NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: CHAPTER 5
Holdem's distorted head rolled to the ground as Alastor simultaneously retracted his sword into its sheath.
The scene unfolded so quickly that no one saw how Alastor executed the move.
All they knew was that in the blink of an eye, Lord Holdem, the strongest and the ruler of Bakura Town, lay on the ground.
"Lord Holdem... is dead!"
After what felt like an eternity, someone finally grasped the situation and let out a terrified cry.
"What should we do? Lord Holdem was Lord Jack's subordinate!"
The onlookers were in a frenzy, their faces etched with fear.
Holdem's reign over Bakura Town stemmed from his own strength and his allegiance to Jack The Drought.
Jack the Drought, one of the Three disasters of the Beasts pirates, an animal, ancient species, and mammoth-form devil fruit user, possesses immense strength.
"Why can't I be the boss of Bakura Town?"
A cold voice suddenly echoed, and Alastor's chilling gaze swept across the pirates in the hall.
Those he glanced at immediately trembled, their legs turning weak.
That's right, Lord Alastor killed Lord Holdem through a legitimate challenge. According to the rules of the Hundred Beasts pirates, Alastor is now the true boss of Bakura Town.
Even Master Jack will have no objection to this. So, what are they afraid of?
Quick-thinking individuals immediately put on flattering expressions. This was the perfect time to curry favor with the new boss.
"Lord Alastor, please sit down. You must be tired. Are you injured? Shall I call a doctor for you? I can also arrange for some geisha to sing for you."
Alastor looked at him and said, "I remember your name is Billy. From now on, just follow me."
Billy was overjoyed. He quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing, and said, "Thank you, Lord Alastor! Thank you!"
Previously, Billy was just an inconspicuous pirate, but now he had become Lord Alastor's follower, and no one in Bakura Town would dare neglect him.
The rest of the people saw Billy's sudden rise in status, their envious eyes turning red. They all fell to their knees:
"Greetings, Master Alastor!"
Thus, Alastor firmly established his leadership position in Bakura Town.
As for Holdem, whose body lay separated nearby, no one cared.
Alastor instructed everyone to rise and commanded, "Clean up the ground."
He then left the place immediately; Tama was still waiting for him at home.
Once Alastor left, the boys couldn't help but whisper excitedly.
"Did you see clearly how Lord Alastor used the sword?"
"It was so fast, I couldn't see anything. I only heard the sword cry."
"Master Alastor is too powerful. Lord Holdem was no match at all!"
"Lord Alastor withstood so many attacks from Holdem without even dodging. His defense is unbelievable!"
They discussed Alastor with excitement.
Billy, now Alastor's follower, said proudly, "What's the noise? Hurry up and clean the room!"
Only then did the youngsters fall silent. Someone asked, "Master Billy, what should we do with Lord Holdem's body?"
"He..." Billy looked at Holdem's body with contempt, waved his hand in disgust, and said, "Throw it into the wild to feed the dogs."
This is the Beasts Pirates, where the weak are devoured by the strong; the winner takes everything, and the loser is worthless.
On his way home, Alastor opened the system panel.
**[Host: Alastor]**
**[Age: 20]**
**[Defense Power: 160]**
Holdem tried his best but only managed to add 10 defense points to Alastor, which was quite disappointing.
Alastor touched the sword at his waist. This sword had been with him for years. Although it remained sharp, it was still just an ordinary sword, not one of the famous blades.
As Alastor's strength continued to grow, the limitations of this sword became more apparent.
Of course, any sword can become a black blade if it is covered with a domineering armed haki. But regardless, famous blades still have significant advantages over ordinary ones.
"If there's a chance, I need to switch to a famous blade," Alastor muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a gurgling sound came from his stomach. He hadn't eaten enough the previous night, and to recover from his injuries, he now needed to eat at least three to five times as much as before.
If seriously injured, he needs even more food.
"After becoming a real hit, there will be more food rations than before, but it's hard to say whether it will be enough."
Alastor feels that his stomach is a bottomless pit; no amount of food is enough.
"By the way, today seems to be Tama's fifth birthday. No wonder that girl came to Bakura Town to buy things."
Alastor patted his head, berating himself for his carelessness.
Tama wouldn't come to town without a reason. She wanted to buy something to celebrate, which made her a target for Holdem's people.
Given how poor Tama's family is, she would only buy half a bowl of red bean soup at most.
"Boss, I'll take ten bowls of red bean soup."
