The appearance of the Golden Thief took everyone by surprise.
They had imagined scouring every inch of Sabaody Archipelago, finally cornering their long-hidden enemy, and engaging in a life-or-death battle.
But they had never expected this man to walk right up to them—alone.
The most unsettling thing was...
His attitude, from start to finish, radiated an arrogance that came from the depths of his soul.
How dare they mention their fallen brothers in front of members of the SWORD Special Forces.
This... was absolutely unforgivable.
The first to strike were the most hot-tempered duo—the old smokers.
After years of working together, Smoker and Hina, despite constantly bickering with each other, had developed the best coordination in the entire Angel Alliance.
Smoker silently lit a cigar, and in the next moment, the embers rising from it were drawn into the smoke.
Within the originally gray-black haze, a layer of smoldering crimson began to surge beneath the surface.
With a wave of Hina's hands, countless straight Black Spears materialized around her, immediately enveloped by the thick, smoldering smoke.
Then, under Hina's control, the superheated Black Spears tore through the sky, hurtling toward Michael's back.
Such petty tricks should theoretically never hit Michael.
Yet Michael deliberately chose to test the lethality of their attacks.
Without even coating his hands with Armament Haki, he plucked the relentless barrage of Black Cage spears from midair and tossed them onto the ground.
Though it seemed effortless, Michael knew…
Even with his physical resilience, his palms had been scorched by the searing heat of the Black Cage spears.
Forged through Devil Fruit abilities, the material of these spears was unknown—capable of fully absorbing the smoldering heat of Smoker's smoke without warping.
Neither of their Devil Fruit powers was particularly formidable on its own, but this synergy was unique to them.
Even if he had used Armament Haki to block, it would have required a substantial amount.
"Truly… scalding." Michael caught the final Black Cage spear aimed at his head, then turned to face Smoker and Hina.
The mask of the Golden Thief reflected an eerie glint.
In the next instant, he hurled the last spear back toward Smoker with a flick of his wrist.
The sheer force created friction in the air, producing faint sonic booms.
Smoker was instantly dispersed into a cloud of smoke, unable to reform for quite some time.
"So, even the Angel Alliance enjoys ambushes?" Michael shook his hand, then displayed his burned palm to the surrounding SWORD Classified Special Forces.
"Quite the burn."
Yet no one answered him. Instead, they silently encircled him from all directions.
They didn't attack all at once. Though their eyes brimmed with fury and hatred, they also wanted this pirate—who had slain their comrades—
To taste despair.
From his earlier display, the so-called Golden Thief was undoubtedly strong, but…
Were they weak?
"Sandersonia, Marigold," Hancock murmured. "Proceed."
"Yes, Sister!"
The two girls stepped forward eagerly at their elder sister's command.
Seven years had passed since Sandersonia and Marigold had blossomed from graceful maidens into mature women.
The only constants were their green and orange locks.
Having consumed the Swift-Swift Fruit and the Power-Power Fruit respectively, the sisters had long since taken up the mantle of defending Amazon Lily, establishing an impenetrable stronghold in the Calm Belt to repel World Government assaults.
"You killed Shu and T-Bone… We won't let you off easy," Marigold said, her slender fingers—delicate as spring onions—lifting the massive hammer from her back as effortlessly as one might hold a newspaper.
"If possible, I'll shatter every bone in your body… You'll regret ever being born."
Listening to Marigold's voice, thick with suppressed madness and hatred, Michael couldn't help but smile beneath his mask.
This little girl… always played the fragile, innocent act around him…
But look at her now—standing tall on her own.Sandersonia didn't utter any threats. She merely stared in confusion at the mask belonging to the Golden Thief.
For some reason, a voice kept echoing in Sandersonia's heart… She felt as though she recognized this masked figure—his silhouette was hauntingly familiar…
Yet, she couldn't recall who it was.
But soon, Sandersonia shook her head.
None of that mattered anymore.
All they needed to know was that the person before them… was an enemy.
That was enough.
In the next instant, Sandersonia's green hair transformed into a streak of emerald light as she lunged at Michael.
In a way, the Speed-Speed Fruit was one that ensured absolute survival—as long as the user didn't recklessly court death.
Unless pursued by Kizaru Borsalino or Enel, whose speeds bordered on short-range teleportation, almost no one could keep up with Sandersonia's movements.
But…
Michael was clearly an exception.
After all, no matter how fast Sandersonia was, the trajectory of her attack remained unchanged.
Michael only needed to predict where her dagger would strike—like this.
With a metallic clang, Sandersonia's dagger was caught between Michael's two fingers, shrouded in black-purple Armament Haki, just as it was about to pierce his heart.
Just as Michael was about to speak, a massive shadow loomed overhead, rapidly expanding.
Marigold's hammer, amplified by the Power-Power Fruit, came crashing down toward Michael's skull.
Michael raised his other hand and intercepted the blow head-on.
He had never feared a contest of strength.
"Honestly, you both still need more training…"
As Michael spoke, Sandersonia's mind flashed with sudden realization.
Her head snapped up, only to see the Golden Thief hurl both the hammer and Marigold toward the landmark of Sabaody Archipelago—the Eve Sunlight Tree.
Then, he turned back to her, raising a finger to the mouth of his mask in a silencing gesture.
"Fa—"
Sandersonia instinctively began to speak, but Michael flicked her forehead, sending her flying backward with a light tap.