People often say that the joys and sorrows of different people are not the same.
Just like now, when the members of the Dark Bird Group looked expectantly at Laboon's flying figure.
Sabo's eyes, however, were filled with melancholy and loneliness.
I... actually managed to temporarily leave the Revolutionary Army and participate in the Dark Bird Ship's operations.
But can he really, as Uncle Long hopes, figure out the core of the Dark Bird Ship's plan, grasp Gawain's future action priorities, maintain his revolutionary ideals, and even try to win over Kuma back to the Revolutionary Army?
Could I... possibly fulfill all of Uncle Long's expectations in front of that man whom even Uncle Xiong admired?
As he pondered this, Sabo shook his head in frustration; he couldn't solve this problem!
Why...
With a long sigh, Sabo turned to look at Ace. In the memories he had regained, Ace had always been so cheerful, and he was still the same now.
Ace was yelling at the whale flying in the sky!
The sight of Island Whale, several kilometers long, swimming in the air is reminiscent of the mythical Kunkun, inspiring awe and fear.
Seeing Ace laughing, Sabo took a sad breath.
People's joys and sorrows are not the same. At least for now, I really can't be as happy as Ace.
Nearby, Ace vaguely heard Sabo gasp. He turned to look at Sabo and said with a smile.
"Sabo, it's been over ten days, and you still look so dejected."
You know what? Even the older man wants to have a good chat with you because you look so dejected.
Trust me, brother, this isn't hell, it's more like heaven!
A responsible and incredibly strong elder, a harmonious and emotionally rich environment, and crew members with diverse abilities but the same goal!
Look, Sabo, isn't this the scene we've always dreamed of before we set sail?
"But what we dream of is being the captain ourselves..."
Sabo rubbed his nose and answered Ace softly, his words causing Ace to pause slightly.
A moment later, Ace placed his hands on Sabo's shoulders.
"You're right, Sabo, I'm not qualified to be the captain of this ship."
But I think maybe we're really not cut out to be real captains!
I spoke with Deuce, who was my first mate back then. In the past, when we were on our own, he was always worried about me, this reckless guy.
But now, Deuce can train to his heart's content every day, and I no longer have to worry about him being taken to any extremely dangerous places.
Perhaps a thatched hut built by one person would make us feel more attached to it, but the luxurious villa that the uncle provided for us was truly... truly irresistible!
I've received my second month's salary—a whopping 500 million!
Our standards are the same as the Dark Bird Group's; we're people that the older man expects and has high hopes for.
This uncle is so generous to his own people!!!
With this money, I'll never have to worry about going hungry again, and I'll have countless bottles of wine to drink!
The uncle also created a charitable relief fund, which allows us to use our spare money to help ordinary people in various countries.
I even have the money to do things that can ensure ordinary people have enough to eat and wear!
At this point, Ace looked at Sabo seriously.
"This uncle is really getting things done. Although his methods are a bit domineering and his identity is a bit annoying, what he does is truly beyond what any of us do!"
His kindness has lit a light for countless people, illuminated countless families, and in the future, he continues to strive with his life, attempting to illuminate even more families!
As soon as he finished speaking, Ace's eyes lit up. His experiences over the past few months had given this young man a new goal to strive for.
As for Sabo...
Looking into Ace's expectant eyes, Sabo's mouth instinctively opened and closed slightly.
After a moment, he let out a soft sigh.
"Ace, you should be able to tell that these are just things Kalifa has been telling us to brainwash us, right?"
"So what if it's brainwashing, Sabo? Don't tell me you don't understand the logic behind it!"
You have to understand that the crew and the ship are a whole. When this guy tries to brainwash us with this kind of talk, then if the ship doesn't operate that way, there's nowhere to hide our disappointment!
So, this is what the uncle has always done, and he will continue to do so in the future. Even if it's just to put our minds at ease, he will continue to do it!
Because these seemingly brainwashing words have now become the target of more than 30,000 people on board the Dark Bird Ship!
Even if it's just to keep us calm, the uncle is destined to bring peace to the sea!!!
At this point, Ace and Sabo looked at each other seriously.
Meanwhile, not far away...
Isuka and Koala stared at each other, completely bewildered.
"Isuka, isn't Sabo's appearance a bit...?"
"It's causing some delays, isn't it? Ace's appearance in Sabo's life, hasn't it also been causing some delays for you, Koala?"
The two young girls sat together, feeling increasingly dejected, each of them feeling their melancholy had intensified.
