Outside the barracks dormitories, quite a crowd had already gathered.
Because of Gion's overwhelming defeat of Kaki that morning, many people wondered whether she intended to challenge Longinus, another man known as a monster. They called friends over, determined not to miss the exciting show about to unfold.
Gion frowned. "Are people really this bored nowadays? No wonder Sister Tsuru said the atmosphere in recent training camps has been terrible. It seems there was a reason for that."
As she pondered this, a group of fourteen marched out as if united against a common enemy, carrying the air of men ready to face death. Gion was left staring in bewilderment. I'm just here to apologize. Do they really need to be this dramatic?
The crowd around them was equally shocked. They had never expected the seemingly low-key Longinus to have quietly gathered such a large force around him.
Before Gion could speak, Gregory seized the initiative. "Gion, don't go too far! Was beating Kaki not enough? Are you here to cause trouble for the boss too?"
Gion froze, finally understanding why so many people had followed him out. Caught between laughter and tears, she said, "I'm not..."
"I'll tell you this: just because the boss isn't back yet doesn't mean we're afraid of you! If you don't want to wait, then we'll be your opponents!"
"I wasn't..."
"You weren't what? Not interested in fighting weaklings like us? Let me tell you, we've followed the boss and captured more than ten thousand pirates. We've been through countless battles, big and small. When it comes to combat experience, you're nothing but greenhouse flowers compared to us!"
Gion felt helpless, but she was also secretly astonished. Just what kind of charisma did Longinus possess to make them follow him so desperately?
Thinking of