"Long live Lord Alastor! Long live Lord Alastor!"
Alastor preferred real money in his pockets over the empty glory of cheers for "long live." Still, as a leader, he knew it was essential to balance grace with power, especially if he wanted these pirates and ruffians to work loyally for him in the future.
Internal destruction could directly damage the inside of a person's body, but Alastor's defense was complete, without any weaknesses—his body was equally tough inside and out.
That's why, no matter how hard Wamon tried, he couldn't inflict any truly fatal damage on Alastor —not even enough to seriously wound him.
Alastor glanced at the scattered corpses of Wamon and more than a dozen other members of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade on the ground. He wasn't about to show them the mercy of collecting their bodies.
"Let's go back to Bakura Town," he said, waving his hand as he led his elated subordinates back.
About half an hour after Alastor left, the bandits sent by Shutenmaru to support Wamon arrived.
Seeing the blood-soaked, horrific scene before them, one of the bandits froze, his face turning pale.
"Master Wa... Wamon, they're... they're all dead..."
The bandit stood there in shock, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him.
A cold wind blew, carrying the smell of blood and causing him to shiver. Finally, he turned and stumbled back toward the bandits' headquarters.
"Where are Wamon and the others?" Shutenmaru, wearing a purple-striped coat, asked.
The returning bandit's eyes were empty and lifeless. "Brother Wamon and the others... they're dead."
Shutenmaru, who had been lifting a bowl to drink, froze in shock. "What did you say?"
"They're all dead, and it was brutal. Intestines were scattered everywhere, and Brother Wamon's head had fallen to the ground, nearly crushed."
The bandit, who had been holding back his emotions, finally broke down, crying as he recounted the horrific scene he had witnessed to Shutenmaru.
"They died so terribly, Boss Shutenmaru!"
Shutenmaru's hand, still holding the wine bowl, began to tremble, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
Crack! The wine bowl shattered in his grip.
A terrible murderous intent formed on his face, and he said to the knight before him, "Take me to where Wamon fell."
Wamon's death sent shockwaves through the entire Atamayama Thieves Brigade. After all, Wamon was the second-in-command.
As they marched, members of the bandit group shouted angrily:
"Who killed Brother Wamon?"
"Who else? It must be those damn Beast Pirates!"
"Damn it, I swear we'll avenge Brother Wamon!"
"With Brother Wamon's strength, it should've taken three or five of the Beast Pirates to even try and bring him down. Could it be that Jack "the drought" himself did it?"
They all knew the Beast Pirates' true strength. In the Kuri region, the Atamayama Thieves Brigade was well-acquainted with these enemies—they had been rivals for over a decade.
To them, no ordinary member of the Beast Pirates could've possibly killed Brother Wamon, even if several joined forces. After some thought, they concluded that only Jack could have done this.
After hearing his men's analysis, Shutenmaru's expression grew even darker.
In truth, he also believed that Jack was the culprit.
Soon, they arrived at the scene of Wamon's tragic end.
The brutal sight made the eyes of every member of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade turn red with fury.
"Boss Shutenmaru, let's go to war with the Beast Pirates!"
"We'll take down Jack and avenge Brother Wamon!"
The crowd was excited.
Although Shutenmaru was also furious, he managed to keep a trace of calm and quickly realized something was off.
In a deep voice, Shutenmaru said, "Maybe it wasn't that bastard Jack who did this."
"What? It wasn't Jack? How could that be?" The younger members were stunned.
Shutenmaru glanced around at the smooth ground, noticing only minimal disruption—barely any trees were broken.
"If it were Jack, there would be massive craters everywhere, and not just the trees but even the grass would be destroyed!"
They called him "Drought" for a reason—wherever he went, trees fell, and not a blade of grass was left standing.
Shutenmaru had clashed with Jack several times and knew that his attacks would have left a much larger impact on the surroundings.
The members of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade looked at each other in confusion.
If it wasn't Jack, could it have been one of the other high-ranking members of the Beast Pirates, like the Agents or one of the other two Calamities?
But that didn't make sense; the Kuri region was Jack's territory, and no one else would usually interfere with his domain.
"Who did this? Tell me, Wamon!" Shutenmaru looked at Wamon's lifeless head and asked in anguish.
---
Meanwhile, in Bakura Town, the pirates were celebrating with drums and laughter.
A grand feast was underway.
Billy had bought several carts full of safe food from the Orochi tribe, making all the pirates' mouths water.
But none dared dig in until Master Alastor had taken the first bite.
Alastor didn't pay them any mind, instead eating heartily and devouring an entire cart of food by himself.
Speed, Billy, and the others stared, jaws nearly hitting the floor.
