Hatred for the Worst Generation, Cavendish's Lost Popularity
In the video footage, Bellamy, a seasoned pirate, had naturally heard of Elizabello II's "King Punch".
In an attempt to prevent him from using his abilities, he immediately launched an attack on Elizabello II, but was stopped by someone—Taigu Repante, the Army Commander of the Dressrosa Self-Defense Force.
The two immediately entered into a one-on-one duel, and for a time, they fought fiercely and evenly matched.
At the edge of the arena, a man watched the chaotic battle with remarkable ease. It was Bartolomeo, who lay on his side on the ground, propping his head up with his hand, acting as a close-up observer, as if he were not a competitor but a spectator.
On the screen, a few confused comments immediately appeared: {Hey! What is Bartolomeo doing? Is he trying to get himself killed?}
Why hasn't this guy made a move yet? Is he waiting until everyone else has finished fighting before he attacks? Is he trying to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?
{Could this guy actually be weak? That's why he's hesitant to attack. Wait a minute! Generally speaking, pirates with bounties over 100 million are all incredibly strong! This guy shouldn't be weak! What is he thinking?}
{Hey! Bartolomeo, are you going to fight or not? If not, then get lost!}
{...}
{...}
In the video footage, Cavendish, displeased with Bartolomeo's "playing it off" behavior, exclaimed, "This guy is really reckless!"
As he spoke, he flipped through a stack of wanted posters in his hand, each one covered in scratches, clearly his own handiwork. "This guy, like Straw Hat Luffy, is one of those arrogant newcomers who doesn't know his own limitations. We have to take him out in this competition."
Upon hearing this, Luffy, standing beside him, immediately broke out in a cold sweat and asked, "What are you doing, Cabbage?"
"Looks like we need to come up with a new one, since we're checking the wanted posters for the new members of the Worst Generation," Cavendish replied casually.
Just then, his hand happened to land on Luffy's wanted poster, which was so badly scratched that Luffy's image was completely illegible.
Seeing this, Luffy swallowed hard and said, "Alright! Cabbage, just let them go!"
"That won't do. I must wipe them all out," Cavendish said, his voice filled with hatred.
The screen was immediately filled with puzzled comments: {Ugh! What the heck is the Worst Generation? I've never heard of this group before! Are they some kind of pirates who suddenly rise to prominence after the two-year timeskip? Who are they?!}
{Wait, why does Cavendish hate Straw Hat Luffy so much?! Is he also a member of the Worst Generation? But I've never heard of Straw Hat Luffy teaming up with anyone, except Trafalgar Law, but that was an alliance! They're completely different!}
Wow! The scratches on Straw Hat Luffy are really bad! It seems to be much worse than all the previous ones combined! What did he do to offend Cavendish?!
If Cavendish didn't recognize the Straw Hat Luffy even after all that, just how bad are his eyesight?!
{...}
{...}
The video quickly provided the answer; the scene shifted back to the equipment selection area in the lounge, just a short while earlier.
Cavendish was vividly describing to Luffy how popular he had been, how much attention he had received from reporters, and how popular he was.
But soon, as if he had just realized something, his face darkened, and his tone was filled with resentment as he said, "But I never imagined that a year later, Whitebeard's Paramount War would destroy all of that!"
"The battle between Straw Hat Luffy and Whitebeard, which they fought together, attracted worldwide attention. Even the younger generation that emerged afterward were collectively praised as the Most Heinous Generation, sweeping across major media outlets and gaining immense popularity."
"After that, the reporters wouldn't even look at me again! They stole all my popularity, so I have to wipe out all these annoying newcomers."
Luffy was speechless and said, "You're just taking your anger out on someone else!"
"Say what you will!" Cavendish gritted his teeth. "I'm going to win back all my popularity and then conquer the world again."
At this point, he composed himself, reverting to his elegant demeanor, and said, "Therefore, I must obtain the Flame-Flame Fruit in this competition."
To everyone's surprise, Luffy completely ignored him and stepped onto the scales again.
This time, having removed the excess armor, he finally succeeded.
This naturally angered Cavendish, who yelled at him, "Now you'll never dare treat me like that again!"
On the screen, surprised comments immediately appeared: {I never thought Cavendish hated the Straw Hat Luffy just because his popularity was being stolen! What an incredibly childish reason!}
{Wow! Whitebeard really went up against the Navy? Who won? The Navy? Or Whitebeard?!}
{What?! Straw Hat Luffy participated in the Paramount War and even teamed up with Whitebeard! Wait, what's his relationship with Ace? Why would he go to such lengths for him?}
{I really want to see this world-famous war soon! God from Beyond the Domain, please release the Jianying already!}
{...}
{...}
The New World, Moby Dick.
"That Straw Hat Luffy really lives up to his reputation as Ace's brother; he's quite loyal, daring to go directly to Marine Headquarters to rescue his brother."
"That's right! I admire him greatly in that respect. However, don't think I'll forget what he said before: as long as he still intends to harm Pops, I won't let him get away with it."
"You're really stubborn! But what you said makes a lot of sense; after all, one thing is one thing, another is another."
"..."
"..."
"Gurararara, that Straw Hat Luffy is quite interesting indeed!" Whitebeard said, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.
New World, Totto Land, Whole Cake Island.
"Mama, you old Whitebeard man, you've fallen from grace! Now you even need to team up with a brat to deal with the Navy! You're really getting more and more senile!" Big Mom sneered.
"So, Mom, should we make some preparations in advance?!" One of Big Mom's sons asked from beneath the throne.
"Mama, what are we preparing? What's there to prepare! Let Whitebeard and the Marines fight to the death, that's in our best interest. I'm not a warmonger Kaido, I just want to reap the rewards!" Big Mom exclaimed excitedly.