Chapter 162: Want to Play a Game?
When Kong led his three Marine squads into Grove 15, they were met with a scene of absolute hell: crumbling building ruins, twisted and broken Yarukiman Mangroves, and scattered remains of pirates or business owners visible from the roadside. Not a single patch of intact ground could be found in the entire area.
"This is... a battle between top-tier pirates..." A Marine rifleman beside Kong mumbled unconsciously. The other Marines beside him were equally stunned into silence.
Boom!
Suddenly, from behind a broken Yarukiman Mangrove not far away, a flash of blood-red light erupted.
This fleeting glimpse instantly brought back countless memories for Kong. Yes, there was no mistake. That was Red’s technique. Even after so many years, he still remembered it.
"All of you, surround this area. If anything seems wrong, retreat immediately. This is not a battle you can get involved in." Kong rapidly rushed towards the broken mangrove, leaving behind only an afterimage and his words.
Bang! Bang!
Alucard’s bullets and Red’s red crescent moon sword energy collided. The shockwaves from the impact forced Red to give ground, while Alucard completely ignored them, charging through the highly destructive aftermath.
However, just as Alucard was about to pursue Red, he suddenly changed his attack direction, firing three shots at a position to his lower left. A dull thud echoed as the bullets collided with an air wave, resulting in a stalemate, their powers neutralizing each other.
Alucard and Red, due to their movements, simultaneously dropped from high in the air and looked in the direction from which the air wave had come.
Standing about a hundred meters away was a powerfully built man with a Mohawk, his right hand extended forward with his index and middle fingers out.
’Shigan, one of the Rokushiki, huh?’ Alucard thought to himself as he observed the man’s movement.
When Red turned to look, his expression stiffened. His face, slightly dusty from the battle, showed surprise a few seconds later, followed by a smile. "Heh, oh... it’s been over a decade, hasn’t it, Kong?"
"It’s been a while, Red," Kong withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. "After Roger’s death, are you going to continue sailing with him as your goal? Or are you planning to retire, like the remnants of the Roger Pirates?" Kong finished with a contemptuous smile, "However, it doesn’t matter. I’ll send you to Impel Down, along with Shiki."
Kong didn’t possess the confidence to face two top-tier pirates, Alucard and Red, simultaneously, but he wasn’t overly worried. This was because pirates could never truly ally. Other pirates aside, Red was absolutely out of the question. He had known him for over forty years; this guy had never allied with anyone.
"Oh... so this is Fleet Admiral Kong of Marine Headquarters?" Alucard finally spoke. "I saw you once during the Pirate King’s execution broadcast, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in person."
Kong shifted his gaze to Alucard. "There’s another fellow who gives the World Government a massive headache. No matter, I’ll send both of you lone wolves, young and old, into Impel Down." He added at the end, "It’s fine if you want to team up."
Crack, crack.
Kong cracked his knuckles twice, making two crisp sounds. "Sending you two to prison will perfectly dampen the spirits of those pirates who are rapidly growing in number because of Roger."
Kong’s words carried a hint of provocation and divisive tactics. They say that the one who understands you best isn’t family, friends, or lovers, but your enemy. Because only your enemy will constantly try to figure you out. The one who understood Red best was undoubtedly Kong.
Red, already aloof, was unlikely to cooperate with Alucard. With Kong’s words, it became even more impossible. Indeed, upon hearing this, Red scoffed softly, "Hmph, old, am I, Kong? I’ll make sure both of you sink to the bottom of the sea."
Now, only Alucard remained. But since Red had already made that statement, cooperation, even if Alucard wanted it, was impossible. However, just in case, Kong still glanced at Alucard. To his surprise, Alucard was deep in thought, eyes closed, contemplating something.
Five seconds later, Alucard suddenly opened his eyes, a sinister grin spreading across his lips, making both Kong and Red feel uneasy. "You two, want to play a game?"
"Huh?"
"Hmm?"
Red tilted his head slightly, looking bewildered, and Kong wore a similar expression. In the next second, Alucard suddenly vanished. More accurately, he fled south with extreme speed.
’Trying to escape?’ Kong instinctively thought.
’Trying to escape? Impossible, what kind of trick is this kid pulling?’ Kong’s first reaction was that Alucard was trying to flee. However, Red, despite only knowing Alucard for about half a day, already had a preliminary understanding of his personality. If he dared to utter those words just now, it meant he definitely had some trick up his sleeve; fleeing like this was impossible.
Red quickly gave chase, wanting to see what Alucard was up to. Kong, a couple of seconds slower, also pursued at extreme speed. In an instant, it became a chase involving three top-tier powerhouses.
The Marine squad Kong had ordered to guard the boundary of Grove 15 proved utterly useless, barely catching a glimpse of three afterimages flashing past them.
Alucard noticed the two catching up, a slight smirk on his lips. He mumbled to himself, "Something interesting is about to begin. It’s quite nice, this feeling of playing a game with two people who stand at the pinnacle of pirates and Marines."
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