In the distance, Jinbe, who was eating a roasted centipede, suddenly heard Gawain's words through his barely noticeable ears.
So he opened his mouth wide in bewilderment, slowly turned his head, and stared blankly at Gawain.
At this moment, Jinbe's eyes were filled with grievance.
So, in the eyes of adults, I'm just some kind of special talent who can only spray water?
For a moment, Jinbe even felt like crying.
Karate was unknown for thirty years, but one day it sprayed water and the world knew!
I, Jinbe... am really wronged!!!
Looking at Jinbe's bewildered and innocent expression from afar, Gawain initially maintained a smile, but then he could no longer keep it up.
While laughing heartily, Gawain greeted Jinbe.
"Haha, it's nothing, it's nothing, I was just joking."
Of course I don't think that your only impressive move is the Ocean Current Shoulder Throw; I was just giving an example.
Moreover, the position of squad leader cannot be held without the basic strength of Shichibukai.
Jinbe, you're still pretty strong, haha~."
"Grown ups!!!"
Hearing Gawain's teasing, Jinbe's round blue face Jinbe flushed red, and for a moment, he looked somewhat like Doraemon who had encountered a sexy little wildcat.
Of course, this wasn't Doraemon's shyness; he was just holding it in.
Especially the next second, when he realized that Gawain not only didn't retract his previous assessment because of his expression, but even Gawain even harder...
His face changed from a bluish-red hue to a bluish-green hue.
Jinbe felt he was really too blue...
So Jinbe frustration and resolutely rushed towards the training ground.
I, Jinbe, must train hard and improve my strength. Only in this way can I make the adults take back their previous evaluation of me as a special talent!
Leaving aside Jinbe's personal issues, after explaining the responsibilities of the thirteen divisions, Gawain turned to Rayleigh, awaiting Rayleigh opinion.
Rayleigh pondered for about seven or eight seconds, then nodded slightly and said solemnly.
"You have a basic understanding of the responsibilities of each squadron. Captain, you probably had this plan in mind a long time ago."
Overall, apart from the Sixth Division, which is the royal command division and gives me a slight worry, the other divisions pose no problem for me.
In comparison, one small question shouldn't outweigh twelve good questions, so I support your decision."
That would be wonderful.
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Gawain nodded in satisfaction, raised his glass, and clinked it with Rayleigh's.
After Gawain finished his drink, Kalifa walked slowly over from behind him. She first took the pen and draft paper from Gawain's hand, then folded the paper to preserve it while speaking to Gawain.
"Sir, our resupply work is almost complete."
When do you think we should set sail?
"Is the resupply complete? It's much faster than expected!"
Upon hearing Kalifa's report, Gawain nodded with satisfaction and continued.
"It seems the crew's teamwork is getting better and better. They were originally scheduled to depart at 4 p. m., but they finished their work four hours ahead of schedule by just after noon."
Kalifa, go meet with Mr. Zeff later and ask him to do a good job tonight, preparing an even more lavish dinner for the soldiers than usual as a reward.
Besides, now that we've secured supplies, let's focus on the journey.
"Please gather and board the ship. We will depart on time in half an hour."
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as Gawain finished speaking, Kalifa readily nodded in agreement, then left Gawain's side to make arrangements near the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the entire Dark Bird Ship, starting from the kitchen, was filled with highly contagious cheers.
Finally, the entire crew was looking forward to the grand dinner that evening!
Sitting on a bench by the dock, watching the ordinary soldiers celebrate with great enthusiasm, Gawain smiled knowingly.
In any world, these ordinary soldiers are always the ones who contribute the most, yet are the easiest to please...
While reflecting on his own feelings, Gawain stood up and raised his right hand.
Immediately, all the cadres who were busy with their own things around them gathered in Gawain's direction.
Among them, not all the young people who were cadres became energetic.
On the one hand, these young people from the sea don't like staying on an island for too long.
Compared to familiar environments, they prefer the unknown and novelty of distant places.
On the other hand, with Gawain's order to set sail, Ace and Sabo were getting closer and closer to their hometown.
Ace was alright; he had only been at sea for less than eight months, far from being homesick to the point of being ill.
But Sabo, that kid hasn't been home for a full ten years!
Although he ran away from home back then, he disliked the rules and atmosphere of his family, the kind of atmosphere where people considered themselves superior and never treated ordinary people as human beings.
