Alucard had not been seated in the inner sanctuary of the ancient castle for long before Dr. Vegapunk arrived, summoned by his command.
"Thanks to you, I'm now a wanted man as well."
Dr. Vegapunk rubbed the space between his eyebrows, his tone carrying a hint of a complaint. "'The Greatest Disgrace in the History of World Science,' Vegapunk. A bounty of 769 million Berries... they certainly think highly of me."
"You didn't break a billion in one go? It seems you haven't caused enough trouble yet," Alucard quipped half-jokingly, before his expression turned solemn. "And the matter I asked you to investigate?"
Hearing this, Dr. Vegapunk instantly tossed his grievances to the wind, his eyes lighting up with professional fervor. "An incredible existence. I can confirm it is absolutely man-made. I've estimated the sheer scale of the labor involved, starting from that position, even with the Government's vast resources, it would be impossible to complete such a feat in under five years. If the altitude is set to..."
"I don't need tedious analytical calculations," Alucard interrupted coldly. "What is the conclusion?"
"I haven't reached one yet, but I am certain it is linked to the legendary 'National Treasure'."
Seeing that Alucard was clearly dissatisfied with that answer, Dr. Vegapunk quickly pivoted. "However, the next phase of the plan is already in motion. Through the broadcast of the Summit War, I observed that you, Captain, possess the power to control souls, do you not? In that case, could you assist me on a little trip?"
Alucard narrowed his eyes in thought. Seeing as he had nothing pressing on his schedule for the time being, he agreed to Dr. Vegapunk's proposal.
"Then please wait a few days. Once this trip is over, I hope to relocate the research laboratory to Sky Island. There are too many things there waiting for me to develop, I can hardly contain my excitement."
At this, a fanatical look flashed across Dr. Vegapunk's face. For a man like him, nothing was more enticing than the prospect of unknown research.
Currently, Sky Island was primarily garrisoned by the Pacifista units led by Aranea. The Government wouldn't have the courage to start another war anytime soon, at least not until they found a visible weakness in Alucard.
The day after Dr. Vegapunk left, Ivalis, captain of the Golden Hair Pirates, arrived.
His left sleeve hung empty. During the previous battle on Sky Island, he had been caught in a Dyna Stone explosion; the injuries to his left arm were so severe that amputation was the only option. He was now planning to receive treatment from Dr. Vegapunk and be fitted with a prosthetic.
"Captain, I have something to report," Ivalis said, bowing slightly to Alucard.
Alucard was leafing through an ancient tome resting on his crossed legs and did not immediately look up.
Accustomed to this, Ivalis began his briefing. "Regarding Whitebeard's former territories in the New World, over half have already been seized by the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates. As for the remainder, aside from some negligible small-time players, it's mostly contested between the Whitebeard remnants led by Fire Fist Ace and the Blackbeard Pirates led by Teach."
Pausing for a moment, Ivalis continued, "Our men are extremely restless. They want to seize those lands. Black Thorn, Iron Arm, and that new brat Bartolomeo are the most vocal about expansion. What do you think...?"
"Is that so? Then let them have their fun," Alucard said without lifting his eyes from the book.
Territory grabbing was easily among the top three things Alucard cared about the least. If his subordinates wanted to do it, he wouldn't participate, but he couldn't be bothered to stop them either.
Having received the tacit approval, Ivalis turned to leave.
Now that Alucard had ascended to the throne of the world's strongest, the ambitions of his subordinates were swelling. They could no longer stand to see the other two Yonko growing even more powerful.
"The Captain has agreed."
Stepping out of the castle, Ivalis gave the indifferent answer to the crowd of Immortal Pirates waiting outside.
"YES!!"
"Time to grab some territory!"
"Beasts, Big Mom, the Whitebeard remnants, and Blackbeard... which side do we hit first?"
A fierce debate broke out among the crews. Ivalis and his Golden Hair Pirates, however, moved away from the crowd, maintaining their usual detached demeanor.
Except for one member...
"Hey, hey, who are we taking down? To be honest, Big Mom should be easier to handle than Kaido, right? This Young Master can take on one of her Sweet Commanders. I heard their bounties are nearly a billion Berries, though if I can take their heads..."
Listening to Cavendish's incessant chatter, Ivalis used his remaining right hand to land a heavy punch on him. He said coldly, "We aren't fighting for territory! I plan to head to Sky Island with Vegapunk to join the development project."
"What?!"
Cavendish clutched his head, his eyes widening in disbelief. "This is a prime chance to become a superstar! Why go all the way up to Sky Island?!"
"Because the other guys aren't suited for this task," Ivalis replied flatly.
Beckman walked beside Ivalis, staring at his back. "You truly are loyal to a fault, Ivalis..."
"Wait, how about adding me to that plan?" A deep voice suddenly called out from the side.
The Golden Hair Pirates turned to look and were slightly stunned. It was the Heart Pirates!
"What? You're interested in such a boring mission too?" Ivalis's expression was hidden behind his sunglasses, but a hint of mockery could be heard in his voice.
Law stood at the front of the Heart Pirates, pressing down on his hat. "I want to improve my strength quickly. Given the nature of the Op-Op Fruit, following Vegapunk is currently my best option."
On the other side of the plaza, the rest were still heatedly debating the expansion of their influence.
Black Thorn Fallon, who had always been at odds with Ivalis, raised a finger and shouted, "I've decided! We're invading Wano Country!"
Wano Country?
The crowd was stunned by the name. A second later, they marveled at Fallon's massive appetite.
Wano was one of the premier powerhouses in the New World. Their samurai were world-renowned for their swordsmanship and had famously repelled Kaido's invasions twice. One could say they feared no force below the Yonko level, and even against a Yonko, they possessed the power to defend themselves.
"Wano lies in a strategic zone between the Immortal Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. If we can take that place... heh heh..."
Fallon let out a cold, savage laugh. "Our influence will skyrocket!"