Alastor glanced over at them, then set his sights on another cart of food, saying casually, "Aren't you eating? Don't be shy."
They looked at each other and then scrambled toward the last cart, ravenously digging in.
"Billy, did you notice? After Master Alastor ate from that cart, his injuries almost seemed healed!"
Speed ate more delicately, observing Alastor as she whispered her surprise to Billy.
Billy, focused solely on being Alastor's follower, replied in an awestruck tone, "Is that all? This is Lord Alastor we're talking about. Even Master Jack, the Drought, holds him in high regard!"
Early the next morning after the banquet, Alastor gathered everyone once more:
"Continue searching for any traces of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade as before."
"Yes, Master Alastor!"
Billy and the others rushed off to work without a second thought. Only Speed asked, "We just wiped out a group of mountain bandits yesterday—will they really show up again today?"
Alastor smiled and replied, "Good question. It's precisely because we killed some of them yesterday that they'll be forced to come out today. We took their money, and now they can't eat!"
Hearing this, Speed was convinced and set off energetically.
Just as Alastor predicted, Speed soon discovered another group of bandits. This group was even bolder than the last, as they'd gone so far as to steal food from Paradise Farm!
Paradise Farm, a fertile piece of land developed by Kozuki Oden, was one of his few successful political achievements. Today, it's one of the only places in Wano Country that can produce safe food amidst the pollution covering most of the land. The food for last night's banquet had come from this very farm.
Upon receiving this news, Alastor set out immediately.
The leader of this bandit group wasn't particularly strong—far weaker than Wamon. Alastor had no interest in exchanging words with him and swiftly dispatched him, securing a good haul of safe food.
When word of this incident reached the bandit headquarters in Atama Mountain, Shutenmaru flew into a rage, his face twisted with fury.
"Not only did they kill one of my top men, but they killed a second one too! Do they think I'm made of clay? Whoever did this, I swear I'll tear them to pieces!"
On Onigashima, in the Palace of Drought.
Ever since Jack learned that Alastor had instantly killed Holdem and become his strongest subordinate, he'd started to pay special attention to him—the man whose name he'd barely remembered before.
As the chief overseer of the Kuri region, Jack would receive reports whenever something major happened in Bakura Town.
One day, a young man arrived with a report:
"Lord Jack, Master Alastor has mobilized everyone to track down the Atamayama Thieves Brigade. I heard they even killed the bandits' second-in-command, Wamon!"
Jack was both surprised and delighted to hear the news.
What surprised him was Alastor's boldness in daring to challenge the notorious Atamayama Thieves Brigade. After all, Shutenmaru, the leader of the bandits, was no small threat—even Jack himself wasn't entirely certain he could handle him.
What delighted Jack was that Alastor's strength was far greater than he'd initially thought.
Jack knew Wamon was quite formidable—Shutenmaru's right-hand man and much stronger than the late Holdem—yet Alastor had managed to defeat him.
"Good!" Jack clapped his leg in approval.
However, when he received word the next day that Alastor had taken down yet another officer of the Toushan Bandit Group, Jack was no longer as pleased. Beneath his iron mask, he looked slightly concerned.
Standing beside him was Sheepshead, who had a sheep-like form due to his artificial Devil Fruit powers and served as Jack's trusted subordinate. Guessing Jack's thoughts, Sippshead said, "Master Jack, Alastor is indeed strong, but Shutenmaru is even stronger. If Alastor keeps provoking the Atamayama Thieves Brigade, he might be in danger."
This was precisely Jack's concern; he didn't want his valued subordinate to be killed by Shutenmaru.
Sheepshead offered, "Master Jack, allow me to go to Kuri and warn Alastor."
"No, I'll go myself."
Drought Jack stood up, his over-eight-meter-tall frame towering like a mountain, radiating an imposing aura. In a deep voice, he commanded, "Prepare the ship. We're heading to Kuri."
"Yes, Master Jack!" Sheepshead quickly obeyed.
In truth, Jack had wanted to meet Alastor for some time but hadn't found the right opportunity. This was the perfect chance, and it would also show his care for his subordinates—a win-win situation.
Jack set off swiftly, bringing only Sheepshead, and headed to Kuri. After half a day's journey, they arrived in Bakura Town.
The hall that had once belonged to Holdem was now Alastor's residence.
Alastor was idly running his fingers along the blade of the Sandai Kitetsu, feeling the sinister energy within it, when Billy burst in, looking both excited and awestruck.
"Lord Alastor, M-Master Jack is here!"
Alastor raised an eyebrow. Drought Jack was here? And without any prior notice?
Still, he wasn't overly surprised; as chief of the Kuri District, Jack's visit was a reasonable inspection.
