Red-Haired's comrades had reached the island before the Puppet Army clashed with the Samurai of Wano Country.
Werther had originally planned to build up the Puppet Army to a certain size before sending it into battle.
After all, the factions of the New World weren't fools. Werther had hired large numbers of people for the war. If an army of puppets that didn't fear death suddenly appeared on the battlefield, it would be easy to connect the two.
Werther might have made deals with the leaders behind those factions, but once word got out, no one might be willing to risk going to Wano Country again.
They wouldn't need proof. Suspicion alone would be enough to make the factions back away.
Every faction was watching the war in Wano Country closely, and each had its own sources of information.
That morning, the pirates stationed at the docks spotted the Red Hair Pirates.
After assessing their strength, Werther and Tillman decided to deploy the Puppet Army. They didn't expect it to drive back Wano Country's Samurai, but it could at least hold them off.
That freed Kaido's men to face the Red Hair Pirates.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The dull thunder of cannons rolled on, blasting seawater high into the air.
Werther and the others had not let the Red Hair Pirates land unopposed. They had intercepted them at sea, turning the fight into a battle between shore and ship.
More than a hundred cannons had been set up along the docks. They poured out fire without pause, sending black cannonballs arcing toward the Red Hair Pirates.
Whenever one struck a ship, splinters flew and flames sprang up.
"Switch to chain shot."
A captain in the Kaido Pirates saw how few cannonballs were hitting and immediately ordered a change of ammunition.
Chain