"Big Mom! The Star Alliance has an ambush force!" The voice from the Den Den Mushi was filled with urgency. It belonged to the man guarding the artillery fort at the mouth of the Star River. "There are so many of them! The entire sea is covered with Star Alliance fleets!"
Charlotte Linlin's heart skipped a beat as she demanded, "What's going on? Is it the Star Alliance's Second Fleet? Has Hawkins come to reinforce them?"
"No! The leaders... are Capone and Drake! There are so many of them! And so many monsters... Ah!"
The voice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi suddenly cut off, clearly forcefully silenced by something.
Charlotte Linlin was both shocked and furious. She remembered how a single thundercloud strike of hers had blasted Drake's suicide squad to pieces, sending everyone jumping into the sea... The sea?
Charlotte Linlin suddenly understood. Drake had feigned defeat and arranged reinforcements beneath the sea long ago. His defeat had been intended to make the BIGMOM Pirates lower their guard, while allowing Drake himself to withdraw and make his next move. And if the Star Alliance even had forces in the sea...
Charlotte Linlin's gaze swept toward Jinbe. She understood. Jinbe must have represented the Fish-Men and joined forces with the Star Alliance, allowing the Fish-Men to receive Drake underwater and help him evade her attack.
All of this had been a smokescreen, meant to lure the BIGMOM Pirates into the narrow Star River channel. Then, by blocking both ends, they could trap them like turtles in a jar!
The mouth of the Star River was the BIGMOM Pirates' escape route. If Drake and Capone seized it again, it would completely cut off the retreat of this BIGMOM Pirate fleet. Then it truly would be a fight