Inside Gran Tesoro, chaos reigned. Due to Sugar's collapse, the masses who had reverted from toys to humans were rioting. Even as the Donquixote Alliance moved to intervene, they couldn't keep pace with the sheer speed of the destruction. In short, the scene could be described in one word: mayhem.
A wrinkled old woman, barely a meter tall and wearing sunglasses, had been indulging in the decadent gambling of the city. Enraged by the commotion, she shrieked, "Dammit! How dare they disturb me! Don't they know who my son is?"
"Miss Buckin, right? Mother of the Warlord Weevil, or at least, you claim to be his mother."
Miss Buckin turned around. The first thing to hit her vision was the gargantuan, imposing frame of Bartholomew Kuma. Looking down, the man speaking was Dr. Vegapunk, with the female Dragon Knight Aranea standing at his right hand.
"The... the Immortal Pirates? A-Are you looking for a fight?"
Miss Buckin nearly fell off her seat in terror. Ever since Weevil had heavily injured Wolf years ago, the mother and son duo had been marked as enemies by the Immortal Pirates. She had originally planned to stay glued to her son's side for protection, but the allure of the casino and the rules of the arena had drawn her away from Weevil to gamble here.
"No, no. I don't have any particular feelings about your son defeating Wolf. I simply want your son, that's all," Dr. Vegapunk said with a chuckle.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Sensing a trap, Miss Buckin instinctively tried to make a break for it.
"Aranea, do it," Dr. Vegapunk said with a wicked grin.
"How cruel~"
Aranea gripped a weapon she had never used before: a nodachi. Activating her Steam-Steam Fruit abilities, she vanished and reappeared before Miss Buckin in less than a second. Before the old woman could even register the horror in her own eyes, the blade pierced through her wrinkled throat.
Aranea pulled the nodachi out and tossed it aside, remarking curiously, "She really can't do anything without Weevil, can she? This old lady..."
"Alright, pick up the body and let's go," Dr. Vegapunk ordered.
"Eww, gross. I'm not doing it," Aranea refused.
Dr. Vegapunk's eyelid twitched. He turned to Kuma. "It's up to you, Kuma."
Kuma's massive frame bent down to retrieve Miss Buckin's corpse. To Aranea, the overwhelming difference in their sizes made the sight look like a grown man picking up a dead mouse.
"Let's go. To the arena."
…
"Do you want the key in my hand, Queen?"
A moment before the two sides collided, those were the only words the crowd heard Teach say.
BOOM!!
The massive body of the Gryphon slammed into Teach. Their powers clashed at the epicenter, but the residual shockwaves rippled outward, causing the floor of the Golden Colosseum to crack under the pressure.
"Tesoro-sama, the Blackbeard Pirates have clearly declared war on us. Should we take Blackbeard down now?" Baccarat asked, brushing aside her crimson hair which had been ruffled by the wind.
"Heh, that idiot. He doesn't even realize half of his main force has been wiped out already. With three fighters of his caliber facing him in the ring, he's no longer a threat."
Tesoro spoke confidently, but added a silent thought: And "that man" is waiting, too.
"Then we..."
"That dead-eyed brat with the glasses dared to shoot at me. I won't be satisfied until I've turned him into a gold statue. Tell Tanaka to find out what's happening to the ship."
Finishing his orders, a golden tray formed beneath Tesoro's feet, allowing him to fly into the air. Van Augur, knowing Tesoro was coming for him, fired a rapid succession of shots, each one aimed precisely at a vital point.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace lunged forward to add to the assault, his target being Teach. Facing two powerhouses who were nearly his equal, even Teach began to feel the mounting pressure.
Weevil, however, didn't join the three-way brawl. Instead, he dove into the golden pool, searching for the Seastone box containing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Weevil was a simpleton; he held no grudges against the other three, save for a slight annoyance toward Ace for also claiming to be Whitebeard's son.
All he wanted was to get his hands on the fruit. Boxed or not, he wanted it now.
The three combatants ignored him. Even if he grabbed it, he couldn't open it. They had all felt the potency of that Seastone box earlier; it wasn't something that could be forced open with raw strength alone. Once they had the key, they could deal with Weevil later.
There it is!
Swimming along the bottom, Weevil spotted the iron box in a corner. He surged toward it, but just as he was about to grab his prize, a shadow-like arm reached into the water. It was faster than Weevil, snatching the box and retracting instantly from the pool.
Seeing this, the veins on Weevil's temples bulged. He burst out of the water, landing back in the arena and roaring, "You people! Every single one of you is trying to steal my things! Give it back! Who took it?! Give it back to me!"
"His brain isn't quite right... but his strength is impressive."
The shadow-hand gradually transformed into an arm wearing a crimson coat, and the rest of the body slowly manifested.
For a moment, even Teach, Ace, and Queen stopped their fighting. They stared at Alucard with deep apprehension.
This guy? On this ship? Wasn't he just in the South Blue two days ago destroying islands? Even if he flew, he shouldn't be here yet!
"I've been watching for long enough. I'm starting to get bored."
Alucard glided into the center of the arena toward the trio. He reached his hand toward the Seastone box. To the three top-tier Devil Fruit users, that box was a massive headache, but in Alucard's hand, it was as if it were a mere projection from a visual Den Den Mushi. His hand passed through it effortlessly, and he pulled the Tremor-Tremor Fruit out.
"Eat it, Teach," Alucard said, his tone casual, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.