Bertier did not personally meet Sinanidine, who had come as an emissary, but sent someone to Ksar Hellal Palace with a list of pirates, demanding that Hamoud Ali immediately hand over the individuals.
Under Hafsa's advice, Ali decided to take a tough stance and uncompromisingly drove the French emissary out of Tunis City.
At the same time, a large-scale mobilization began within Tunis City.
Because many troops had been previously dispatched to Kairouan to deal with Eunice, there were less than a thousand guards left in Tunis City. However, Sinanidine demonstrated commendable personal ability, mobilizing over 7,000 noble guards within just two days.
To those unfamiliar with the situation in Tunisia, this might sound somewhat awkward. That is because the term "Guard" in Tunisia does not refer to the name of an army, but is closer to a class.