Unable to stop the battle, Drake was already quite surprised by the course of events.
His reason for wanting to stop the battle was simple because Marika knew the Six Styles...
Both the Soru and the Finger Gun applied to her hair were skillful, and she also knew Haki.
Drake could also discern Haki because he knew it too...
In the first half, to know Haki and use the Six Styles... there's definitely something unusual.
The first thought that came to Drake's mind wasn't pirates, but perhaps allies, not Navy, then maybe Special Agent... after all, the Disaster Pirates have already been captured, haven't they?
The current Marika, perhaps like him, formed a pirate crew solo, acting for some other mission.
Though he didn't know what it was, Drake was naturally willing to stop the conflict given the possibility.
Fighting here wasn't something he wanted to see in the first place.
But the ones appearing thereafter took him by surprise.
'Blast Hammer' Renedia and 'Magician' Hawkins!
The former's bounty of one hundred million might not count, as Marika's is higher, but the latter's bounty of two hundred ninety-four million suggests they couldn't possibly be led by Marika.
No pirate crew would have subordinates with bounties higher than their captain; the crew's bounty starts with the captain.
Is the Disaster Pirates now led by Hawkins?
Just as this thought arose, the situation changed again.
A cold glint lined up within Killer's scythe, revealing a slender sword two fingers wide, its tip just a hair's breadth away from Killer's throat, a thrust would pierce through.
The sword's owner was slightly bent at the knee, striking an Iaijutsu pose, with a cold gaze and solemn face, her Battle Armor Skirt accentuating her graceful figure, and her golden hair shimmered like the sun under its rays.
Bienta Lily!
If it were merely the appearance of this woman, Drake wouldn't be so surprised, but just in front, where Urouge had stood, appeared a striking man...
A man in a black cloak with crimson tips, white hair!
"Hey! What's he doing here!"
Not only Drake, but even Law showed shock, looking at the man in disbelief.
Aside from him, all the Super Rookies present, including the knocked-down Urouge, exhibited utmost amazement.
"Norton Sage, Disaster."
Urouge got up, still maintaining his strange smile, but his tone changed, "Why? Weren't you captured?!"
Capone Bege bit his cigar, silent, merely watched intently.
That was certainly Disaster...
A bounty far exceeding theirs, reaching a level of domination!
To other Super Rookies, even if it was three hundred million, Bege wouldn't care, as intelligence suggested these were merely threats to the World Government, not representing strength.
They're all pirates; there's nothing to fear.
But the bounty has a threshold, three hundred million might be nothing to fear, but six hundred million... that's entirely different.
Especially when a few days ago the newspaper had disclosed that this guy was captured in Impel Down!
And it wasn't the World Government's newspaper, in fact, the World Government didn't have that function; it was mostly the major press agencies, with the biggest being the World Economic News.
The focus is on authenticity, no matter how exaggerated, it doesn't deviate from basic facts; what happened is reported as is, without falsehood.
Disaster was captured, something the World Government disclosed, and if false, it would easily be exposed, the World Government wouldn't do something so foolish.
No one believed it was fake news, yet here he was!
"What's happening?" Bege murmured.
"Seems familiar..."
Sage scanned the crowd, clicked his tongue, "And it's rather unpleasant."
To him, these figures seemed familiar, perhaps remembered, but mostly forgotten since they held no importance.
Though fellow pirates, he had little interest in them, not more than the spoils from a robbery.
They had just finished off a bounty hunter, looking around for more plunder-worthy areas, when they heard fighting sounds, and then...
Marika was hurt.
That hand, the one used for cooking.
"Norton Sage!"
Kid drew his sword at his waist, also snarling, "I don't care how you got here, your bounty greatly displeases me!"
Clang!
Just as Kid finished speaking, Killer swung his scythe to parry Lily's slender sword, flipped back to land, ready to leap up using the momentum from the ground.
Lily, sensing this, tightly gripped her White Thunder, her body flickering to become a blur, but at that moment, a hand grabbed Killer's head.
Sage appeared behind him, and his stature comparable to Sage's now seemed doll-like, easily flung by Sage towards the red-haired figure.
"Who are you?"
He finally asked.
"Eustass Kid."
Lily retrieved her sword, reminding, "Sage, that's a pirate with a bounty of three hundred fifteen million, second only to yours, along with others here who are all pirates... each with bounties over a hundred million, hailed as 'Super Rookie' like us."
"What level can match me."
Sage chuckled, didn't even glance at Kid, instead turned to Urouge, "Hey, what's your plan?"
Urouge flexed his huge body, still smiling, "A bounty of six hundred million makes one eager to fight."
"Wrong answer."
Bam!
In a flash, Sage was before the giant, fist embedded in his abdomen, bending his body, followed by a sweeping kick hooking onto his head, sending him crashing into the ground, leaving a crater.
"The answer is to kneel and beg forgiveness, then pay a price I'm satisfied with."
Sage's lips curled, recalling something, his figure wavered and vanished.
Bam!
Bege's head shot forward, spitting his cigar out, his body seemed to have received a heavy blow, flying aside, landing beside Urouge.
"Hey!"
In the next instant, Bonney cried out, her body pulled mid-air, as if someone grabbed her ankle and tossed her, she landed the same on that side.
This caused Drake and Law's pupils to shrink, instinctively sweating coldly.
"How about this..."
Sage reappeared at the original spot, tauntingly grinned at the facing pirates, "Meeting by chance means fate, robbing one is robbing, robbing two is also robbing, robbing Shampodi is robbing, robbing pirates is equally robbing. Pay the price, name your price for your lives!"