Chapter 632: Chapter 631: Not a Monster, Always a Monster

Bang!

This time, Kong failed to dodge the attack in time. At the critical moment, the bullet tore through his Marine mantle, narrowly missing his body.

Kong’s expression darkened. He was being suppressed.

The primary purpose of his speech earlier was indeed to boost morale, but it wasn’t an outright lie. The Gorosei had thoroughly mastered the secret of Alucard’s body and the key to breaking his immortality. This information had been disseminated to high-ranking officials including Kong, Sengoku, and Magellan.

However, to force Alucard to relinquish his immortal state, the primary condition was to drive him into a corner, forcing him to unleash power exceeding that of a Yonko. At that moment, his immortality would vanish, providing the window to kill him.

But now, Kong realized the chasm between the plan and reality. He couldn’t even manage the prerequisite of cornering Alucard. How could he possibly force him out of his immortal state?

"Your regression is quite slow, considering you’re older than Garp and Whitebeard."

Alucard pressed the muzzle of his gun against Kong’s throat. "Die."

"Rankyaku!"

With a sharp shout, Kong’s sweeping kick forced Alucard back temporarily, though he had truly brushed against the edge of death for a fleeting second.

"Releasing Restriction System Level 3, 2, 1..."

As Alucard formed a vertical rectangle with his hands, a pool of blood surged. Massive, blood-red eyes snapped open, and a deluge of shadowy hands lunged forward, blotting out the sky.

"What on earth..."

Kong and the combatants from both sides were horrified. The others scrambled to evacuate the area around Kong.

Kong used Geppo repeatedly, darting through the air to evade the strikes, twisting his body to miss the clutching arms. After dodging several volleys, one shadowy hand snagged his right ankle. Just as he prepared to use Shigan to break the grip, the overwhelming swarm of arms moved faster, pinning both of his hands.

On the ground, Alucard spread his arms wide. The remaining shadow hands pivoted sharply, converging on Kong’s body from all angles.

SHING!!

A flash of sword light cut through the air, severing the hands reaching for Kong in a single stroke. It was Momousagi. With incredible jumping power, she stepped onto the bicep of one massive shadow arm, systematically cutting through the hands pinning Kong’s limbs. The two of them plummeted back toward the ground together.

"Not bad, Vice Admiral."

Alucard grinned and swung his extended arms forward again. Before they could land, new shadow hands attacked from all directions in a total encirclement.

CLAP!

Suddenly, with the sound of palms meeting, the earth vibrated violently. The soil surged and rolled, forming a cylindrical defensive wall that encased Momousagi and Kong, temporarily blocking the shadow hands.

"That is..." Alucard’s eyes narrowed. He recognized that power.

In the next moment, a tan-colored silhouette rose from the surface of the earthen wall. It was Vice Admiral Chaton.

"Terrifying. Truly terrifying."

Facing the sky-blotting shadow hands, Chaton slammed his palms against his earthen wall. Earthen arms extended from the structure, grappling with the shadow hands.

CRASH!

For a moment, the two strikingly similar techniques clashed, buying Momousagi and Kong the time they needed to escape danger.

"You guys..." Kong said solemnly, but he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Please stop trying to do everything alone, Kong-san." Momousagi held her sword in one hand, glancing back at Kong. "You’ve realized it by now, haven’t you? You cannot drive Alucard into a corner by yourself."

"Momousagi is right," Chaton added, emerging fully from the ground. "This isn’t an old, weakened Whitebeard. Our situation is more dangerous than it was at Marineford."

After finishing his serious remark, Chaton’s expression shifted to something lecherous as he turned to Momousagi. "Oh, Momousagi~ In this hour of peril where we might die at any moment, I hope to finally tell you my feelings..."

"I refuse."

Before Chaton could finish, Momousagi crushed his delusions with a single sentence.

At that moment, another man wearing a Marine mantle walked over—a Vice Admiral with a small mustache on each side of his mouth. He said cautiously, "But we still have a problem. Look."

He pointed toward the battlefield. The blood pool had swept through, obliterating the earthen hands Chaton had created. Alucard stood there, unscathed.

"He’s as strong as a monster," Momousagi said, flicking her sword.

"Strong as a monster?" Kong clenched his fist. "He is a monster."

...

About twenty meters up in the air, Aranea, who was commanding the Pacifistas, glanced toward the center of the battlefield. "Commander-in-Chief Kong, Vice Admiral Momousagi, Vice Admiral Chaton, and even Vice Admiral Momonga of the Army... four top-tier fighters teaming up against one man. What an exaggerated lineup."

Whoosh!

A whistling shockwave grazed Aranea’s cheek, leaving a scuff on her armor. Turning around, she saw Shirokitsune floating in mid-air. Her limbs were ethereal, emitting a faint mist that differed slightly from Smoker’s Smoke-Smoke Fruit.

"Oho~" Aranea chuckled mockingly. "If it isn’t Aliya-neesan? I didn’t think you’d be interested in fighting me." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Why did you become a pirate?" Shirokitsune asked, her eyes icy.

"Who knows? I was forcibly conscripted into the Air Force anyway. This side suits me better." Aranea yawned, tapping her mouth. "What about you, Aliya-senpai? You’re supposed to hate the Government, aren’t you?"

"I do. But I loathe pirates just as much!"

White mist surged from Shirokitsune’s body as the surrounding clouds gathered toward her as if answering a call.

"Fine, have it your way." Aranea unslung her gun-lance. "Logia: Cloud-Cloud Fruit. You’re cloud, I’m gas. It won’t be easy for either of us to win."