Bartolomeo usually twisted, demonic face contorted further in rage when he heard Cavendish mock his appearance.
He lunged towards Cavendish.
"You rotten cabbage head! How dare you call me ugly!" he roared. "At least I don't look like a damn sissy like you!"
Bartolomeo then stood beside him, arms crossed, glaring at Cavendish furious expression.
"Is that… Bartolomeo?" someone whispered.
"That infamous Supernova with a 150 million berry bounty in the New World!" another exclaimed.
"Why are these two here?"
The crowd was in shock and fear, and the sight of Bartolomeo only deepened their terror.
While Cavendish bounty was much higher, his reputation among pirates was relatively decent. He was a nobleman proud of his beauty and avoided actions that would tarnish his image.
But Bartolomeo was different, he was once dubbed the "No. 1 Pirate Most Wished to Disappear" in real-time rankings. He had bombed and set fire to innocent civilians in a city and even spread footage of pirates being skewered and tortured.
"Kehahaha! I didn't expect anyone here to recognize me!" Bartolomeo reveled in their fear, laughing heartily.
"See that, cabbage head? I'm way more intimidating than you!"
"Hmph! Ugly people always make a scene" Cavendish sneered, glancing at Bartolomeo with disdain.
"What did you say?" Bartolomeo retorted "You damn sissy…"
Ignoring the onlookers, the two began to argue.
As they bickered, two well-dressed receptionists put down their Den Den Mushi. They recognized these two as special guests invited by their boss, Tesoro.
"Everyone, calm down!" one receptionist announced, her voice deep and commanding.
"These two mean no harm—they're guests invited by our boss!"
The initially panicked crowd slowly began to settle.
The women too, gradually regained their composure, standing up and looking around in confusion. They had no memory of what had just happened. But when they saw the handsome man at the end of the room, their eyes sparkled.
"Ah! Is that the Prince Charming, Cavendish? He's so handsome!"
"I can't believe we're seeing him in person!"
"So elegant, so refined!"
"Who's that ugly thing next to him? How dare he stand beside the prince! Someone get him away…"
Hearing the girls' exclamations, Cavendish was delighted.
He flashed them a deep smile, placed a rose between his teeth and struck an incredibly graceful pose.
Instantly, the women eyes turned into little stars, their hearts racing and their cheeks flushed.
"Damn these tasteless women, calling me ugly like they're better" Bartolomeo grumbled, ready to teach them a lesson.
But before he could explode, the men beside the women quickly ushered them inside, offering apologetic smiles to Bartolomeo.
They thought to themselves 'Calling Bartolomeo an ugly thing? These foolish women must have a death wish!'
Though it's true…
Seeing this, Bartolomeo decided not to push further, especially since that senior figure was present.
At the thought of that senior, the man with a face like a demon actually blushed slightly.
He was born in Loguetown, the same place where Roger was born.
Back when Roger was publicly executed, he had witnessed it firsthand. At the very end of the execution, he heard Roger shout a name with his last breath: Bob!
Such a figure, who could make the Pirate King Roger remember him even in his final moments and shout his name in front of thousands.
This was the first time his young heart felt curiosity and admiration for someone he had never met.
Later, during a fierce battle with the underworld, he finally saw the great man he had remembered since childhood.
After throwing him a Barrier-Barrier Fruit, that man completely changed his fate.
From then on, he regarded that senior as his idol.
"I'm about to meet my idol, I'm so excited!" Bartolomeo exclaimed.
Hearing Bartolomeo words, Cavendish nodded, surprisingly without any rebuttal.
He knew who Bartolomeo was talking about and was also somewhat excited.
That man, whose strength was utterly terrifying, always made Cavendish heart tremble whenever he thought of him.
On the other side, seeing that order had been restored, the two receptionists approached Cavendish and Bartolomeo and spoke with utmost respect.
"You two are special guests and may enter without any inspection!"
Hearing this, the two nodded and prepared to enter.
"Screech!"
At that moment, a sharp, piercing cry suddenly rang out in the air.
The sound was incredibly clear.
Everyone outside the venue was momentarily stunned, then looked up at the sky.
In the black night, illuminated by the lights, a massive gray falcon was circling.
Strangely, it wore a white robe that covered its large bird body, while its spread wings were exposed.
In no time, feeling the gaze of the crowd, the giant gray falcon folded its wings, transformed into a human form, and landed among the people.
He wore an Arabian-style turban, with deep purple star-shaped makeup around his eyes, and a white robe adorned with many black square patterns.
He also wore two orange necklaces and was tall, with long brown hair.
"That is… Pell!"
In the crowd, a man dressed similarly to him spoke in a deep voice.
He was one of the nobles of the Alabasta Kingdom and recognized Pell immediately.
He was surprised, though.
Pell, who always protected Princess Vivi in the Alabasta Kingdom, had come to the Grand Tesoro.
"Pell?" Cavendish exclaimed.
"I never expected to meet you here!" Cavendish and Pell had met once before and he knew well how strong this man was.
But he was also puzzled as to why Pell was here.
Could it be… that he was also invited by that senior? The more he thought about it, the more certain he became of his guess.
Beside him, Bartolomeo, noticing Pell transformation from bird to man, thought the same and muttered with a smirk.
"Birdman! Were you invited as well?"
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