In the year 1505 of the Sea Calendar, the independent kingdom of Laguna in the New World became the first to raise the flag of the great pirate, Alucard.
Alucard lent his symbol, the design on the back of his glove, to the Laguna Kingdom. In return, he received nearly three thousand prisoners from their jail.
That night, many of the prisoners cried out in protest, as they had only committed minor offenses that weren't punishable by death. Despite this, the royal family handed them over to Alucard, which was tantamount to a death sentence.
Surprisingly, after this incident, the Marines took no action, and the World Government was eerily silent.
However, the government reportedly began a massive conscription drive. Having learned Alucard's purpose, they needed more soldiers, more elite new recruits than Alucard, Kaido, or Whitebeard. Only in this way could the Marines continue to control the era.
The river of time continued to flow, and Alucard continued to intervene in wars, harvest lives, and grow his power. Kaido expanded his territory and collected Devil Fruit users. Charlotte Linlin built her ideal country while also strengthening her own power.
For a time, these three pirates' notoriety surpassed even Whitebeard's. But Whitebeard, who was on par with the Pirate King couldn't be surpassed so easily.
It's worth noting that after the example of the Laguna Kingdom, other warring nations that were unlucky enough to be targeted by Alucard quickly followed suit. They would immediately surrender, handing over prisoners and pirates who were already slated for execution.
Some, in a moment of utter madness, even went so far as to offer up beggars from the streets, and elderly or orphaned children. The message was, "You can kill whoever you want; just spare my army."
Some of these nations began flying Alucard's flag, while others simply offered lives. No matter how insane their actions were, Alucard didn't care. He accepted their offerings without a second thought.
For the most part, he spared their armies and people, as they had already agreed to the trade. The terms of the deal were that every six months, they would hand over the inmates from their prisons to Alucard, much like how Charlotte Linlin collected a portion of her subordinates' lifespans every six months.
And so, two years passed.
The three 'monsters' grew their strength in their own ways, and the Marines expanded their forces through conscription. Whitebeard also increased the number of pirate crews under his command, so his "sons" became more numerous.
In the year 1507 of the Marine Calendar, Alucard's River of Death reached a total of sixty thousand souls!
And at the end of this year, the semi-annual "Tribute Ceremony" was about to begin. Every country that Alucard had spared fulfilled this treaty, offering him death-row inmates and captured pirates at the beginning and end of each year.
"Alucard-sama, this is Squall..."
In the New World, Alucard answered a Den Den Mushi on his ship. He held the receiver in his right hand as the Den Den Mushi, which looked like a haggard old man, spoke with a hoarse voice. Hearing the name "Squall," Alucard, seated in his gigantic ruby chair, chuckled. "Oh... the King of the Arderay Kingdom, is that right?"
"I dare not call myself King in your presence..."
The extremely hoarse voice from the Den Den Mushi continued, "The end of the year is approaching. All the kingdoms under your banner have gathered the people and are ready to deliver them. The total is two thousand, six hundred, and seventy-five people. I've already tallied it for you."
"Only... a little over two thousand?"
Alucard's brows furrowed slightly, his dissatisfaction clear in his tone. Two years ago, even a single country could offer around a thousand people, yet now, with over ten countries under his control, there were only two thousand?
"My sincerest apologies," Squall said through the Den Den Mushi, "Due to your influence, Alucard-sama, the number of people who dare to commit crimes has dropped significantly in every country. After two years... I must say, the atmosphere has improved. Fewer people are willing to break the law, so we've only been able to offer you the occasional captured pirate..."
Alucard hadn't expected his own presence to cause a decrease in criminals, which in turn directly lowered the number of "tributes" he received. The situation felt eerily similar to a certain "death note."
"Hmph, whatever. Just send them over," Alucard said dismissively. Two thousand was two thousand, better than nothing.
"Yes. And... where would you like the drop-off location to be this time?" Squall inquired.
Even with his subordinate nations (or semi-subordinate nations), Alucard's nature was still unpredictable. So, the location for the semi-annual tribute of death-row inmates was chosen by Alucard, who would then notify one of the kings under him. That king would then notify the others, and they would all bring their "tributes" to the designated location for Alucard.
Alucard glanced at a map nearby, analyzed his current position, and said after a few seconds, "Let's make it Torabia."
Torabia was a desolate, frigid island in the sea where Alucard was currently located. Since Alucard didn't like being seen "feeding," he always chose isolated islands for the tributes.
"Understood, my Lord." Squall replied, "I will immediately give the orders. By the end of the year, all two thousand seven hundred people will be in Torabia."
Alucard placed the receiver back onto the Den Den Mushi's shell. On the other end, the Den Den Mushi in front of Squall closed its eyes, indicating the call had been disconnected.
The man with slicked-back white hair, dressed in a magnificent royal robe, was Squall, the King of the Arderay Kingdom.
"The location has been confirmed. It's Torabia," Squall said gravely.
After a few seconds, several people entered the throne room. They were dressed in dark blue, almost black suits, top hats, and leather shoes—the typical attire of a government agent, a member of the CP department.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty. This will finally free your kingdom from the clutches of that pirate."
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