"I see."
Alastor nodded, sheathed his Sandai Kitetsu, and prepared to meet Jack.
As the blade sank into its scabbard, Alastor suddenly thought of Jack and something struck him.
With the continuous increase in his defensive power, the difficulty of getting injured had also increased. Those at the real level were now completely unqualified, and Alastor had to challenge stronger opponents.
Within the Hundred Beasts pirates, there were the Agents and the Three Disasters. These people were the core of the Hundred Beasts pirates. To challenge them, Governor Kaido's approval was necessary.
Excluding these individuals, the only one close to Alastor in both strength and proximity was Shutenmaru from the Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
Why hadn't Alastor sought out Shutenmaru for a long time, and why did he intentionally avoid meeting him?
Because Shutenmaru was not Yamato; he would never show mercy to Alastor.
What's more, Alastor had just killed Shutenmaru's two confidantes. Once he learned the truth, his hatred would be immeasurable.
In this scenario, seeking out Shutenmaru wasn't a means to hone himself, but a death wish.
Alastor was very self-aware, knowing that his current strength was far below the level of the Three Disasters.
Therefore, Jack's reminder was unnecessary. After Alastor had killed the second group of Atamayama thieves, he had already decided to stop this behavior to avoid running into Shutenmaru.
However, when Jack arrived, things were a little different.
Alastor's eyes flickered a few times as an idea formed.
He stepped out to meet the oncoming giant figure—Jack.
"Master Jack," Alastor bowed slightly, neither humble nor overbearing.
If it were anyone else, Jack would have been furious, but Alastor was different. His behavior made Jack see him as a strong man.
Conceited as he was, Jack's rare tone was full of appreciation, "Well, well, you are indeed my most valued subordinate!"
"Master Jack is amazing," Alastor said without preamble, sharing the idea he had just thought up. "I have something I want to tell you."
"Whatever, just say it," Jack waved boldly.
Alastor's expression turned slightly angry, and he said, "It's about the Atamayama Thieves Brigade. Shutenmaru actually said that you, Master Jack, are not as strong as him. How is that possible? It's just nonsense!"
"Master Jack is wise and mighty, in the name of Drought, the entire sea is shaken!"
"Shutenmaru humiliated you so much, I cannot stand it, and I am planning to challenge him!"
What Alastor said had a convincing tone, as if it were true.
Jack's elephant eyes widened, his huge fists clenched tightly, and his breathing became rough.
What he couldn't bear most was anyone looking down on his strength and thinking less of him!
Sheepshead was a little confused. He looked at Master Jack, who seemed to be angry, and then at Alastor.
This... isn't right. We are here to persuade Alastor not to have a hard fight with Shutenmaru. How did it turn into this?
Sheepshead wanted to speak, but Jack's glare silenced him.
Anyone with no sense could tell their original intention at this time. Wouldn't that mean showing weakness? Dignified and proud, Jack didn't want to lose face.
Jack said firmly:
"Shutenmaru is looking for death! I'm going to kill him now!"
After speaking, Jack rushed towards the base camp of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
Alastor smiled inwardly.
With Jack leading the battle, he could face a real strong man like Shutenmaru without worrying about his life being in danger.
"Master Jack, wait for me!"
Alastor hurriedly chased after him, leaving Sheepshead standing there in a daze.
The base camp of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade was in Kuri, and Alastor had already found out its exact location. It didn't take long for him and Jack to arrive at their destination, and they were quickly discovered by the bandits from Atamayama Thieves Brigade.
"Jack the Drought!"
"Go and tell Boss Shutenmaru!"
The thieves hurried into the depths of the base camp.
Shutenmaru was conducting the funeral for his dead brother when he heard that Jack had arrived, and his eyes turned red.
"I haven't looked for you yet, but you have come to me!"
Shutenmaru's voice was filled with cold killing intent.
"Wamon, Doge, you will be able to rest in peace soon. I will avenge you now!"
"Shutenmaru, get out here quickly!"
Jack let out a deep roar, and the ground trembled with each step his huge body took, causing the surrounding houses and trees to shake.
"Lord Alastor, are you sure it's wise to rush directly into the lair of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade like this?" Speed, who was following behind Alastor, asked, a bit worried.
Just yesterday, when Alastor asked her to look for traces of the Atamayama Thieves Brigade, he had specifically explained Shutenmaru's strength to her. If she found him, she was to hide immediately.
Despite only one night having passed, Lord Alastor seemed to have forgotten about it and went directly to the opponent's lair.
Alastor said solemnly, "Speed, put away your worries. Master Jack is here. Even if the sky falls, there's nothing to fear."
