"Alliance Leader, the Red-Haired Pirates have begun retreating!" Kyros stood beside Hiko. Behind him stood two rows of forty Zoan Devil Fruit ability users, their imposing formation displaying Alliance Leader Uchiha Hiko's extraordinary stature.
Hiko watched the battle coldly. His sensory ability covered the entire battlefield, and even without Kyros's report, he could precisely grasp the course of the battle.
"What a pity. Marco is still so stubborn." Hiko said lightly, "I originally planned to absorb his men after crushing Blackbeard, then let them manage Blackbeard's territory while I was at it. But it seems that idea can only be abandoned. What else can people who fail to recognize the bigger picture and disregard the overall situation do besides ruin things?"
Kuzan, standing behind Hiko, said blandly, "Didn't you say you wanted Pirates to disappear from this world completely? And now you're planning to absorb this once-renowned pirate crew?"
"I never said I wanted Pirates to disappear from this world completely." Hiko replied calmly. "I only said that the Alliance under my rule would eradicate that kind of darkness and possess a brand-new future. As for places outside my Alliance, I can't control them, nor do I want to."
Kuzan fell silent.
Suddenly, the sea splashed loudly, and a figure shot out of the water, flying toward the ship.
"Protect the Alliance Leader!" Kyros reacted as if facing a great enemy, drawing his sword with a sharp motion. The dozens of Devil Fruit ability users behind him instantly transformed into their beast forms, swiftly shifting positions. In the blink of an eye, they had formed a protective formation around Uchiha Hiko.
Hiko silently approved. The training of these Devil Fruit ability users had indeed shown results. Before eating the fruits, they had merely been ordinary elite soldiers. After obtaining Devil