Her man... was stolen by another man.
I lost to a man...
In the distance, watching the giant whale ascend to the sky, Gawain smiled and gave Yi Xiao a thumbs up.
Hearing Gawain's actions, he smiled, nodded to Gawain, and then said.
"My lord, you must know that my ability is not to lift anything."
I'm not strong, I control gravity.
Therefore, what determines whether I can transport the Island Whale and the Dark Bird Ship across the Red Line is not their weight, but the size of the area I need to demarcate for them.
I manipulate the gravity within this range to change the force that originally caused the ground to sink, thus turning it into a force that causes the ground to sink higher into the sky.
I'm simply altering the rules of gravity; what determines whether my physical strength is sufficient is merely the range of gravity I need to change.
The radius of gravity I can currently alter is approximately 120 kilometers.
Therefore, neither the Laboon nor the Dark Bird Ship are minor issues for me."
After saying that, Yixiao nodded again and then soared into the sky.
On the ground, watching Yi Xiao float up into the sky with Laboon, Gawain smiled with appreciation.
This is one of the most outstanding people on the high seas!
Since I have earned the appreciation and trust of such a person, I must live up to that trust no matter what!
Thinking of this, Gawain's figure flashed, and the next moment, he suddenly appeared beside Shirahoshi.
Picking up Shirahoshi's body and tail, Gawain teleported back onto Laboon.
Gawain patted Laboon's skin and Gawain.
"So, Laboon, I did what I promised you, right?"
"Hold head high!"
"Sir, Laboon said he was very surprised; he really admires Mr. Ikko!"
Shirahoshi translated for Laboon, and Gawain immediately nodded.
Animals are more pure than humans; they know who they should thank for something.
If it were a human being, anyone with a brain should be Gawain at this moment.
Gawain, of course, didn't think much of it and continued patting Laboon's body.
"In short, I've fulfilled a small part of our promise, so from now on, we'll be living Laboon."
"Ugh~~~."
"Sir, Laboon said there's no problem; he's already looking forward to his family."
The people on that bird ship are so strong, they definitely wouldn't lie to him. He said he believes you can definitely lead him to Brook!
As Shirahoshi translated, tears of emotion streamed down her face. She nestled in Gawain's arms, her large face trembling with sobs, causing Gawain's body to sway as well.
Meanwhile, Gawain, while comforting Shirahoshi, directed his gaze along with Laboon's, traversing the majestic Red Line and arriving at the East Blue!
More than 130 ships are currently gathering near the mouth of the East China Sea 'East Blue Reverse Mountain).
On those ships, everyone looked dejectedly at the sky.
On the outermost ship, the one furthest from Reverse Mountain, their captain was writhing in impotent rage.
The captain kept muttering to himself.
"This is terrible! All the ships we've had for the past two weeks have been stuck here. We haven't even entered the Grand Line yet, and we're already going to have to fight them!"
Damn it, this is a chaotic battle! I barely made it past the Marine Branch, I don't want to play some kind of mindless slaughter game with them!
At this point, the captain waved his hand.
"Men, let's head back and rest in Loguetown for a bit!"
"After those Celestial Dragon's ship passes through the Red Line, we'll return here!"
"Wait, Captain!"
Immediately, some of his underlings expressed their opposition.
"How can we go back to Loguetown? The navy there is the second most dangerous in the entire East Blue!"
"We barely escaped from Smoker, and now you're going to take us all back to Smoker territory, Captain?!"
The captain, who had been quite angry after hearing his underling's rebuttal, was standing nearby.
However, along with his younger brother's words, he recalled the terrifying naval lieutenant commander Smoker.
The captain suddenly realized that his younger brother was right.
So the captain carefully considered the matter.
"What you said makes sense. After all, Major Smoker is an incredibly terrifying... Logia Devil Fruit User!"
There aren't many Devil Fruits in the entire East Blue, and Smoker is Logia!
This is terrible! Moving forward is difficult, but retreating is even more difficult. We can't just sit and watch things unfold, can we?
After saying that, the captain rubbed his hat and spat in frustration.
But just as he spat out that phlegm, one of his henchmen suddenly spoke up.
"Captain... Captain, it seems we no longer need to wait and see!"
"Oh? What's wrong?"
The captain looked over in confusion, only to see his underling pointing to the distant sea and speaking softly.
"Captain, that... that Smoker looks like he's chasing after us!!!"