Alastor went to a red bean soup stall, then bought a lot of chicken, duck, and fish, spending all his savings.
"Make money, fight, eat like crazy!"
Alastor went home with the food, establishing his primary goal for the future.
---
Ghost Island, inside a luxurious palace.
A gigantic figure sat in the center, wearing a steel mask, with two long white tusks protruding from under his ears.
His aura was extremely fierce, like a prehistoric beast, intimidating to all.
This person was Jack the Drought, one of the three major disasters of the Beasts Pirates, with a bounty of one billion berries
"J...Master Jack!"
Jack was drinking when a young man suddenly stumbled in.
Jack frowned, his voice low, "Why panic? What happened?"
The young man swallowed hard and said, "Master Jack, I just got news from Juki that Holdem of Bakura Town was killed!"
"What did you say!"
Jack stood up abruptly, a terrifying aura radiating from him, his tone full of murderous intent.
"Who is so bold to kill my subordinates? Who dares challenge me!"
Jack suddenly thought of someone and asked, "Did that Shutenmaru of the Nine Red Scabbards do it?"
Shutenmaru, also known as Asura Doji, was one of the Nine Red Scabbards. As a retainer of Kozuki Oden, he became a bandit in the Kuri area after Oden's death.
Because Kaido valued his strength and wanted Shutenmaru to surrender, he chose not to kill him, allowing Shutenmaru to continue his activities.
As the manager of the Kurii area, Jack and Shutenmaru are old rivals. They have fought several times, each encounter ending in a draw.
From Jack's perspective, anyone daring to kill his subordinates in Kuri would have to be Shutenmaru.
Unexpectedly, the young man shook his head and said, "Master Jack, it wasn't Shutenmaru. It was Alastor."
"Alastor?"
Jack was taken aback. He had never heard that name before.
"Alastor is a small captain under Holdem," the young man explained.
"Just a small team leader?"
Jack blinked, a bit dazed.
As the mighty Drought, Jack only remembered the names of the higher-ranking cadres. Those below them weren't worth a second look.
"Why did this Alastor kill Holdem?"
Holdem's squad leader was equivalent to being Jack's subordinate, so Jack withdrew the strong murderous intent from his tone.
However, if this Alastor didn't have a valid reason, Jack would not let him off easily.
The young man said, "Alastor challenged Holdem directly to replace him."
Jack suddenly understood. Given the situation, it wasn't surprising.
In the Hundred Beasts Pirates, where strength is paramount, it is common for subordinates to challenge superiors. A prime example is Page One and others in the Agents, who have long been eyeing Jack's position among the Three Disasters.
Jack waved his hand dismissively and said, "Holdem is such a waste. He was killed by his squad leader, and he deserved to die!"
He was about to send the young man away and continue drinking, as he considered such a trivial matter unworthy of his attention.
However, the young man didn't leave, instead showing an expression of disbelief.
"Master Jack, I haven't mentioned the main point yet. When Alastor challenged Holdem, he didn't fight back at first and let Holdem attack. When Holdem was exhausted from fighting, he killed Holdem with a single blow."
Jack, who was about to sit down, widened his eyes upon hearing this.
Holdem was instantly killed? This is unusual!
Despite being a real fighter and having eaten the man-made devil fruit lion form, Holdem had a bounty of less than 100 million in the outside world.
That Alastor was able to instantly kill Holdem, indicating that his strength far surpassed Holdem's!
After his initial surprise, Jack was overjoyed.
Following the fine tradition of his boss, Kaido, Jack also valued the strength of his subordinates highly.
It's just a pity that none of his subordinates had impressed him so far.
Unexpectedly, that person named Alastor rose to prominence.
Most of the real fighters under Jack's command were not far behind Holdem, which showed that Alastor's strength was obviously higher than the other real fighters, making him the strongest under Jack's command.
Jack was very excited. With such a powerful subordinate, he would be able to show off in front of Queen and King in the future.
"You." Jack pointed at the young man in front of him and said, "Go and tell that Alastor to do a good job. I value him very much!"
"Yes, Master Jack!" The young man hurried away.
"Tama, I'm back."
Unaware that Alastor, now valued by Drought Jack, had returned home with a big bag of food.
"Wow, so much food, and red bean soup!"
Tama's eyes sparkled.
Alastor smiled slightly, handed the red bean soup to Tama, and said, "Today is your fifth birthday. Enjoy it."
"Thank you, brother!"