Not long before, shortly after Kōta and his crew landed on Bas Island, Hachida's mind was suddenly filled with images of Hachida.
He knew this must be Hachida's decision to cancel his abilities and fight them to the death.
He quickly contacted his superior, the CP0 organization, and stayed to preside over this alliance.
Three years ago, they didn't know what they had lost from their minds.
But they would not forget the "Forget-Forget Fruit," nor the process of searching for it.
Thus, they learned of Bas Hachida from some documents, and consequently, of Hachida's existence.
This fellow had taken his fatal shot back then and had endured for so many years. If he suddenly stopped enduring, it meant he had found a backer.
To be honest, he wasn't afraid of Hachida at all now.
Even if this fellow recovered, he couldn't possibly remove his bullets. If the World Government's special bullets were that easy to get rid of, they wouldn't be secret weapons.
Moreover, the place where this fellow was shot was his chest.
It was likely that his strength had declined significantly.
Such a Hachida would certainly not be an opponent for their CP0.
He was afraid of "Kōta."
Silver-haired Kōta, at his peak from the moment he set sail, with an initial bounty of 70 million. In just a few days, he forced the Navy and World Government to increase his bounty to an unprecedented 500 million, and this 500 million was clearly not his final bounty.
As a member of the world's largest intelligence organization, he naturally knew the terror of Shiki. Even in his old age, he was not someone an average Vice Admiral could deal with.
And it wouldn't be easy for an Admiral to capture this guy.
Don't think that just because Shiki is old, he's easy to catch. On the contrary, it's precisely because he's old that he's harder to catch. A top figure on the seas, even at the brink of death, can unleash world-destroying power!
Yet Kōta went ahead and killed Shiki.
Judging by the fight scene, it seemed he had the upper hand.
And based on known intelligence, Kōta's Devil Fruit ability was the most terrifying.
A space-type Devil Fruit ability!
Teleportation!
What a terrifying ability!
There were very few space-controlling Devil Fruits in the entire world, especially one that allowed one to teleport.
As a CP0 member, Kuroyari naturally knew that the silver-haired man's teleportation involved no unnecessary movements.
It was simply impossible to defend against.
For those with weak Observation Haki or slow reaction speeds, encountering the silver-haired man could easily lead to instant death.
These people wouldn't even be able to escape.
Because this guy's ability seemed to ignore obstacles and could directly penetrate objects.
Furthermore, this guy was also a strong individual whose three types of Haki were not weak. With his swordsmanship alone, he could hold a place in the New World.
Thinking of this, Kuroyari's body, hidden beneath his black robe, couldn't help but tremble.
He could only hope that the Navy and CP0 would send strong individuals this time!
Otherwise, with just the strength of a few of them...
"Mmm..."
He dared not think about it.
Lost in thought, he suddenly stood up.
"What's wrong? Kuroyari?"
Hass, the pig-man, saw Kuroyari suddenly stand up, his hand holding the wine paused.
"It's nothing, I'm going out for a walk, to check on Kōta's ship."
"Hahahahaha!! You're not trying to run, are you!"
Hass, the pig-man, looked at Kuroyari and laughed heartily.
"Uh..."
As he was laughing, he suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the dark muzzle of the gun in front of him, his ruddy face quickly turning pale.
"Haha! Just kidding, just kidding."
Kuroyari raised his gun, aiming at Hass, the pig-man, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness.
"If you want to die sooner, I'll grant you that."
Saying this, he was about to pull the trigger and shoot Hass.
Sensing Kuroyari's killing intent, Hass quickly put down his wine gourd and meekly begged for mercy.
"Lord Kuroyari, I was just joking, please forgive me! Besides, aren't we allied right now?"
Although he didn't believe Kuroyari could kill him instantly, the reputation of this guy, who had killed many pirates with bounties over a hundred million, was still formidable.
If it weren't for dealing with Silver-haired Kōta, Kuroyari wouldn't have allied with them.
Kuroyari looked at Hass for a moment, and in the end, he didn't fire.
Although these fellows weren't strong, they were somewhat useful. At least they could slow down Kōta and his group, giving CP0 more time to prepare.
He didn't have time to waste with these guys. He had to quickly go to the nearby island where the citizens of Bas Kingdom were being held, rendezvous with the Navy and CP0, and make preparations to wait for Kōta and Hachida.
Since Hachida had recovered, he would definitely go to rescue his citizens.
Then, whether it was fighting Kōta or fighting Hachida, they would be fully prepared.
Unlike on Bas Island, where they had no preparations here.
Thinking of this, he quickly holstered his gun, slung it over his back, and walked out rapidly.
Thinking that Kōta could arrive at any moment, he couldn't help but speed up.
He didn't want to face a terrifying guy like Silver-haired alone!
Watching Kuroyari gradually walk away.
Hass, the pig-man, quickly reached out and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He had indeed been a bit too complacent and forgotten that Kuroyari was not someone he could easily offend.
Only after Kuroyari's figure disappeared did he lean back and collapse onto the sofa.
Then he grabbed his wine gourd and drank several fierce gulps.
Only after his face regained its rosy color did he stop.
"Hahaha!! My subordinates, let's continue. If we get any news later, we'll send that kid named Silver-hair to see God, and then we'll enjoy ourselves with his bounty."
"Hahahahaha..."
Pirates are pirates. One moment they were scared to death, and the next they became rampant.
He wondered if these guys would still be so arrogant if they actually met Kōta.
It would probably be very interesting!
...
Winter Island, in a vast space deep underground.
The banquet ended.
Many people lay on the ground.
The old men leaned against the walls, smoking, chatting, as if they were not in the desperate land beneath Winter Island, but sitting under the eaves, basking in the sun.
They looked at Hachida, hope flashing in their eyes.
Their King... had returned.
They believed in Hachida, believed he would lead them back to the prosperity of Bas Kingdom.
They yearned, they anticipated.
And in the middle of the ground, the children, with their bellies round and full, slept with smiles on their faces. Judging by the tear marks at the corners of their eyes, even though these little ones were happily full, their dreams probably weren't so beautiful.
After all, for them, all their loved ones were gone!
They could only hope that when these little ones woke up, Bas Kingdom would have returned to its former state.
Even if it was a distant hope, it was still a hope!
And Hachida's subordinates carefully, one by one, carried the children into the rooms surrounding the space.
Clearly, even though everyone was happy and had drunk a lot, they hadn't forgotten to put these little ones into bed and cover them with blankets.
They were all gentle fellows.