New World, Dressrosa.
After receiving news of Hancock's arrival, Alucard returned to the impoverished kingdom he hadn't seen in years.
The Marines might think a lot has happened recently, but Alucard himself felt the same way. He no longer worried about the Fish-Man Island incident, but it led to another problem: Whitebeard.
"What's this...?"
Alucard looked at the day's newspaper, which had a story about him.
[Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, and the Kuja Pirates join the Alucard Pirates! Her bounty is now 180,000,000 Berries.]
Along with a photo of Hancock taking down a pirate, the newspaper also featured her new bounty poster.
By the time Alucard landed in Dressrosa, the ships of the Kuja Pirates were already filling the harbor. With Wolf's immense size, Hancock and her crew could spot him from a great distance.
"Master!"
When Alucard stepped off Wolf, Hancock let out a soft cry and quickly jogged over.
Sonia, Marigold, Elder Nyon, and the others also led the young pirates of the Kuja Pirates, along with a large group of Amazon Lily residents, ashore.
"Master, look! It's beautiful, isn't it? This is all sewn by me personally..."
Hancock pointed to the line of Kuja ships docked along the Dressrosa coast. On the huge sails behind the Kuja mark, the exact same symbol from Alucard's gloves was embroidered.
Hancock spoke with a pitiful look, as if begging for praise.
"Honestly, it's a good thing the Marines didn't attack when they saw it. I told you not to be so hasty with the flags..."
Elder Nyon frowned. On their journey, she noticed both Marines and pirates trying to approach them. She was extremely worried, as there were far more ordinary civilians than pirates on board the dozen-plus ships.
However, Alucard's flag likely served as a deterrent, keeping both the Marines and pirates from daring to come any closer.
Hancock instantly bristled, leaning back and pointing a single finger at Elder Nyon, striking her signature pose. "Silence, Nyon-ba! Everything I do will be forgiven!"
"Because... I'm just too beautiful~~"
As she finished, Hancock gently stroked her face, showcasing her stunning beauty to the fullest. "Ah!! Empress-sama!!"
"So beautiful!!"
The cheers came not only from the Kuja people but also from the Dressrosa residents watching from the cliffs.
"That's the Pirate Empress!"
"She's... she's so beautiful! An absolute stunner!"
After the cheers subsided, Elder Nyon cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Ahem, Alucard- san, based on our analysis of the eleven remaining islands, I believe Orunidia is the most suitable for the Kuja. Please allow us to use it as our new base. If possible, we'd also like to change its name back to Amazon Lily. We are more accustomed to our old kingdom."
Orunidia, located in the middle of the New World, was one of the countries Alucard once ruled. Among the twelve nations, it was of medium size, far smaller than the great country of Arderay, which had a population of two million.
Elder Nyon chose it because she knew its climate and terrain were similar to Amazon Lily's, a tropical climate.
"Do whatever you like. It's yours."
Alucard said nonchalantly, then his gaze shifted. "How is Poseidon?" "Poseidon?"
Elder Nyon was confused for a moment before realizing who he meant. "Oh, Shirahoshi? She's still a child, sleeping in the ship. She cried a lot at first, but she's gradually fitting in with the Kuja..."
Recalling the process of taking care of Shirahoshi, Elder Nyon felt both relief and exhaustion, but she was glad they made it through.
"Alucard-sama, King Riku has invited you to the royal palace." At that moment, the leader of the Dressrosa Kingdom Army, Kyros, approached with a squad of men.
"Huh? We're busy setting sail. Who has time to waste with you? Get lost!" Hancock shouted angrily.
Kyros flinched and took two steps back, but he waited for Alucard's answer. "Onee-sama, please calm down," Marigold advised from the side.
Alucard gave a slight smile. "I happen to be hungry."
Seeing Alucard walk with Kyros and the others toward the palace, Hancock quietly clenched her fists. The image of Scarlett's face from two days ago when they first arrived in Dressrosa surfaced in her mind. She muttered to herself as she followed. "I will not lose. I absolutely will not lose."
The group walked all the way to the high ground of Dressrosa's royal palace.
"It's been a while, Alucard-san," King Riku said, greeting him without the tension he had the first time.
"It's surprising that you've sought me out, King Riku, and..." Alucard's gaze shifted to Scarlett and Viola. "That must be Scarlett, right? And the other one is..."
"It's Viola! It's Viola!" The brown-skinned Viola said, slightly annoyed.
Compared to before, she had grown from a "girl" to a "young woman."
"It's... it's been a while, Alucard," Scarlett said, stepping forward timidly, with her hands behind her back, looking incredibly adorable. "How many years has it been?"
Before Alucard could answer, Hancock stepped close to him and said with disgust, "You're a stranger! Don't call Master's name so casually!"
"What's the big deal? Alucard doesn't seem to mind," Scarlett retorted without hesitation. After staring intently at Hancock for a while, she narrowed her eyes. "Are you that little girl who used to follow Alucard?"
"Hmph!" Hancock snorted and puffed out her chest. Unlike before, her figure was now even more voluptuous than Scarlett's.
Scarlett leaned toward Alucard's other side, making Hancock yell in anger, "Stay away from Master!"
"I'm scared~~" Scarlett said, pretending to be afraid, and leaned even closer.
"Ahem, Alucard-san, may I speak with you about something?" King Riku pretended not to notice his daughter and Hancock's rivalry and addressed Alucard.