Happy new month famz
"I see."
Alastor nodded, sheathed his Sandai Kitetsu, and prepared to meet Jack.
As the blade sank into its scabbard, Alastor suddenly thought of Jack and something struck him.
With the continuous increase in his defensive power, the difficulty of getting injured had also increased. Those at the real level were now completely unqualified, and Alastor had to challenge stronger opponents.
Within the Hundred Beasts pirates, there were the Agents and the Three Disasters. These people were the core of the Hundred Beasts pirates. To challenge them, Governor Kaido's approval was necessary.
Excluding these individuals, the only one close to Alastor in both strength and proximity was Shutenmaru from the Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
Why hadn't Alastor sought out Shutenmaru for a long time, and why did he intentionally avoid meeting him?
Because Shutenmaru was not Yamato; he would never show mercy to Alastor.
What's more, Alastor had just killed Shutenmaru's two confidantes. Once he learned the truth, his hatred would be immeasurable.
In this scenario, seeking out Shutenmaru wasn't a means to hone himself, but a death wish.
Alastor was very self-aware, knowing that his current strength was far below the level of the Three Disasters.
Therefore, Jack's reminder was unnecessary. After Alastor had killed the second group of Atamayama thieves, he had already decided to stop this behavior to avoid running into Shutenmaru.
However, when Jack arrived, things were a little different.
Alastor's eyes flickered a few times as an idea formed.
He stepped out to meet the oncoming giant figure—Jack.
"Master Jack," Alastor bowed slightly, neither humble nor overbearing.
If it were anyone else, Jack would have been furious, but Alastor was different. His behavior made Jack see him as a strong man.
Conceited as he was, Jack's rare tone was full of appreciation, "Well, well, you are indeed my most valued subordinate!"
"Master Jack is amazing," Alastor said without preamble, sharing the idea he had just thought up. "I have something I want to tell you."
"Whatever, just say it," Jack waved boldly.
Alastor's expression turned slightly angry, and he said, "It's about the Atamayama Thieves Brigade. Shutenmaru actually said that you, Master Jack, are not as strong as him. How is that possible? It's just nonsense!"
"Master Jack is wise and mighty, in the name of Drought, the entire sea is shaken!"
"Shutenmaru humiliated you so much, I cannot stand it, and I am planning to challenge him!"
What Alastor said had a convincing tone, as if it were true.
Jack's elephant eyes widened, his huge fists clenched tightly, and his breathing became rough.
What he couldn't bear most was anyone looking down on his strength and thinking less of him!
Sheepshead was a little confused. He looked at Master Jack, who seemed to be angry, and then at Alastor.
This... isn't right. We are here to persuade Alastor not to have a hard fight with Shutenmaru. How did it turn into this?
Sheepshead wanted to speak, but Jack's glare silenced him.
Anyone with no sense could tell their original intention at this time. Wouldn't that mean showing weakness? Dignified and proud, Jack didn't want to lose face.
Jack said firmly:
"Shutenmaru is looking for death! I'm going to kill him now!"
After speaking, Jack rushed towards the base camp of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
Alastor smiled inwardly.
With Jack leading the battle, he could face a real strong man like Shutenmaru without worrying about his life being in danger.
"Master Jack, wait for me!"
Alastor hurriedly chased after him, leaving Sheepshead standing there in a daze.
The base camp of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade was in Kuri, and Alastor had already found out its exact location. It didn't take long for him and Jack to arrive at their destination, and they were quickly discovered by the bandits from Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
"Jack the Drought!"
"Go and tell Boss Shutenmaru!"
The thieves hurried into the depths of the base camp.
Shutenmaru was conducting the funeral for his dead brother when he heard that Jack had arrived, and his eyes turned red.
"I haven't looked for you yet, but you have come to me!"
Shutenmaru's voice was filled with cold killing intent.
"Wamon, Doge, you will be able to rest in peace soon. I will avenge you now!"
"Shutenmaru, get out here quickly!"
Jack let out a deep roar, and the ground trembled with each step his huge body took, causing the surrounding houses and trees to shake.
"Lord Alastor, are you sure it's wise to rush directly into the lair of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade like this?" Speed, who was following behind Alastor, asked, a bit worried.
Just yesterday, when Alastor asked her to look for traces of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade, he had specifically explained Shutenmaru's strength to her. If she found him, she was to hide immediately.
Despite only one night having passed, Lord Alastor seemed to have forgotten about it and went directly to the opponent's lair.
Alastor said solemnly, "Speed, put away your worries. Master Jack is here. Even if the sky falls, there's nothing to fear."
Alastor's words reached Jack's ears, boosting his pride and energy. Jack shouted angrily:
"Get out, Shutenmaru!"