But no matter what disagreements he had with his family, they were still his family.
Therefore, when Sabo stood behind Gawain and looked at the majestic Dark Bird Ship in the distance...
What he saw was not the Dark Bird Ship, but clearly his home, which he had recently found and which had been buried deep in his mind.
What has become of my old home?
Will the parents be saddened by the departure of their disobedient child?
Mother will surely cry, but what about Father?
He'll probably be even angrier...
Thinking of this, Sabo sighed softly, and vaguely felt a sense of trepidation as if he were returning home.
Beside him, Ace never missed any emotional changes in his brother. He gently put his arm around Sabo and grinned.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the next stop should be Shells Town. It's been so long since I've had the rice cakes sold there!"
But it's only been a few months, haha, since I've only just started sailing myself.
Sabo, Foosha Village has changed a lot in the years you've been with the Revolutionary Army! Makino has become more and more beautiful, haha!
Grandpa Woop Slap's temper is getting worse and worse. He'll probably go crazy when he hears that I'm going to sea to become a pirate.
I reckon that while I'm gone, Luffy will definitely get a good scolding from Woop Slap, since the village chief hates pirates so much!
However, while there have been changes, many things remain the same, such as Uncle Joru Lu and Aunt Chicken at the fish shop.
The fish they sold were half-dead until I left, haha!
Look, Sabo.
There are so many things worth remembering, and they are getting closer and closer to us!
Fate is a fascinating thing. I never imagined that I would end up back in the Foosha Village in less than a year after I went to sea!
Especially, I actually found you again this year, haha!
This kind of fate is fucking amazing! I absolutely love this kind of fate!!!
Upon hearing this excited shout, Ace immediately grabbed Sabo and tightly tucked him under his armpit.
Sabo, treated this way, struggled desperately, and for a moment, the melancholy he felt actually disappeared from his body.
Just as Ace and Sabo were playfully bickering, Usopp's loud voice suddenly rang out.
Usopp excitedly raised his hands, facing the direction of the village.
"Kaya, you've said goodbye to your family! That's wonderful!"
And everyone else, shouldn't you be working at this time? Why are you all gathered at the dock?!
As soon as he finished speaking, Usopp solemnly raised his right hand and propped up his chin.
He seriously pondered for a long time using Sherlock Holmes's gestures, and when he felt he had figured out the reason, his eyes lit up, and he said with absolute certainty.
"I know, you guys must be reluctant to part with me, that's why you've come to say goodbye to the famous Sniper King Usopp!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Usopp arrogantly shook his collar, revealing that he was now dressed in an exquisite military uniform in the style of the Dark Bird.
After adjusting his collar for a moment, Usopp spoke to the villagers with a seemingly disdainful expression.
"Hey, you bunch of guys, I've already received your flattery!"
Don't worry, once I Usopp, have made a name for myself, I will definitely return to my hometown and personally tell you my legendary stories!
As for now, you don't need to send me off like this anymore!
I'm a man destined to become the world's number one marksman. How could you so easily move a legend like me? I'm definitely leaving!
"Tomorrow, I, Uncle Usopp, won't have time to take care of and protect you. While I'm gone, you must be careful and make sure no one like Kuro sneaks into the village again!"
At this point, Usopp rubbed his eyes hard, then immediately rushed ahead of Gawain and ran onto the Little Dark Bird at the dock.
As he left, the people near the dock began to speak, and the various voices of the villagers made Usopp quicken his pace.
"Usopp, you brat, you can't keep shouting 'Pirates are coming!' like you did in the village!"
"Yeah, I saw you getting completely thrashed by Sister Shakky not long ago!"
"While you're getting beaten, you're spouting nonsense about how a gunman getting beaten shouldn't be called being beaten."
"You still say that's training? Haha!!!"
Laughter and cheers lingered among the villagers for a while, but once Usopp was fully aboard the ship, sadness finally descended upon them.
Then, the villagers' voices grew louder and louder.
"Usopp, take good care of Kaya!"
"Train hard, you absolutely can't let our Syrup Village down!"
"For your sake, you brat, I won't miss a single issue of the newspaper from now on. Hurry up and do something big that will get a bounty, maybe even make it into the newspaper!"
"Usopp, you brat, you better take care of yourself!"
"You don't need to worry about the village, Kanan family has hired many new guards!"
"Keep it up, Usopp!"
