Consuming others to restore one’s own body, while also acquiring their memories and information—this was the new ability Alucard gained after his Blacklight Virus upgraded to LV3.
However, this memory absorption was limited to the specific information he desired, and he could choose whether or not to receive the consumed target’s entire memory. Otherwise, he’d be overwhelmed with a flood of memories from every consumption, which no one could endure.
Alucard tilted his head slightly and muttered to himself, "The World Government is looking for me... If it wasn’t so early, I’d almost think they were looking to recruit a Warlord of the Sea."
The Warlords of the Sea system was established sometime after the Great Pirate Era began. Due to the Great Treasure, the One Piece, a massive influx of pirates surged into the Grand Line, leaving the Marines unable to effectively counter them.
Out of necessity, they resorted to recruiting powerful pirates to suppress their brethren.
If this were ten years later, Alucard would certainly have mistaken these people for wanting to recruit him as a Warlord. Although he knew it was impossible, Alucard still had to say "impossible." Becoming a Warlord would be far too boring.
"Concealing history, controlling the world, and now they’re finally coming for me? Aren’t they moving a bit too fast, World Government...?"
Alucard’s tone was a mix of excitement and exasperation. He then opened the tavern door and walked out.
That CP7 leader had mentioned this place was very close to Marine Headquarters, right? That meant... it was also quite close to the Sabaody Archipelago, the halfway point of the Grand Line, wasn’t it?
"Perhaps it’s been a bit too peaceful?" Alucard mused with a sigh. He thought about Luffy and his crew; putting aside their East Blue journey, their adventure through the first half of the Grand Line was simply spectacular.
First, the Drum Kingdom, then facing the Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile, followed by Skypiea, Water 7, Enies Lobby, and the Thriller Bark arc. Compared to them, his own journey seemed rather dull.
While Alucard thought this, it wasn’t entirely true. Although this era wasn’t as chaotic as Luffy’s, he had certainly eliminated a considerable number of powerful pirates along the way.
It was merely the phenomenon of being too involved to see the bigger picture, much like how time feels different when observing others play a game versus playing it yourself.
Ability Development Progress
Mature Vampire Physique: 89%
Bat Shadow Mature Form: 77%
Weapon: Casull LV4: 59%
Weapon: Jackal LV1: 12%
Blacklight Virus LV3: 9%
Hidden Shadow LV1: 105%
A hint of pleasure flashed across Alucard’s face when he saw that Hidden Shadow had leveled up. He quickly returned to his ship to immediately upgrade it, gaining new abilities in the process.
Hidden Shadow LV2: 5%
Ability Acquired: Can materialize shadows for attack. Power increases with level.
Ability Acquired 2: Wall Phasing. Can merge body with shadow to pass through walls.
Materializing shadows for attack reminded Alucard of a special technique from a ninja manga in his past life. It was a versatile technique, useful for both offense and defense. He’d find a chance to test it out next time.
Pondering these thoughts, Alucard left Asmodeus Island, continuing his journey further into the first half of the Grand Line. He had merely been drifting aimlessly through the Grand Line, unaware he was nearing its midpoint.
Several hours after Alucard’s departure, as the commotion in the tavern gradually subsided, some villagers cautiously ventured to peek inside.
However, when the tavern owner bravely pushed open the doors, the scene inside, resembling hell itself, made him scream uncontrollably.
There were no bodies, but blood stained over eighty percent of the floor, walls, and even the ceiling! Yet, eerily, there wasn’t a single person. Had they all simply left?
Though it seemed unbelievable, everyone could only assume so. Otherwise, where had all those people gone? Had they been eaten?
In a way, they truly had been "eaten."
People often choose to believe what they want to believe, and based on the principle that it’s better to avoid trouble, the villagers silently kept this incident to themselves. The blood-soaked tavern was naturally unusable, and the owner could only accept his misfortune.
However, the World Government’s capabilities far exceeded what these ordinary civilians could imagine.
In less than two days, having received no contact from Bradley, the World Government knew something was wrong. Hundreds of agents had been dispatched, and for them to collectively vanish without a trace was clearly not simple.
In a room within a World Government building, the curtains were only partially drawn, allowing a sliver of sunlight to filter in, but not enough to reveal the appearances of the people inside.
Only their deep voices could be heard discussing: "This needs a thorough investigation. It’s almost certain that CP7 was wiped out. Next... dispatch CP0 to investigate."
"Whoa, whoa, it’s just a pirate hunter. Is CP0 really necessary?" another voice questioned.
"The target doesn’t matter. The situation has reached a level that warrants their involvement," the first speaker firmly reiterated.
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