The beginning of the year 1520, Sea Calendar.
Whoosh…
The automatic doors slid open. Aranea Highwind stepped into the laboratory and reported to Dr. Vegapunk, who was deep in his research: "Doctor, the Captain has returned."
Dr. Vegapunk gave a slight nod. Aranea, having worked with him for a long time, understood the cue and silently withdrew from the room. It wasn't until two hours later that Dr. Vegapunk emerged from the lab, where an assistant immediately hurried over to offer him a towel.
"How are the Pacifista experiments progressing?" Dr. Vegapunk asked Aranea as he wiped away his sweat.
"They follow my orders quite well now. However, they haven't seen actual combat yet. Should I take a batch out to exterminate some pirates?" Aranea asked with visible enthusiasm.
"Everything from the midpoint of the New World onward is ruled by the Yonko; it's hard to find suitable experimental fodder there. The first half is mostly patrolled by the Navy, so it's not ideal either."
Dr. Vegapunk pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Forget it. I'll report the situation to the Captain first and see what he says."
…
Inside the dim inner hall of the ancient castle, Dr. Vegapunk delivered his report to Alucard, who had just returned from his voyage. He stated that after three years of research, using Bartholomew Kuma as the base model and incorporating the Hot-Hot Fruit's data and the Blacklight Virus as supplements, the Pacifistas were complete. All they lacked now was combat data.
"However, finding experimental targets in the New World isn't easy. It would be much more convenient in the first half of the Grand Line," Dr. Vegapunk noted with regret.
The area around Arderay was currently surrounded by the crews of the other Yonko. It wouldn't be appropriate to simply grab their men as materials for slaughter. Aside from the Yonko's forces, other pirates were few and far between in these waters, making them hard to track down.
While Dr. Vegapunk was preoccupied with the logistical issue, Alucard, seated upon his throne, was considering something else entirely. After a long silence, Alucard suddenly spoke: "Speaking of which, Vegapunk, I haven't seen a bounty poster for you yet."
"Eh?" Dr. Vegapunk blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic.
In recent years, he hadn't left the base often, but it wasn't as if he hadn't been seen at all. The only explanation was that the Navy and the World Government wanted to hide the fact that he had joined the Immortals, deliberately suppressing any bounty.
"Captain, could we perhaps discuss the bounty later? Let's stay focused on the Pacifistas." Dr. Vegapunk felt a wave of mixed emotions regarding the bounty issue and tried to steer the conversation back to his creations.
"It's quite simple," Alucard said, his voice making Vegapunk pause. A sinister grin spread across the Captain's face. "Aren't the Celestial Dragons at the Sabaody Archipelago excellent experimental material?"
Dr. Vegapunk's mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist. After a stunned silence, he stammered, "Are you... are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Alucard countered.
Seeing the look on Alucard's face, Dr. Vegapunk knew there was no room for negotiation. At the same time, he thought to himself that Alucard was truly ruthless.
The Government and the Navy were doing their best to hide his presence within the Immortal Pirates, but if his newly invented weapons were to kill a Celestial Dragon, whose families wielded nearly as much power as the Gorosei, they would never let it slide. A bounty would be guaranteed.
Thud, thud, thud...
The sound of heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the hall, signaling the arrival of someone with a massive, imposing physical presence.
Another figure entered the inner hall. Alucard and Dr. Vegapunk glanced over to see Bartholomew Kuma, or perhaps he should now be called PX-0. However, out of habit, everyone still referred to him as "Kuma," though some used titles like "Kuma-sama" or "The Tyrant."
"Oh? You look a bit worse for wear, Kuma. Did something happen?" Dr. Vegapunk asked, squinting his eyes.
Though Kuma maintained his usual stoic expression and clutched his Bible like a man who shunned all company, his clothes were shredded. One could faintly see wounds beneath the fabric; he had clearly survived a massive battle.
Back when he was a Warlord of the Sea, he already possessed top-tier strength. Now, enhanced by Dr. Vegapunk with the powers of the Hot-Hot Fruit and the regenerative capabilities of the Blacklight Virus, he was confident enough to rival an Admiral.
For someone of that caliber to be wounded to this extent was shocking.
"The Knights of Saint Stefano," Kuma said, his words as sparse as ever. It was a name Alucard had never heard before.
"What is that?" Alucard asked.
Dr. Vegapunk remained silent for a moment before answering, "One of the Nineteen Families of the Celestial Dragons. The Knights are a military force under the Saint Stefano family. Rumor has it they are a specialized army designed to counter ability users. Among the Celestial Dragon families, they are one of the few truly formidable martial lineages."
He had previously dispatched Kuma to the Sky Islands to search for rare shellfish for experiments. For Kuma to return in such a state meant he had run into serious trouble up there.
Has the Government developed flying warships? Vegapunk thought. He had been so focused on the Pacifista project these past few years that he had neglected research into flight technology.
Alucard tapped his finger against the armrest of his throne. "Last time, Ivalis reported that he fought a group of Government soldiers in white trench coats. I believe they were called the Tos..." Alucard trailed off, not quite remembering the name.
"The Tuscany Legion," Dr. Vegapunk finished for him. "An integrated combat unit established after the Army. They are directly subordinate to the World Government."
"More Government troops..." Alucard leaned his head on his hand. "Lately, it feels like we're fighting the Navy less and less, while these Government units are appearing more frequently."
Alucard was right. In the last two years, the frequency of clashes between the Immortal Pirates and the Navy had dwindled, while skirmishes with previously unheard-of Government military branches were on the rise.
Was the Government planning to handle him personally?
"No, Captain. I believe the Government is doing this out of necessity," Dr. Vegapunk suggested. Alucard stared at him with mild interest, gesturing for him to continue.
"I suspect that the Navy and the World Government... might be on the verge of an internal rift."