Goodbye, Usopp!!!
As the villagers spoke emotionally, Usopp, hiding in the cabin of the Little Dark Bird, was already in tears.
It turns out, it wasn't just his boasting; everyone really did come to say goodbye!
This is great news, really great news!
But why can't I stop these damn tears...?
A few days later, in Shells Town, at the 153rd Naval Division.
Rousseau, the local branch chief, paced back and forth in his office, looking utterly distraught.
As he strolled around, Rousseau spoke to his adjutant, who was not far away.
"I gave up on being a general a long time ago. I just want to work peacefully in the East Blue until I resign!"
And guess what?! I couldn't even achieve such a simple goal?!
At this point, Rousseau rubbed his stubborn few strands of hair in frustration, straightening them as he spoke in an even more dejected tone.
"How did the Celestial Dragon end up in the East Blue? And these aren't just any Celestial Dragon!"
If it were a regular Celestial Dragon, we would only need to acquire a few beautiful female slaves, and the Celestial Dragon would even reward us handsomely.
But this Celestial Dragon, not only will he not reward us, he might even kill us!
First, that fat pig Admiral was gone, then Colonel Nezumi was gone too. Ever since Smoker infiltrated the Dark Bird Ship, that guy has really gone to great lengths to turn his own people against him, bastard!
I have no idea what they're going to do to me. Damn it, I have to come up with something!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Colonel Rousseau looked expectantly at his adjutant, but it was clear that his adjutant was neither Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi, and could not offer him any advice.
The adjutant's silence calmed Rousseau down slightly. He rubbed his chin and pondered.
"Perhaps I should find a way to leave for a while!"
Logically, with a solution in hand, Rousseau should have relaxed a bit, but in reality, he seemed even more anxious.
He immediately continued, looking dejected.
"Many lieutenants in the base who took bribes have run away with their buckets, but I happen to be the damn base commander!"
They could say they chased pirates out of their jurisdiction, but for me, the base commander, to leave the 153rd Branch so far is simply breaking the law. Even if I escaped the Celestial Dragon, I would still be dealt with by the Navy afterward!
Damn it, is my only option now to sit here and pray that those guys don't audit my accounts?
But that's impossible! Even that cautious Nezumi couldn't escape the Dark Bird Ship's attack...
"Commander Rousseau!"
Before Rousseau could finish speaking, a marine suddenly burst into his office.
Looking at the clumsy and disorganized state of his naval subordinates, Rousseau frowned in displeasure and pointed at the intruding sailors.
You better pray that what you've said gives you the right to barge into my room!
"Yes... yes!"
The messenger was startled and quickly reported to Rousseau.
"Sir, Petty Morgan, who killed Kuro of a Hundred Plans, has awakened!"
"Snort!"
Upon hearing the messenger's statement, Rousseau angrily launched into a tirade of curses.
"So what if he's awake? He's just a lowly sergeant. Do you expect me to go see him in person?"
As for him killing Kuro, that cost the lives of an entire warship's worth of sailors. Morgan was probably just lucky, picking up a lowly... sigh?"
At this point, Rousseau suddenly paused, reaching up to touch his chin and squinting as he spoke.
Good luck? Good luck!
I've got an idea! Haha, maybe I can actually use this guy's good luck to my advantage!!!
And so, five minutes later, in the medical room where Morgan was.
Sergeant Morgan, who had lost an arm and whose jaw was completely shattered, looked at Rousseau in front of him with a face full of surprise.
Rousseau, clinging tightly to Morgan's only remaining arm, spoke with an expression of righteous indignation.
"Sergeant Morgan, you... you're a hero!"
After everyone else was wiped out by the powerful Kuro, you unleashed unimaginable potential and killed Kuro in one fell swoop. How could someone like you just be a sergeant!
Don't worry, once I return to base, I'll immediately report you to headquarters for commendation!
No, no, no, I'll recommend you for credit right now!!!
At this point, Rousseau released Morgan and turned to the navy personnel who had also come to visit Morgan.
"I originally planned to lead a group to hunt down the remnants of Kuro's gang, but that bastard actually killed an entire warship of naval recruits. He's a devil who should have gone to hell long ago!"
Once I catch up with them and take them out, I'll come back and report this to you.
But now, seeing your body covered in wounds, I must immediately recommend you for commendation!
Why should heroes suffer injustice?
You must get a higher position!!!