Note: It seems the Beasts Pirates' Calamities in this fic are different aside from Jack. And they were based on real calamities. So from here on, Queen's epithet will be changed from Wind Calamity to Storm. Drought, Storm, and Flood for the Three Calamities.
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Kaido had withdrawn his troops from Wano Country. He remembered exactly what Elburn had told him, and he feared that Alucard might raid his home base in his absence.
Although no such news reached him during his return journey, Kaido chose to retreat for the sake of his ultimate dream. To him, the dream of an "Ability User Army" was far more important than seeking revenge against Wano.
As it turned out, Kaido's luck upon his return was exceptionally good.
While the Immortal Pirates hadn't come to attack him, ten Marine warships led by Borsalino had run straight into him.
When Kaido arrived, the last of his Three Calamities, Flood, was currently holding off Borsalino's assault. Because the Marines had launched a sudden and fierce surprise attack, Flood was finding the battle difficult; however, he had successfully prevented Borsalino from landing on the Beasts Pirates' headquarters, Bannila Island, for the time being.
"Hmm~ excuse me, but would you mind telling me something?"
Borsalino used the powers of the Glint-Glint Fruit to evade Flood's wild strikes while simultaneously counterattacking, just barely finding the breath to speak. "Is the government's missing most-wanted criminal, Caesar Clown, currently staying with you?"
Unlike the hot-headed Jack the Drought or the lazy Queen the Storm, Flood was a man of silence. Hearing Borsalino's question, he kept a grim expression and offered no answer, his attacks only becoming more violent.
"Truly impossible to communicate with, isn't it?"
Borsalino looked dejected. Elsewhere, the Marines he brought were engaged in a heated battle with the Beasts Pirates' crew, including several Vice Admirals from Marine Headquarters.
"Admiral Borsalino! Emergency report! Emergency report!"
Just as Borsalino began to manifest the Ama no Murakumo sword for his next round of attacks, a soldier's panicked voice blared over the warship's loudspeaker. "Kaido is approaching! Reporting! Kaido is approaching!!"
The Marines on the ships were utterly stunned. How could he be back so soon?
According to their calculations, the battle between Kaido and Wano Country should have lasted at least two or three days. While Kaido and Jack were powerful, Wano was known as the "Land of Samurai"; surely it wouldn't fall in just a few days?
BOOM!!
Taking advantage of Borsalino's momentary distraction, Flood landed a heavy punch on the Admiral's shoulder, sending him flying.
Mid-air, Borsalino transformed into light elements and materialized on the railing of his warship. He twisted his shoulder, winced a few times, and gave a lazy command: "It'll be a real pain now that Kaido and Jack are here. Let's retreat."
It was a pity they couldn't breach the Beasts' headquarters, but retreat was the only logical choice. They had only brought a limited force for a surprise raid; with Kaido back, they simply didn't have the numbers. Even if he didn't want to, he had to pull back.
"Elburn... was right."
Stopping his subordinates from pursuing the retreating Marines, Flood finally spoke. If Kaido hadn't returned at that exact moment, the Marines might have actually breached Bannila Island in one fell swoop.
Even if Caesar wasn't actually there.
…
On a deserted island in the North Blue.
Deep within the forest, hidden from the world, stood a magnificent ancient castle. The damp smell in the air and the vines covering the walls proved that it had been abandoned for many years.
This was the place where Alucard had stayed for several years immediately after crossing over to this world.
The basement still held a collection of books that Alucard hadn't taken with him when he left in a hurry twenty-six years ago. Returning today in "triumph," he intended to collect these items.
Rustle, rustle...
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the woods outside the castle. They weren't animals; they were human.
"Meeting so many enemies at once was a disaster. Captain, let's rest on this island, get some fresh water and food, and then move on!"
A rough voice spoke. From the dialogue, there were at least two people.
"Meeting enemies is the will of the heavens; this is today's fate." The other voice sounded extremely flat, even a bit slow.
The owners of the voices finally emerged from the jungle. Leading them was a man with long, golden, center-parted hair and a gloomy, long-faced appearance. He looked to be in his thirties. Most striking were the three vertical lines drawn above each of his eyebrows, a black cross tattooed on the center of his neck, and a long sword at his right hip, marking him as a left-handed swordsman.
Beside him stood a man with dark circles under his eyes. He was mostly bald except for a single braided ponytail at the back of his head. He wore an unbuttoned red trench coat emblazoned with a cross, revealing his pectoral muscles and a fierce expression.
Behind them were four men dressed in deep blue robes with cross necklaces, looking like Catholic devotees.
"...Oh! Captain, there's a castle over there!"
The rough-voiced man shouted in surprise upon seeing the vine-covered castle.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hearing footsteps approaching from within the ancient fortress, the man's expression tightened. "On a deserted island like this, is there someone else here besides us?"
This was the Hawkins Pirates: Captain Basil Hawkins, combatant Kyra Calum, and four other crew members.
When they saw the face of the man who walked out, the entire Hawkins Pirates collective went pale.
Alucard stood at the castle gate, looking at the six members of the Hawkins Pirates. His gaze lingered on the cross markings they wore. He suddenly smirked. "Among pirates... there are those who believe in Jesus?"
Hawkins' expressionless "poker face" was instantly filled with dread. Without him even realizing it, cold sweat had begun to soak his skin.
"Who is the world's strongest? Is it Whitebeard?"
"No..."
"The strongest now should be Alucard, shouldn't it?"
"True. Compared to Whitebeard, who hasn't caused any major incidents in recent years, the things 'The Immortal' has done are far more extreme. Even the Government can't do anything to him."
At that moment, Hawkins and his crew recalled the conversation between pirates they had overheard in a restaurant on the previous island.
Who is the world's strongest?
Is it Whitebeard? Or is it Alucard?
They didn't know the answer, but they did know one thing: regardless of which one it was, neither was someone they could hope to stand against.