Alucard navigated his small boat toward the direction indicated by the Eternal Pose gifted to him by Doflamingo.
Simultaneously, he dispatched three pirate ships led by Ivalis and Keith Fallon to blockade the sea route between Marine Headquarters and Punk Hazard. This was a precautionary asure to intercept any unexpected naval reinforcents.
This was the first ti Alucard had ever strategically planned an operation for the benefit of his crew. Though, strictly speaking, his motives weren’t altruistic; he simply found the prospect entertaining.
Is that not what life is about? Doing whatever feels interesting, especially when one’s strength has reached a plateau.
"Kidnapping Vegapunk... I’ve never even dread of such a thing."
Aboard the ship of the Black Thorn Pirates, one of the three vanguard vessels, Captain Keith Fallon muttered to himself in disbelief.
Who was Vegapunk?
He was the World Governnt and Navy’s most protected asset. And now, they were going to kidnap him?
Of course, the actual kidnapping was the Captain’s job. Their task was rely to hold back any Marine reinforcents.
Nearby, Cavendish was being forced by Ivalis to swing his sword ten thousand tis a day, a quota that increased daily. He muttered curses under his breath directed at Ivalis, yet he dared not slacken his pace.
Whoosh—
The sailing pirate ships cut the calm sea in two. The pleasant sound of the waves did little to soothe their underlying anxiety; only those with bounties in the hundreds of millions managed to maintain their composure.
"If the Navy sends reinforcents for this battle, it will undoubtedly be an Admiral," Ivalis remarked from the bow of the ship, his words striking like a bolt of lightning.
"An Admiral!"
Cavendish shuddered, his wooden sword clattering to the deck.
"Add another ten thousand swings," Ivalis noted coldly, glancing at him.
"You bastard!" Cavendish bared his teeth in rage, but a single sharp glare from Ivalis sent a chill down his spine, forcing him back into his practice.
There was no helping it; when you lack strength, you have to play the part of the subordinate.
"I’m thinking about sothing else," Benn Beckman added, exhaling a cloud of cigarette smoke. "If we succeed, what asures will the Navy or the Governnt take?"
Beckman’s insight was sharper than Ivalis’s, plunging everyone into deep thought.
If the kidnapping failed, they could simply retreat to their island. But what if they succeeded?
Would the Governnt and the Navy mobilize their entire force to annihilate the Immortal Pirates?
"The way you put it, it almost sounds like it would be better if this mission failed," Ivalis said, turning to Beckman.
Beckman stared out at the endless horizon. "I’m just stating facts. You and I both know exactly how vital Dr. Vegapunk is to the Navy and the World Governnt."
Sweat soaked Cavendish’s back. What kind of pirate crew had he joined? They were diving headfirst into a world-ending crisis.
If a total war truly broke out with the Governnt or the Navy... maybe he should just run away?
No, wait!
Cavendish shook his head violently. This was the ultimate stage! It was his chance to beco a global superstar. If he could achieve glory in a war of this scale, wouldn’t he beco famous overnight?
As he fantasized, his fearful expression was replaced by one of delusional grandeur. The crew mbers nearby looked on with deadpan expressions, knowing the brat was daydreaming again.
...
Currently, Punk Hazard was a wasteland shrouded in poison gas, its laboratories rendered useless.
The Science Unit, led by Dr. Vegapunk, had been evacuated and was en route back to Marine Headquarters. The escort was led by Vice Admiral Gilbert, Base Commander of G5, and Vice Admiral Vergo.
Gilbert was over seventy years old; this was his final mission before retirent, after which Vergo would take over as Base Commander.
To be honest, having only two Vice Admirals and a thousand soldiers escorting a VIP like Vegapunk seed strange. Normally, an Admiral should have been assigned.
But because Vegapunk was too important, the Navy chose this specific arrangent.
An Admiral was too conspicuous. If so reckless pirate heard a rumor about an Admiral escorting sothing valuable, they might attack just for the challenge. Jack the Drought, one of Kaido’s n, was the perfect example of such an idiot.
By hiding Vegapunk within a diocre-looking patrol fleet, the Navy hoped to avoid drawing any pirate attention.
However, as a contingency, Vegapunk had installed a self-rescue submarine at the bottom of the G5 warship. Personally modified by the doctor himself, this sub not only used Seastone technology to avoid Sea King attacks but also featured a unique drive system that allowed it to remain stationary at the bottom of the sea.
In the event of an ergency, he could subrge, remain hidden, and broadcast a distress signal while waiting for rescue. Even a master of Observation Haki would find it nearly impossible to locate him.
Alucard followed the needle of his compass until he finally spotted a warship with a giant "G5" insignia on its sail.
He stopped his small boat about half a mile away. He couldn’t be as reckless as he was when dealing with Lucky Roux or Dragon; if Vegapunk died, the whole endeavor would be a loss.
With that thought, Alucard’s body dissolved into a dark shadow, which then burst into a swarm of bats flying toward the warship.
Keek, keek, keek, keek...
The cacophony of the bats imdiately caught the attention of the soldiers on deck. These n were dressed more like thugs than soldiers. It was an open secret within the Navy that the G5 branch was essentially a pack of hooligans and pirates operating under the Marine banner. Had it not been for their outstanding combat capability in using "evil to suppress evil" in the New World, Headquarters would have cleaned them out long ago.
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