Following Alucard's warning, the seven combatants disengaged from their battle stances. As the Blood Pool space dissipated, everyone present finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You've got lucky, haven't you?"
Though he had stopped, Urdaha couldn't help but mock Zephyr. Truthfully, even after all that fighting, they still hadn't severely wounded him.
Zephyr offered no reply, turning to walk toward the research institute. Ain, Binz, and the other members of the Trash Disposal Unit quickly followed. Zephyr had returned precisely to inform Dr. Indigo of his physical condition and seek a course of treatment. As soon as that was finished, he would leave immediately.
Moreover, Alucard himself had given a warning just moments ago; there was no need to deliberately cause trouble again.
"Hey, the Devil Fruit has already been eaten by Z. Keeping this up won't benefit anyone. Let's just drop it."
Suddenly, a very distinctive voice cut through the air. Everyone turned and saw that Law, who should have still been at the castle, had somehow arrived in such a short time.
Although Law had joined the Immortal Pirates more recently than anyone else present, his words were irrefutable.
He was right. Zephyr had already consumed the Fruit. Even if they killed him, would the Devil Fruit just pop out of his stomach?
However, recalling Zephyr's dishonorable methods in first obtaining the Fruit, coupled with the success he'd enjoyed since gaining its power, those who failed to acquire it couldn't help but feel resentful.
Given Zephyr's Marine background, even bystanders naturally sided with Urdaha. Over time, Zephyr and his subordinates, all former Marines, inevitably became isolated from the rest of the crew.
Seeing no one respond, Law pulled down his hat and added more fuel to the fire. "You all saw the Captain's attitude just now. This was only a warning. Next time won't be so simple. Think it over carefully. I'm heading out to sea."
With that, Law walked past the others and sailed away, leaving them full of apprehension. They had no way of knowing that most of what he'd just said was entirely fabricated by Law himself.
It was exactly as Sengoku, Tsuru, and Dragon had said.
The Immortal Pirates had many internal conflicts.
Alucard was not Whitebeard; he lacked the ability to manage a large group of people while keeping them together in harmony.
Not only Alucard, but Kaido and Big Mom also lacked that talent, relying mainly on pure strength and military might to maintain order.
The core issue was that Alucard had recruited too many individuals who were both exceptionally powerful and fiercely independent—an even more eccentric collection than the Beasts Pirates or the Big Mom Pirates, who were less selective. This made conflict far more likely. More importantly, Alucard simply ignored these issues, allowing the friction to escalate.
In contrast, when Kaido and Big Mom spotted an initial spark of conflict, they immediately extinguished it, rather than just watching until the fire was uncontrollable before finally intervening.
Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, possessed an ability in this regard that far surpassed the other three Yonko.
…
Time gradually passed. Alucard's single warning had suppressed the crew's internal conflicts to a critical point, yet unseen friction and disagreements still persisted beneath the surface.
If Alucard did not intervene again, the situation was bound to intensify.
Law was currently sailing the seas with the Heart Pirates and had been gone for nearly a year. He was more adept at blending into the underworld and stealing intelligence than simply sailing.
Today, a message arrived via Den Den Mushi. Of the two Devil Fruits Alucard had once targeted, the Titan Fruit had been eaten by Zephyr, and Law had found information on the other one, the Swap-Swap Fruit.
The Den Den Mushi resting on the armrest of Alucard's throne had dead fish eyes and wore a black and white leopard-print fur hat—unmistakably Law's features. His voice came through: "I'm currently in Alabasta in the Grand Line, which is going through a severe drought. I don't know if it's true, but there's a rumor that the Boss of Baroque Works here obtained an extremely rare Devil Fruit. I suspect it might be the other one you were looking for a year ago."
"Isn't it simple? Just go and take it, then," Alucard replied simply and casually, not giving the so-called "Baroque Works" a second thought.
"I've already fought with their people."
At the moment, Law was sitting on a sand dune with several bandages wrapped around his body. The Polar Tang was docked at the coast, and Bepo and the other crew members were roughhousing, also nursing minor injuries.
"You lost?" Alucard mocked.
Law felt a sting and was slightly indignant. "Not exactly... but the opponent was indeed formidable. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile. I was forced to retreat."
In the previous fight, Law and the Heart Pirates had managed to reach the enemy's main base but were ultimately defeated by Crocodile, forcing a reluctant withdrawal.
"That guy who vanished without a trace in recent years is actually in the first half of the Grand Line?"
Alucard found this quite amusing. Crocodile hadn't been heard from much since his defeat by Whitebeard and subsequent appointment as a Warlord, unlike the other Warlords. It was unexpected to find him in a desert kingdom near the entrance to the Grand Line.
"If you give me half a year, I can definitely cut through his elemental form," Law said coldly, clearly deeply unwilling to accept his defeat against Crocodile.
"Challenging him is your business, but bring me the item. And give Crocodile a message from me..." Alucard said.
"I understand."
Law gave a final answer and hung up the Den Den Mushi. His immediate goal was now to defeat Sir Crocodile.
"And now... the candidate for the Swap-Swap Fruit..."
Alucard also set down the receiver. After a long moment of thought, the image of a woman with bright scarlet hair and superb dancing skills surfaced in his mind. He smiled, "Wouldn't she be perfect?"