NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: CHAPTER 21
[Host: Alastor]
[Age: 20]
[Defense Power: 1150]
Alastor's defensive strength has exceeded one thousand, reaching a remarkable 1,150.
This level of defense far surpasses that of ordinary animal-type ability users, and is comparable to the defense of ancient animal-type creatures.
In particular, Alastor's defense is all-encompassing—both internal and external. Even if an attack were to strike him, if it isn't forceful enough, it will be difficult to harm him.
"Now, I can barely be called a strong person," Alastor mused with a slight smile.
He arrived at the coast, set up a fire, and began roasting the Beastmaster dinosaur he had just slain.
The aroma of the meat wafted in the air, and Alastor moved his index finger, starting to eat.
The massive dinosaur was consumed entirely by him, leaving only a bare skeleton behind.
Alastor let out a contented burp. His well-muscled, bronze-colored upper body was unmarred by any scars, appearing as though he had fully recovered his strength.
After putting on a coat, Alastor started the pirate ship and set sail for Dressrosa.
---
At the Same Time, in the Palace of Dressrosa:
Doflamingo, with his legs crossed, was leisurely sipping red wine.
Beside him, a shrill voice spoke:
"Young master, I just received word that Alastor, the one who killed Guleta from the Hundred Beasts, will be arriving soon."
Doflamingo drained the red wine from his glass in one gulp, and a gleam of interest flashed in his eyes.
"Is he finally here? To make me wait ten days, his arrival certainly has a grand flair," he remarked with a smirk.
Pica, whose thick limbs made him look like a strongman but whose voice was shrill like a woman's, added:
"That guy is too arrogant. Should I show him his place?"
"No," Doflamingo shook his head. "After all, he is a subordinate of Jack the Drought. I don't want to offend a disaster for no reason. Pika, take Violet and Gladius to meet him. If there's an opportunity, have Violet use her ability to probe his background."
Violet, codenamed Viola in the Don Quixote family, was the princess of the force library kingdom.
She possessed the ability of the Stare-Stare Fruit, granting her the power to see up to 4,000 kilometers away and also perceive people's thoughts.
"Yes, young master!" Pika responded.
Pika led the way, summoning Viola and Gladius.
Gladius, a loyal fruit burst user, commented to Pika:
"I heard that Alastor killed a Navy lieutenant general. I wonder if he could survive my explosion."
Pica shouted, "Don't act rashly. This is the young master's order!"
Gladius shrugged in response.
Pika then instructed Viola: "Stay hidden and use your ability to observe him quietly."
Viola nodded without expression.
She hated Doflamingo deeply—he had murdered her family, ruined her country, and forced her into servitude. Yet, she didn't dare show her hatred openly.
Viola loathed Doflamingo's backers, the Beasts Pirates, even more. If only she had the courage to provoke the Beasts and Doflamingo into fighting each other. But she was too afraid—Doflamingo's past actions had left her with a lasting psychological scar.
Pika and his group made their way to Dressrosa's underground port, a hub where arms transactions were constantly taking place.
On the surface, Doflamingo was the King Shichibukai, the ruler of Dressrosa.
But in the shadows, he was a major figure in the underworld, orchestrating wars between nations and trafficking in arms, slaves, and other illicit goods.
He had connections to the Yonko, Kaido, and used the evil scientist Caesar Clown to produce the artificial Devil Fruit, Smile.
Doflamingo also held a deeper, secret identity—he was once a Celestial Dragon.
In short, Doflamingo was unique among the Shichibukai. He might not have been the strongest, but his identity set him apart.
Alastor, fully aware of Doflamingo's background, entered Dressrosa with a watchful attitude.
Alastor docked his ship at Dressrosa's underground port.
He stepped off the boat calmly.
Upon seeing the logo on the pirate ship, which clearly marked it as belonging to the Beasts Pirates, the members of the Don Quixote family and various shady figures involved in arms deals all showed expressions of awe.
Everyone feared and respected the name of Kaido, even if they didn't know Alastor personally.
"This is Alastor! Welcome to Dressrosa!" Pika, Gladius, and Viola approached, with Viola trailing behind.
Pica's sharp voice echoed, instantly catching the attention of everyone in the port.
"That's Pika, the top cadre of the Don Quixote family!"
"The appearance of a top cadre and a real connection with the Hundred Beasts is a big deal."
