Savila Island had become much quieter lately.
After all, many people already knew that Chinjao's Happo Navy was waiting here for the Valthior Pirates, and that the two sides might very likely clash on this island.
Still, quiet did not mean empty. Aside from the Happo Navy waiting here, there were still other people on the island.
Some could not leave. Some had only passed by recently and had no choice but to stop for supplies. Others had come on purpose to watch the excitement.
There were madmen everywhere on the sea, and some of them believed they might be able to pick up some profit from the chaos.
There were also reporters from different news agencies hiding across the island, ready to take rare battlefield photos and sell them for a high price.
On the mountain behind the town of Savila Island, Chinjao and his men were holding a barbecue feast.
A wild boar as large as an elephant had been cleaned and skewered on a thick wooden pole, then placed over a campfire to roast. From time to time, the flames licked across the boar's skin and fat, making it hiss as oil dripped down.
Chinjao and Tofu, both huge men, sat facing each other. Each of them held a giant boar leg, eating in a rough and wild way.
"Will that Valthior really come?" Tofu asked while chewing roasted meat.
"He should come. After all, the news has already spread, and pirates care about face more than anything. Even if he is uneasy inside, as long as we act as if we are waiting here for him openly, he must come. Otherwise, he will never be able to get his face back," Chinjao said with great confidence.
He was not a pure pirate, but he understood pirates very well.
Just as he said, pirates were a group that cared deeply about face. Many times, that bit of pride was even more important than life itself.
The underworld had already spread the word. Both sides now looked as if they were standing against each other and wanted to kill the other side.
At a time like this, if Valthior did not come, then without a doubt, it would mean he was afraid of the Happo Navy and afraid of Chinjao. That would be a serious blow to Valthior's face and authority.
This was especially true because Valthior's reputation on the sea was still mixed.
His bounty was extremely high, even above old great pirates like Shiki and Whitebeard. However, most people believed this was not because his strength was truly that great, but because he had gained from the Roger Pirates' rise.
Because Pirate King Gol D. Roger had reached the top, Valthior had also followed that wave and become a great pirate with a bounty of more than two billion Berries.
On the surface, he had pressed down figures like Shiki and Whitebeard, taken over Frost Island, and become one of the famous great pirates of the New World.
But this also showed that his foundation was not stable. Many people on the sea doubted whether he truly had the strength and right to sit at that height.
So the more things were like this, the less he could afford to show weakness to anyone who challenged him.
If he lowered his head to the Happo Navy this time, then without a doubt, his bounty of more than two billion Berries and his status as a great pirate would immediately collapse, turning him into a joke across the sea.
After that, he would fall into endless trouble. Those ambitious people who wanted to step on others to rise would keep harassing and challenging him.
That would turn the currently famous Valthior Pirates into clowns.
Because of that, Chinjao was certain Valthior would come.
He had to come.
He had to hold up his flag and protect his pride.
"If he is not an empty name like you think, but a real monster instead, then aren't we being too reckless this time?" Tofu asked again.
This time, Chinjao fell silent for a moment. He picked up the wine jug, drank several large mouthfuls, then said, "How can anyone do anything without taking risks? We want to take the great treasure and Roger's sixty billion Berries, but we do not want to face danger? There is no path that easy on this sea. Since we want to take this shortcut, we have to accept the risk. If Valthior really is that strong, then we can only blame our bad luck…"
"Hahahaha, you're right. My worries were foolish," Tofu said with a loud laugh.
He suddenly felt that although he was a little stronger than Chinjao, he was still weaker in spirit.
Maybe it was because he had almost never left the West Blue. The waves of the New World really did train a man. In the future, when he had time, he should come to this sea more often.
"Besides, I do not believe he truly has that kind of strength. According to the underworld's information, that guy is only twenty-five this year. Aside from Spencer, Sunbell, Doringo, and a few others from Roger's ship, the Valthior Pirates were formed by him leading a ship full of kids. In private, plenty of people say he is only playing pirate games. With a situation like that, do you really think he has the strength to stand beside Whitebeard and Shiki, let alone stand above them?" Chinjao said with disdain.
There were indeed many complaints about the Valthior Pirates on the sea.
The most important one was the age of their members, which made many people mock them in secret.
Aside from Spencer, Sunbell, and the others, Douglas Bullet looked mature and steady, but in truth, he was only a fourteen-year-old brat.
As for Shanks, Buggy, and the others, there was even less need to say.
Bartholomew Kuma, who had joined not long ago, was only sixteen.
There was also Sphinx, who looked like a young girl at first glance.
Because of this, in the eyes of many people, the Valthior Pirates looked strangely amusing. Some troublemakers had even given them a mocking nickname.
The Baby Pirates.
It was used to laugh at their childishness.
Valthior naturally knew about those rumors, but he did not care. After all, those who mocked him now would one day become people who admired him, or even envied him.
In Valthior's words, time was on their side.
Bullet, Shanks, Buggy, Bartholomew Kuma… These people were still very young, and some could even be called children.
But no one could deny that if they were given another five to ten years, each of them could become a powerful figure who could stand on their own across the sea.
When that time came, it would without doubt become the peak of the Valthior Pirates. Valthior also believed that by then, he would have enough power to dominate the entire New World.
Those who mocked them now for being young were only blind fools who could not see the future. Why should he care about the short sight of fools?
"What you said makes sense. One brat leading a group of babies…" Tofu said with a teasing smile.
However, before he could finish speaking, his brows suddenly furrowed. It was not only him. Chinjao's expression also darkened.
The next second, the ground under them suddenly dried up and turned into sand, sinking slightly. Right after that, Chinjao's Armament Haki burst out and wrapped around his arms as he crossed the wild boar leg in front of his chest.
"Desert Spada!"
A cold, hoarse voice with a strange charm came from within the sand pit.
The soft yellow sand instantly hardened into a blade and swept across. It cleanly cut Tofu's body in half at the waist, then struck hard against the wild boar leg in Chinjao's hands.
The roasted boar leg, still giving off the smell of cooked meat, was wrapped in Haki and barely blocked the attack. Even so, the force behind it still made Chinjao stand up and take two steps back.
At the same time, Crocodile slowly appeared from the yellow sand. His hair was slicked back, a cigar was held between his teeth, and a black fur coat hung over his shoulders.
"As expected of a guy with a bounty of five hundred million Berries. You are sharp…" Crocodile said arrogantly as he looked at Chinjao, who was still holding the boar leg.
As for Tofu, who had been "killed" in one strike, Crocodile did not care at all. After all, that guy did not even have a bounty, and this was also his first time in the New World. Crocodile thought he was just a small fry.
"Who are you?" Chinjao asked with an unhappy expression.
"Remember this. The man who kills you is named Crocodile!" Crocodile said with a cold laugh.
As soon as his voice fell, yellow sand spun in his palm, as if it would turn into a sandstorm at any moment.
But in the next instant, a scorching heat came from behind him.
"Mapo Tofu: Sky-Fire Fist!"
With a boom, raging flames and powerful fist force erupted at once, swallowing Crocodile's body in an instant.
The flames spread like a shockwave. In the blink of an eye, the lush mountain forest was engulfed and transformed into a sea of fire.
Then Tofu walked out from within the flames. Though he had been cut in half at the waist only moments ago, he now stood completely unharmed.
After all, he was none other than the current user of the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit!
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