If They Were Exposed, They Were Dead

Something suddenly occurred to Christol, and his expression changed.

Those idiots couldn't still be aboard Big Mom's ship, could they? If they were caught red-handed, they were as good as dead.

Panic seized him, and he hurried back.

By the time he reached the shore, the Big Mom Pirates' ship was gone. His own ship, thankfully, was still there.

Christol let out a breath of relief, then broke into a sly grin. At last, he could set his plan in motion.

"Boss, you're back!"

"Mm. How's the pirate flag coming along? Is it almost ready?"

Christol gave a slight nod.

The pirate said excitedly, "Trust me! There won't be any problem!"

This was the first task the captain had given him. He wasn't about to let him down.

Christol nodded and patted the pirate's shoulder, giving him an approving look.

That only made the pirate more excited. His captain trusted him, and there could be no greater vote of confidence.

Christol had no idea why the young man was suddenly so excited. He gave him a puzzled glance, then called everyone together.

"There's something I need to tell you. Starting today, we're members of the Big Mom Pirates."

Everyone looked stunned. Since when had they become followers of a Yonko?

Did boarding someone else's pirate ship once make them part of the crew?

Or had their captain struck a deal with Big Mom's people in the short time he'd been gone?

If so, their captain was incredible.

"I know you're surprised. The people on this island think we belong to the Big Mom Pirates. But as far as the Big Mom Pirates are concerned, we're people from this island."

Christol's explanation left everyone bewildered. What was all this about one side and the other? They couldn't follow him.

So were