On a street corner in Nanohana, a group of hooded people watched the hotel where the Great Angel and his party were staying.
Their leader was a middle-aged man over two meters tall, with an unusual head of curly hair.
The others all looked like the criminal sort.
Only the curly-haired man seemed different from his companions, looking rather civilized.
"The higher-ups told us to watch them, but getting close seems pretty difficult."
One man who looked like a complete small fry had his hand on his sword hilt, and even that was trembling a little.
They knew something about the Great Angel and Babylon. Not much, but enough to know they were absurdly strong.
Most people in this world, even lower- and middle-ranking Marine officers or pirates who had never been to the New World, had little understanding.
They had no real concept of just how strong the truly powerful were.
...For example, in "Fan Letter," the people in the Sabaody tavern argued about who the strongest swordsman was. Besides Hawk-Eye, some thought it was Zoro, and others even said Vista.
"...True. I can't see what makes that Great Angel so strong, but his Knights...look! That armor!"
The fat man carrying two swords on his back had originally been fairly confident in his strength. He had even beaten a criminal with a one-million bounty in single combat.
But...
The Knights guarding the entrance wore fully enclosed Power Armor with a sacred, religious aesthetic.
Electrothermal Knights Swords, Electromagnetic Rifles, Plasma Shotguns, shoulder-mounted Portable Electromagnetic Cannons, and Electromagnetic Rocket Jetpacks.
That whole look certainly had a greater intimidating effect on ordinary people.
"Boss, what do we do? Say something!"
A relatively short middle-aged man dressed like a desert bandit, with a dagger at his waist, anxiously questioned the curly-haired man in