Just as both sides stood with blades drawn, the atmosphere as volatile as a powder keg ready to ignite, the sudden trill of a Den Den Mushi rang out.
Pere pere pere...
"Hmm?"
Bartolomeo and Law turned their heads simultaneously to see Gambia placing a Den Den Mushi on the coffee table between them.
Law reached out and picked up the receiver. "Law speaking."
"Law? It's me."
Recognizing the voice, Bartolomeo blinked in surprise. "Ivalis-senpai?"
"Ivalis?" Brook scratched his afro, looking puzzled.
"The man currently serving as the acting captain of the Immortal Pirates. His bounty exceeds one billion Berries," Nami explained with a look of dread. Since Robin's departure, she had become much more diligent about gathering intelligence on the high seas, especially since Alucard was the enemy who had killed Luffy's father and his benefactor. Naturally, she felt the need to keep tabs on their captain's greatest foes.
"One billion! That's more than three times Luffy's bounty!"
Chopper's tongue lolled out in shock, and he nearly fainted. He muttered to himself, "And I'm... I'm only fifty..."
"What's going on? Why is it so noisy on your end?" The Den Den Mushi mimicked Ivalis's expression, brow furrowed in annoyance.
"No, it's nothing. Are there orders?" Law asked, finally taking his feet off the coffee table.
"Hmph." Ivalis let out a short, light chuckle. "According to the Empress's intelligence, we have word on the Captain."
Law's pupils contracted. Bartolomeo practically lunged at Law, snatching the receiver away. "Is-is-is it true?! Really?! Where is he? Where?!"
Back on the Golden Hair Pirates' ship, Ivalis recoiled from the sheer volume of Bartolomeo's shouting, his face twisted in disgust. Behind him, Benn Beckman, Cavendish, and the others were scattered across the deck.
"The exact location is unknown. Given the bond between the Empress and the Captain's power, she can sense his presence."
Ivalis continued, "At any rate, I'm notifying you all. Far too many trash pirates have been coming around lately to stir up trouble. Make sure you deal with them."
With that, Ivalis hung up. Bartolomeo clenched his fist and pumped it hard in the air. "Yes!"
"Boa Hancock... her power does share the same origin as the Captain's, so the reliability of this intel is high. But if he's alive, why has he been missing for a year and a half?" Law mused, perplexed.
"Who cares about that!" Bartolomeo cracked his knuckles, looking ecstatic. "This time, we're definitely going to show that damn Government what for!"
As he spoke, Bartolomeo glanced around. "Wait... where's the Straw Hat guy?"
"They ran off while you were on the phone, Captain," Gambia offered, stepping closer.
"What? Those bastards!" Bartolomeo cursed.
…
Near the Thousand Sunny, the crew had run a significant distance. Nami, who had the least physical stamina, leaned against the ship's hull, panting. "R-really... we almost got into a scrap with a Yonko crew."
"Exactly. And they said their Captain is coming back. If that's the case..." Chopper's face went pale. He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew exactly what he meant.
After sharing the news with Zoro, Usopp, and Franky, who hadn't been present, Zoro flashed a battle-hungry grin. "The return of a Yonko? The man Mihawk considers a true rival... Interesting."
"I'm going to rescue Robin-chan! Robin-chwaaan~~!" Sanji's face turned heart-shaped, but he immediately turned to Nami with a serious expression. "Of course, Nami-san is just as important!"
Slap!
Luffy punched his right fist into his left palm, his expression solemn. "I'm the one who's supposed to kick his ass anyway!"
After spending ages explaining the gravity of the crisis, Nami saw that these idiots hadn't absorbed a single word. She clutched her head, exhausted, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "Ugh... I feel like the journey ahead is looking very grim..."
…
New World.
Kuja Pirates Territory.
New Amazon Lily.
Hancock touched her neck, the spot where Alucard had once bitten her.
Behind her, her sister Sandersonia asked, "Onee-sama, did you really sense Alucard-sama's presence?"
Hancock nodded with certainty. "This strange sensation... there is absolutely no mistake."
Sandersonia and Koala shared a skeptical look behind her back, though they feigned belief. After all, sensing someone through "feeling" seemed rather unreliable.
Glancing at the starry sky outside, Marigold said, "Onee-sama, it is late. We shall take our leave."
The Gorgon sisters and several other cadres departed together.
As the night deepened, Hancock lay on the soft, velvet bed in her palace. She tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling into a restless sleep.
Fwoooosh—
A sound like burning flames echoed through the room. Hancock snapped awake instantly. A pool of blood materialized into a bow and arrow, which she fired toward the noise.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The immense destructive force easily punched holes through the palace walls.
When the smoke cleared, an ashen silhouette was leaning against the wall, gradually solidifying into a familiar form.
Thud!
The door was thrown open. Elder Nyon, Koala, the Gorgon sisters, Viola, and Scarlett rushed in. "What happened, Snake Princess?!"
A second later, they saw the man sitting against the wall.
His head was bowed. After Scarlett and the others stood in stunned silence for several seconds, he finally spoke in a low, slow drawl.
"Heh... hehehehe... hahahahaha!"
After laughing for a while, Alucard looked up, his fangs bared. "That's quite the passionate greeting... and as noisy as ever."
Scarlett was the first to snap out of it. With a joyful cry, she rushed to his side and grabbed Alucard's arm. "Alucard!!"
Hancock stared blankly. When she finally came to her senses, she saw Scarlett had beaten her to him. She ground her teeth in frustration, but because she had just attacked him, she felt like a child who had done something wrong, hanging her head and not daring to speak.
After a long pause, Hancock finally mustered the courage to ask, "Where... where have you been all this time?"
Alucard remained leaning against the wall, his lips curling into a grin. "Cleansing... unceasingly..."