"Don't leave anyone behind. Everyone, come with me."
Perhaps because giants were naturally rather straightforward, they hadn't given much thought to strategy. On top of that, giants tended to be rather arrogant.
Fred, the vice-captain, saw that there was no talking him out of it, so he had no choice but to start making arrangements.
"Get on the ships, quickly!"
"Load this aboard!"
The Yorulu Pirates hurriedly got everything ready for the voyage. They might not necessarily end up fighting, but minor clashes between pirates were inevitable.
What if they couldn't reach an agreement and a fight broke out? It was best to be fully prepared.
Before long, dozens of large ships were ready along the coast.
Yorulu stood on the deck of his pirate ship. At thirty meters tall, he was considered tall even among the giants.
Just standing on the deck, he radiated an aura so powerful that his pirate crew could hardly breathe.
Yorulu spoke, his voice arrogant and domineering, as if it possessed a magic of its own.
"My son, Krulu, is dead."
"This is a provocation from the Rocks Pirates."
"We must avenge him."
"Attack Hachinosu!"
When Yorulu gave the order to attack, the pirates grew excited. After all, a spectacle like this was rare.
The captain wasn't the only one making the voyage this time. The commanders of every division were coming, too.
The crew included Captain Yorulu, Vice-Captain Fred, First Division Commander Herman, Second Division Commander Eloy, Third Division Commander Bakura, and Fourth Division Commander Angelo.
It was an unprecedented force to send out to sea. The last time they'd sailed with a lineup like this had probably been when they fought the Knox Pirates at sea.
Only a few pirates had been left behind on Kuro Island to guard the home base.
"Awwooo!"
"Attack Hachinosu!"
"What a spectacle!"
"Yeah, yeah! It's been ages since we've seen a sight like this."
Two ordinary pirate onlookers quietly chatted nearby.
The pirates looked toward the division commanders. Having them lead the way gave everyone present a great deal more confidence.
After a chorus of roars, dozens of ships raised their sails and set off in a grand procession toward Hachinosu.
Hachinosu!
That morning, Carl had been teaching Long Yi and Long Er the Lightning Method. They had almost finished learning the Golden Light Incantation and had more or less mastered it.
As for the ordinary orphans he'd taken in, they were still practicing the Five Elements Fist. Their physical condition was poor, after all, and they needed time to recover. The Five Elements Fist was perfect for laying a foundation.
Their physical limitations were a hurdle they couldn't overcome, but fortunately, they were still young, and Carl didn't need them to carry out any missions just yet.
"Long Yi, Long Er, you need to get a good grasp of the Lightning Method next."
As expected, the Dragon-Humans' physique was no joke. Their powerful bloodline gave them an innate advantage.
Once they'd learned how to circulate the Golden Light Incantation, Carl taught them how to circulate the Lightning Method. They grasped it quickly, though they still weren't very practiced.
In the world of The Outcast, these two children would undoubtedly have been once-in-a-generation prodigies.
"Captain Carl, Rocks has summoned the commanders to a meeting."
"Oh, did he say what it's about?"
"No, Captain Carl."
"The messenger only said that the division commanders were to assemble. He didn't mention what it was about."
The pirate delivering the message didn't know what was going on either. After all, they were about to set out to attack Tyr Kingdom.
"All right. Long Yi, Long Er, keep practicing. I'll be back soon."
Carl left Long Yi and Long Er with Clay, then hurried toward the Council Hall. He guessed it had something to do with the attack on Tyr Kingdom.
"You two really are Captain Carl's favorites."
Clay already knew that Carl's lightning was an ability he could cultivate on his own, not a Devil Fruit power.
Although Clay envied him, he knew he hadn't even fully grasped the Golden Light Incantation yet. He was still a long way from learning the Lightning Method.
"Hehe!"
Long Yi and Long Er just smiled without saying anything. They didn't want to hurt Clay's pride. They were young, but they understood social graces better than any adult. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have survived this long.
Inside the Council Hall!
"Captain, why did you suddenly summon us all? Is something going on?"
John was the first to look toward Rocks. He knew Rocks wouldn't summon them all unless something important had come up. But hadn't they already planned to set out for Tyr Kingdom today?
"Gya-ha-ha-ha!"
"Who knows?"
Shiki lit a cigar, looking somewhat impatient. He was handling some underworld business and had already started preparing to split off from the crew. Who knew how much he'd lose after receiving this sudden summons?
Rocks said nothing. He merely glanced at Shiki and let a little of his aura show.
Rocks knew that none of them really wanted to join his crew. But his fists were the strongest.
Still, he didn't concern himself with their affairs. As long as they remained in his crew and he could still give them orders, he wouldn't interfere in anything else. He believed that might made right.
When Shiki noticed Rocks looking at him, he reined in his arrogant expression. After all, he was still very much afraid of Rocks.
"Mama, mama!"
"Shiki, you're making me drop my cake!"
Charlotte Linlin was holding a huge cake and gobbling it down. Rocks's aura had startled her, so she hurriedly warned him. She didn't want a fight to break out halfway through her meal!
John and Ochoku sat straight-backed. They were Rocks's most loyal subordinates.
Seeing that Rocks hadn't spoken, they guessed he was waiting for everyone to arrive.
Just then, Carl walked in.
When he saw that everyone else had arrived, he quickly found a seat nearby.
"Carl, you're here."
As soon as Carl sat down, Newgate greeted him with a smile.
Carl lived farther away on the island because he liked peace and quiet, so he was the last one to arrive.
"Did they say what this is about?"
"Not yet!"
Just as Carl and Newgate were whispering to each other,
"Ah-ha-ha-ha!"
Rocks saw that all the division commanders had arrived. He laughed loudly, then explained the situation to everyone present.
It turned out that Carl had killed Krulu more than ten days ago. A while back, Yorulu had received word of it and wanted revenge for his son.
So the entire crew had set out, and they were now heading toward Hachinosu.
Rocks had received word from his informants right away. He'd learned that they really had brought the entire crew, leaving hardly anyone behind on the island.
And this time, the Giant Warrior Pirates had come alone. They hadn't brought the X Pirates with them.
Seated at the center of the room, Rocks burst into laughter!
It was clear that Rocks was in an excellent mood. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They might be able to use it to unite the second half of the Grand Line. Then he would truly be the uncrowned king.
Rocks hadn't expected the Giant Warrior Pirates to take the bait after he'd made that move on a whim. Now he was glad he'd made that extra move. Otherwise, wouldn't he have missed this opportunity?
They'd planned to attack Tyr Kingdom today, but they could deal with the Giant Warrior Pirates first.
"The Giant Warrior Pirates!"
"If we weren't in a hurry to attack Tyr Kingdom, who would even care about them?"
Golden Lion immediately redirected his anger toward the Giant Warrior Pirates. As he saw it, if they hadn't attacked, he might already have finished dealing with his subordinates and avoided some losses.
Everyone present immediately understood why Captain Rocks had called them together. He wanted to use this chance to unite the Grand Line.
"That's wonderful!"
Ochoku's plump face suddenly lit up with excitement. He was Rocks's most loyal subordinate and had long wanted to wipe out both the Giant Warrior Pirates and the Aites Pirates. He hadn't expected such a good opportunity to come along so suddenly.
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