บท 24: The Seven Warlords? Not Interested
At the port.
Sanders, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, steered a small boat to the shore.
He had borrowed these clothes from a pirate, along with some Berries.
Near Sabaody Archipelago, there was never a shortage of ambitious dreamers looking to enter the New World.
As he entered the bustling streets of the island, people came and went.
The streets were filled with individuals on wanted posters.
But the island's residents had long grown accustomed to such sights.
Sanders first bought himself a new set of clothes and then headed to a hotel for a refreshing bath. After changing into clean attire, he set out once again.
He wandered into the auction house, hoping to see if any Celestial Dragons were around for him to deal with.
Unfortunately, things didn't go his way.
There were no Celestial Dragons at the slave auction, leaving Sanders rather disappointed.
Just as he was about to leave, a man in a black suit blocked his path.
"Sir, someone would like to speak with you in a private room."
"Who?"
"You'll know when you get there," the man replied, cold sweat forming on his forehead—clearly, he recognized Sanders.
"Lead the way, then."
Sanders nodded slightly, intrigued by who wanted to meet him.
Could it be Doflamingo?
Sanders knew Doflamingo was involved in the slave trade.
Maybe Doflamingo was the one behind this auction house?
Out of curiosity, Sanders followed the man into a private room.
The staff member didn't enter but merely opened the door for Sanders.
Sanders swaggered inside, using his Observation Haki to sense four people inside, none of whom seemed particularly strong.
As he entered, he saw four men in black suits sitting on the sofa.
"Who are you?"
"What do you want?" Sanders asked directly.
"Mr. Sanders, we're with the World Government. We're here to invite you to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
The man in sunglasses, who seemed a bit arrogant, spoke up.
Sanders raised an eyebrow.
He had thought it might be a pirate, but it turned out to be World Government officials.
These guys sure were efficient.
He had barely set foot on Sabaody, and they already tracked him down.
It seemed the World Government had anticipated his arrival and posted people at the port.
No wonder he hadn't encountered any Celestial Dragons during his walk around.
"This is a great honor. Once you become a Warlord, you won't have to worry about being hunted by the Marines or the World Government. You can also legally plunder," the man continued, acting as if joining the Warlords was some grand privilege.
"Of course, to become a Warlord, you'd have to agree to certain conditions. For instance, you can't harm..."
"I refuse!"
Before the man could finish, Sanders interrupted him, clearly impatient.
"Wha...what?"
The man in sunglasses seemed confused.
"I said I refuse."
Sanders repeated himself.
He thought it might be something important.
Turns out, the Five Elders wanted to recruit him as one of the Seven Warlords.
For some people, being a Warlord was a good choice.
It allowed them to protect their territory from Marine invasions.
For instance, Boa Hancock needed to protect Amazon Lily, and Jinbe wanted to safeguard Fishman Island.
Some sought to use the Warlord status for their own schemes, like Doflamingo and Crocodile, who aimed to seize a kingdom.
Others simply wanted a peaceful life, like Mihawk.
But none of this interested Sanders.
He was a lone wolf with no need to protect anyone.
Nor was he interested in using the Warlords to seize a country.
If he wanted to rule a kingdom, he could simply conquer it directly.
No kingdom in the world could resist his invasion.
The Warlords held no value for him.
Most importantly, he could guess one of the conditions for becoming a Warlord—he'd probably have to stop attacking the Celestial Dragons.
He still hadn't avenged his adoptive father.
How could he possibly spare those disgusting pigs?
"You...you're rejecting this? Do you even know how much of an honor it is to become a Warlord?"
"Do you realize this is a chance the World Government is giving you?"
"If you become a Warlord, all your crimes will be erased!"
"Do you really want to be endlessly hunted by the Marines?"
The man in sunglasses was dumbfounded, unable to believe someone would refuse the World Government's offer.
"Go tell the Five Elders this: I'm going to kill the Celestial Dragons. Those pigs better stay in Mariejois for the rest of their lives," Sanders said coldly.
He was fed up with this fool.
"How dare you! How dare you insult the World Nobles! Calling the Celestial Dragons pigs—just wait for the Admirals to hunt you down!"
The man in sunglasses, enraged, pointed at Sanders and barked like an obedient dog.
Sanders' eyes turned cold. In an instant, he appeared before the man, grabbing his head with one large hand.
Lightning crackled between Sanders' fingers.
"You dare lay a hand on me? The World Government won't let you..."
Before the man could finish his threat, a surge of violent lightning burst from Sanders' hand.
The man's head was instantly charred to a crisp.
With a single squeeze, Sanders crushed his skull and tossed the headless corpse to the ground.
He looked at the three remaining men, who were trembling in fear.
"Remember to pass on my message," Sanders said.
He casually wiped the ash from his hand on one of the men's suits before turning to leave.
The three men, still shaking, quickly pulled out their Den Den Mushi after he left.
Outside the room, the auction house staff peeked in, then quietly went to the corner and made a call of their own.
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T/N:
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