"Get up here!"
Urdaha, gripping the shackled Exdeath, who was bound tightly with Seastone chains, with his metal arm, violently hurled him toward the steps below the throne. Even though Exdeath wasn't a Devil Fruit user, he was still bound with the sturdiest Seastone chains, not because of his power level, but because of the deep hatred the other pirates felt for a traitor.
Thud!!
Exdeath's body slammed hard onto the ground. Viola and Scarlet, standing on either side of Alucard, saw his bruised and swollen face. Even for a traitor, they couldn't help but feel a pang of pity, inwardly thinking, "How awful…"
Indeed, Exdeath looked utterly pathetic. He was a bloody mess; if you took a screenshot of his head alone, you might not even recognize it as human.
Alucard closed the ancient book in his hands, glancing down at Exdeath. He said flatly, "Exdeath, can you still speak?"
"Uh... uh, uh..."
Whenever Exdeath tried to speak, blood constantly overflowed from his mouth. He couldn't articulate a single word clearly, let alone a sentence.
"Viola."
Alucard didn't bother wasting time on such a person and directly instructed Viola, who excelled at mind-reading, to step in.
Urdaha roughly grabbed Exdeath's hair. Viola, pressing her circled index finger and thumb over her eyes, carefully read Exdeath's inner thoughts.
"He doesn't know the mastermind. The reason for his betrayal is simple: his jealousy that my sister obtained a powerful Devil Fruit, and the humiliation of losing to Z half a year ago, which led him to commit this stupidity," Viola said, a look of contempt on her face.
"Captain, this kind of backstabbing scum cannot be kept alive."
Urdaha raged. To instigate a rebellion for a mere Devil Fruit… if a major incident occurred, wouldn't he be the first to stab his own people?
"He isn't fit for a dog's food."
Alucard reopened his ancient book. "Hand him over to that Indigo fellow. Doesn't he desperately want human materials? Take him away."
"Understood."
Urdaha answered, then hauled Exdeath away by his collar like a piece of livestock.
About twenty minutes later, two sets of footsteps echoed in the inner hall. Scarlett and Viola's expressions both changed; these two were not on the same level as Exdeath: the captain of the Golden Hair Pirates, Ivalis, and the First Mate—no, former First Mate, Ben Beckman.
Compared to Exdeath's miserable state, Ben Beckman appeared very dignified. He wasn't bound by chains or under guard as he walked in.
Glancing at the thick bandage covering Beckman's exposed abdomen, Alucard teased, "To be able to stand up after two days with an injury like that, is it purely due to willpower, or did you simply eat too well and recover quickly?"
Beckman replied coldly, "That doesn't matter. What matters is what you plan to do with me?"
"Heh."
Alucard gave Viola a look. She descended the steps, just as before, to read Beckman's mind.
Beckman stood his ground, his face cold and immobile.
About two minutes later, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Viola's brown cheek. She turned to Alucard and said, "I apologize, I cannot read his mind."
If the power difference between the two parties was too great, Viola couldn't read the opponent's mind. She had tried to read Alucard's mind when she was a child and was nearly severely injured by the backlash.
"But if the target's will is weak, you can still read them, can't you?"
Alucard said calmly. There was a simple and direct way to compensate for the Glare-Glare Fruit's weakness: beat the target to near death. In a state of blurred consciousness and unstable spirit, the target's memories could be easily read. Forget Beckman, even Whitebeard could be cracked.
"Ivalis, stab him in his wound again."
Alucard gave the order, startling Ivalis. This... was he serious?
"I have a proposition for you, Alucard."
Beckman took a step forward, his strong aura forcing Viola back several steps. Her high heel clipped the stairs, and she nearly fell.
"A proposition?"
Alucard found this amusing but did not interrupt Beckman's suggestion.
"That's right. Release Roux and the others, and I will pledge my loyalty to you."
The moment Beckman uttered these words, even the startled Viola couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. This bastard had some nerve! He had betrayed them only two days ago, and now he dared to say something like this. Furthermore, the condition he offered was the release of criminals like Lucky Roux who had instigated the entire rebellion. Who did he think he was?
"Hah! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! A-ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Alucard's ancient book dropped to the floor. He held his stomach with both hands, his fangs bared, laughing uncontrollably and hysterically.
Beckman frowned, waiting for Alucard's answer. Ivalis, behind him to the right, secretly broke out in a cold sweat for him.
Alucard's laughter gradually subsided. He raised his left hand, and the emblem on the back of his white glove glowed red. "Very good! A bold demand for a bargain! Very interesting!"
Alucard's smile vanished completely. He stared chillingly at Beckman. "Then, how can your mind prove that you aren't plotting some trickery?"
Beckman's expression turned fierce. Before Ivalis could even realize what was happening, Beckman snatched the sword from Ivalis's waist and drove it into the same wound Alucard had pierced two days earlier, completely running himself through in a seppuku-like motion!
Gush!
In less than three seconds, everyone in the castle's inner hall watched as Beckman used Ivalis's sword to impale his bandaged stomach once more. Blood soaked through the bandages and flowed out.
Scarlett and Viola clutched their mouths in disbelief. Ivalis's eyes were wide with shock, and even Alucard involuntarily raised his head slightly, a look of surprise on his face.
Fighting through the excruciating pain, Beckman turned his head toward Viola. "Now... you can read my mind... hurry."
Viola, stunned by Beckman's shocking act, only moved when she heard Alucard's repeated command. With a feeling of awe, she once again activated the power of the Glare-Glare Fruit to read Beckman's current thoughts.