Crack, crack, crack...
Alucard's bones audibly cracked.
Undoubtedly, a great pirate with a 35 million Berry bounty was not to be underestimated. However, earlier, when Alucard had questioned him, he'd seen hesitation and fear in Bahade's eyes.
Why would a pirate with such a high bounty show such an expression? It greatly intrigued him.
BANG!
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Blood spurted from the right side of Bahade's face.
Without anyone noticing, Alucard now held another gun, a large white pistol made of entirely different material than ordinary handguns.
"Captain!"
Someone cried out in alarm. Just as they were about to help, Alucard violently shoved Bahade's body away, spinning and continuously spraying bullets at the surrounding men.
Bang, bang, bang!
Gunshots echoed incessantly, and pirate after pirate fell. Bahade finally pulled the weapon from his back, folding it in half.
'It wasn't a spear, but dual blades? A rare weapon indeed.'
"Haaah!"
Bahade roared, slashing downwards, tearing open most of Alucard's neck. The sight sent shivers down the spines of even these battle-hardened pirates.
If Alucard's head had just fallen to the ground, it would have been one thing, but Bahade hadn't completely severed it. Only a thin layer of skin at the back of his neck connected his head to his body. His head was almost entirely detached, slumped backward, with a final, chilling smile frozen on his face.
Two seconds later, that almost-decapitated corpse began to chuckle, to the disbelief of everyone present.
The pirates standing behind Alucard felt a cold shiver.
The head, which should have been completely severed, wore a maniacal expression. Laughing, he was laughing, his lips twitching, muscles spasming. Undoubtedly, he was still alive.
His head was cut off, and he was still alive!
However, these were pirates whose captain had a bounty of over 30 million Berries. Their shock lasted only a moment before they gradually regained their composure, beginning to speculate why Alucard was still alive.
Everyone reached the same conclusion: a Devil Fruit.
Suddenly, bats, appearing from nowhere, swarmed into the wound between Alucard's neck and head. In less than ten seconds, these bats acted like a miraculous balm, completely reattaching Alucard's body.
Alucard suddenly raised his gun and fired a "bang." Bahade quickly used his dual blades to block. When the bullet was deflected, the powerful impact forced Bahade to stumble back several steps.
Yet, Alucard's attack hadn't ended. Bullet after bullet, fired in continuous succession! It seemed limitless.
"Help the Captain!"
One of the crew members roared, and the remaining few quickly grabbed their weapons and charged at Alucard.
Alucard's movements were utterly devoid of flair or wasted effort, with no hint of evasion. After dodging the first man's katana attack, he pointed the white gun in his other hand at the opponent's forehead and fired a bullet.
BANG!
One down!
No bullets were aimed at him, so Bahade immediately charged in to counter-attack, plunging a blade into Alucard's windpipe. However, as blood gushed from Alucard's throat, Bahade, who thought it was finally over, felt something cold press against his stomach.
"Checkmate!"
Alucard laughed maniacally, the two words emerging deeply from his punctured windpipe.
Bahade swiftly reacted but was still hit by a bullet, his body lurching.
"Oh... You were hit by a bullet from this gun and didn't fall. You can still stand. That's quite rare."
As he spoke, Alucard suddenly felt a surge of killing intent from behind, aiming directly for his heart.
'Not good! Can't let them cut my heart!'
Alucard shifted his gun to his other shoulder, firing a shot over his back at the enemy.
BANG!
A bullet to the forehead, another man gone.
"Hraaa!"
Bahade roared, charging again. Seeing this, Alucard used his handgun as a close-quarters weapon, clashing it against Bahade's blade, sparking.
"Hmph..."
Alucard suddenly raised his foot and kicked at his opponent. Bahade quickly brought one hand down, blocking Alucard's kick with his knife-wielding elbow.
'This kid... his strength is beyond imagination.'
Bahade thought in surprise. He'd seen how tall and thin this guy was, never expecting such power.
Suddenly, Alucard released the gun in his hand. For a moment, due to inertia, Bahade over-applied force, his blade sliding down Alucard's body. The sharp knife carved a massive wound from his shoulder to his abdomen, critically wounding him.
Meanwhile, after releasing the gun, Alucard thrust that same hand into Bahade's body, impaling him completely. From behind, one could see Alucard's hand emerging from Bahade's back, a bloody hand clutching something that was still faintly pulsing—Bahade's heart!
"Answer my question before you die."