The North Blue, as the strongest of the Four Seas, wasn’t just because its pirates were generally the most powerful, but also because it was a fertile ground for cultivating strong individuals.
Just as the Grand Line in later eras was divided by the Three Great Powers—the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Four Emperors, and the Marines—the current North Blue was governed by four major powers, or rather, four kingdoms.
These four nations were in constant conflict, much like the Warring States period described in Alucard’s past life.
Currently, two pairs of these four kingdoms were locked in confrontation, with the Harald Kingdom and the Joris Kingdom being one such warring pair.
The Harald Kingdom currently held the advantage. They coveted a special plant abundant in the Joris Kingdom, called "Frostvine," a plant with a crystalline, ice-diamond-like body.
Of course, mere ornamental value wasn’t enough to spark a war between two nations. More importantly, "Frostvine" was not only a precious raw material but could also be incorporated into weapons and armor, achieving astonishing results in several experiments.
After half a year of war, while the Harald Kingdom maintained an overall advantage, they were utterly helpless against a formidable general from the enemy nation, Nelson Cahill.
This man wasn’t a Devil Fruit user, but he wielded a greatsword as large as two grown men. He charged through the battlefield, entering and exiting the fray seven times, single-handedly defeating countless soldiers of the Harald Kingdom.
King Harald Cnut of the Harald Kingdom initially tried to negotiate Cahill’s surrender through monetary means, but unexpectedly, the man was as stubborn and unyielding as a rock in a latrine pit, resolutely refusing to surrender to the enemy.
Cnut was greatly troubled by his inability to deal with Cahill.
"Your Majesty Cnut, I have a matter to report."
This morning, as King Cnut and his ministers were analyzing the war situation, a patrol Captain entered. After bowing to Cnut, he spoke with a solemn expression.
Cnut was getting a headache over the Cahill situation. If only this man could be dealt with, the war would essentially be decided. The problem was, they just couldn’t kill him.
He had already ordered that he wasn’t to be disturbed unless it was a major issue outside of the war. Under such circumstances, for this patrol Captain to dare to report something to him, it couldn’t be a minor matter.
"The pirate hunter, Dracula D. Alucard, has landed on our kingdom’s coast and has now entered the town. What should we do? Or should we leave him be?" The patrol Captain knelt on one knee, seeking instructions.
Upon hearing Alucard’s full name, Cnut’s initial reaction wasn’t to "Alucard," but rather the surname "Dracula" which seemed to jog his memory.
After a moment of recollection, Cnut remembered.
Decades ago, it was a prominent noble family in the North Blue, later annihilated by the North Blue’s dominant family, the Vinsmoke Family.
The D. family of Dracula.
Seeing that the King hadn’t spoken for a long time, the patrol Captain assumed the King didn’t know Alucard’s name and explained, "He’s a super-strong pirate hunter whose reputation has soared in the North Blue in recent months. He has a track record of killing pirates with bounties over 50 million Berries. He’s currently known by many as ’The Pirate’s Nightmare.’"
In many people’s minds, pirate hunters were individuals who would do anything for money. They could kill pirates for money, but they could also kill Marines for money, meaning they could turn into pirates at any given moment.
Although the government hadn’t specifically targeted pirate hunters as a group, if they ever opposed the government or Marines, a bounty would immediately be placed on their heads.
"Capable of taking down Great Pirates with bounties over 50 million Berries?" Cnut and his ministers were stunned. They hadn’t expected such a monster to appear in the North Blue during wartime. After some thought, Cnut told the patrol Captain, "Bring him to me. Tell him I have a profitable business deal for him."
Many had already guessed Cnut’s intentions. The patrol Captain immediately responded and then turned to leave.
"Your Majesty, do you intend for him to deal with Cahill?" A grey-bearded minister asked.
"Most pirate hunters are creatures who act when paid, and besides, I’m rather interested in the name Dracula," Cnut said seriously. "If he can truly resolve Cahill, it would make things much more convenient for us."
The Harald Kingdom had been at war for over half a year. The living conditions of its residents were predictably harsh. Not to mention the young and able-bodied, anyone who wasn’t too old was drafted into the war.
Alucard entered a tavern where many vicious-looking pirates were seated.
Such war-torn nations were ideal survival locations for them.
The Marines didn’t intervene in disputes between nations, so they didn’t really manage things here, allowing these pirates and mountain bandits to thrive.
However, these individuals were mostly weaklings.
Alucard sat at the bar, grinning. "Red wine. Bring me your local specialty."
The bartender, wiping a glass, looked at Alucard and asked, "Got money?"
Alucard’s smile remained unchanged. "The heads of the men sitting behind me should be enough to cover the tab, shouldn’t they?"