Three years earlier—
"Brat, it's time to hit the road!"
As soon as the wavy-haired man spoke, his right fist, coated in Haki, shot toward Bai Ina's head with terrifying force.
"Wait—"
Just as that Armament Haki-coated fist was about to strike Bai Ina's temple, a voice rang out from afar, causing the wavy-haired man's movement to halt abruptly.
Looking toward the source of the voice, they saw several figures slowly approaching from the other side of the sea of flames. At their head was a middle-aged man in a black suit, with black wavy hair slicked back.
This man was the current commander of Cipher Pol 9—Spandine.
"Commander!"
Stussy and the others hurriedly called out respectfully.
But Bai Ina's gaze passed straight over Spandine and locked onto the fawning figure standing behind him.
"Jande!!!"
With a beastlike roar, Bai Ina's battered body somehow found the strength to lunge at Jande.
"Courting death!"
But the wavy-haired man before him swept out with a kick, viciously striking Bai Ina in the back.
Bang—
With a heavy thud, Bai Ina was kicked flat onto the ground.
"Jande—"
His eyes bloodshot, Bai Ina glared fixedly at Jande behind Spandine. His hands clawed at the ground as he crawled toward him inch by inch.
Seeing this, Spandine's lips curled into an amused smile as he looked down at Bai Ina crawling along the ground.
"Brat, I have a multiple-choice question for you. Want to make a choice?"
As though he had not heard him, Bai Ina continued crawling forward.
Spandine's smile grew broader. "Looks like you don't want to choose!" He turned to Stussy and said, "Go kill the other two brats!"
"Yes!"
Bai Ina's body suddenly froze. His blood-red eyes turned toward Spandine as he rasped, "What choice...?"
Spandine smiled and waved at