Among the twelve Kingdom Islands under Alucard's banner, there was one island that stood out as the most unique.
It was undeniably the territory of the Immortal Pirates, yet the flag flying over the island was not that of the Immortal Pirates, but rather the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even more interesting was the fact that the nation on this island was a member of the World Government.
In other words, this was an island where the influences of the three great powers converged.
This was the New Fish-Man Island located in the New World, currently governed by King Neptune and Queen Otohime. Meanwhile, the original Fish-Man Island, situated ten thousand meters beneath the Red Line, was managed by the three adult princes—Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi.
When Alucard, or rather, Loli A, landed on the island, he saw a bustling crowd of Merfolk and Fish-Men. There were quite a few humans as well, though their numbers paled in comparison to the local sea-dwellers.
This was only natural. Who else would dare to visit such a politically sensitive place? Forget ordinary civilians; even pirates with slightly less courage wouldn't have the nerve to step foot here.
When traveling abroad, Alucard often used the form of Loli A. As he had once told Cavendish: "Form and appearance don't matter at all."
And honestly... it didn't feel half bad.
Lately, Alucard found himself disliking long stays in his gloomy, ancient castle. Instead, he preferred to reminisce about his early days in this world, when he spent his time voyaging across the globe.
In stark contrast to Big Mom, whom he utterly despised, Alucard still desired to travel and engage in battle, even if his strength had reached a plateau where further breakthroughs were difficult. He believed that staying stagnant like Big Mom would eventually cause one's power to regress, and her decline would likely be even faster than Whitebeard's.
"Welcome to the Mermaid Cafe..."
Just as Loli A pushed open the doors of the cafe, a somewhat languid greeting drifted from within. When the speaker saw Alucard's current appearance, she looked quite surprised. "Oh? A young human lady. You have quite the courage to set foot on such a dangerous island all by yourself."
Sitting behind the bar was a Mermaid dressed entirely in deep blue, possessing a curvaceous figure and short, fringed hair. She held a long tobacco pipe in one hand while reaching for a glass with the other. "Would you like some juice?"
This was Madam Shyarly, the owner of the Mermaid Cafe. The local residents respectfully referred to her as "Madam."
"Is it really that dangerous?" Loli A asked with a smile, taking a seat opposite Shyarly.
Shyarly froze, her mouth hanging open in shock.
It wasn't surprising; anyone would be stunned to hear the voice of an adult man coming from a young girl who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen.
However, Shyarly didn't voice her inner astonishment. Regaining her composure, she poured a glass of juice. "This one is on the house."
"Heh."
Loli A gave a light shrug and a chuckle but had no intention of explaining his identity. In fact, this form was specifically intended to hide the name "Alucard."
"Swap it for that."
Alucard pointed to the bitter coffee behind Shyarly. She didn't say much and immediately served a fresh cup, though she didn't forget to add a warning: "You have good taste, but this is quite expensive."
"Everyone! Although we have reached the surface, the unique geography here means our race and humans still lack proper interaction. We must take the initiative to step forward and live in harmony with humanity!"
Just then, a woman's voice drifted in from outside the cafe, accompanied by the sounds of other people scurrying away in a panic.
"Queen Otohime is at it again..." Shyarly sighed helplessly. "The daily speech and signature campaign."
"What's going on?" Loli A asked while savoring the bitter coffee.
He remembered that Otohime's original goal was to collect signatures to allow the Fish-Man race to migrate to the surface. Now that this goal had been achieved, what was she still campaigning for?
"That woman can never settle for the status quo. It's true the Fish-Men successfully moved to the surface, but the rift with humanity remains. In the past, those who intermarried with humans lived in the shadows," Shyarly explained, taking a puff from her pipe. "Queen Otohime hopes to end the discrimination against Fish-Men and the trafficking of Merfolk, so that both races can exist as equals with mutual understanding."
"Whimsical nonsense," Loli A mocked.
"Indeed. But it is also noble." Shyarly neither agreed nor disagreed with Loli A's words.
Thump...
At that moment, a young Mermaid around twenty years old with pale green, center-parted hair and delicate features walked in. Clutching a stack of newspapers, she said to Shyarly, "Madam Shyarly, today's papers have arrived."
Shyarly took the pipe from her mouth. "Good work, Camie. Put them on every table, and give one to the guest in front of me as well."
Loli A took the paper Camie handed over. Upon opening it, his eyes instantly narrowed. "What is this?" he muttered.
[The New Warlord of the Sea revealed! A Super Rookie with no bounty!]
Below the headline were two side-by-side photos. On the left was the "deceased" Bartholomew Kuma. On the right was a young man in his late teens wearing a high-crowned black top hat and a black trench coat.
His name was written beside the photo:
New Warlord of the Sea, Sabo.
It was no wonder Loli A reacted that way.
While his presence had caused many things that should have happened not to occur, and things that shouldn't have happened to take place, he didn't expect the deviation to be this extreme.
Alucard hadn't been interested in who would replace Kuma, but he never would have guessed it would be this brat.
Shyarly scanned the contents of the paper from the side and remarked, "Such a young boy. The world truly never lacks for talent."
Loli A continued reading the article. It stated that the new Warlord had been discovered by the Marine Hero, Garp.
Although he had no previous bounty, he had done something major the previous week: he had caused a massive stir at the Sabaody Archipelago, taking down five major pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million in one fell swoop for the World Government.
It was an immediate proof of his strength.
"This is getting more and more interesting."
Loli A stared at Sabo's photo. After a few seconds, he began to laugh.
The further things strayed from the original path, the less he knew about what would happen next. But it was precisely because of this that everything felt thrilling and fun, didn't it?