"Gu Ding Pirate Crew's Low-Key Return"

Five days after Gu Ding and his group returned to Isa Star, Liliath and Elsa were among the first to return.

When Fa Te saw Liliath and Elsa looking like this, he almost didn't recognize them. Gu Ding was relatively calm, Miko recognized them as soon as she heard their voices.

"I thought you'd be even thinner after three years in prison. I didn't expect you to be so muscular, you've become a handsome guy," Liliath said, covering her mouth with a laugh.

"Lily, you and Elsa have grown so much taller, you're both 1.7 meters tall now, right?" Gu Ding was indeed more concerned about the two girls' height.

Fa Te, meanwhile, was secretly glancing at the two women's chests.

"Yeah, I'm 172cm and Elsa is 174cm. The changes in their figures over the past few years have really surprised me." Liliath said, turning to look at Fa Te. "Fatty, I didn't expect you to grow so much taller and lose so much fat. But your eyes are still the same as before, always looking in the wrong places."

"I... I didn't..." Caught red-handed, Fa Te a little guilty, and his face turned slightly red.

Three more days passed, Bigge and Tagore returned.

Bigge had grown considerably taller than he had three years ago, now reaching over three meters. Because of Hake's disappearance, Bigge almost constantly stared at his feet while speaking to everyone; for the past few months, he had been consumed by self-blame. No one mentioned Hake, only asking about their experiences over the past few years.

Tagore slept on Gu Ding's shoulder the entire time. He looked almost unchanged.

Two days later, Dokter and Robert returned.

Three years ago, Dokter already resembled a street thug; now he's covered in scars, even on his face. Coupled with his nearly two-meter height, a buzz cut less than three millimeters long, Kou Zi Hu, he looks every bit the mafia boss. Looking at his face alone, probably no one would associate him with the profession of doctor.

Conversely, while Robert was a stunningly beautiful cyborg with a perfect face and figure three years ago, she genuinely didn't know how human women should dress. But at this meeting, in a white swallowtail gown adorned with sparkling accessories, she was practically a flawless Princess. Even Liliath and Elsa looked on with envy.

Two more days later, Scarlet finally arrived in the last batch.

On his shoulders. Blue's appearance seemed unchanged.

"Your hair... why is it all white? What happened?" A group of people looked at Scarlet with some concern.

"It's all his own fault. He clearly couldn't handle that sword spirit, but he insisted on being stubborn, which resulted in a huge loss of lifespan and his hair turning completely white!" Before Scarlet could even speak, Blue gave the answer directly.

"Blue, you've learned to talk?" Upon hearing Blue speak, Liliath and Elsa immediately turned their attention to him.

"I still managed to subdue that sword spirit!" Scarlet flicked Blue's forehead and then explained, "Although what he said is basically true, don't worry, the lifespan I lost has been replenished after subduing the sword spirit. It's just that my hair color can't be changed back. Besides, I think white is pretty good too."

After exchanging pleasantries and calming down a bit, Gu Ding brought up the matter of Hake again and told everyone the Sea Emperor's final conclusion.

"Hake is our partner. No matter what happens, we will never abandon him." Bigge was the first to speak after listening. "Although Hake doesn't talk much, he is indeed a reliable partner, and Tagore and I can attest to that. Moreover, he has been tempered over the past three years. His killing intent has been honed to the point where he can control it almost completely, and it is unlikely that he will go berserk."

"Hake is indeed a reliable guy, the kind of guy you can trust to put your back on." Tagore nodded in agreement. The proud man had never given a positive evaluation of anyone else in the team before.

"Although we haven't known Hake for long, he was invited to join us by Gu Ding and has traveled with us, so he's an official partner. The Gu Ding Pirate Crew will not abandon its partners," Liliath affirmed.

"Hake definitely needs to be saved, but we must not act rashly." These words came from the scarred Dokter.

"According to the Sea Emperor, the power of the Dees Family is not to be underestimated. Forcing our way in will definitely not work. We also need time to find the time-traveling artifact. In the meantime, let's gather as much information as possible about the Dees Family. We must know our enemy inside and out. Once we find the artifact, we can discuss our rescue strategy based on the information we have." After three years of growth, Miko no longer ashamed to express his opinions. He decisively gave his suggestion.

"Then let's do as Miko says, collect tools and gather information at the same time." The operation to rescue Hake received unanimous support, and Gu Ding was also very gratified. Three years of separation had not made everyone estranged; on the contrary, they cherished their companions even more.

"Leave the collection of all kinds of information on the SkyNet to me," Sea Emperor was the first to agree.

"I will mobilize the family's business guild to purchase those two time-related items..." Before Fa Te could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice.

"Wait a minute, Captain, I can actually make Time Bubble, but I need some materials and time. As for the tools, you just need to purchase a Time Gauge," Robert suddenly said.

"That would be perfect. Robert, send me the list of materials we need, and I'll arrange for the Chamber of Commerce to make the purchases." Fa Te didn't hesitate and took on the procurement task immediately. "As for information about the Dees Family, I'll also have some of the information providers they work with gather that information."

"Time Gauge are extremely rare items in this plane, and we will also mobilize our fans to help find them. Sea Emperor, please send us a picture of that thing." Liliath intended to utilize the power of the masses.

"Send me a copy of the picture too. Over the years, because of my identity as a doctor, I've gotten to know some influential people who can help me take a look." Dokter wasn't going to just stand by and watch.

After the tasks were assigned, Gu Ding and his team immediately got to work.

As the Fei Nan Si Conglomerate released its procurement information for Time Gauge, Liliath and Elsa also posted the procurement information on SkyNet.

Fa Te's identity has been uncovered in recent years; people know that he is the heir to the Gates Family and is very likely to be the future head of the Fei Nan Si Conglomerate.

When the Fei Nan Si Conglomerate and Liliath and Elsa were looking to buy the same thing, and combined with the news of Gu Ding's escape from prison more than half a month ago, those in the know guessed that Gu Ding Team should have reunited.

Almost on the same day, an article titled "The Gu Ding Pirate Crew Makes a Quiet Return" was reprinted by various media outlets on the SkyNet, sparking countless discussions in the Universe Sea... (To be continued~^~)