William glared at Swell. "Why talk so much during a fight? There were so many good opportunities. If we had just fought instead of talking, we could have taken one down."
But now, seeing Zoro and Sanji standing guard like two gatekeepers in front of everyone else, I know there's definitely no chance.
These two people are also very famous.
'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro and 'Black Leg' Vinsmoke Sanji are both celebrities and figures who deserve attention.
Montblanc is also fighting Jinbe. According to William's own opinion, Montblanc is no match for Jinbe. In fact, the blue fat guy's strength is subtly comparable to that of the first and second place in this pirate crew.
As for why there's a 'second' distinction...
William looked at Luffy. Although this boy was full of boasting, it had to be said that his combat strength was extremely strong. According to William's Observation Haki, there was some strange power hidden within him that made him seem somewhat dangerous.
But it's just dangerous!
He can't be wrong about his Observation Haki!
William's initial reaction to Crocodile was simply that the Straw Hat Pirates posed a threat to him. As for why Crocodile was able to defeat him and cause him to lose his position as a Shichibukai, William didn't know much about that; perhaps it was just a matter of luck.
Now that William has been freed from the shadows, he has begun to gradually lose his former caution and prudence; in short, he has become arrogant!
Furthermore, he began to firmly believe in the word 'luck'.
This is closely related to his record of defeating people along the way. None of the pirates he encountered were his match, which made him more and more confident. And his Observation Haki was never wrong.
Straw Hat Luffy's victory over Crocodile was likely due to luck. He was also stuck in the East Blue in fear because of bad luck. If he had realized this earlier, he would have already set sail or started to rule the East Blue.
It was all due to luck, but thankfully, it's not too late now.
“Continue…” William said slowly.
...
A few days later, in Astia, the Principality of Faya.
After dealing with Shanks' arrival and Mihawk's sudden challenge, Kuro finally had some free time.
After Shanks left, Mihawk stayed for a while and then left as well.
Kuro originally intended to leave immediately, but he suddenly remembered that he still had a mission to complete.
It seems he came here not specifically to be fought by Mihawk, but to persuade the Principality of Faya to join the World Government.
As a member of the Navy, and a wealthy and powerful one at that, Kuro simply had someone rent a space in the city of Amdan as a temporary office.
This place was originally a grand theater, very luxurious, which Kuro rented for a lot of money, equipped with rest areas, and had the Navy move in.
Anyway, the world government will reimburse this money, so it all goes to the world government in the end, and it doesn't matter.
The grand theater is divided into nine floors. The top floor used to be the director's lounge and office, but now Kuro has taken it over and lives there.
"Hasn't their king arrived yet? I remember asking you to send him a message a long time ago, what's going on?"
Kuro was half-reclining on a luxurious sofa chair, casually waving a newspaper, and asked the question to the waiting Kuro beside him.
He was resting peacefully when Kro suddenly came over and said that the King of the Duchy of Faya was no longer answering his calls.
Kuro adjusted his glasses and said, "Yes, Mr. Kuro, we contacted them immediately and they said they were coming and had already set off, but when I called to confirm the itinerary just now, no one answered."
"That's pretty damn weird. This guy's pretty arrogant. He offered to join the World Government as a member state, but now he's nowhere to be seen and isn't answering his phone either. What, do you think I'm not influential enough?" Kuro said strangely.
“I’m not sure yet, I’ll go check again…” Kro said.
Kuro waved his hand. "Forget it, let's wait a bit longer. What's that Farettal Joshua doing these past few days?"
“The same old routine: give speeches in the streets and alleys, issue decrees, and demand that all the kings put aside their disputes and form a unified Astia,” Kro replied.
Faretal Joshua, a very mysterious person, so mysterious that Kuro was very interested in him.
Based on his Observation Haki, this person's strength wasn't just average; it was extremely high. According to Kuro's perception and deduction, this person's strength was no less than that of a Shichibukai. Although Observation Haki can only sense life force, and the specific combat strength still depends on the battle, Kuro has a wealth of experience, so his deduction of strength was pretty accurate.
With such strength, now that Shanks has retreated, Teach is not here, and he is stationed here, if he wanted to launch a rebellion, he could succeed at any time.
This guy has extremely high prestige in the city of Amdan, so much so that the city's mayor has to go and consult him all the time, even though he himself is... a homeless man.
Yes, he's a homeless man who doesn't even have a house. He sleeps either in a bar or on the street, just lying on an old newspaper.
The people in the neighborhood seemed to have gotten used to it, and even when Joshua didn't have enough newspapers, they would spontaneously give him their own, which was quite amazing.
Out of curiosity, Kuro asked, "Since you respect him so much, why don't you improve his life?"
The answer was that Joshua rejected them all.
Many people offered him housing and bought him mansions, but he refused them all. In Joshua's words, these were not his personal property, and he had no right to them.
The citizens settled for renting rooms, but he refused, because those rooms weren't his own either.
He relied on himself for everything – food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. In this city, he made a living by scavenging for garbage. Eventually, the city's residents got used to it and stopped demanding more.
Despite the hardships of life, Joshua remained a helpful man, resolving disputes for people in every corner of the city. Wherever he went, there was no problem he couldn't solve.
Kuro doesn't know if Joshua is the 'Emperor' of Astia, but he believes that Joshua is the emperor of 'Amdan'.
This guy didn't earn respect through ability or any tricks; he earned it purely through his character!
"Waaaaaah!!"
Suddenly, a wail rang out outside. It wasn't just one person crying; it seemed like everyone on the street was crying.
Kuro raised an eyebrow, stood up and looked out the window. He saw a group of people holding a newspaper that had just been dropped by a newsbird, weeping bitterly.
"My king! My king!!"
She was crying, and there were people shouting at her.
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