"I'm here, Jack!"
A rotund figure galloped from a distance on a bull.
Shutenmaru held a samurai sword, his face ferocious, and a terrifying murderous aura enveloped him.
"Jack, you killed my beloved subordinate, and you dare to come to my territory. Today, I'll settle the score with you!"
Although Shutenmaru's subordinates were not killed by Jack, how could Jack deny such an accusation.
Contrarily, Jack deliberately said cruelly:
"Weakness is a sin; everyone in your Atamayama Thieves Brigade must die!"
Shutenmaru was furious, and the sword in his hand was instantly covered with armed haki, roaring:
"Jack!"
He then jumped from the back of the bull and attacked Jack.
Just as Jack was about to make a move, Alastor suddenly stepped forward and volunteered:
"Master Jack has a noble status, so let him watch from the side first, and allow the subordinates to test this guy's strength."
Jack hesitated for a moment.
Although conceited, he knew Shutenmaru's strength. Alastor might not be his match, and he didn't want any accidents to happen to his only powerful subordinate.
Alastor reassured, "With the wise and mighty Master Jack standing by, the subordinates will definitely be fine."
Jack immediately raised his head and chest, "Then you go."
Alastor was overjoyed.
Although Drought Jack has a cruel temperament and advocates violence, he is still easy to fool once you understand his temper.
Alastor took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and raised his spirit to its peak.
Facing a strong man like Shutenmaru, he could no longer remain passive and allow the attack like he did with Holdem, Wamon, and others before. This time, he had to go all out!
"Shutenmaru, if you want to challenge Master Jack, you must defeat me first."
Alastor leaped into the air, and the Sandai Kitetsu unleashed several sword lights.
"Meteor Slash!"
The sword glows shot towards Shutenmaru's vital points like stars.
Shutenmaru was startled but didn't recognize Alastor. He snorted coldly, "I don't have time to deal with a nobody like you!"
With a wave of his haki-covered samurai sword, he deflected Alastor's Meteor Slashing Sword Light.
Without even glancing at Alastor, he continued to rush towards Jack.
Alastor landed on the ground. Shutenmaru's strength was formidable, but it seemed he underestimated him.
"Wamon, Doge... their screams before they died still echo in my ears."
The light, taunting words reached Shutenmaru's ears, making him halt.
The next moment, Shutenmaru's bloodthirsty eyes fixated on Alastor fiercely.
"It was you. You killed Wamon and the others!"
Alastor shrugged. "Who knows?"
Shutenmaru's murderous intent flared, his tone icy as if from the depths of hell.
"You... very well. Go and join them in death!"
The samurai sword suddenly slashed vertically through the air, and with Shutenmaru's endless anger and murderous aura, a huge slashing wave swept towards Alastor with unrivaled force.
Facing such a slash, even Jack had no choice but to brace himself!
"Lord Alastor!" Speed yelled in horror.
Jack's eyes widened to their maximum, ready to rescue Alastor if his life was in danger.
In contrast, Alastor remained very calm.
"This is the battle of the strong, not the child's play we had before."
Alastor's fighting spirit was fully mobilized, and every cell in his body seemed eager to engage.
He summoned his haki, and the Sandai Kitetsu transformed into a black blade in his hand.
Shutenmaru's massive slash arrived in an instant.
Boom!
Alastor was blasted away, his body like a cannonball, crashing uncontrollably through wall after wall until he finally stopped.
Smoke and dust rose everywhere.
Speed's heart was in his throat.
Jack could hardly restrain himself from stepping in to help.
Amidst the swirling smoke and dust, a tall figure rose swiftly, then slowly returned to its original position.
A long scar ran across the figure's chest, with blood seeping horizontally, revealing even a faint glimpse of bone beneath.
The scarred figure grinned and said, "A powerful slash, but not enough to kill me. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!"
Shutenmaru's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled.
"You bastard…"
On one hand, Shutenmaru was stunned that his slash hadn't killed Alastor. To him, Alastor was merely an unknown junior—how could he possibly survive such a powerful blow?
On the other hand, he was astonished at the man standing before him, gravely wounded yet able to laugh and speak with such ease.
"Boy, what's your name?" Shutenmaru asked.
Despite the deep hatred between them, Shutenmaru felt that such a rare, formidable warrior was worth remembering.
Alastor gripped the Sandai Kitetsu tightly in his right hand, blood from his chest wound trickling down his arm to coat the blade.
The sword, already glowing with an eerie purple light, took on an even more ominous aura when drenched in fresh blood, as though it held a faint, bloodthirsty hunger.
"My name is Alastor, just a humble pirate under Master Jack."
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
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