The Goa Kingdom, renowned as the most beautiful country in the East Blue, was currently ravaged and resembled a living hell. Because Luffy, Ace, and Sabo had previously made a name for themselves here, they attracted many members of the Immortal Pirates who conducted searches, killing indiscriminately. The Royal Army and the Marine Branch were utterly helpless.
For several days straight, the entire country was gripped by panic, and no one dared to venture outside.
Faced with such a situation, King Outlook III, the head of the Goa Kingdom nobility, could no longer sit idly by. But since he couldn't defeat the pirates, he had no choice but to compromise.
He knew that the young boy Alucard was looking for was one of the two kids his ill-behaved son, Sabo, had spent time with. This, he figured, could be used as a bargaining chip.
Currently, in the Royal Palace, the very heart of the Goa Kingdom, Alucard sat on a sofa, his feet resting rudely on the coffee table. Opposite him sat King Outlook III, Sabo's father, a man wearing a black suit and top hat with a small mustache.
Outlook III wiped the cold sweat from his face with a handkerchief and forced a smile. "Pirate- san, I heard you are looking for a young boy. He used to spend time with my worthless son. With my help, you will surely be able to quickly capture that filthy urchin."
Alucard lifted his head slightly, his small eyes beneath his hat reflecting a reddish glow. "Are you done with your nonsense?"
Outlook III broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that this man was not on the same level as Bluejam. He quickly motioned to a guard, and soon, two guards approached, dragging a ten- year-old boy with a buzz cut and wide eyes.
Outlook III managed a nervous chuckle. "This, this is my good-for-nothing son, Sabo."
Then, Outlook III turned to Sabo, who was being tightly gripped by the guards, and spoke sternly, "Sabo, quickly tell the Pirate Lord where those two filthy brats are!"
Sabo gritted his teeth, glaring at Alucard. "What... what do you want with Luffy?"
Alucard looked at the young boy before him. Though young, the boy's eyes revealed an undeniable sense of tenacity, suggesting he had endured significant hardship.
"These three kids, they have a good relationship, don't they?" Alucard suddenly asked. Though he hated to admit his son was friends with mere ruffians, in this life-or-death situation,
Outlook III shamelessly backed down. "Of course, of course! You will surely get what you want to know from Sabo's mouth."
Sabo shot a look of pure hatred at his father. They didn't love him at all; all they cared about was his status, power, and money.
"That simplifies things."
Alucard gave a look to his subordinate behind him and then left the Royal Palace. One of the Immortal Pirates quickly produced a rope and trussed Sabo up completely. "Hey! What are you... what are you doing?"
Sabo struggled continuously but was completely unable to resist. Although his strength far surpassed that of an ordinary adult, it was still far too weak compared to pirates who fought in the New World.
After binding every part of Sabo's body except his head, one of the Immortal Pirates walked to the palace window like a dog-walker. He tossed Sabo out and, holding the other end of the rope like a fishing line, left Sabo dangling nearly ten meters in the air.
"What are you doing?! What are you doing!" Sabo protested and struggled, twisting his body wildly, immediately drawing the attention of many people below.
The pirate from the Immortal Pirates above said matter-of-factly, "You're good friends with that boy named Luffy, aren't you? If they saw you like this, they would definitely rush over to rescue you, right?"
"Bastard!"
Sabo instantly realized the purpose of their actions. He happened to see Alucard walking out the main gates of the palace below and yelled, "Hey! Does doing something like this even count as being a pirate?!"
Alucard turned his head, a trace of surprise on his face, and looked up at Sabo dangling from the palace. He countered, "Then what does count as being a pirate?"
"A pirate is a symbol of freedom!" Sabo yelled back.
Hearing this, the pirates holding Sabo nearly burst out laughing. Alucard merely turned away with disdain, ignoring Sabo entirely.
Another idiotic child. Freedom? It's nothing more than lawlessness.
Truthfully, Alucard despised Roger for practically sanctifying the word 'pirate,' but he was also grateful that Roger had created such a mad era.
A pirate is a "thief." They are a bane to the era, they are lawless. There is no need to treat it as something sacred.
"Hey! Come back! Don't go!"
Sabo continued to yell, but the departing Alucard never looked back at him.
The pirate above turned to Outlook III and sneered. "We are treating your son quite poorly. You don't have a problem with that, do you, Your Excellency?"
"No, no, not at all! It's Sabo who is lacking in manners. I should be thanking you gentlemen pirates," Outlook III said with an obsequious smile.
"Hahahaha! What a trash father!"
The Immortal Pirates members burst into loud laughter, their stomachs beginning to hurt from the effort, while Outlook III could only force a continuous, deferential smile.
In just two days, through Outlook III's deliberate spreading of the news, word that the King's son was dangling from the palace gates had reached the entire country and the Gray Terminal, naturally reaching Ace and Luffy.
And so, on the evening two days later, when the two boys saw the barely conscious Sabo hanging from the palace gates, they rushed forward to rescue him without a second thought, only to be captured instantly by Alucard's subordinates who were waiting there. All three brothers were successfully captured.
"Bastards! Setting a trap! Does this even count as being a pirate?!" "A bunch of cheats! You don't deserve to be pirates!"
After being captured, Ace and Luffy voiced opinions very similar to Sabo's earlier statement.
The Immortal Pirates members exchanged glances, then burst into loud laughter that made their stomachs ache.
Suddenly, one of them kicked Ace hard in the stomach, making him roll on the ground in pain. The pirate then grabbed Ace's head and sneered, "Kid, remember this: pirates are not saints."
"Pirates are villains!"