Alastor's words reached Jack's ears, boosting his pride and energy. Jack shouted angrily:
"Get out, Shutenmaru!"
"I'm here, Jack!"
A rotund figure galloped from a distance on a bull.
Shutenmaru held a samurai sword, his face ferocious, and a terrifying murderous aura enveloped him.
"Jack, you killed my beloved subordinate, and you dare to come to my territory. Today, I'll settle the score with you!"
Although Shutenmaru's subordinates were not killed by Jack, how could Jack deny such an accusation.
Contrarily, Jack deliberately said cruelly:
"Weakness is a sin; everyone in your Atamayama Thieves Brigade must die!"
Shutenmaru was furious, and the sword in his hand was instantly covered with armed haki, roaring:
"Jack!"
He then jumped from the back of the bull and attacked Jack.
Just as Jack was about to make a move, Alastor suddenly stepped forward and volunteered:
"Master Jack has a noble status, so let him watch from the side first, and allow the subordinates to test this guy's strength."
Jack hesitated for a moment.
Although conceited, he knew Shutenmaru's strength. Alastor might not be his match, and he didn't want any accidents to happen to his only powerful subordinate.
Alastor reassured, "With the wise and mighty Master Jack standing by, the subordinates will definitely be fine."
Jack immediately raised his head and chest, "Then you go."
Alastor was overjoyed.
Although Drought Jack has a cruel temperament and advocates violence, he is still easy to fool once you understand his temper.
Alastor took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and raised his spirit to its peak.
Facing a strong man like Shutenmaru, he could no longer remain passive and allow the attack like he did with Holdem, Wamon, and others before. This time, he had to go all out!
"Shutenmaru, if you want to challenge Master Jack, you must defeat me first."
Alastor leaped into the air, and the Sandai Kitetsu unleashed several sword lights.
"Meteor Slash!"
The sword glows shot towards Shutenmaru's vital points like stars.
Shutenmaru was startled but didn't recognize Alastor. He snorted coldly, "I don't have time to deal with a nobody like you!"
With a wave of his haki-covered samurai sword, he deflected Alastor's Meteor Slashing Sword Light.
Without even glancing at Alastor, he continued to rush towards Jack.
Alastor landed on the ground. Shutenmaru's strength was formidable, but it seemed he underestimated him.
"Wamon, Doge... their screams before they died still echo in my ears."
The light, taunting words reached Shutenmaru's ears, making him halt.
The next moment, Shutenmaru's bloodthirsty eyes fixated on Alastor fiercely.
"It was you. You killed Wamon and the others!"
Alastor shrugged. "Who knows?"
Shutenmaru's murderous intent flared, his tone icy as if from the depths of hell.
"You... very well. Go and join them in death!"
The samurai sword suddenly slashed vertically through the air, and with Shutenmaru's endless anger and murderous aura, a huge slashing wave swept towards Alastor with unrivaled force.
Facing such a slash, even Jack had no choice but to brace himself!
"Lord Alastor!" Speed yelled in horror.
Jack's eyes widened to their maximum, ready to rescue Alastor if his life was in danger.
In contrast, Alastor remained very calm.
"This is the battle of the strong, not the child's play we had before."
Alastor's fighting spirit was fully mobilized, and every cell in his body seemed eager to engage.
He summoned his haki, and the Sandai Kitetsu transformed into a black blade in his hand.
Shutenmaru's massive slash arrived in an instant.
Boom!
Alastor was blasted away, his body like a cannonball, crashing uncontrollably through wall after wall until he finally stopped.
Smoke and dust rose everywhere.
Speed's heart was in his throat.
Jack could hardly restrain himself from stepping in to help.
Amidst the swirling smoke and dust, a tall figure rose swiftly, then slowly returned to its original position.
A long scar ran across the figure's chest, with blood seeping horizontally, revealing even a faint glimpse of bone beneath.
The scarred figure grinned and said, "A powerful slash, but not enough to kill me. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!"
Shutenmaru's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled.
"You bastard…"
On one hand, Shutenmaru was stunned that his slash hadn't killed Alastor. To him, Alastor was merely an unknown junior—how could he possibly survive such a powerful blow?
On the other hand, he was astonished at the man standing before him, gravely wounded yet able to laugh and speak with such ease.
"Boy, what's your name?" Shutenmaru asked.
Despite the deep hatred between them, Shutenmaru felt that such a rare, formidable warrior was worth remembering.
Alastor gripped the Sandai Kitetsu tightly in his right hand, blood from his chest wound trickling down his arm to coat the blade.
The sword, already glowing with an eerie purple light, took on an even more ominous aura when drenched in fresh blood, as though it held a faint, bloodthirsty hunger.
"My name is Alastor, just a humble pirate under Master Jack."