The following afternoon, all the officers of the Divine Eye Pirates had returned to Sun Moon Island and gathered together, each seated in their proper place as they awaited Carlos's arrival.
Carlos had not been idle that morning either. Aside from drawing up more detailed plans of action, he had taken the time to guide Smoker, Charlotte Galette, and Charlotte Marble in their training.
In the main hall of Carlos's mansion on Sun Moon Island, the core crewmates of the Divine Eye Pirates were discussing why Carlos had summoned them. Most believed they were about to make a move, considering they had been firmly established in the New World for so long.
"The captain has arrived!" the two elite pirates guarding the entrance shouted. The main hall immediately fell silent.
Carlos entered the hall and took his seat in the center. Everyone rose and saluted him. "Greetings, Captain!"
"Rise and take your seats," Carlos said with a smile, lifting his gaze.
At Carlos's words, everyone sat down again, their eyes all focused on him.
"I called everyone here this time because, just as you guessed, the Divine Eye Pirates are about to make a move."
"Ten islands. My goal is ten islands—not one more, not one less."
"At present, we have four islands. Sun Moon Island and Qingsang Island are the islands under our deepest control, while our hold over the other two is merely average."
"Therefore, I have decided to exchange those two islands with other forces for islands closer to Sun Moon Island. It does not matter if we take a small loss."
"For the two new islands, we will try courtesy before force. If they are willing to exchange, we will accept a small loss and make the trade. If they are unwilling, then we will take