Sudden Attack

"Sorry... I was too impulsive!" Sig said apologetically as he ran alongside Arlong and the others.

Because Sig had made a move in the tavern earlier, the group had caused quite a commotion, and that small squad from the Giant Axe Pirates had been thoroughly beaten...

No matter how strong the Giant Axe Pirates were, the people here were ultimately just random thugs flying their flag!

"Tch... No need to apologize. I couldn't hold back either. You just beat me to it!" Although Arlong usually found Sig annoying and would have chewed him out from every angle for causing trouble for the Sun Pirates, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh for this particular reason.

"But we've really gotten into trouble this time. We need to notify Boss Jinbe quickly," Hachi said nervously.

He hadn't looked this worried when he was using all six of his arms to "Ora Ora!" earlier.

If the targets had been ordinary pirates, it would have been fine. Brawls between pirates were usually overlooked by Water Seven. But...

Those people were "legal pirates." And if investigated, the Sun Pirates were even more likely to attract attention than ordinary pirate crews. If their identities were exposed, they needed to leave quickly!

Back at Tom's Workers, Fisher Tiger and Jinbe hadn't slept yet. Seeing Arlong and the others rush back in such a panic, they already sensed something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Fisher Tiger frowned.

"Boss Fisher Tiger, Boss Jinbe, I'm sorry! Earlier in the tavern, I impulsively fought with some people from the Giant Axe Pirates and caused quite a scene..." Arlong immediately took the blame.

"No! It was me... Arlong was trying to stop us, but when those people mentioned Mary Geoise, I lost control and struck first!" Sig quickly took responsibility.

Fisher Tiger's brows furrowed, and Jinbe let out a helpless puff of smoke.

Fisher Tiger then looked at Tom. Tom put down his wine glass and said, "The nearest Marine Branch G2 will take at least until tomorrow morning to react. I'll work overtime to get the diving system mostly ready, and then you can set off at dawn!"

"Go find Willy and have him gather all the companions who aren't here," Jinbe told Arlong.

Arlong and the others who had fought earlier were not in a suitable condition to be seen publicly right now.

"Uncle Tom, is there anything I can help with?" Sig asked guiltily.

"Hahaha, you're young... Don't look so glum. Then you can follow Franky and be his assistant!" Tom chuckled.

Due to an accident, the Sun Pirates had to depart earlier than planned, and a busy night began.

Franky led Sig in underwater work. He wore a diving respirator made in South Blue and directed Sig in tasks requiring strength.

In this regard, Sig had a significant advantage after transforming into a Fish-Man.

Underwater, it was difficult for ordinary people to exert force, making swinging a hammer twice as hard for half the effort. Sig, however, could feel the fluctuations of sea power, making it easier to exert force.

With a series of clangs, the work was soon completed.

However, Sig's expression changed at this moment: "Something's not right... Could it be the Sea God Pilgrimage?"

Franky looked at him in confusion, then activated the speaker on his respirator. "What did you say?"

"I asked if the 'Sea God Pilgrimage' is coming. The sea power fluctuations tonight are clearly different from the previous few nights!" Sig quickly explained.

Because Sig had been practicing his punches every night for the past few days, he had become quite accustomed to the sea power fluctuations near Water Seven. Any slight anomaly now was immediately noticeable.

Initially, Sig hadn't paid it much mind, but as the feeling grew stronger, he realized something was amiss!

Franky looked puzzled, pointed to the top of his head, and then they both surfaced. Sig explained in detail.

Of course, Franky didn't know Fish-Man Karate and could only listen to the excitement.

Franky pondered, "But... the Sea God Pilgrimage usually has a precursor. They get baptized once a year, and the people of Water Seven have forecasting methods. They usually have a day's notice to prepare."

Normally, that would be the case.

But there were exceptions, like when Aunt Cocco's husband passed away; it was "sudden."

Although Franky didn't understand the fluctuations, he instinctively felt that it was reasonable for the Fish-Man Race to have the ability to sense the sea!

So, Franky took Sig with him to find Uncle Tom.

Fisher Tiger and Jinbe were also there at the time. After hearing Sig's words, the three looked at each other.

Tom burst into his characteristic laughter. "Hahaha, it seems your efforts weren't in vain. You truly are promising young men. Perhaps... you can indeed become the future of the Fish-Man Race. And it's fortunate you came, otherwise Water Seven would have been completely unprepared this time!" His tone became serious towards the end.

Sig couldn't help but freeze and look at Fisher Tiger and Jinbe.

Although they didn't acknowledge him and were instead discussing the sudden arrival of the "Sea God Pilgrimage" with Tom, Sig still understood...

So, the Sun Pirates' reason for coming to Water Seven this time, besides getting the Sea Bass repaired, was actually for him?

To use the currents here to hone his Fish-Man Karate?

However, Fisher Tiger and Jinbe clearly had no intention of lingering with Sig. They were already discussing with Tom how to immediately notify Water Seven...

This matter was not something the Fish-Men could easily handle, so Iceberg and Franky were dispatched. However, how to make the people of Water Seven believe them was also a major issue.

The official name of Water Seven was the Kingdom of Shipwrights, a member nation of the World Government. However, it had no king and adopted a municipal governance system, with only an elected mayor as the administrative head.

Judging by the situation at Tom's Workers, the current mayor of Water Seven was not friendly towards them.

The members of the Sun Pirates had gathered overnight, but they could no longer depart with the rising sun...

Dark clouds had already gathered, and the sudden drop in atmospheric pressure within minutes caused discomfort.

Logically, extreme weather in the Grand Line usually didn't occur on or around islands, unless the situation was special, such as... the Sea God Pilgrimage of Water Seven!

Sig looked at the sky, lost in thought. "The Sea God Pilgrimage is caused by abnormal ocean currents, not storms. So... why did the weather change so suddenly?"

"Is it some special meteorological principle of this world, or is the weather also related to the power of the sea, or Seastone factors?"

There was no time to ponder further. Tom was already instructing Fisher Tiger: "The diving system is operational. As long as we don't dive too rapidly, it won't damage the hull. We'll just avoid the 'Sea God Pilgrimage' and dive away."

Just then, an alarm sounded from the central citadel, and a tower light illuminated high above—this was the signal to gather citizens for emergency evacuation.

Tom, Fisher Tiger, and Jinbe all sighed in dissatisfaction. Their warning was practically wasted with such a slow reaction. The alarm only sounded after the waves had already begun to crash!

Based on past experience, the torrential rain would start in a few minutes, and the "Sea God Pilgrimage," capable of flooding the low-lying areas of the entire Water Seven, would truly begin. Most citizens would not have enough time to evacuate...

Fisher Tiger hesitated for a moment before saying, "No need to rush. In this weather, the Marines from Branch G2 won't be able to get close either... Let's save people first!"