Chapter 123 Encounter

  Serindi had no defenses against Daz, as there was no real need. He openly shared his pns.

  Apparently, his idol before setting sail was the Red Count, Byrndi World. He dreamed of being like the Red Count, able to rival the strongest pirate crews alone.

  In his eyes, companions were a weakness; only powerful individuals were invincible! With this belief, he ventured into the sea.

  Though he briefly sailed on others' ships, he never had true companions. Over the years, with his exceptional talent, he gained the strength to challenge the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but he was also driven to the brink several times by the Marines or other powerful pirates.

  Over time, he grew tired of hiding and wanted to establish a stable force.

  However, for some reason, the Marines had become increasingly powerful in recent years. Even a few vice admirals could force him to struggle. Continuing like this, establishing a force, let alone staying in one pce for long, was just a dream.

  So, he decided to join the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, becoming a legally sanctioned pirate to buy time to build his own power. In a way, his goal was simir to Mihawk's.

  But becoming a Warlord wasn't easy. Either you had to have the immense strength and influence of Mihawk or Jinbe, prompting the World Government to offer you the position, or you had to demonstrate sufficient strength and sincerity and apply, like Law did by presenting 100 pirate hearts during the Rocky Port incident.

  Therefore, he targeted Crocodile, one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, who was based in Abasta. By defeating him, proving his strength, and then pledging his loyalty, he could naturally become the new Warlord. He understood that the World Government was just looking for seven vicious dogs. As long as they were fierce and obedient, they didn't care who bit whom.

  However, Crocodile was hard to find... He was known as a hero in Abasta, often saving civilians from pirate attacks. So, he decided to have the sand bandits storm Yuba to draw Crocodile out... He wasn't worried about whether Crocodile would show up; pirates naturally loved a spectacle, and Yuba was the liveliest pce in Abasta right now. Of course, if Crocodile didn't appear, it was fine.

  He could wait for the sand bandits to return with their loot and then eliminate them. That way, he would gain both a massive fortune and become a "hero"! It was a win-win situation.

  As for Daz, he genuinely wanted to recruit him. After all, you couldn't build a force alone! He used to worry that subordinates would become his weakness, but now he understood! As long as someone did the work, who cared about their lives? If they were killed, either they weren't strong enough or they were unlucky, it wasn't his problem!

  Daz was shocked by his pn. "A Warlord... an incredible goal, I wouldn't even dare to consider it." "I never thought I would be completely defeated by you in my area of expertise..."

  "Dehahaha, it's okay, admitting your shortcomings is the beginning of improvement... I won't stop at being a government dog in the future!!"

  "I believe you, but..." Daz's expression was serious. "Will it really be that easy?" Their opponent was a Warlord of the Sea!

  "Dehahaha, with enough strength, nothing is impossible!!"

  "Let's go, Daz, let's take everything smoothly!!"

  ...

  In Yuba, Smoker immediately called Pell.

  "Moshi moshi, Pell? It's me, Smoker..."

  "Ah, it's you, Smoker-sama..." Pell was initially delighted, then apologetic. "You've come from so far, and you're caught up in this chaos, I'm so sorry... How are you? Were you attacked by pirates?!"

  Smoker looked at the dead enemy. "Ah, I'm fine..."

  "Listen carefully, tell your superiors that the Royal Guard only needs to deal with the people inside the city, I'll handle the sand bandits..."

  "What? That's 7,000 enemies!!"

  "It doesn't matter, just listen to me, I won't let them escape! Hang up... click!"

  Smoker hung up the phone, leaving Pell utterly bewildered. After a moment's hesitation, he called Igaram to rey Smoker's message.

  Igaram was equally perplexed. Receiving the call, he found himself in a difficult situation. The Royal Guard could easily handle either the sand bandits or the rioters individually. But facing a two-pronged attack, the pressure was immense. They could barely manage a narrow victory with a full defense, and any pse could lead to defeat, potentially a massive rout and massacre.

  If this were the king's order, Igaram would have followed without question. But the problem was, this wasn't his superior. And was this guy even reliable? After much deliberation, he suddenly heard faint screams from the city, and finally gritted his teeth.

  "Leave 1,000 men to defend against the sand bandits, the rest of you follow me into the city to suppress the riot!!"

  "Yes!!!"

  In the air, Smoker surveyed the nd as the Royal Guard methodically entered the city. Their appearance instantly shattered the scattered rioters. Smoker paid them no mind, accelerating towards the sand bandits.

  The first group of sand bandits was an advance party, about a few hundred strong, riding camels, much faster than the rest. Smoker ignored them, knowing the Royal Guard's remaining defense line could handle them. He continued forward, soon reaching the main force, nding after releasing his ability.

  The sand bandits were stunned by Smoker's sudden appearance, halting in their tracks.

  "Who are you?!"

  "He fell from the sky, is he Pell the Falcon?!"

  "Are you stupid... Pell the Falcon isn't that big!!"

  Smoker lit a cigar.

  "Before we start, I want to ask a question."

  "Are there any among you who haven't shed blood?"

  The sand bandits burst into ughter.

  "We're all elite! Do you know what elite means? Those rookies would have been buried in the sand and roasted by now!"

  "Hahaha, to join us, you need to present a 'testament of loyalty'! That's a head you've personally severed!!"

  Smoker's expression remained calm. "Then I'm relieved..."

  The sand bandits jeered, "What? You think you can take on all of us by yourself?!"

  "Take you on? Of course not..."

  "You're valuable sves... Bck Hole!"

  Instantly, darkness and screams filled the desert.

  ...

  A dozen minutes earlier.

  Serindi overheard Smoker's conversation with a bck Den Den Mushi.

  "Marine Headquarters Staff Officer, Vice Admiral? Interesting!!"

  Daz was astonished, "He means... to annihite 7,000 sand bandits?!"

  These sand bandits weren't strong. If they only charged forward, Daz, as an iron wall, could slowly wear them down. But sand bandits had legs, and were known to scatter at the first sign of trouble; even ten Dazes couldn't stop them.

  Serindi, however, smiled strangely.

  "Dehahaha, this is truly interesting!!"

  "Let's go! Let's see who this person is!!"

  They sped up to catch up with the group, but something felt off. It was too quiet. After running for a while, they hadn't encountered a single sand bandit. There was no sound except the wind, as if the entire army had been swallowed by the desert.

  After some time, they finally saw a tall figure in the dust storm.