Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 60 Ring the bell, light the lamp.

Despite being seriously injured, he had no intention of resting.

Weber sat cross-legged on the deck, looking at the scenery outside.

Actually, there wasn't much to see; it was just a vast expanse of white clouds, something he was already tired of looking at.

"Where are you going?" Weber suddenly asked after regaining his senses.

However, Bane did not answer his question once again, but instead asked, "What are those unfulfilled responsibilities and obligations you mentioned earlier?"

He wasn't someone who easily trusted others, but perhaps because of Roronoa Zoro, Webber had a very favorable impression of these Qinghai people.

That's right. Even though he was seriously injured by the other party, Waver really admired Zoro, and as a result, he also developed a certain degree of goodwill towards Bane and the others.

Bane, in particular, was very curious as to why someone like Zoro would be willing to follow him.

"Our ancestors promised to ring a bell and light a lamp to guide his friend toward Shandora," Weber said softly.

"Vinbrand Rolando," Bane nodded, looking as if he knew him well.

His words left Webber stunned. After more than ten seconds, Webber suddenly snapped out of his daze and exclaimed, "You know him?"

"Yes, on that sea where we are, there is a story about the great Liar, Wenblan Rolando." Bane patiently began to tell the story.

It was short; it only took about ten minutes for Bane to finish his presentation.

Meanwhile, Webber, who had never shown the slightest weakness despite being seriously injured, was now in tears.

Having finally broken free from his emotions, Weber looked at Bane and said with some agitation, "He's not a fraud, much less a liar. Over four hundred years ago, we all lived on that sea, in the land of gold, Shandora."

"It is real. It was sent up into the sky by a sudden burst of ocean current, and that is why I came here." Bane took over the conversation as a matter of course.

This surprised Weber even more. After a moment, he asked with a somewhat grave expression, "You want that gold?"

"Of course." Bane made no attempt to hide anything and answered frankly, "It's a huge fortune, and I need it just the way I need it."

Roronoa Zoro was already stronger than him, the strongest warrior of Shandia in this era, yet Zoro frankly admitted that he could not defeat this man named Bane. If their group really came to steal the gold, Waver knew very well that he could not stop them.

Just as he fell silent, Bane continued, "Before I came up here, I met a man."

Weber showed no intention of speaking, and Bane didn't wait for his response, continuing on his own: "His name is Wenblan Kulik. On Gaya Island, your hometown, he tirelessly salvaged everything from the seabed in those waters, wanting to prove that his ancestor wasn't a fraud."

In fact, when Bane mentioned the surname "Wenbrand," Weber's attention had already returned to what he was saying.

"Although I didn't promise him anything, I left him a message before I left," Bane said with a smile.

"What did you say?" Weber asked in a deep voice.

"Look up at the sky when you have time; you might hear an unexpected bell ringing," Bane said with a smile.

"Perhaps I could also light that lamp while I'm at it," Bane chuckled, teasingly.

Slightly agitated, Weber immediately replied after hearing this, "That's difficult. Perhaps you don't know, but the group we fought when you came up here has taken over Shandora. Of course, they're nothing special, but the 'god' they're talking about is indeed very troublesome."

"What do you mean by 'tricky'?" Bane didn't refute anything, but asked softly.

"You should know about Devil Fruits," Waver said, looking at Bane.

That's right. The Sky Islanders also know about Devil Fruits. Waver even used Seastone to severely injure Enel once.

Before Bane could answer, Waver continued, "That god, he's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. He has absolutely no weaknesses and is incredibly powerful, just like a true god. Although I've always wanted to kill him, I still don't have the confidence to defeat him."

Nami, who had been listening to their conversation, took a sip of her juice and looked at Bane, saying, "It really is the Rumble-Rumble Fruit? Your intelligence network is terrifying!"

Her question completely stunned Webber, who asked in surprise, "You know him?"

"Enel, right?" Bane smiled and said, "He's one of my targets on this trip."

"What do you mean?" Weber couldn't help but ask.

"Didn't I just say? I have a big business to do, and I happen to be short of helpers. Enel is lucky; he's got some talent and possesses the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. He's barely good enough for me. I'm planning to make him my underling. Do you think he'll agree?" Bane asked with a smile.

Weber's face twitched slightly, then he said, "Of course he would never agree."

“I think he would agree,” Bane countered.

"Why?" Weber asked, frowning.

"Because if he doesn't agree, I'll kill him, so he either becomes my underling or dies," Bane said with a smile.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

This time, however, Weber saw a hint of cruelty in his smile.

"Even if he's willing to pledge allegiance to you, how can you guarantee his loyalty?" Weber pondered for a moment before speaking again.

"No one can gain eternal loyalty, but it doesn't matter. Loyalty isn't determined by him, but by me. As long as I maintain a power that commands his respect, he won't, or rather, won't dare to, betray me," Bane said matter-of-factly.

Perhaps Kaido and Bane share the same understanding on this point.

After all, when Kaido recruits subordinates, if the other party disagrees, he beats them up first, then locks them up if they still disagree. When he gets in the mood, he beats them up again until they die or agree.

As for whether the other party will betray you after you agree?

The reason is the same as Bane's: let them know that betrayal will lead to death, and a terrible death at that. That's enough.

If they really have the courage to betray you, it means you are not strong enough, not respectful enough to them. You should reflect on yourself then.

Weber wanted to refute what the other person said, but he couldn't find a reason to do so.

"I'll ring the bell you can't ring, and I'll light the lamp you can't light. In return, the land of gold will belong to me, and you'll join my ranks. How about it? After all, I've already fulfilled your unfinished responsibilities and obligations." Bane's face lit up with a bright smile as he extended an invitation to Weber.

"If I disagree, are you going to kill me too?" Weber asked Bane after a moment of silence.

Bane shook his head and said, "No, if you don't agree, then stay in this well. You can't force a melon to ripen."

Seemingly surprised by the answer, Weber couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"Because you deserve my respect, I respect you. As for Enel, to be honest, I don't think he has anything that deserves my respect, so I will only give him one choice," Bane said matter-of-factly.

"Although he may not even know who I am, I feel that I have a great grudge against him," Weber said again.

But before he could finish speaking, Bane said happily, "That's even better! I'll make him your underling, and you can train him well. How about that? Pretty generous, right?"

Weber was both amused and exasperated by these words, but upon reflection, he did find himself somewhat looking forward to them.

After a moment, Weber didn't reject Bane outright as before, but softened his tone and said, "Let's talk about it when you can actually do it."

(End of this chapter)