#24 The Recruitment annouced

Before long, Carlo and Blackbeard arrived at the center of the town.

The large town square was packed with pirates, thousands of them gathered closely together!

Most of them were low-ranking members of various pirate crews, but there were also plenty of decent ones among them…

"Hey, Teach, looks like we came to the right place."

As soon as they stepped into the square, the atmosphere grew tense. The noisy crowd fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on the two of them.

There were curious stares, hostile glares, shocked expressions, and even looks of hatred and anger…

After all, Carlo and Blackbeard had taken down quite a few pirates on their way here.

Many of those pirates had friends, bosses, or brothers on this island.

Seeing these enemies now, it was no surprise that they received such unfriendly looks.

If it weren't for fear and caution, the crowd would have attacked them like hungry wolves already!

"Yeah, this place is perfect!"

Blackbeard responded and then walked to the platform in the center of the square. Grinning with his missing teeth, he laughed loudly, "Zehahaha Listen all of you, I've brought you a great opportunity!"

"Today, we're holding a recruitment event here. If you pass the test, you'll have the chance to follow me!"

"The reward for following me is right here with my first mate!"

Despite the various emotions and reactions from the crowd, Blackbeard and Carlo didn't care.

They spoke to each other briefly and then stepped onto the platform, wasting no time in announcing their purpose!

As soon as Blackbeard finished speaking, Carlo waved his hand, revealing a gourd-shaped white Devil Fruit in his palm!

It was one of the Devil Fruits they had obtained from the Sacred Land of Hostol, the Paramecia-type Speed-Speed Fruit!

The moment the Speed-Speed Fruit appeared, the already quiet crowd became completely silent!

Everyone was stunned, staring at the scene in disbelief!

A Devil Fruit was right in front of them!

For a moment, the only sounds were heavy breathing and the gulping of saliva. Most eyes turned red with desire…

"Recruiting crew members? Haha, what a joke!"

"And we have to follow you? Who do you think you are?"

"Two newbies who just arrived at Salaca, thinking they can boss us around because they're strong? You want to lead us?"

"You killed my comrades! Hand over the Devil Fruit, and I'll let you die quickly!"

"Yeah, give us the Devil Fruit, and you might get a quick death!"

…

As expected, in a place filled with pirates, recruiting crew members wasn't going to be easy.

Most of the pirates in the crowd were thinking about seizing the Devil Fruit for themselves.

Submitting to someone else? No way!

But the ones making the most noise were mostly small fry or captains of minor pirate crews.

The truly powerful pirates were watching silently, eyeing the Devil Fruit in Carlo's hand but also sensing the strength of the two men on the platform, which kept them from acting rashly.

The scene perfectly illustrated the saying: the stronger ones know when to advance and retreat, while the weak ones bark the loudest!

"Zehahaha, how noisy…"

Listening to the obnoxious shouting, Blackbeard and Carlo exchanged a glance, a cruel glint flashing in their eyes…

The next moment, Blackbeard activated his Devil Fruit power!

He remained standing, extending his right hand toward the crowd below—

"Dark Vortex!"

With a shout, black swirling wisps appeared in his right palm, rotating rapidly counterclockwise!

Instantly, everyone who had been shouting earlier screamed in terror as they were pulled into the air, flying toward Blackbeard's hand!

"No… aahhh!!"

These weaklings had no chance against Blackbeard's Dark Vortex, being effortlessly pulled toward him!

As they neared, instead of facing Blackbeard's black hand, they were met with a gleaming, sharp blade!

The Great Sword—Rain Burial!

With the blade's sharpness, cutting down these weaklings was easier than slicing vegetables. They were swiftly dispatched.

After dealing with the noisy pirates, Blackbeard struck a dramatic pose, raising the Rain Burial high before sheathing it with a flourish…

He looked like a seasoned swordsman, though anyone could tell he was just showing off!

"Enough with the theatrics!"

Seeing Blackbeard lost in his show, Carlo rolled his eyes, giving him a nudge to keep things moving.

Show off too much, and it might become a habit!

"He's a Devil Fruit user too!"

"And a really scary one. No wonder they didn't use it before…"

"They're offering a Devil Fruit as a reward, so it's no surprise they're strong!"

Seeing the pirates die at Blackbeard's hands, the crowd broke into nervous chatter, sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"Zehahaha, now, does anyone have any more questions about my proposal?"