Bass Island.
On the sandy beach beneath the river embankment to the left of Changtiao Port.
If you were to ask Bada his current mood.
He'd undoubtedly wish he were dead.
Previously, he'd always trailed behind large teams, picking up scraps. But a few days ago, he'd resolved to try harder, recruited a few more brothers, and today, he'd managed to get the first pick.
Who knew that on his first attempt at being first, he'd casually run into Kouta's crew!
He even suspected he must have stepped on dog poop that morning, or perhaps seen a crow.
Just then, he heard the sound he least wanted to hear, and then his shoulder grew heavy.
"Ma!"
"Your welcome ceremony is quite something!"
Kouta appeared beside Bada soundlessly, slinging an arm around Bada's shoulder as if they were close buddies.
"Let's have a little chat."
Bada trembled all over.
Thump, thump, thump…
The moment Kouta appeared, an eerie silence descended around him, and even the wind seemed to cease. He felt as if he were plunged into an abyss where he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, with only the sound of his rapidly accelerating heartbeat filling the world.
The scythe of the grim reaper was poised at his throat.
He felt an icy chill surge from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, as if his very soul were frozen.
His face turned deathly pale, his pupils dilated rapidly, his body stiffened, and he dared not even turn his head to look at Kouta, who had his arm around his neck.
If his frozen body hadn't been holding him up, he would have collapsed to the ground right then and there.
He quickly lowered his head, letting the sweat that was rapidly beading on his forehead drip, drip, drip onto the ground.
"Is this the strength of a pirate with a bounty of 500 million?"
"This is truly exaggerated!"
He had never experienced such an unparalleled sense of pressure in his entire life.
And his speed was too insane! Like a ghost, he had appeared beside him without a sound.
On the brink of life and death, Bada intensely missed the days of following the larger groups and picking up leftovers.
He swore that if he survived this ordeal, he would never be the first to stick his neck out again.
Behind Bada, his brothers watched as their leader had an arm slung around his neck.
They all drew their swords and guns, aiming them at Kouta in unison.
Even though they were facing a pirate with a 500 million bounty, they were not afraid at that moment.
Their leader was their leader, their leader for life.
At this moment, the aura emanating from these men truly possessed a rare "righteousness" in the world of pirates.
"Oh…"
"Quite interesting."
Kouta looked at Bada's followers, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.
Although these men trembled at the sight of Kouta, they did not retreat a single step. This was rather intriguing.
Logically, these were mostly temporary team members, and they shouldn't have any loyalty.
Just then, Bada suddenly spoke.
He dared not look directly at Kouta, but instead turned to his subordinates and shouted, "What are you all holding your guns for?"
"Quickly put away your weapons."
"Boss…"
The subordinates looked at their leader, confusion flashing in their eyes.
"What boss?"
"In front of Big Brother Silver Hair, I am no boss!"
"Take a good look. Standing before you now is the Silver Hair Pirate Crew, captained by Silver Hair Kouta, who only a few days after setting sail, successively annihilated the Eastern Sea overlord, Krieg's Pirate Group, and even the powerful Arlong Pirates, who were strong even in the Grand Line!"
"And later, they annihilated the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki, becoming a new legend!"
"We know!"
The subordinates looked confused, but they still obediently lowered their weapons.
Bada dared not wipe his sweat. He turned around, bowed, and fawningly gazed at Kouta.
"Big Brother Silver Hair, this subordinate deserves to die. I was momentarily blinded and fired my weapon. You are my idol!"
"Ever since I learned you were coming to the Grand Line, I've been waiting at the docks every day."
"Finally, we've waited for you all."
"I… I was just following others who fired their guns."
"As soon as I saw it was you, Brother, I couldn't wait to rush out."
Saying this, the man slapped himself several times, then looked up at Kouta with a face full of flattery.
"I'm so happy to meet my idol today!"
"Big Brother Silver Hair, I guarantee, I am definitely your fan."
As he spoke, the man looked at Kouta with anticipation, his eyes full of fear.
It was as if he were genuinely terrified of having fired upon his idol.
This was followed by excitement.
It was unclear if this man had studied face-changing techniques, but his performance was quite convincing.
"Oh…"
Kouta looked at Bada, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Honestly, you are quite amusing!"
At this moment, the Freedom arrived behind Kouta. Kuina, standing on the railing, jumped off, landing lightly beside Kouta with a "bang." She was followed by Hua and the other two, and the tall Indigo.
They had heard Bada's shout.
"Fan, idol?"
They hadn't expected that after sailing for such a short time, they would already have fans in the Grand Line. They weren't sure if this guy was telling the truth.
Everyone stared at Bada with curiosity.
Wanting to see what else this guy would say.
"Oh! This elder sister must be the 'Blue Hair' Kuina, who is beautiful, radiant, and young enough to be compared to Boa Hancock, the 'Pirate Empress' who is known as the most beautiful woman in the world!"
Seeing Kuina beside Kouta, Bada quickly said flatteringly, "Your beautiful countenance has simply blinded my dog's eyes. The boundless radiance you exude is like a lamp in the dark night, the sun of the early morning, making me feel so ashamed that I dare not look directly at you."
Bada's subordinates and other nearby teams heard this utterly shameless praise, and their mouths twitched.
"Hello! Hello! Hello! Is this Marine Headquarters? There's an ultimate sycophant here, please come and arrest him!"
Kuina looked at Bada, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with amusement.
While a "sycophant" might be disgusting to others, it was a different matter for the person being fawned over.
At least this guy's praise wasn't that unpleasant.
It was no wonder nobles liked to have a retinue of lackeys when they went out.
Verbal praise and fawning actions could indeed create a false sense of self-importance, making one feel truly magnificent.
Some succumbed, some became lost, some enjoyed it, while others became even more extravagant.
Bada felt Kuina's amusement and inexplicably felt a little more relaxed.
Then, his spirit perked up.
"It's not over yet!"
For his survival, he had completely abandoned his pride.
He turned to look at Hua and the other two, but paused for a moment when he saw Indigo.
However, he concealed it well, his expression unchanged, and began to praise them profusely.
It was as if he were determined to use all the praise he had learned and read in his life on the Silver Hair crew.
His demeanor was amusing.
And… not very amusing.
Kouta looked at Bada and Bada's followers behind him, and his smile gradually faded.
This guy wasn't doing this for himself, but for these subordinates!
People who struggled to survive.
Should not be mocked.
Even if they weren't sure if the other party was a bad person, they shouldn't be mocked.