Amidst the triumphant laughter echoing from the giant space beneath Winter Island, a grand mobilization rally was underway within the royal palace of Spring Island. All the pirates, human traffickers, and bounty hunters across Bass Island had gathered in the palace, filling it with an atmosphere of brutality and lawlessness.
Among these oppressive presences, the few figures seated on a sofa at the head of the palace exuded the greatest power. They were "Hasu Pig's Head," the captain of the Pig's Head Pirate Group with a bounty of 70 million Berries; "Kobi Crazy Sword," captain of the Crazy Sword Pirate Group with a bounty of 55 million Berries; and "Black Spear," a renowned bounty hunter famous in the first half of the Grand Line.
These individuals had congregated to deal with Kong Tai, whose 500 million Berry bounty promised ample spoils for a long time. This was the driving force behind their willingness to form an alliance against a common enemy.
Hasu Pig's Head, a tall and burly man wearing a large black mane hat, spoke first. "Kong Tai and his crew have a total bounty of 520 million Berries." His eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty excitement. "I don't care if he killed some Golden Lion or Silver Lion! He's just a kid who's just set sail. With so many of us, taking him down will be a piece of cake." He then grabbed a jar of wine and drank it down greedily.
"Indeed!" exclaimed Kobi Crazy Sword, a man with a long sword at his waist, wearing a large cape. "He's just a kid who's just set sail! If we kill him, our bounties will skyrocket."
"Captain is right! They're just a bunch of brats. They're still far too inexperienced to play the pirate game!"
"Hahahahaha..." The room was soon filled with their arrogant laughter.
Yet, amidst this revelry, some individuals could not laugh. These were the people who had been knocked unconscious by Kong Tai's Conqueror's Haki at the docks, only to have their food and money plundered by Hachida's crew afterward. Although they didn't understand why they had suddenly fainted, they knew it must have been Kong Tai's group. The ability to incapacitate so many of them so silently made them wary, even with the powerful Pig's Head Pirate Group and Crazy Sword Pirate Group present.
As they stood in a daze, others around them eagerly pulled them in to feast. "Hahaha! Are you guys scared silly by the silver-haired crew?" "They're just a bunch of kids! With Captain Pig's Head and Captain Crazy Sword, the silver-haired crew are like meat on our table, to be devoured at will."
As they spoke, they glanced at Black Spear and swallowed. "And with Lord Black Spear here, he's a big shot who has shot down more than one pirate with a bounty over a hundred million!" Clearly, these two had never heard of Golden Lion. After all, Golden Lion had been active twenty years ago. Only veteran pirates, the Marines, and those with significant power would know of Golden Lion's terror.
"Hahahaha!!" "We were being overly cautious." After hearing their companions' words and looking at the three powerful figures seated at the head of the table, these pirates suppressed their fear, their gazes turning fierce. Yes, with Lord Black Spear, Lord Pig's Head, Lord Crazy Sword, and so many of them present, what was there to fear? With their numbers, even the Marines couldn't easily annihilate them. With this thought, they burst into laughter and mingled with the crowd, joining the boisterous feasting.
Black Spear, completely enveloped in a black robe and wearing a black and white mask, paid no attention to these two pirates. Despite their arrogance, they were merely low-level pirates who dared to bully those on the first island. Black Spear elegantly raised a goblet, swirled it gently, and took a sip. He then slowly set it down and wiped his lips with a handkerchief. He showed no further interest in the wine on the table, clearly not accustomed to the common rum of these pirates. He remained silent, observing the surrounding pirates with an intense coldness, as if looking at a group of dead men.
The other pirates dared not disturb him, not even the captains of the two pirate groups. It was evident that they all recognized Black Spear's fearsome reputation. However, what they didn't know was that Black Spear, whom they feared, was in fact panicking internally.
He was, in truth, a member of "CP0," a clandestine organization of the World Government. Three years ago, it was he who had ambushed and injured Hachida, swiftly ending the war in the Bass Kingdom. Otherwise, Bass would not have fallen so easily. Three years prior, their small team had come to Bass in pursuit of the "Forget-Me-Not-Fruit." To their surprise, they arrived a step too late; the fruit had been eaten by the kingdom's king, "Bass Hachida."
They had then extended an invitation to Hachida, hoping he would join CP0 and serve the World Government. The Forget-Me-Not-Fruit possessed more than just the ability to be forgotten; its previous owner had been an elder within their espionage organization, secretly working for the World Government. If this elder hadn't died on a mission, the Forget-Me-Not-Fruit wouldn't have appeared on the seas. Left with no other choice, they had searched far and wide, and through the World Government's formidable intelligence, they pinpointed that the Forget-Me-Not-Fruit had landed in the Bass Kingdom.
After Hachida unequivocally refused to join them, they were prepared to report back to their superiors. After all, the Bass Kingdom was a signatory nation to the World Government, and they had no right to force Hachida's hand. It was at this juncture that they received a mission to protect a Celestial Dragon. This Celestial Dragon happened to be visiting the Bass Kingdom, and the CP0 member responsible for his protection was their superior. Their superior, having clearly understood the nature of this Celestial Dragon, devised a plan. He orchestrated for the Celestial Dragon to coincidentally encounter the Princess of the Bass Kingdom, "Bass Liya." Their original intention was to have the Celestial Dragon capture "Bass Liya" and thus coerce Hachida into joining them.
However, the Celestial Dragon proved to be so foolishly brutish that he suddenly ordered his subordinates to kill Hachida's wife. This unexpected gunfire completely disrupted their plan. With no other option, they had to escort the Celestial Dragon away. They were well aware of Hachida's terrifying capabilities. As for why the Bass Kingdom was ultimately annihilated, it was, of course, because Hachida foolishly attacked the Celestial Dragon they were protecting. Although the Celestial Dragon was unharmed, he was quite shaken. This provided the World Government with an excuse to eliminate Bass. Such a dangerous fruit as the Forget-Me-Not-Fruit, if unobtainable, could be destroyed, and another sought.
Hachida himself had not anticipated the World Government's swift and decisive action. While he was slowly making his way back to Bass, the World Government convened an emergency meeting and, using the pretext of the Bass Kingdom failing to pay Heavenly Gold, completely erased it from existence. Furthermore, before the meeting, the World Government had already notified the Marine bases near Bass Island and, coordinating with the rapidly arriving CP organization, dispatched them to Bass ahead of time. Hachida's small boat could not possibly outpace the ships of the Navy and the World Government. Thus, before Hachida could return, they had already destroyed the defensive forces of the Bass Kingdom.