Just as the situation on Kaido's side was changing rapidly, Bazel, who had followed Hanafuda into Mock Town, also encountered someone unexpected.
"Oh ho ho, today's luck is really quite good. To think I'd run into such important figures."
Bazel instinctively pulled Toki behind him, squinting at the stubbled man who had suddenly blocked their path.
"Hello, hello. Here's my business card."
He took the thinly gold-plated card.
"So it's the famous Deep-Sea Currents, Umit... I should be the one saying that."
Bazel handed the card to Toki, a professional smile spreading across his face.
"Mr. Umit, might I ask why you've stopped me? Could it be you want an autograph?"
"Hahaha~"
After a polite laugh, Umit stepped aside, shamelessly moving to walk alongside them.
"I merely wish to invest early. The Beasts Pirates are a rising star, after all. As a businessman, when I encounter important figures like yourselves, it's only natural to get acquainted ahead of time."
"Hey, bring the gift I specially prepared."
A bodyguard in a black suit immediately presented an exquisitely wrapped gift box.
"Bazel-kun?" Toki didn't accept it immediately, instead looking at the man.
"Accept it. It's a token of Mr. Umit's goodwill."
Seeing the woman take the box, Umit knew the first step in this interpersonal relationship was complete. At the very least, they held no malice towards him.
"Just a little something. I hope your friend likes it."
Umit didn't mention a word about what was inside the box. But Bazel knew the gift inside was absolutely priceless.
As a businessman, especially in this era, which was not the same as the original work's setting 30 years later, Umit, though already starting to grow a beard, still retained the youthfulness of someone in their twenties.
This also proved one point: Umit had not yet become the Shipping King of 30 years later. At most, he was a rapidly rising shipping businessman now.
"If you ever have any needs regarding maritime shipping in the future, please feel free to contact me. Whether it's confidential transport or cargo shipping, I will assign my most capable subordinates to assist the Beasts Pirates."
As if sensing the surprise in Bazel's eyes, Umit smiled and explained:
"I guessed you might prefer a more direct conversation. Compared to the Beasts Pirates, what we businessmen lack the most is military strength."
"I hope Umit Shipping Company can have deeper cooperation and a stronger friendship with the Beasts Pirates."
He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. A bodyguard following him promptly handed over a folder.
"Our company currently operates in seas including Paradise, the Four Blues, and we have some minor involvement in the New World as well..."
Unlike Toki, who looked completely lost beside him, Bazel heard something different in Umit's rhetoric. 'Minor involvement' was basically equivalent to having no real capability to operate there.
His purpose in contacting Bazel was likely to leverage the reputation of the Beasts Pirates to 'safely' enter the New World.
Unlike Paradise, the New World was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. You either needed powerful strength or a solid backer, one of the two.
If Umit developed gradually, he might gain the qualifications to enter the New World in six years or even later.
But not now.
This year was only the eighth since the fall of the Rocks Pirates, an era where the great pirates of the New World were fiercely clashing. Shiki's Flying Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Roger Pirates... One after another, rising powerful figures led their crews across that sea. They might not care about the territory of Paradise, but the New World beyond Fish-Man Island was an ocean for the strong.
"Stabbing a knife in the back for a friend is my motto in life." The smile on Umit's face grew more sincere.
Toki, who didn't understand the art of conversation, even began to show obvious goodwill towards him upon seeing this.
"Please convey my greetings to Kaido-san. I won't disturb you further then. I look forward to your contact."
After having his subordinates leave behind a large pile of gifts, Umit said his goodbyes and left.
Hanafuda crouched down, randomly picked up a gift box, and tore it open.
"Whoa~ This guy really went all out! This brand of alcohol is worth 3 million Berry in Paradise!"
"All out? If he didn't, we wouldn't remember him." Bazel took the bottle Hanafuda handed over. The deep red wine sloshed inside the glass bottle. When it stilled, the calm 'lake surface' reflected Bazel's amused smile.
"But his timing is good. After we reach Wano Country next year, we might be able to engage in deeper cooperation with Umit."
"Have your men make a trip. Take these things to your ship first. Wait for Ka…"
"Get out of the way! Move it!!"
"I'm the great pirate with a 130 million Berry bounty, Iron Mantis Eric!"
A group of arrogant-looking pirates reeking of sour body odor swaggered forward.
