NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: CHAPTER 16
The sailors murmured among themselves, agreeing that Alastor was probably a lunatic.
"We're in the navy, after all, so I won't embarrass you if you're insane. Now, get out of here quickly!" Gal shouted once more.
Alastor seemed unfazed, his hand drifting slowly to the hilt of his cursed sword at his waist.
The surrounding sailors grew tense.
"What do you think you're doing? Put your hands up, or we'll shoot!"
Alastor drew the sword inch by inch, its blade reflecting a strange purple glow under the sunlight.
With a smile, Alastor said, "It doesn't matter if you think I'm a lunatic. I just… really want to die."
Gal's eye twitched. He'd never seen such a madman.
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
The G5 branch had the worst reputation in the navy, known for its ruthless sailors—and Gal was especially feared.
"Shoot him!"
Gal barked viciously.
Clap clap!
A burst of gunfire erupted as sparks flew from over a dozen guns. Bullets tore through the air, striking Alastor.
But instead of satisfaction, Gal's face twisted into a horrified expression.
"No… Impossible! What is your body made of? The bullets didn't even penetrate your skin!"
To the shock of Gal and his sailors, the bullets fell harmlessly to the ground.
Gal gulped, suddenly struck with fear as he realized what this might mean.
"A… Devil Fruit user?"
Only a Devil Fruit power could explain what they were witnessing.
Without hesitation, Gal spun around and ran, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Quick, inform the vice admiral!"
Behind him, Alastor was about to advance on Gal and the remaining sailors, but he paused upon hearing this.
"A vice admiral? There's a vice admiral on this island?"
A glimmer of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
The pirates and soldiers he'd encountered recently had been far too weak, unable to even scratch him, leaving his defensive growth stagnant.
Alastor had originally planned to raid the naval base's warehouse and return to Wano Country. But he hadn't expected a vice admiral in such a small base.
In hindsight, it made sense; the warehouse held too many valuable items. It was probably the G5 branch's secret vault, used for storing treasures and supplies.
Feeling unexpectedly fortunate, Alastor pursued Gal, cutting down any sailors who stood in his way.
"Who dares to cause trouble in my territory?!"
A furious shout echoed across the island as a large, intimidating man emerged from the base.
Seeing the man, Gal threw himself at his feet as if finding salvation.
"Vice Admiral Guleta, there's an intruder! There's an intruder!"
Vice Admiral Guleta, with a cigar clenched between his teeth, looked unfazed. "Calm down. How many intruders are there?"
"Just… one."
"What? Only one person? Useless! You can't even handle one?"
"But he's a Devil Fruit user! Even bullets can't penetrate his skin!"
"Oh?" Guleta raised an eyebrow, then broke into a sinister grin. "A Devil Fruit user? Interesting. Let's see if he can hold his own."
He stepped forward, soon meeting the approaching Alastor.
"So, you're the intruder?" Guleta squinted at Alastor. "I hear bullets can't get through your skin. What's your ability?"
Alastor studied Guleta. As expected of a vice admiral—his aura was leagues above that of the ordinary sailors.
Alastor smirked. "My ability doesn't matter. You may not be a headquarters vice admiral, but you should still be strong enough. Let's see."
Guleta's face darkened. The nerve of this unknown warrior!
Cracking his knuckles, Guleta sneered. "I'll beat it out of you!"
In an instant, he stomped his foot, propelling himself forward like a cannonball.
Panting, Gal caught up just in time to see this and grinned smugly.
"Vice Admiral Guleta loves tormenting his enemies. That madman's finished."
The G5 branch had two officers: vice admiral Vergo, the base commander, and vice admiral Guleta. Unlike Vergo's stern demeanor, Guleta's brutality made him even more feared.
Seeing Guleta charging at him, Alastor readied himself.
"Finger Gun!" Guleta shouted, thrusting his finger forward.
