The Ilisia Kingdom. Three years ago, during the Reverie, this nation had exerted a significant influence on the world stage. At that time, Dragon was still enduring the period after Alucard had cast him into the great underwater prison, Impel Down, an act that sparked riots among Revolutionaries worldwide and deeply affected this kingdom.
Even while Dragon was behind bars, his influence remained immense. King Thalassa Lucas harbored a deep-seated dread of the Revolutionary Army's power. Even after World Government agents intervened and suppressed the uprisings, his fear persisted. Consequently, during the Reverie three years prior, he had formally proposed the execution of the Revolutionary leader, Dragon.
Unfortunately, for various reasons, his demand was not met. It was possible the Government felt Dragon still had some utility, or perhaps it was due to the influence of Garp, the Hero of the Marines.
Now, King Thalassa Lucas was eighty years old. His heirs, his eldest and youngest sons, were locked in a bitter dispute. Generally, a throne passes to the eldest, but Ilisia lacked a strict "primogeniture" law. Since the difference in capability between the two brothers was negligible, the competition for the crown was fierce.
The kingdom was in turmoil. The succession war had plunged the citizenry into misery. Given that it was a World Government member nation, the Revolutionary Army had every reason to act.
However, the leader, Dragon, was not the only one participating in this operation. A rising star who had recently joined the ranks was also drawing high expectations, a seventeen-year-old youth named Sabo.
During his journey to sea, Sabo had experienced a series of strange encounters. Originally, he had flown a flag with the initials "SB" for his name. Before he could officially establish a pirate crew, he happened upon the Revolutionary Army. Drawn to their ideals, he decided to scrap his plans of becoming a pirate captain and committed himself to the revolution.
Of course, at this stage, he was far from being the Chief of Staff; he was merely a promising recruit currently performing grunt work.
"Excuse me, what is my primary objective for this mission?"
In a secret underground Revolutionary base beneath the Ilisia Kingdom, Sabo sought instructions from his superior, Gilteo.
Gilteo had a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Rearline security. That means securing the retreat route and ensuring no one comes to interfere."
"Understood. I'm on it." Sabo lacked Ace's prickly, impulsive edge; he was perfectly willing to work his way up from the bottom.
Leaving the underground facility, which was disguised as a granary, Sabo walked the streets of the Ilisia Kingdom to ensure the designated escape routes remained clear.
Watching Sabo's departing figure back in the base, Gilteo's lips curled into a smirk. "That kid might just shoulder the burden of the entire Revolutionary Army one day."
Elsewhere, Alucard entered the royal capital.
It was exactly as Beckman had analyzed. Due to the princes' struggle for the throne, the pedestrians looked anxious. Once a succession crisis turns violent, war is inevitable, and it is the civilians who suffer most. Such national instability was the perfect breeding ground for the Revolutionary Army.
At this moment, Alucard did not look like his usual self, nor did he sport the forty-year-old "Impaler Count" look. Instead, he wore a pure white, thick fur coat and a tall white fur hat, with long, straight black hair.
It was his "Loli A" form. How many years had passed since he last used it? It seemed it was also because of Dragon that he'd last donned this look, back when that man and Fisher Tiger had orchestrated the slave liberation, ruining Alucard's comfortable life as a World Noble.
Thinking back, this appearance truly shared a fated connection with Dragon.
For True Ancestor Alucard, form was irrelevant. Regardless of age or gender, he could change at will. He could even transform into his ten-year-old self if he wished.
A white-clad loli walking the capital streets was eye-catching, but not overly strange. Compared to the Longleg Tribe, Mink Tribe, or Longarm Tribe, a young girl was unremarkable. Passersby might glance back once, but they quickly returned to their business.
If I were the Revolutionary Army... Alucard thought. To find Dragon, he had to think like them.
First, they would aim to subvert the nation at its ideological roots. They wouldn't just attack; they would establish a foothold and wait for a national crisis to erupt. Then, they would descend as heroes, recruit members, and spread their ideology. Over time, that ideology would permeate the entire country through the citizens who had joined them. That was the Revolutionary way.
This meant Dragon and his team were currently waiting for the royal family to implode during the succession struggle.
But I can't wait that long.
Alucard mused. He possessed eternal life, but when he had a target, he loathed wasting time. His current target was Dragon's life, and he didn't want to wait another second.
Soon, Alucard reached the palace gates of Ilisia. Compared to the grand palaces he had seen, this one was average, neither impressive nor poor.
Alright, let's get this war started.
Alucard thought, stepping onto the stairs leading into the palace. Just as his foot landed on the first step, the neighing of a horse rang out, followed by the rapid, rhythmic beat of hooves.
A magnificent stallion with a black mane and white coat came charging toward him. Riding it was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat adorned with feathers. He wore a thin white shirt, capri pants, and pointed leather shoes. He had shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair and a face so beautiful it was almost feminine.
"Ahhh! Out of the way! Out of the way! My Farul is spooked!" the blonde man screamed as the horse tore through the street. His reckless riding drew curses from the crowd, but upon seeing his face, many couldn't help but scream in admiration—he was truly that handsome.
As the white horse bore down on Alucard, the man saw a young girl standing directly in his path. Even at such close range, she didn't move. Fearing his beloved horse might be injured, he yanked the reins with all his might, but it was too late.
Just as everyone expected the girl in white to be sent flying, Alucard raised his right hand, extended an index finger, and unleashed the spell Charm.
"Quiet."
Alucard's voice carried a magical resonance that pierced the horse's mind. It forced its forelegs down, stopping dead at the cost of straining its own limbs.
The man on its back, caught completely off guard, was sent flying through the air.