"Unceasing slaughter," Alucard said with a grin. "I had to kill every last one of the lives within me, all 16,772,128 of them, leaving only myself."
"Now that I have returned, I exist everywhere and nowhere at once. And so, here I am." Alucard's smile faded into a calm, flat expression.
"That's wonderful... truly wonderful..." Hancock trembled with emotion, repeating those words over and over.
Alucard added with a hint of lethargy, "In any case, get me something to eat. It's been a long time, and I'm starving."
The women exchanged glances. Many of them, having lived alongside Hancock and Scarlett, knew exactly what Alucard meant by "food."
However, if they were talking about blood, the most suitable kind was that of a virgin. Since Hancock and the others no longer fit that description, everyone's gaze instinctively drifted toward women like Koala and Viola.
…
The current situation in the New World was dire. A year ago, Whitebeard had perished during the Summit War, and in the great suppression that followed, Alucard had also been presumed dead.
The balance of power had been completely shattered, and chaos now reigned across the international landscape.
Just as in the original timeline, Whitebeard's death led to the fragmentation of his territories. When even a low-level clown like Brownbeard could run amok in Whitebeard's former lands, it spoke volumes about the state of the world.
While the Immortal Pirates had plenty of personnel to maintain order, a "headless dragon" scenario was terrifying. Unlike the Whitebeard Pirates, many had only been held in check by the overwhelming dread Alucard inspired. With Alucard "dead," they had naturally deserted or rebelled.
Their numbers had dwindled significantly.
Alucard had no desire to deal with any of it, yet he found himself forced to—an endless, irritating chore.
…
Immortal Pirates Headquarters – Arderay.
Ivalis, Captain of the Golden Hair Pirates, stepped into the great hall of the ancient castle. Facing the darkened throne, he began his report:
"Reporting. The Blackbeard Pirates, led by Marshall D. Teach, have seized several islands in the final reaches of the New World. It appears they intend to take root there. However, because that area is a chaotic sea at the very end of the New World, none of the other major powers, including ourselves, have been able to interfere."
"That man was once a veteran of Whitebeard's crew. He's used that to find territories others don't know about. The only ones who know the routes are the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"The survivors of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Fire Fist Ace and Marco the Phoenix, have retreated to the first half of the New World after their defeat by the Blackbeard Pirates. They are likely looking for an opportunity to strike back."
Ivalis spoke for a long time to the empty, dark room. After a moment of silence, he concluded, "That is all for the recent reports."
Ever since Alucard's disappearance, he had been reporting like this at regular intervals, acting as if the man were still sitting in that chair.
Just as Ivalis turned to leave, a voice suddenly drifted from behind him. "And one more thing for you to do."
Ivalis whipped his head around. On the throne that had been empty just five seconds ago, Alucard was now quietly sitting. On a small side table sat a bottle of wine; he held a glass in his left hand while his right hand flipped through an ancient tome resting on his crossed legs.
Ivalis stood frozen for several seconds before responding with utmost solemnity: "Understood."
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]