This man was a formidable fighter, skilled in the navy's Six Powers technique. His finger jab, carrying a force more piercing than a bullet, struck Alastor squarely in the chest.
A few drops of blood trickled down. The Finger Gun had connected.
But Guleta's expression shifted. His finger felt like it had struck a steel plate; though it pierced slightly, it couldn't penetrate deeper.
"This guy's defense is… unusual."
Becoming a vice admiral in the Navy branch required sharp instincts, and Guleta quickly assessed the situation.
[The host receives minor damage. Defense +4]
Hearing the system's voice, Alastor chuckled, excited to finally face an opponent strong enough to push him.
"I'm quite interested in the Six Powers techniques. Show me more," he said, gripping his sword.
"Shave!"
In an instant, Guleta's figure vanished.
Alastor's eyes tracked Guleta's movement.
"Shave—a technique that lets you step so quickly that it creates the effect of teleportation."
Guleta reappeared behind him. "Rankyaku!"
A slicing wave shot from behind.
Alastor sensed it with his Observation Haki, but he didn't dodge, choosing to take the slash from the Rankyaku head-on.
"Are you underestimating me?" Guleta growled, seeing Alastor deliberately take the hit.
Alastor turned, smiling as his defense increased by 5 points from the attack.
"I'm not underestimating you. I just wanted to test your strength."
Guleta's face darkened, his expression fierce.
"You're… asking for death!"
The ruthless G5 vice admiral was done holding back. He unleashed the full power of the Six Powers techniques, moving at a speed that left only afterimages.
"Finger Gun!"
This time, Guleta aimed for Alastor's throat, intending to end him.
"Ah, the throat… That's a bit sensitive."
While Alastor's body could take damage, he preferred not to risk his throat.
With heightened senses from his Observation Haki, Alastor tilted his head slightly, dodging the Finger Gun. In the same motion, he brought down his Sandai Kitetsu.
"Ghost sword style: Black Bear!"
A spectral black bear roared forward, barreling toward Guleta.
At such close range, Guleta couldn't Shave away. He took a deep breath, muscles hardening.
"Tekkai!"
A branch vice admiral's strength was roughly on par with a navy headquarters rear admiral. In the original story, this position would be filled by Smoker two years later.
And as for Smoker's strength… well, it was difficult to gauge.
After roughly gauging Guleta's power, Alastor felt he had the upper hand. He unleashed the Ghost sword technique, summoning a black bear formed by ghostly energy.
The spectral bear roared, and Guleta braced himself, using Tekkai to withstand the blow.
Boom!
The impact was intense. Guleta's face flushed before he spat out blood and was sent flying backward.
Gal watched in shock from the rear.
"How… how could this be? Even Vice Admiral Guleta's Tekkai couldn't block that lunatic's attack!"
Gal felt a pang of dread, the smug expression he'd worn moments ago vanishing completely. Even he could now see that Alastor was not someone to take lightly.
"No, I need to find a way to report this to Chief Vergo!"
His eyes darted around, and while Vice Admiral Guleta was locked in combat with the madman, he quietly began to edge away.
Guleta steadied himself, glancing down at the wound on his chest. His expression turned serious as he demanded, in a low voice:
"What kind of strange sword technique is that? Who the hell are you? Why haven't I heard of you in the New World?"
The G5 branch was stationed in the New World with the mission of monitoring pirates, issuing bounties for those who demonstrated significant strength and notoriety. Guleta was familiar with nearly every notable pirate in the region, yet he had never seen or even heard of Alastor.
It didn't add up.
Alastor replied nonchalantly, "I'm not one for the spotlight. But after I kill you, it seems I'll leave a name in the navy whether I like it or not."
Guleta scoffed, incredulous. "Kill me?"
He let out a bitter laugh.
"What arrogance! I was only using 50% of my strength. Do you really think I'd be sent to the New World just to sit around?"
An intense aura erupted from Guleta, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
"Shave!"
In an instant, Guleta vanished.
"Finger Gun!"