"Hey, this must be insider information that could shake the world! I wonder what's going on."
"If you want to stay alive, keep your curiosity in check. That's the Shichibukai and the Four Emperors; we can't afford to provoke them!"
The whispers around Alastor caused him to frown. He addressed Pika bluntly:
"Find a quiet place."
Alastor 's attitude left Pica somewhat upset, especially since he had made them wait for a full ten days. Those who didn't know the situation might have thought it was the three major disasters making an appearance!
However, Doflamingo's warning had forced Pica to swallow his displeasure. He forced a smile and said, "Please follow me."
The group walked into a secret room.
Alastor spoke bluntly: "Where are the goods?"
Pica quickly adjusted to Alastor's bluntness. He nodded to Gladius and said, "Take out the newly made Smile Fruits."
Gladius opened a large box and revealed a variety of oddly shaped Devil Fruits.
Alastor reached out to grab one.
But before he could, Gladius slammed the box shut and looked up, saying, "Where's the money?"
Even in dealings with the Beasts Pirates, the Don Quixote family still required payment. It was a basic rule of trade, even in the underground world.
Normally, the Don Quixote family wouldn't be so direct with the Beasts Pirates, and would wait for them to offer payment first. But here, Gladius clearly wasn't following that unwritten rule. He seemed genuinely dissatisfied with Alastor's attitude.
Of course, it was also likely that Gladius didn't have much respect for Alastor, given that Alastor had no significant reputation until now.
If it had been Jack the Drought, Gladius would never have dared to act this way, no matter how rude or domineering.
Alastor glanced at Gladius, then smiled faintly.
"From the look on your face, you seem to have a problem with me. What's the matter? Do you want to fight?"
Realizing things were escalating, Pica quickly intervened, shouting, "Gladius, what are you doing? Hurry up and give Alastor the Smile Fruit!"
Gladius, who had too much pride to back down, knew that if he shrank from Alastor's challenge, he'd be seen as a coward. That would ruin his reputation.
Gladius sneered and said, "Master Pica, this Alastor was the one who provoked me first. If I hurt him, he won't go back to Wano to file a complaint, will he?"
It was clear Gladius was intentionally provoking Alastor, wanting to avoid any backlash from the Beasts Pirates toward the Don Quixote family.
Alastor laughed, then said, "Of course I won't file a complaint. And if you actually manage to hurt me, I'll thank you."
His words were so arrogant that even Pica didn't dare stop him anymore. Alastor's arrogance was beyond measure—he clearly didn't regard the Don Quixote family's cadres at all!
Pica and the others stepped aside, giving Gladius space to act.
Viola, who had been trailing behind, couldn't contain her excitement. This conflict between the Beasts Pirates and the Don Quixote family was exactly what she had been hoping for!
She hoped that Alastor would be narrow-minded enough to seek revenge, intensifying the conflict and potentially damaging the relationship between Kaido of the Beasts and Doflamingo.
Viola's hazel eyes glimmered with anticipation.
Gladius clenched his fist, sneering at Alastor. "Don't think killing a branch Navy vice admiral makes you special. To me, a lieutenant general from a branch is nothing."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gladius made his move.
His arm suddenly swelled up like a balloon, growing bigger and bigger.
"I'm the Explosive Man, the one who ate the Explosive Fruit. Feel the power of my explosion!"
Gladius threw a punch at Alastor.
The moment his fist made contact, his swollen arm exploded.
Boom!
The blast echoed throughout the secret room.
Gladius smirked, "Now you know how powerful I am."
But that smirk quickly faded as the dust settled, revealing Alastor standing there completely unharmed. A calm voice rang out.
"Is that all? Not even enough to cause a scratch. How disappointing."
With a defense power exceeding 1,000, comparable to ancient animal-type creatures, Alastor was nearly invulnerable to such attacks.
"H-how... how is this possible?!" Gladius stammered, wide-eyed.
Pica, watching the scene unfold, was stunned.
Viola, who had been hoping for a fiery showdown, was left speechless.
Alastor shook his head and spoke again. "Let's end this pointless fight. But you should learn a little lesson."
He extended his palm and grabbed Gladius' wrist.
Gladius snapped back to his senses and shouted, "Let go of me!"
But Alastor's grip was like an iron vice. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.
Kachi!
The sharp sound of breaking bones rang out.
"Ah! My hand... My hand is broken!" Gladius screamed in pain.