"Captain Eric, that woman's not bad! Great figure and skin, first-class! Slurp~"
"That's right, Captain! Snatch her! After you've had your fun, let us have a taste of what's left!"
"As for those men, just knock them out and send them to the slave auction house!"
"…"
All sorts of foul language reached their ears. Toki's face flushed red. This wasn't out of shyness, it was purely from anger.
"Toki."
Bazel pressed down on Toki's hand, which was about to draw her sword, "I'm still here. When would I ever need you to take action yourself?"
"Hanafuda, it seems our Beasts' reputation still isn't enough. Haven't you been active in Paradise?"
Hanafuda's expression darkened upon hearing this.
"No, we have been. I thought killing a few pirates with decent bounties would be enough to intimidate these guys. It seems I was too naive."
Bazel shook his head, pulling his hands from his slightly open coat, revealing a torso covered in knife scar. The scars weren't numerous, but each and every one was left from battles with Golden Lion.
Hybrid Form: Fire Flow Body!
"Which one of you is Eric... was it?"
"I am...!?"
A head of hyena-like blond hair was tied back, with peculiarly shaped metal rings adorning the corners of his lips and eyes.
Eric, with an extremely arrogant demeanor, suddenly froze.
His pupils reflected an arm approaching at extreme speed.
Bazel looked at Eric, who was even taller than himself, first raising his foot to kick out.
With the sound of breaking bones, his right hand clamped down on the falling Eric's neck.
With his fingers exerting force, he strangled the scream deep within the throat.
"Mmph!!!"
"What right do you have to bark in front of me?"
Bazel looked at the pirates with an air of casual indifference, "To me, you small fries are merely candle flames. Since when do candle flames dare to compete with the sun?"
"Damn it! I'm a mantis man who ate the Zoan-type Devil Fruit! Don't look down on me, you bastard!!"
Eric, whose neck was gripped by Bazel, roared and began his transformation.
'Mantis man?'
"A frog at the bottom of a well. Do you know who I am?"
Casually tossing Eric aside, Bazel crooked two fingers.
"Come on, let me see your power. You only have one chance."
"Wait! Captain Eric! That face..."
Suddenly, one of the enemies paled drastically, his hand pointing at Bazel trembling inexplicably.
!!!
Conqueror's Haki erupted!
The surrounding pirates' eyes rolled back as they collapsed backward, pistols and swords clattering to the ground.
Hanafuda looked at Bazel in disbelief, "This is... Conqueror's Haki?! You and Kaido-sama both... awakened the qualities of a king!?"
"Just a bit of Conqueror's Haki, not worth mentioning." Bazel said modestly.
'Just... a bit?'
Hanafuda fell silent.
If he weren't unable to beat the other party, he would absolutely have given the man a few hard slaps.
Listen to what he's saying.
Conqueror's Haki has become 'just a bit' now?
Eric, who had struggled to his feet at this point, hadn't heard the later conversation. Because one of his legs had been kicked broken, he was now in a state of complete loss of reason.
His mind held only the thought of killing that man. As for his crew...
Such things were completely outside Eric's consideration.
"Scythe Slash!!!"
Boom…!
Watching his slash fail to even cut the scales on his enemy's body, Eric froze.
"Let me tell you."
Hanafuda grabbed Eric's head with one hand, pointing at the man beside him who was shorter than himself but absolutely impossible to ignore.
"He is the Eight Headed Monarc, Bazel. Of course, some of you also call him the Poison Calamity of Beasts. He's a Great Pirate with a bounty of 740 million Berry, the undeniable second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates."
Eric twisted his body frantically like a maggot in a cesspit, trying to break free, but a wisp of purple poison mist seeped into his body through his facial features.
"Mmph!!!!"
"I don't particularly enjoy arguing verbal gains and losses with the dead. Rise, Atoners."
Bazel transformed into Yamata no Orochi, his eyes gleaming.
Making an example out of a minor issue was what he did best. He can use this incident caused by ants to complete his own job.
Poison mist and Naraku's poison interweaved as they sprayed out.
The pirates knocked unconscious by the Conqueror's Haki had already stepped into hell in their sleep, and now, with the help of Naraku's poison, they 'returned to life' once again.
"Time to declare the arrival of the Beasts Era to the pirates of Paradise."
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