Crack!
Inside the meeting room, Sengoku gripped his teacup until a jagged fissure spiderwebbed across the porcelain. His face was twisted into a snarl of pure, seething rage. Every Marine officer in the room instinctively lowered their heads, terrified of being the one to catch his eye.
Among the few still looking up were those of his own generation, his old comrades Garp and Tsuru, along with the two remaining Admirals: Kizaru (Borsalino) and Fujitora (Issho).
"I gave him leave... and he uses it to join Alucard!"
Sengoku's grip tightened further until the cup finally shattered. He didn't even flinch as the ceramic shards sliced into his palm, drawing blood.
"In that case... shouldn't we hurry up and elect a new Admiral and Fleet Admiral?"
Borsalino desperately wanted to utter those words, but one look at Sengoku's terrifying expression convinced him to value his life and keep his mouth shut, leaving things to fate.
Garp, in a rare display of wakefulness, sat with his arms crossed. "Kuzan-boy... I was the one who raised him in the ranks."
The effect of an old comrade speaking was immediate. Sengoku calmed down significantly and asked in a low voice, "Do you have any idea, Garp?"
Garp began picking his nose, his eyes half-lidded. "I wouldn't call it an idea. I'm just stating what I know of the kid. His brand of Justice might be 'Lazy,' but it's purer than anyone's."
"The reasoning behind Kuzan-san's actions can be discussed later," Fujitora Issho interjected. "However, the fact remains that he has betrayed the Navy and defected to the pirates. Right now, the Navy's prestige has hit rock bottom."
Issho paused, clicking his tongue. "The most urgent matter is to restore our authority as quickly as possible."
Tsuru added, "Let's set the succession of the Fleet Admiral position aside for now. Sengoku, you'll have to remain in the chair for a while longer."
Sengoku massaged his temples, a headache brewing. "And the vacancy in the Admiral ranks?"
Komei, the Vice Admiral serving as Vice Chief of Staff, fanned himself with a white paper fan. "Within the Government's forces, Vice Admirals like Momousagi, Chaton, and Momonga possess strength that rivals an Admiral. Unfortunately, the World Government is unwilling to relinquish these elite units to the Navy. Currently, our only hope lies in the World Military Draft, hoping to unearth newcomers with immense potential."
"Drafting an Admiral right off the bat? Does such good luck even exist?"
Sengoku's head throbbed. Once the meeting adjourned, he remained alone in the room.
A long while later, Brandnew, the Marine Major and head of the Bounty Authorization Department, crept into the room. Trembling, he placed a bounty poster in front of Sengoku.
NAME: KUZAN
DEAD OR ALIVE
BOUNTY: 650,000,000
As expected of a former Admiral and Fleet Admiral candidate; even without having committed any major atrocities yet, his initial bounty exceeded 600 million. By comparison, Dr. Vegapunk only received an initial bounty of over 700 million after committing numerous "unconscionable" acts under Alucard's command.
Sengoku stared at the poster, at the man with the teal bandanna and round sunglasses, and thought: Kuzan, what on earth are you trying to do?
…
Grand Line.
Aboard the Immortal Pirates' ship, The Dragon.
Kuzan, now sporting his "vagrant" look, sat on the deck counting on his fingers. "Juice Island, Cheese Island, Stupeo, Dressrosa, Missidia... and now Scythiany..."
"Man, keeping track is too much work. Forget it."
Kuzan scratched his head and looked over at Alucard, who was nearby. "Hey, what's so special about these islands? Why go through the trouble of destroying them one by one?"
Alucard gave no answer. Seeing his attempt at conversation fall flat, Kuzan yawned and leaned against the bulwark to sleep.
However, he was constantly flanked by three Pacifistas and Bartholomew Kuma himself. Even for an Admiral, such a detail was a heavy weight.
What is this guy thinking?
That was the question burning in the mind of every crew member of the Immortal Pirates whenever they looked at Kuzan. A Marine Admiral and Fleet Admiral candidate... jumping ship to become a pirate?
"Admiral Aokiji... oh, excuse me, Kuzan-san, 'The Navy's Greatest Traitor,'" Aranea approached, holding a sheet of paper. She slapped it onto Kuzan's face. "Your bounty poster has arrived. Please sign for it."
Kuzan opened one eye, stared at it for a few seconds, and then yawned. He crumpled the poster into a ball and tossed it into the sea.
This is... my Justice, he thought.
Currently, Alucard, the Scientific Research Division, and the wildcard Kuzan were heading toward the next nation once ruled by Celestial Dragons: the Scythiany Kingdom.
According to Nico Robin's deciphering, this land was once the territory of the Cailhamu family, a Celestial Dragon lineage. It was currently ruled by the Corpus Royal Family.
The destruction of the previous five Ryumyaku locations had gone smoothly due to Big Mom's submission and King Riku's surrender. This time, things might not be so easy.
About three hours later, as the sun reached its zenith, the harsh light woke Kuzan. He stretched and suddenly asked, "May I ask a question? If the Corpus Royal Family currently ruling Scythiany refuses to hand over the island, what will you do... Captain?"
Kuzan emphasized the last word heavily.
This time, Alucard answered him. "Simple. Genocide."
He said it with the casual ease of one discussing slaughtering chickens. Although he had expected it, Kuzan still knit his brows tightly. The other crew members didn't even change their expressions; they clearly had no objections to Alucard's methods.
Scythiany has a population of three hundred thousand, Kuzan thought. How the hell am I going to stop this?