"Tell me! What exactly is going on here?"
Kong Tai looked at Bada, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes, "I remember this being the location of the Bass Kingdom, right!"
"The Bass Kingdom used to be very prosperous. Why has it become like this!"
He didn't care if the other party was a sycophant or a true fan.
From the aura he sensed, there were hardly any people left on this island.
He absolutely believed that it was these remaining pirates and bounty hunters who did this.
And the pirates at the dock were only a small portion; most of them were in the royal palace!
Bada shivered under Kong Tai's gaze. He quickly turned around, bent over, and stared at Kong Tai's shoes, not daring to look up.
He answered cautiously, "The Bass Kingdom was destroyed 2 years ago."
"Two years ago?"
"Yes!"
"Then how did you get here."
"Most of the pirates and bounty hunters on this island have come from other places in the last two years."
"Oh..."
Kong Tai then asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Then, could you possibly trouble yourself to take me to see the remaining ordinary people of the original Bass Kingdom?"
"Big Brother, there aren't many people left in Bass. Why don't we go to the royal palace instead!"
Hearing Kong Tai's desire to meet ordinary people, Bada's heart twitched, and he quickly said, "After all, there's nothing much to see with ordinary people, is there?"
"I want to see ordinary people!"
Kong Tai looked at Bada, his aura surging.
"Hey! Don't think you can scare us just because you're a big pirate."
"We, Bass..."
"Shut up!"
Bada suddenly shouted, interrupting the subordinate who was about to speak.
Then he raised his head and looked at Kong Tai, his eyes filled with pleading.
"Big Brother, can we not go look for ordinary people? There's really nothing worth looking for!"
Clearly, Bada's group seemed to be protecting something.
Kong Tai looked at Bada, remaining silent for a long time. Then, an overwhelming aura rose, bypassed Bada's group, and instantly swept across the entire dock.
Everything fell silent, even the chirping of insects at dusk instantly disappeared.
The moment Bada's group felt Kong Tai's aura erupt, they thought he was angry and was going to start a massacre with them.
They all raised their weapons, their bloodshot eyes fixed on Kong Tai with grim expressions.
"Conqueror's Haki."
Bada stared at Kong Tai, his pupils contracting, a momentary look of surprise flashing across his face.
"Now, can you take us to see the remaining people of Bass?"
"Who exactly are you people?"
Bada looked at Kong Tai, his hunched body straightening up. He removed the look of fear from his face, and instead, he seemed to have transformed into a completely different person, emitting an aura completely unlike his current appearance.
This was an aura that could only be possessed by someone who had long occupied a high position; it was not strong, but it was resolute.
"Big Brother."
The subordinates looked at Bada as if they were seeing him for the first time. Was this their boss, who was full of a vulgar aura and would do anything for food?
"Impossible, impossible."
"It must be an illusion."
"How can Big Brother exude such a noble aura!"
This kind of aura, they had only ever felt from the nobles and royal ministers of Bass before the kingdom was destroyed.
"Us?"
Kong Tai looked at Bada, a smile flashing in his eyes.
"You can call us 'Companions of Justice'."
This guy finally stopped pretending. He had seen him humbly surviving for his subordinates, and his subordinates dared to face him, a great pirate, for their boss.
He knew that this group was definitely not ordinary bounty hunters.
After all, he was a pirate with a bounty of 500 million, a top-tier pirate in the first half of the Grand Line.
From the moment they knew his identity, this group was the most unique on the entire dock.
It was hard not to notice them.
In the world of the Pirate King, pirates, bounty hunters, or marines who were truly willing to advance alongside their companions were actually very few.
Coexisting with companions was a rare and valuable quality.
And these kinds of people often had their own goals that they absolutely had to uphold.
"Companions of Justice!"
"Hey! Stop joking."
"Are there still such things in the Grand Line?"
When the subordinates heard Kong Tai's words, they immediately shouted at him.
"How can those who only know how to live in peace understand the sorrow of living in troubled times."
"Isn't justice just a trick used by the World Government to deceive people?"
"Kid, don't flaunt your sense of justice here, it's not worth showing off."
Clearly, these subordinates must have all been persecuted by justice, which made them no longer believe in it.
Just like the Crazy Cattle Pirates in the East Blue, it was unclear if they were persecuted by nobles, pirates, or marines, or perhaps even the World Government.
Kong Tai didn't know.
Since he didn't know, he asked directly.
"Seeing how excited you are, you wouldn't be the remaining people of the Bass Kingdom, would you!"
"Uh!"
The subordinates froze in unison.
This was an identity they absolutely could not reveal on this island.
"Alright, stop talking. I can answer anything you want to know."
Bada looked at Kong Tai and said sternly.
"But you have to tell me why you must see the remaining people of the Bass Kingdom."
"What if I said I wanted to drink the 'Bass Wine' that the Bass Kingdom is famous for, would you believe me?"
Kong Tai looked intently at Bada, his tone serious, without a trace of flippancy or mockery.
Bada stared at Kong Tai, a mysterious gleam flashing in his eyes.
Everyone around stared at Bada. Perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was an eternity.
He spoke.
"Okay, I believe you."
Saying this, he revealed the first genuine smile he had shown since meeting Kong Tai.
They were indeed the remaining people of the Bass Kingdom.
And his identity could not be revealed yet.
Although he found no malice in Kong Tai's attitude, the other party was a pirate after all.
In the Grand Line, showing benevolence and trust to pirates was a laughable idea.
Then, his face returned to its usual vulgar expression.
It was as if the person who had just exuded a noble aura was not him.
"Phew~"
"Boss, you're finally back! We thought you were possessed by someone!"
"Yeah, the way you were just now, although noble, was also very scary!"
"What are you talking about! You brats."
Bada turned and roared at his subordinates.
In fact, these subordinates were not very old, only around fifteen or sixteen years old; they were indeed brats.
Then Bada turned and looked at Kong Tai, his face changing, matching Kong Tai's fiery red hair, making him look indescribably vulgar.
"Boss, from now on, just call me Little Ba. I'll take you to see the remaining people of Bass right away."
"Do you really want to take them?"
"They're all pirates!"
Seeing their boss's demeanor, the subordinates seemed to have truly accepted Kong Tai as their leader.
"Alright."
"I know what I'm doing regarding this matter."
Bada said, taking a step forward towards the shore, signaling Kong Tai and the others to follow.
As they walked onto the dam and looked at the people lying there.
Bada asked.
"Boss, how should we deal with these guys?"
"How do you want to deal with them?"
Kong Tai looked at Bada, his lips curling upwards, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahahaha!!"
"Since they are willing to be my subordinates, then these guys will be handed over to you to deal with!"
Bada's footsteps paused upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed across his face, and his eyes turned cold as he looked at the countless figures lying on the ground.
He indeed wanted to leave these guys here forever.
Because these guys at the dock, although not the main reason for the Bass Kingdom's current state, were the culprits who caused the remaining people of the Bass Kingdom to live in hiding.