A Sudden Turn

"Sorry... I got carried away!" Sig said apologetically as he ran alongside Arlong and the others.

Because Sig had started a fight in the tavern, the whole group had ended up causing a huge scene. The small Giant Axe crew had been thoroughly beaten.

No matter how strong the Giant Axe Pirates were, the ones here were just a bunch of nobodies flying the Giant Axe flag!

"Tch... No need to apologize. I couldn't hold back either. You just beat me to it!" Arlong usually couldn't stand Sig. If it had been anything else that caused trouble for the Sun Pirates, Arlong would've given him an earful from every direction. But... he couldn't bring himself to say anything about what had just happened.

"But we really stirred up trouble this time. We need to tell Boss Jinbe and the others right away," Hachi said nervously.

You wouldn't have known it from how he looked now, but just a moment ago, all six of his arms had been going "ORA!"

If they'd been fighting ordinary pirates, that would've been fine. Water Seven wouldn't interfere in a brawl between pirates, but...

Those people were "legal pirates." And if anyone started investigating, the Sun Pirates were far more likely than an ordinary crew to attract attention. If their identities were exposed, they'd have to leave at once!

When they returned to Tom's Workers, Fisher Tiger and Jinbe were still awake. Seeing Arlong and the others rush back in such a hurry, they already knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" Fisher Tiger asked with a frown.

"Boss Tiger, Boss Jinbe, I'm sorry! I got carried away and fought some members of the Giant Axe Pirates in the tavern. We made quite a scene..." Arlong immediately took responsibility.

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

Fisher Tiger's brows drew together, while Jinbe let out a helpless puff of smoke.

Fisher Tiger turned to Tom. Tom set down his drink and said, "The nearby G-2 Branch won't be able to respond until tomorrow morning at the earliest. I'll work overtime and get the diving system mostly finished. Then you can leave at daybreak!"

"Go find Willy and have him bring back all our companions who aren't here," Jinbe told Arlong.

Since Arlong and the others had just been in a fight, it wouldn't be wise for them to show their faces again.

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

"Hahaha! You're young. Don't look so glum. Why don't you go help Franky?" Tom said with a laugh.

Because of this unexpected incident, the Sun Pirates had no choice but to leave ahead of schedule. A busy night began.

Franky took Sig to work underwater. Wearing a diving respirator from the South Blue, he directed Sig to handle the heavy lifting.

After transforming into a Fish-Man, Sig had a much greater advantage in this kind of work.

Ordinary people had trouble exerting themselves underwater, so swinging a hammer took twice the effort. Sig, on the other hand, could sense the Sea Power stirring and found it easier to put his strength into each blow.

Clang, clang, clang—and the work was done in no time.

But then Sig's expression changed. "Something's not right... Could the Sea God Pilgrimage be coming?"

Franky looked at him in confusion, then switched on the loudspeaker attached to his respirator. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'Is the Sea God Pilgrimage about to start?' The Sea Power's been behaving very differently tonight compared to the last few nights!" Sig quickly explained.

Since Sig had kept up his nightly training for the past few days, he'd grown very familiar with the Sea Power around Water Seven. He could sense even the slightest disturbance.

At first, Sig hadn't thought much of it, but as the feeling grew stronger, he realized something was wrong!

Franky looked puzzled and pointed upward. Then the two of them surfaced, and Sig explained in detail.

Of course, Franky didn't know Fish-Man Karate, so he'd only understood the general idea.

Franky hesitated. "But... the Sea God Pilgrimage usually has warning signs. The city gets hit by it every year, and the people of Water Seven have ways to predict it. They're usually prepared a day in advance."

That was how it usually went.

But unexpected things did happen. The time Aunt Cocco's husband died, for example, it came "out of nowhere."

Franky didn't understand these fluctuations, but his instincts told him it made perfect sense for the Fish-Man Race to have a way of sensing the sea!

So Franky took Sig to find Uncle Tom.

Fisher Tiger and Jinbe were there too. After hearing Sig out, the three of them exchanged glances.

Tom laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Looks like all your hard work paid off. You really are promising young men. Perhaps... you really can become the future of the Fish-Man Race. And it's lucky you came along, or Water Seven would've been completely unprepared this time!" His tone grew serious toward the end.

Sig couldn't help staring at Fisher Tiger and Jinbe.

Neither of them paid him any mind. Instead, they discussed the sudden arrival of the "Sea God Pilgrimage" with Tom. But Sig still understood...

So the reason the Sun Pirates had come to Water Seven this time wasn't just to work on the Sea Bass. The deciding factor had actually been him?

Had they wanted to use the currents here to hone his Fish-Man Karate?

But Fisher Tiger and Jinbe clearly had no intention of fussing over Sig. They were already discussing with Tom how to alert Water Seven right away...

Fish-Men couldn't handle this task, so Iceberg and Franky were sent to do it. But convincing the people of Water Seven was another major problem.

Water Seven's official name was the Country of Shipwrights. It was an Affiliated Nation of the World Government, but it had no king. Instead, it was governed as a city, with an elected mayor as its chief administrator.

Judging by the state of Tom's Workers, it was clear that Water Seven's current mayor was no friend of theirs.

The Sun Pirates had all gathered during the night, but they could no longer wait for sunrise before setting out...

The sky was already blanketed with dark clouds. In just a few minutes, the sudden drop in air pressure had made everyone feel uncomfortable.

Normally, the Grand Line's extreme weather didn't appear on islands or in the surrounding waters unless something unusual was happening. Something like... the Sea God Pilgrimage at Water Seven!

Watching the sky, Sig pondered. The "Sea God Pilgrimage" was caused by unusual currents, not a storm, so... why had the weather suddenly changed?

Was this some peculiar weather phenomenon unique to this world, or was the weather also connected to Sea Power and the Seastone Factor?

There was no time to think it over. Tom was already instructing Fisher Tiger. "The diving system's ready to use. As long as you don't dive too quickly, it won't damage the ship. Just avoid the 'Sea God Pilgrimage' and leave underwater."

Just then, an alarm sounded from the round tower in the city center, and signal lamps lit up high above. It was the signal calling the citizens to take shelter immediately.

Tom, Fisher Tiger, and Jinbe all sighed in frustration. The response was so slow that it made their warning pointless. The waves had clearly already started crashing in before anyone sounded the alarm!

Based on past experience, the rain would start pouring in a few minutes. Then the "Sea God Pilgrimage," which could flood all of Water Seven's low-lying areas, would truly begin. Most of the citizens wouldn't have time to evacuate...

After a moment's hesitation, Fisher Tiger said, "Don't worry. In weather like this, the Navy at the G-2 Branch won't be able to get close either... Let's save people first!"