Kuzan was, after all, an untrusted "spy." Compared to Dr. Vegapunk and Aranea, who had also defected from the Government and Marine ranks, he was far behind in the inner circle.
Alucard had already seized and destroyed eight of the twenty Royal Lands in rapid succession. Despite Kuzan using all the influence and strength he could muster, he had only managed to preserve the civilian populations of two countries. For the rest, Alucard had shown zero hesitation in slaughtering anyone who dared to resist or refuse him.
"As long as the Government topples, what does it matter if they suffer a little?"
Kuzan couldn't stop mulling over the words Dr. Vegapunk had said to him recently. Was that statement right or wrong? It was a choice defined by impossible nuances, much like the question of whether the Grand Line or the One Piece should even exist. It was a query he found increasingly difficult to answer.
For now, he simply wanted to do his best to save innocent civilians. After all, this was supposed to be a conflict between the Immortal Pirates and the Royal Families.
But if Alucard's goal really is the downfall of the Government, what is the purpose of destroying these specific islands? This was the one puzzle piece Kuzan still couldn't fit into place.
Their next destination was Alabasta, a nation once secretly controlled by one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile, and later saved by the Straw Hat Pirates.
Nico Robin had previously offered to act as a lobbyist to persuade the ruling Nefertari Family, one of the original twenty bloodlines of the Celestial Dragons, to cooperate. However, the news received shortly before their arrival was grim: the Nefertari Family had refused to surrender the country.
Whether they surrendered or not didn't actually matter. What mattered was that Alucard had to destroy the twenty Royal Lands that served as the foundation of the World Government's rule—the locations of the Ryumyaku.
If they didn't agree, fine. He would simply commit genocide again.
Gazing at the desert island appearing on the horizon, Kuzan sat cross-legged on the bow of the ship. On the surface, he appeared his usual slouching, irreverent self, but his insides were twisted into a knot of anxiety. Sandy Island... Alabasta has a population of two million... He's not really going to kill them all, is he?
This time, he hadn't had the chance to notify the Navy to pick up survivors. Kuzan hadn't received the intel in advance; as an untrusted fringe member, the information he could scavenge was extremely limited.
Furthermore, moving two million people wasn't something the Navy could do in a few days. It would take months, perhaps half a year, to evacuate a population that size.
…
"Reporting, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The Immortal Pirates, led by Captain Alucard and including researcher Dr. Vegapunk, bodyguards Aranea Highwind and Bartholomew Kuma, and combatant Ao... Kuzan, have been confirmed entering the waters of Sandy Island. This is the ninth target in the past six months."
A Marine officer reported to Sengoku, who was currently practicing calligraphy. When he reached Kuzan's name, the officer stammered slightly due to the man's former status.
"First Juice Island and Cheese Island, then Dressrosa... and now Alabasta..."
Sengoku's brows furrowed. He could not for the life of him figure out Alucard's endgame.
While Alucard had killed plenty of people in the past, he wasn't the type to "commit genocide just because." Looking at his past records, there was always a traceable reason behind his massacres. This time, there was none.
The clearest proof was Dressrosa. The "Riku Sisters" of the Kuja Pirates, Scarlett and Viola, were the biological daughters of King Riku. Alucard wouldn't wipe out the whole place just for the sake of killing, would he?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The crisp sound of a cane hitting the floor echoed as a hulking figure entered Sengoku's office.
Sengoku turned and frowned. "Fujitora?"
"Allow this old man to go," Issho requested with a slight bow.
"Kuzan alone is a match for you, and he has Alucard and Aranea with him... Are you certain, Fujitora?" Sengoku didn't believe for a second that Issho could win against the lineup currently aboard the Dragon.
"I do not go to fight, but to save lives," Issho said softly.
…
Inside a secret chamber in the Holy Land, Mariejois.
"Eight of the twenty Royal Lands have been destroyed. Reports say the Immortals have reached Alabasta." The bald Gorosei with the large mustache spoke in a heavy tone. "The time to act has come."
"Wait a moment," interrupted Saint Nedseo, one of the three top leaders of the Celestial Dragons, dressed in a white suit. "Alabasta is the domain of the Nefertari Family. They still carry the blood of the Celestial Dragons. To kill them off so simply would be a waste."
Nedseo continued, "Furthermore, Alabasta is too far from us. It would weaken the power of our National Treasure."
"You want to let the Immortals destroy another Royal Land?" Saint Oseinofica, another of the three leaders who was built as burly as a mountain ape, asked with dissatisfaction.
"He is the greatest threat to the Government in its eight-hundred-year history. Once he is dealt with, everything else will be simple. But we only have one shot. If we fail, we are finished."
Nedseo said solemnly, "There is only one chance. Either we fall, or he dies."
They had previously leaked the secret of Alucard's abilities to the world, only to lose an Admiral in the process without dealing a significant blow to Alucard. This had left Nedseo, who proposed the idea, feeling uncertain and far more cautious.
"What do you have in mind?" the long-bearded Gorosei asked.
"We use the next throne, the ninth Royal Land, to decide the future of the world."
Saint Nedseo pointed his index finger at a spot on the map on the coffee table between the eight men. "We deploy everything here for the final showdown!"
The island he pointed to was very close to the Red Line, a prosperous metropolis in the first half of the Grand Line: the Town of the Spring Queen. It was not ruled by royalty but, like Water 7, was managed by a Mayor and a local government.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"No objections..."