"Ha?!!"
The captain was startled. He quickly grabbed his binoculars and looked in the direction his underling was pointing.
Through his binoculars, four warships were speeding towards them!
"Scare!!!
That damn bastard's here! Brothers, charge!
"You can't escape, there's no road ahead!"
Moreover, even if they managed to reach Reverse Mountain, they would be dragged into slavery by the Celestial Dragon on the other side!
"Let's turn back and fight the navy! They only have four ships!"
"Fight them to the death!!!"
In an instant, the pirate ships that were anchored nearby instinctively gathered together.
They quickly changed direction, simultaneously aligning their sides with the warship.
The sight of hundreds of ships simultaneously shifting sideways and aiming at the navy seemed quite imposing.
But in reality, the pirates in the East Blue China Sea are a mixed bag, and their ships are all of dubious quality.
With over a hundred ships, they barely managed to muster a hundred cannons; calculating the average, they might even be in debt...
After all, the most active pirates with the highest bounties in the East Blue are probably only at Arlong's level. For example, the East Blue Admiral Krieg, who controls a Grand Fleet, only has a bounty of 17 million...
In short, looking at the pirate ships moving sideways in the distance, Smoker on the warship exhaled a puff of smoke disdainfully.
Even if they escape my pursuit, these fugitives are still trash!
As he spoke, Smoker raised his right hand, Seastone Jitte in his hand immediately pointed at the pirates in the distance.
"Tashigi, prepare the guns, fire three rounds at him first!"
After three rounds, the boarding action will commence immediately!
All marines, prepare yourselves!!!
"Wait, Commander Smoker!"
Unlike the slightly excited Smoker, Tashigi was a little worried at this moment. She adjusted her glasses and whispered a reminder to Smoker.
"Although I really want to inspect all those pirate ships to see if there are any Famous Sword that have been accidentally tainted by pirates."
But regardless, isn't our job right now to ensure the safe arrival of the Celestial Dragon?
"This is an order personally given to us by Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Can we really abandon the Celestial Dragon and come here to hunt down a group of pirates?"
After saying that, Tashigi looked at Smoker with concern, but Smoker waved his hand dismissively.
"What do you know? The reason I'm hunting them down is to prevent them from having a chance to influence the Celestial Dragon!"
Look, they're gathered near Reverse Mountain. If the Celestial Dragon are frightened by them when they come, that would be a failure on our part!
"Why?"
Smoker's words startled Tashigi, who adjusted her glasses in confusion.
"But, sir, these pirates aren't near Reverse Mountain at all!"
They were just trying to avoid the Celestial Dragon, weren't they?
This place is more than forty nautical miles away from the upwelling current of Reverse Mountain, so they have no impact whatsoever...
I understand!
Tashigi suddenly realized what was happening, and then she said to Smoker in surprise.
"Sir, I understand. We're here to escape the Celestial Dragon too, right?"
That's what you must be thinking, otherwise we wouldn't need to chase after these pirates who have already escaped, would we?"
"Cough cough!"
Smoker coughed violently, and as he coughed, he slightly shifted the position of the three cigars he had been holding in his mouth.
He spoke in a soft rebuke.
"What are you saying, Tashigi!"
The Celestial Dragon are World Nobles, and they are the commanders of all of us in the Navy. How could I not want to see them!
I didn't come here because I didn't want to kneel before the Celestial Dragon!
Capturing these pirates is our Navy's most important task, isn't it? As long as we capture them, the Celestial Dragon's travels will naturally not be disturbed!
So put aside all your wild thoughts, those damn pirates have already opened fire!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, the pirate ships lined up in the distance all unleashed scattered cannonballs.
As the shells approached, Smoker took a deep drag on his cigarette.
"Swordsmen, prepare! Slice through the cannonballs as much as possible! Accelerate, accelerate again! Let our rams deliver a devastating blow!!!"
As they spoke, Smoker took the lead, charging into the sky with Jitte. He spread smoke as much as possible, using his own strength to block the shells fired at his own warship.
Just as the navy was rapidly advancing towards the cannon fire, above...
Gawain, who had just drifted across the Red Line with Laboon, frowned slightly.
Beside him, Issho's Observation Haki followed closely, discovering the battle taking place dozens of nautical miles away.
Then she smiled and whispered to Gawain.
"My lord, it seems there's a fight going on down there. How about I take care of Shirahoshi for you, so you can go find some fun?"