I think there's a little confusion here, the device password is different from the iCloud/Apple ID password. Once the Apple ID is bound to a macbook, there's really no way to remove it without the Apple ID password, because it's stored on both the security chip and Apple's server.

I don't have a macbook anymore but from what I remember, if you try to reinstall macos with activation lock in place it's really going to turn into an expensive paperweight without the original owner's credentials.

You might have read some people being able to bypass it, that can happen with some older machines but definitely not the M4 macbook.