"Huh? What?!"
Sandersonia, who was enjoying a high-class steak in the commercial district with Koala, received a Den Den Mushi call from the Kuja's Warrior Guards on Amazon Lily. Upon learning of the internal rebellion sparked by the Swap-Swap Fruit, her expression changed drastically, and she shot up from her chair.
Due to the nature of the Snake-Snake Fruit, Sandersonia's snake-like tongue flickered out, and even she couldn't hide a look of panic on her face. "Are you kidding me? They're rebelling over a Devil Fruit?"
It wasn't that Sandersonia couldn't believe it, although the Swap-Swap Fruit was rare, but as pirates, they surely knew the consequences of an entire crew betraying their captain, especially the crew of a Yonko pirate fleet.
"This... We are also very surprised. We don't know why, but Exdeath and his followers, more than three thousand pirates, have surrounded Amazon Lily. If it weren't for Shirahoshi blocking them with Sea Kings, they would probably have landed on the island already."
The female warrior guarding Amazon Lily sounded extremely anxious. "What should we do, Sandersonia-sama? Shirahoshi's power can't last forever. She can only hold out for two more days at most."
Sandersonia frowned, thinking, "It will take at least ten days to return to Amazon Lily from here."
After a moment, she instructed, "I'll go find Alucard-sama and Onee-sama. Do not take action on your own!"
Sandersonia rushed out of the high-end restaurant with Koala. The two jumped into a Turtle Car and sped toward the dock. Koala, sitting opposite Sandersonia, said gravely, "Someone must be pulling the strings behind this incident."
"Of course! Those idiots! They don't even know they're being used!"
Sandersonia crossed her arms, her face grim. "Speaking of which, with something like this happening, their Trash Disposal Unit and the Golden Hair Pirates, the ones in charge of logistics, should have stepped in to solve this quickly!"
They hurried to the dock, where Doflamingo's subordinates were busy transporting sealed boxes of gold onto the Kuja's ship—the promised 10 billion Berry "protection money" for the year.
"Onee-sama! Alucard-sama!"
Seeing Hancock and Alucard standing on the ship's railing, Sandersonia shouted and jumped onto the ship with Koala. Hancock placed one hand on her hip and frowned at Sandersonia. "What is it, Sandersonia? What's the hurry..."
"I apologize! The Warrior Guards at Amazon Lily just sent an urgent message via Den Den Mushi..."
Sandersonia quickly relayed the contents of the phone call to Alucard and Hancock.
"No, that's impossible! All this over a Devil Fruit?!" Hancock's eyes narrowed. If it hadn't been her sister speaking, she would have dismissed it as nonsense.
Alucard tilted his head slightly, a slight curve on his lips. "This is different from what I imagined."
"Master, this is no time for jokes!"
Hancock's tone was laced with urgency. "Please call those fools immediately and tell them to stand down! Also, we must return to Amazon Lily at once!"
Hancock handed a Den Den Mushi to Alucard. Alucard's personal Den Den Mushi was usually left on the liquor cabinet on his ship, so he hadn't brought it this time.
Alucard dialed the Den Den Mushi. As he waited for the connection, Hancock calmly and methodically began managing the situation, calling back all the crew members still in Gran Tesoro.
"But even at full speed, it will take over ten days to return from here. Shirahoshi's power will be exhausted in two days at most," Sandersonia pointed out the biggest problem.
"No, we can't let Shirahoshi's power be depleted!"
Hancock objected. "We don't know if the Marines or the World Government are involved in this incident. If they are, they might be waiting for Shirahoshi's power to run out before trying to capture her. Tell her to wait by the sea, ready to evacuate at any moment."
"..."
Sandersonia understood Shirahoshi's importance, but if Shirahoshi withdrew her power, they wouldn't even last two days.
Clack!
Just then, Alucard's Den Den Mushi connected. Urdaha's voice came through the receiver. "Captain."
"How many are defecting? Urdaha," Alucard asked, getting straight to the point.
Although the word "defecting" sent a chill down Urdaha's spine, he answered honestly, "Led by Exdeath and others, it's mostly new members who joined less than two years ago. The total is over three thousand..."
"Are the Golden Hair Pirates and the Trash Disposal Unit also among the defectors?" Alucard rattled off the names of two major combat groups under the Immortal Pirates.
The Trash Disposal Unit led by Zephyr, and the Golden Hair Pirates led by Ivalis and Beckman.
These were also the two most problematic groups.
When Alucard asked this, everyone on the ship pricked up their ears. If those two groups had betrayed them, it would be a huge problem.
"This... Zephyr's Trash Disposal Unit hasn't sent any communication for more than half a month. The last we heard of them was that they were wiping out the remnants of the World Pirates in the first half of the Grand Line. As for Ivalis's crew..."
Urdaha hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "They are missing."
"Are you joking?! How can they just vanish into thin air?!" Hancock couldn't help but exclaim in fury.
The Golden Hair Pirates mostly sailed within the territory of the Immortal Pirates, unlike the Trash Disposal Unit, who roamed the world. How could they be missing?
"With your current strength, can you stop them?" Alucard showed no hint of panic, but the smile was gone from his face.
"I'm sorry, I don't know if this is a coincidence, but Fallon, Ivalis, and the others were all out on long voyages recently. Right now, the remaining defenders like Matthew, Stragus, and I, plus the current number of Kuja defenders... we only number about 1,800."
1,800 against 3,000. A difference in numbers, compounded by the disparity between veterans and rookies. The gap wasn't massive, but the real issue was that both sides were members of the Immortal Pirates. A fight would result in mutual losses, and the Immortal Pirates would be the ones to suffer in the end!