The Konoha Go finally set out. Buggy the Clown and his officers returned to their own ships, and the entire fleet swiftly advanced toward the battlefield.
Hiko remained as steady and composed as ever, but the subordinates behind him were all fired up. It was impossible not to be excited when declaring war on the Four Emperors, especially when they were so vastly outnumbered. In their eyes, their chances of victory were minuscule.
Yet Alliance Leader Uchiha Hiko had laid out his plans step by step, steadily drawing the situation into the Alliance's favor. The far-reaching nature of his arrangements and the brilliance of his strategy left them utterly amazed. They had never imagined that every seemingly unrelated decision Uchiha Hiko made could form such an intricately linked chain.
This ability to command from behind the scenes raised their admiration for the Alliance Leader to an entirely new height.
"Why are you all so excited?" Hiko said calmly. "It's fine to be nervous. After all, what awaits us is a massive melee involving more than a hundred thousand people. Keeping your nerves taut at all times will allow you to keenly catch every subtle change on the battlefield. But remember this: do not panic. Panic exposes weaknesses, and exposing weaknesses in battle leads to terrible consequences!"
"Understood!" everyone answered solemnly.
The rumbling of cannon fire gradually reached them. Though it was still faint, it meant they were nearing the battlefield.
"Good! Pass down the order! All hands, move out! Surface and surround the Blackbeard Pirates!"
Upon the rolling sea, one enormous bubble after another suddenly rose up. Then ship after ship burst out from beneath the water. Aside from the leading Konoha Go, which flew no flag, every other vessel bore Buggy the Clown's pirate flag.
At the same time,