Assemble! Golden Lion Grand Fleet

Louis's heart grew cold. The CP series' stealth missions usually involved one-way communication from the spy to their superiors to minimize exposure. But now, deliberately choosing to initiate contact at this specific time, Louis couldn't fathom how the operative received basic training, unless someone forced them to do it.

"Ah? This? It's the Log Pose,"

Louis raised his left hand, three pointers swinging. "Something very commemorative. As for the sound, is it the wristband rubbing against the ship's railing?"

The wristband was leather, its surface texture rich. It would indeed make a sound if it rubbed against the ship's railing.

The more nervous one became, the more important it was to remain calm. Louis had understood this principle a long time ago, but it wasn't until he arrived here that he truly applied it to his life.

Showing even a slight flaw would lead to death. Louis's heart was pounding, his mind racing, but the smile on his face remained carefree.

"Log Pose?"

Baro raised an eyebrow and walked over. "I've never seen you use it before."

"Like I said, it's commemorative. Whether I use it or not isn't important,"

Louis flashed a sweet smile. "It's very commemorative. It represents my past youth."

"Oh, oh!"

Rhode burst into laughter, patting Louis's shoulder. "I get it, I get it! Every man has a 'white moonlight' in his heart. A romantic story, the yearning of every young lad!"

"Mhm, mhm, mhm,"

Louis nodded in agreement. Compared to Baro, Rhode was indeed much easier to deal with.

"But,"

Louis spread his arms, his tone almost like a lament, "what men truly desire isn't a gentle harbor! It's the vast, magnificent ocean!"

"Compared to the ocean, full of unknowns and infinite beauty, a person's charm is utterly inadequate!!"

"Hahaha! Hey! Mario! Hahaha!"

Rhode's eyes widened. "You rascal! You're exactly my type!! That's right, that's right! What's so great about beauties! Compared to this beautiful ocean, they're not even a drop of seawater!"

"You're absolutely right!"

Louis tightly grasped Rhode's hand. "Captain Rhode!"

"En, Mario!!"

Their four hands clasped tightly.

"...Mario,"

Baro smiled brightly. "May I see your Log Pose?"

"Uh, First Mate,"

Louis's muscles tensed, but his expression was merely one of difficulty. "This is..."

"I understand, it's your treasure,"

Baro smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, I've never been in love, so I wanted to see what a souvenir filled with affection looks like."

"Pfft hahahaha!"

Rhode roared with laughter, tears streaming down his face. "Poor Baro! Hey, Mario, just show him! Let this poor man see what love is supposed to be like."

"Oh, alright!"

Louis's relief was barely concealed. This was incredibly difficult. His current persona was that of a strong, straightforward, and slightly arrogant newcomer pirate. Every expression, every action required careful consideration. He carefully and quickly removed the Log Pose and handed it to Baro. "First Mate, be careful with it."

"Oh! This really... it looks like it's been handled often."

Baro held the Log Pose, lightly weighing it. The wristband felt as if it had been frequently touched. CP was truly professional in logistics.

"Is the base made of pure metal?"

Baro tapped the base of the Log Pose with his finger, producing a somewhat dull sound. He seemed slightly surprised. "Solid?"

The Log Pose in the New World was different from Paradise. It had three islands, three pointers, and three bubbles. Louis's pointer base was metal. Beneath the base supporting the middle pointer, a small snail was hidden. Of course, it wasn't solid, but the tapping sound didn't sound hollow.

"Crack!"

Baro grabbed the pointer with both hands, attempting to pry it open.

"Hey! First Mate!"

Louis cried out at the opportune moment. "What are you doing!"

"Hey! Baro,"

Rhode said speechlessly, slapping Baro on the shoulder. "Because no one loves you, you want to break someone else's souvenir? How pathetic."

"Oh, oh, sorry. I couldn't help myself, couldn't help myself."

Baro scratched his head and laughed, handing the pointer back to Louis.

Solid, couldn't be pried open. Was there really nothing inside? Was he being too suspicious?

He pondered. Unlike the boisterous captain, the First Mate was much more meticulous.

"Really, First Mate."

Louis snatched the pointer back, carefully examining it. Only after confirming there was no damage did he sigh in relief and put it back on his wrist. "No wonder no one likes you. Many girls nowadays prefer gentle types. Domineering types need good looks to back them up."

Quickly use Life Return to retract the sweat hairs that were sent through the gap into the pointer's interior, tightly wrapping around the snail, filling the entire space, and blocking the switch. If they weren't retracted soon, Louis feared the snail would suffocate to death.

"Huh? Really?"

Baro exclaimed.

"Yeah, really."

Rhode shook his head, then with a beaming smile, shouted, "Set sail! Lads!"

Louis breathed a sigh of relief. This counted as passing the test. However, that guy Baro...

The Blood Hand Pirates set sail once more. This time, however, their voyage didn't last long. Just one day later, news from the Golden Lion Pirates arrived.

The whereabouts of the Roger Pirates had been discovered. They seemed to have just returned from the Four Seas and were currently recuperating on some island. Golden Lion was overjoyed and issued a summons, calling back all pirates under the Golden Lion Pirates' banner. War was imminent.

Louis was a little surprised. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. He guessed that Roger probably hadn't intended to hide. Otherwise, with that guy's terrifying Observation Haki, which allowed him to hear the voices of all things, combined with Rayleigh, who could easily cover an island and instantly identify the aura of every living being on it, Louis couldn't imagine any possibility of them being discovered by some insignificant pirates, unless they didn't care.

Roger, after all, was a man who never feared a challenge and never retreated.

The Blood Hand Pirates began their return voyage. This time, they were much faster than when they came. Golden Lion, after all, was impatient.

Louis's anxiety never ceased. The Golden Lion Pirates versus the Roger Pirates; he felt like an ant caught in a whirlpool.

To survive, Louis's sole life goal was to constantly climb higher and live a stable life. Now, the situation had completely gone against his wishes. He wanted to contact his superiors to see if he could withdraw. If he didn't seize the opportunity, he might truly be involved in the Aethelwold Sea Battle.

But the troublesome thing was, he didn't dare. A certain man had been watching him all along, Louis could sense it.

"Really..."

At night, Louis looked up at the sky. "Why do you have to block my path?"

He had to do something.