place," Koala said as she disembarked.
"Why?" Sandersonia asked, walking to her left.
"Because this is an Allied Kingdom, one of those 170-plus nations." Koala crossed her arms over her chest, accentuating a figure that, while not quite matching Hancock's, was still impressively ample.
"The news reports say that since the collapse of the Government, these countries have suffered from riots, civil war, and pirate invasions. Most turned to the Marines for help, but because Marine resources are limited, many nations are now in total chaos. Only a few have managed to weather the storm."
As Koala spoke, a commotion erupted ahead. The women of the Kuja Pirates looked forward, and Alucard walked to the gunwale, peering toward the city gates.
The gates were thrown wide as a group of men rushed out, carrying hoards of priceless jewelry. Every one of them looked villainous, wearing arrogant smirks as uniformed guards pursued them from behind.
"Ahahaha! The Government has fallen and the Marines are spread too thin! How could a lot like you ever catch the Flame Chariot Pirates?!" the lead pirate, a man with flaming red hair, shouted boastfully.
"You said it, Captain!"
"This place is paradise now!"
The other pirates behind him raised their blades in chorus.
"It seems this is the state of most countries," Koala sighed. "Perfect timing, they've brought us some money."
As the twenty-odd members of the Flame Chariot Pirates sprinted from the gates toward the docks, they found Koala, Sandersonia, and the others blocking their path. Seeing they were about to collide, the captain roared in a rage, "Get out of the way, you dead women! I am the Captain of the Flame Chariot Pirates, with a bounty of 68 million Berries!"
"The stench of a foul man... as disgusting as ever."
Sandersonia stepped forward. Her dark green hair suddenly lengthened, twisting into over a dozen hissing pythons that lunged at the pirates.
"What!?"
The pirates were stunned to realize the people blocking them were Ability Users. The captain had a modicum of skill and managed to dodge Sandersonia's strike, but his subordinates behind him were not so lucky; they were collectively mauled as the hair-pythons tore through flesh and bone.
In the brief moment the captain felt relieved at having evaded the attack, he suddenly found Koala's petite frame appearing right in front of him.
An Armament Haki-clad, pitch-black fist slammed into the bridge of his nose. His two-meter-tall body was instantly sent flying.
Koala straightened her posture from her strike and brushed her hands together. "Even as pirates, people like you are nothing more than the lowest rung."
At that moment, the kingdom's guards ran up, bowing to Koala in gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you so much! These pirates were too strong, we... wait!!"
Mid-sentence, the guards' faces paled. They had spotted the pirate flags on the Kuja ship behind her.
The Kuja emblem on the small sail, and the Immortal emblem on the main sail.
Nowadays, the fame of the Immortal Pirates was no less than that of the Cross-Circles emblem representing the Government. Their reputation was enough to "silence a crying child in the night."
"Don't be nervous. We're just here to buy some things," Koala said with a slight smile, leading the way into the city, followed by Sandersonia, Marigold, and the others.
"What does Master intend to do?" Hancock leaned in close to Alucard. Even as she spoke, she kept a wary eye on the sisters, Viola and Scarlett.
"I'll just take a stroll." Alucard walked down the gangplank. He didn't do anything "edgy" like jumping down, though he could have easily teleported.
"Even Alucard is here...!!"
As Alucard passed them, the guards' legs turned to jelly and they collapsed to the ground in terror. Only after Alucard and his group vanished from sight did the guards scramble to their feet and sprint toward the inner city.
We have to report this to His Majesty immediately! they thought frantically.