This group of Supernovas currently staying in the Sabaody Archipelago indeed regard Nicholas as a stepping stone that can allow them to enter the New World with a powerful posture.
For this reason, they are even willing to take risks and stay in the Sabaody Archipelago, waiting for Nicholas to arrive.
Of course, these supernovas may also be here because they have not entered the New World yet and do not understand how dangerous the figures who can make a name for themselves in that perilous sea area are.
Or perhaps it's because Nicholas' age makes them overlook the fact that this young man, who looks much younger than them and hasn't even fully matured, can have equal dialogue with the top figures on the sea.
"Ah, it's troublesome. Sister Shakky, can you tell me where those guys are?"
Nicholas heard Shakky's words and said them somewhat helplessly. After all, others had set their sights on his head, so he couldn't just chat calmly with them about life, could he?
"Of course."
Shakky was a top-notch information dealer on the high seas. Although she had decided to retire in Sabaody, she had always closely followed the situation on the high seas. After all, even though she said she had retired, some people might not think so.
As the most potential Supernova among pirates each year, Shakky paid considerable attention to their intelligence because most of these guys would stay in the Sabaody Archipelago for a while before entering the New World.
Nicholas smiled even more happily when he heard Shakky's words.
"..."
Shakky looked at Nicholas in surprise, suddenly feeling some sympathy for the Supernovas, who had not yet entered the New World.
"Do you want money for this?"
Upon hearing Nicholas' teasing words, Shakky shook her head with a smile. "Don't talk nonsense. I won't take money from my dear brother, and besides, this intelligence is not confidential."
"Then I won't be polite."
Nicholas smiled warmly.
For him, he didn't want to face a bunch of troublemakers with his crew, eating hot pot and singing songs, preparing to enter the New World, only to suddenly encounter a bunch of bandits. So it's better to clear away these troubles ahead of time.
...
Tree Island No. 13.
In a room with tightly closed doors and windows, it had now become hell, with blood bubbling on the wooden floor through the cracks and more than a dozen people lying on the ground, their bodies covered in blood and their lives uncertain.
"Gaga, gaga, gaga...!"
In the pile of people, a thin man whose head was wrapped in a burlap sack, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes, was laughing wildly with a sickle in his hand.
The laughter sounded piercing, like owls gathering in a cemetery at night.
In front of the man, there was a man kneeling on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, his face full of fear.
At this point, he had lost many parts of his body, such as his hollow left eye with wriggling pink muscles and nerves, his right ear missing a piece still bleeding profusely, the chest with a piece of skin cut off, and the iron thorns piercing through his body.
"You are... Mar, the fear spreader, with a bounty of one billion and ten million berries. We have no grievances against you. Why attack us?" The man, who had been tortured, looked up in horror at Mar, who was laughing weirdly.
"Why do you ask me why? Of course, it's to spread the glory of fear all over the world, gaga, gaga."
"What kind of reason is that!? You lunatic!"
Hearing Mar's words, the man stared wide-eyed, unable to understand Mar's meaning.
Seeing the man's angry appearance, Mar suddenly waved his arm, and a sharp light flashed through the air, slashing across the man's forehead.
Then, another arm reached out, grabbing the skin on the man's forehead that had been cut open, and then violently pulled it down, causing the man's entire facial skin to be pulled off, hanging low on his chin.
The sudden pain made the man scream in agony, and his body even began to convulse.
Watching the man's tortured voice and painful appearance, Mar suddenly raised his arms, as if a devout believer, opening his arms to the sky, as if offering the suffering man some existence.
After a moment, the man's movements gradually diminished, and he finally lay still on the ground without any movement.
"It's a pity. It seems you can't become a member of our fear cult."
Watching the man lose his breath, Mar lowered his arms and turned to leave.
After Mar left, several people dressed similarly to Mar came out of the nearby room, looking at the two additional men with newly wrapped burlap bags over their heads, supported by other believers. Mar immediately went up to greet them.
"Welcome to join the Fear Cult."
After saying that, Mar placed his hand on the foreheads of the two men.
...
Tree Island No. 21.
In a back alley, a figure was squatting on the ground, hands constantly searching, seemingly looking for something.
"It's interesting. I didn't expect Jack the Ripper to still have the mood for hunting at this time."
A man wearing a black fur coat stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at Jack the Ripper, who was squatting not far away, constantly searching in the abdomen of a female corpse.
"Shwishh", accompanied by the sound of scissors, it seems that Jack has found what he wanted. Jack stood up, like a wolf, unmoving, and turned his head to reveal a creepy smile at the man in the fur coat.
With a swish, a burst of air sounded, and Jack the Ripper suddenly appeared in front of the man in the fur coat, putting the man's head into the blade of the scissors, but no matter how hard he tried, the scissors he held in his hands could not close.
The man in the fur coat, with a calm face, crossed his hands in front of him, covered by the black haki, and firmly grasped the blade of the scissors held by Jack, then suddenly crossed his hands up and down.
The movement was so great that Jack's body was also swaying in the air, and then he flew out.
"Not bad; it's armament, Haki, right?"
After being thrown out and landing, Jack looked at Ralph, standing there like a giant bear, and said calmly.
"Speak, what do you want from me?"
For Jack, he had also heard of Armament Haki; although it was rare in the first half of the Grand Line, it was almost a standard for strong people in the New World, and he was confident that he could quickly master this power after entering the New World.
"Cooperation."
Ralph said it concisely.
"Cooperation?"
Jack, with a somewhat gloomy expression, asked in a sinister tone.
"Yes, cooperation in hunting. Otherwise, we have no chance against Nicholas."
With the mention of Nicholas' name, the atmosphere between Ralph and Jack quieted down.
It's unknown who spread the news that they must take Nicholas' head. They did entertain the idea initially, but with Nicholas' new bounty, their intentions faded somewhat. After all, someone with that kind of bounty, despite looking incredibly young, is definitely not an easy opponent.
Their mindset shifted from killing Nicholas to facing him in battle and then retreating unscathed.
However, with the news that Supernovas are aiming to kill Nicholas, it's like a slap in the face. There's almost no turning back between the two.
If they choose to avoid the fight and enter the New World, they'll undoubtedly become famous.
However, most of the fame would be negative, like being called cowards, which is not what they expected.
"Just the two of us?"
"And there's also the guy known as the God of Spears and the so-called Seven Seas Gambling King. As for Mar, that lunatic, I'd rather not have more interaction with him, and I believe you feel the same way."
"That's true. Mar is indeed crazy, and his abilities are quite tricky."