Chapter 169: Dreams Never End
Holy Land Mariejois.
"Report, confirmed: In the New World, within the Whitebeard Pirates’ territory of the Lubloom Sea, the great pirates Edward Newgate, the Golden Lion Shiki, Patrick Redfield the Red Count, and Alucard the Immortal have gathered."
Inside the round table conference room, most of the high-ranking Marine officials were assembled.
Upon hearing the report from a Marine Rear Admiral standing beside Fleet Admiral Kong, their expressions grew grim. An old general, close in age to Garp and Sengoku, couldn’t hold back. He slammed his hands on the table, stood up, and declared, "Fleet Admiral, these four are pirates who stood at the apex of Roger’s era, and Alucard is a paramount powerhouse of the new era. Their sudden gathering certainly means something big is about to happen!"
"You don’t need to tell us that..." another slightly older Vice Admiral beside him said. "The key question is, what counter-strategy should we Marines implement now?"
"Is there even a question? Immediately dispatch all nearby patrol fleets to monitor them and prevent them from causing any trouble!" Someone else immediately voiced their opinion.
Garp was not present; he was currently on leave, but he could be called back at any moment. Kong and Sengoku exchanged glances, their eyes filled with gravity and helplessness.
"Silence!" Suddenly, a slightly angry voice caused the arguing crowd to fall silent simultaneously. They looked towards the source of the voice, which belonged to Tsuru, the Chief of Staff.
"I ask you, what good are your brains if you don’t use them?" Tsuru’s tone was incredibly detached. Although there were individuals present older and of higher rank than her, in this meeting, Tsuru held the highest and most significant position in terms of speaking authority, sometimes even overshadowing the Fleet Admiral.
"Tsuru-sama, what do you suggest?" A Rear Admiral stabilized his emotions and respectfully inquired of Tsuru.
"Among these four pirates, two are lone wolves. The Golden Lion’s fleet is mostly destroyed. As for Whitebeard, Red, and Shiki, their grudges run deep. Do you truly believe they could form an alliance?" Tsuru said coldly.
"Then, Tsuru, what do you think their objective is?" Kong asked gravely.
"Red was severely wounded by Shiki in a battle five years ago, forcing him into temporary retirement for several years of recovery. It’s perfectly reasonable for him to seek out Shiki," Tsuru slowly explained. "As for the Golden Lion, he’s likely just reminiscing with Whitebeard. Ultimately, the key figure is only Alucard."
Finishing, Tsuru tapped the table with her slender, almost skeletal fingers. "What that young man wants to do, I haven’t figured out yet. Does he intend to challenge the ’Three Monsters’ of the old era all at once?"
Sengoku heard this and crossed his arms. "Hmm... It’s that Alucard kid again..."
"There’s no need to send troops for an encirclement. The possibility of them fighting each other is far greater than the possibility of them cooperating. Or rather, their chances of cooperation are infinitely close to zero." Tsuru turned to Kong, her eyes full of wisdom. "Simply reinforcing vigilance in the nearby sea regions will suffice."
Kong nodded understandingly, then stood up. "All units, enter Code Red alert status!"
Tsuru truly lived up to her role as the Great Advisor; her strategic acumen was undeniable.
Alucard and Red arriving together was purely coincidental; they just happened to run into each other in the New World.
Red indeed harbored a desire to fight Shiki, especially since Shiki had dealt him a severe injury five years ago, forcing him into years of recuperation and temporary retirement.
Alucard also intended to find Shiki, but not to fight him. When Alucard met Red en route, he discerned Red’s objective and temporarily invited him along, as the matter he planned would be even more interesting with Red’s involvement.
As Alucard and Red stood on the bow, one on the left and one on the right, looking up at Whitebeard and the Golden Lion on the Moby Dick, for a moment, it seemed as if only these four individuals existed in the world.
As for the Whitebeard Pirates’ crew, they were merely background. Although he had read about it in newspapers, upon seeing the rudder on Shiki’s head and the two prosthetics that served as his new legs, Alucard said nothing, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl slightly.
"Hasn’t it been decades, Red? What’s the meaning of bringing a kid to see me?" Whitebeard slammed his naginata onto the whale-shaped bow, causing three shockwaves to ripple out.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Alucard and Red vanished from their ship. When they reappeared, they were already soaring above the Moby Dick, facing Whitebeard and the Golden Lion.
Alucard against Whitebeard!
Red against the Golden Lion!
BOOM!
The moment these four clashed, the sky itself seemed to tremble. Clear skies instantly turned to dark clouds, and rumbling thunder echoed within them.
Alucard drew his twin black and white pistols, and Red unsheathed his umbrella sword. Whitebeard’s left hand, not holding his naginata, unleashed a spherical silver-white shockwave, and the Golden Lion lifted one leg high, sweeping it across in a whip-kick.
A four-way collision!
At this moment, the sky and the sea convulsed. The residual energy from the two colliding light points, generated by the four individuals in two pairs, continuously spread outwards.
Even the Whitebeard Pirates’ commanders couldn’t help but retreat, unable to open their eyes due to the intense light.
No!
Besides the four engaged in combat, there was one other person whose eyes were open!
The only one among the Whitebeard Pirates besides Whitebeard himself: Marshall D. Teach!
Even when Whitebeard’s right-hand man, Marco, couldn’t help but close his eyes, Teach still held one hand in front of his face, his eyes above his elbow wide open.
This!
This is what he always wanted!
Even though he was currently hiding his true identity, drawing no attention within the Whitebeard Pirates, a crew full of powerhouses, no one knew that he had always harbored a desire to reach the top.
Seeing this scene, that heart began to beat once more.
This is a person’s dream; dreams never end.
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