Bannila Island, Beasts Pirates Territory.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
Kaido sat upon a stone throne, a massive bottle containing over ten liters of sake pressed to his lips as he downed the liquid in endless gulps.
Below him, the crew of the Sabre-tooth, the unit under the command of Wind Calamity, stood trembling. They kept their heads bowed, paralyzed with uncertainty.
Wind Calamity, Queen, leaned against a jagged cliff wall to the side, his eyes half-lidded as he dozed off. Had Kaido not been present and likely to speak, Queen would have already collapsed onto the ground and fallen fast asleep.
Elburn, the ace of the Sabre-tooth, stood closest to Kaido. Unlike the other crew members who were paralyzed by fear, he didn't lower his head in silence. Instead, he simply turned his gaze away, pretending to admire the surrounding scenery.
Thud!
Kaido finally finished the sake and slammed the bottle onto the stone surface. Seconds later, he buried his face in one hand and began to wail loudly.
"Damn it! To think Wano actually dares to stir up trouble for me! Does the rest of the world really think I'm inferior to that bastard Alucard?!"
The Sabre-tooth crew members thought to themselves: Here we go. Once he finishes the booze, the crying starts.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, Kaido swung a fist, shattering both the bottle and the rock beneath it into dust. He roared, "What are you idiots still standing there for?! Is the Eternal Pose ready yet? I'm going to go wipe that country off the map!"
Now he's a violent drunk, the subordinates complained internally, even as they recoiled in terror.
"Kaido-san, could you please calm down for a moment?"
At that moment, Elburn, who had been pretending to look at the scenery, finally turned back. He looked up to face Kaido directly. "I've observed the defenses of Wano. The outer walls made of Seastone alone are enough to repel most of our Ability Users. Their strength is not to be scoffed at. To be honest, even if two of the All-Stars attacked, it wouldn't be a quick victory."
Kaido leaned forward, bringing his massive face close to Elburn's, his breath reeking of alcohol. "Then how about I go there myself?"
"You would likely break through," Elburn replied calmly, showing no fear. "But don't forget, those samurai said that the moment you set foot there, they would notify the Immortal Pirates. They'll take the opportunity to strike our rear."
Elburn dared to speak to Kaido this way not because his own strength rivaled his captain's, but because he had Kaido figured out. Whenever Kaido flew into a rage, using Alucard's name as a sedative worked every single time.
Sure enough, Kaido calmed down significantly. He crossed his legs and asked, "So you want me to just let Wano go?"
"Of course not. We just need to concentrate our strength and wait." Elburn explained, "Jack-sama has already gone to collect the first batch of SMILE. Once we see the results and build our army of Ability Users, we won't have to fear a sneak attack from the Immortals. Then, we can attack Wano without worry."
Kaido's fingers tapped the armrest of his stone throne. A few seconds later... he fell asleep.
"Phew!" Elburn exhaled a heavy sigh. "Managed to talk him down."
…
After his travels across the legendary Sky Island, Alucard had intended to continue his journey through the latter half of the New World. However, a message from Dr. Vegapunk caused him to suspend his travels and return to Arderay.
A few days later, Alucard arrived back in Arderay. On the way to his castle, Ivalis gave him a brief recap of the events that had transpired during his absence.
The visit from "Fire Fist" Ace was one of the more interesting highlights; it had allowed the crew to witness the prowess of Aranea, the "Female Dragon Knight." There were also minor reports regarding Wolf and Fallon's recent excursions to sea.
Not long after Alucard returned to the ancient castle, the clank-clank of mechanical footsteps echoed through the halls. Alucard, who was thumbing through an old tome, looked up to see Aranea entering.
The unique mechanical sound was caused by the armor she wore.
"Alucard-sama, Dr. Vegapunk has invited you to the lab. He says he has something 'good' to show you."
Aranea's flight armor had clearly undergone a transformation. It was more compact now. Except for her head, it covered almost everything, leaving only her midriff and shoulders exposed, along with a plunging neckline. Just above her hips, a slender steel tail extended outward. She wore a long swallowtail cape with silver embroidery along the hem, giving her a majestic, commanding presence.
Noticing Alucard's gaze, Aranea looked down at herself and explained, "Oh, this? This is the result of Dr. Vegapunk's modifications after I became an Ability User."
Alucard stood up and descended the stairs, with Aranea following close behind.
"The Steam-Steam Fruit, was it? I almost forgot about that one," Alucard remarked as he walked.
"It has very high compatibility with me," Aranea said with a touch of confidence.
It wasn't just because it was a Logia type; the Steam-Steam Fruit used "vapor" as its power source, and her flight armor was also steam-powered. The synergy between the two would result in formidable power.
Alucard vaguely recalled that in the future, Fire Fist Ace would have a personal striker boat powered by flames, capable of reaching speeds that even Marine warships couldn't match. Developing auxiliary tools to complement a Devil Fruit's unique abilities was a logical progression.
Upon arriving at the Scientific Research Center, they found Dr. Vegapunk standing before a group of scientists dressed in white coats. However, more conspicuous than the doctors was the massive, long-limbed giant standing to Vegapunk's right: the former Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma!
"Oh? The modification is already a success?"
Alucard looked at Kuma and let out a light chuckle. This, indeed, qualified as a surprise.
When Kuma saw Alucard, his body twitched slightly. He began to raise a hand as if to attack, but Dr. Vegapunk was faster, raising his own hand to halt Kuma's movement.
"Though I have barely managed to complete the brain modification, he is still influenced by his combat instincts when he sees an enemy," Vegapunk explained. "Regardless, he will be a magnificent weapon for dealing with those troublesome pirates."