"Captain Cifer! He's so cool!"
"Cifer ~"
Nolan and Chopper's eyes were shining wildly; this was the most shocking scene they had ever witnessed in their lives.
"Incredible..."
Nico has lived on this island since birth, and even when he was young, he had only seen his father in action, and all he could do was cut through steel.
A sword that can split the sea... Unheard of!
"You bastard! Have you forgotten our purpose? The whole ship is sunk, where are we going to get money?!"
Only Enel could not remain calm, grabbing Cifer's collar and pointing at the giant ship that had been swept away by the ocean current.
"Eh~"
At this moment, Cifer also remembered that they had planned to rob this nobleman's treasure to replenish their funds.
Who knew the other side would be so ungrateful and run away beforehand, causing him to make a small show of himself and then forget about it.
"Captain Cifer... could that be our money on there?"
Nolan's smile froze after hearing what Enel said. As the ship's cook and part-time navigator, she had always been in charge of the treasury.
She naturally learned that there were only tens of millions of Belly left on the ship, which would have seemed like a lot in the past, but it was nothing on the Little Ul.
"So why didn't Enel stop me just now? You remember it perfectly clearly!"
Cifer, quick-witted, turned his attention to Enel.
"Huh? I wonder who was holding me down just now!"
"Shut up!"
Cifer pinched Enel's upper and lower lips, rendering him speechless.
"Um... you guys must be incredibly powerful pirates who roam the high seas!"
As the group was about to leave, Nico asked the question he had been wanting to ask for the past few days.
Although he had never been to sea, his father had sailed the ocean and told him many stories about his experiences at sea.
This includes stories of some Great Pirate.
"Hmm? You're not wrong to think that way."
"I've heard that powerful pirates can make small countries and islands peaceful simply by hanging their flags there. Is that true?!"
Nico held his breath, waiting for Cifer's reply. This incident with the nobles had already made him somewhat fearful.
If what his father said is true, he wants to go to sea after dealing with things on the island and become a powerful pirate!
Then we can hang the flag on the island and everyone can live in peace.
The idea was naive and foolish; Cifer and the others saw through it at a glance.
"Becoming a powerful pirate is not as easy as you think. Far more people die on the road than live."
"Instead of thinking about becoming a powerful pirate to protect your hometown, you should think about becoming strong on the island so that you can protect it when enemies attack!"
Nolan reprimanded him, believing that Nico's actions were no different from abandoning his homeland to die at sea.
Besides, even if he were lucky enough to make a name for himself at sea, how long would that be? Ten years? Twenty years? Fifty years?
Who can guarantee that the island will still exist by then, or that his "family" will have been hunted down?
The cold words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Nico's head; they were chilling, but they also brought him back to reality from his beautiful fantasy.
Cifer looked at the distraught man before him, then glanced at Enel, who vanished in a flash of lightning.
"An island or a country cannot unite in times of difficulty without a leader."
"Let me make this clear: you are only qualified to use this island once you have truly taken control of it."
As the Cifer spoke, Enel had already unfurled their banner.
"At that time, this place will become my territory under Ulquiorra's protection, and you will be responsible for governing this land for us. Do you understand?"
It wouldn't be bad to use such a scenic place as a backyard garden, with many friendly little pets there. Consider it a way to make up for the damage done to Rexeno.
"Cifer is amazing! Our pirate crew has actually taken over territory!"
Chopper drooled, imagining the scene when he would return to this island in the future, and the wild beasts in the mountains would worship him as their king.
Amidst their questioning gazes, Nico tremblingly accepted the flag from Enel's hand and bowed deeply to Cifer and the others.
"Clear!"
Nico's emotions went through a lot of ups and downs. If there really was a powerful person willing to protect this place, he wouldn't have to think too much about it.
As for governing this small island for them?
After this incident, Nico had intended to take real control of the area, because that was the only way to better protect it.
As for whether this place still belongs to him?
He didn't care, as long as peace and stability could be maintained here, and they didn't seem like bad people.
"Is it really possible to protect the entire island with just one flag like this?"
Although I've heard those kinds of stories, it still feels like a dream to have it happen to me.
"You rude fellow! Captain Cifer and Brother Enel are super strongmen with renowned reputations throughout the world!"
Nolan seemed to have memorized the deeds of Cifer and Enel, and was about to start his incessant rambling again.
"Alright, alright~"
Enel pinched her upper and lower lips, silencing her.
"I will never forget Nico great kindness!"
"Yay! Hahahaha! God blesses mankind, it's just what the God should do!"
Actually, Cifer and Enel had only intended for him to unfurl the flag so he could memorize the design and make it himself when he got back, but since they had already said all that, Enel decided to give it to him.
Anyway, flags are just a burden for their navigation, so painting another one won't make a difference.
"Then, it's time to leave."
A moment of impulsiveness disrupted Cifer's original plan; who could afford to spend the little money on the ship?
"Nylon! I'll miss you!"
Chopper patted the head of the White Wolf family, then skipped along after Cifer and the others, heading towards the Little Ul.
"I am extremely grateful!"
As the ships sailed away, Nico gradually calmed down. He knew that Cifer and the others had simply given him a chance to change the island.
Whether you can truly succeed depends on yourself.
"Let's go, Nylon!"
Nico clutched the black cloth tightly in his hand and ran towards the island, with the white wolf family chasing after him.
"So, nobody on the ship knows how to draw?"
A black cloth lay on the ground, covered with messy patterns, and Enel lay there with a large bump on his face.
"Honestly, as the captain, I really have to say something about you."
"How dare you, you bastard?!"
He was greeted by several more large, smoking bags, Enel chose to remain silent.
"Captain Cifer, where should we go next to get a flag?"
Although the Cifer had already put away its flag, not using it is not the same as not having it at all.
"Let's go straight to Alabasta!"
Cifer had originally planned to wait until Luffy resolved everything before going over, but since they were short of money, they had no choice but to go ahead with it.
"Crocodile is about to fall, it's time to get our money back!"