That was why Ben Beckman looked so unruffled.
He had long since decided to lend the Chris Pirates a hand once the war began.
He would help them deal with certain worries at their backs.
But lending the Chris Pirates a hand did not mean playing nursemaid!
Beckman only intended to deal with problems that should never have arisen.
The Chris Pirates would still have to fight Pudora Kingdom themselves.
If they could not handle that, they simply were not strong enough.
And if that was the case, the Red Hair Pirates had no reason to keep helping them.
On the other hand, if the Chris Pirates could handle things themselves, the Red Hair Pirates would only be butting in.
They would be meddling where they were not needed.
Beckman had weighed all of that carefully.
Longhair Jamal and the others could only nod and trust his judgment.
Beckman turned to Balam. "Any movement from the others?"
"With Pudora Kingdom and the Chris Pirates making this much noise, they can't be sitting still."
By "the others," Beckman naturally meant the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates.
Balam lounged on the sofa, casually plucking a few pieces of fruit with his long arm and popping them into his mouth.
"Just about what you expected," he replied softly.
"As soon as the cannons started firing, the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates picked up speed."
"Both sides look like they're racing against the clock."
"As if they're afraid they'll miss something."
Beckman smiled faintly. "As expected, neither of them could sit still."
"No surprise there. They didn't send forces like those just for show."
"Once the cannons sounded, it meant the war was about to begin in earnest."
"How could they miss that?"
Beckman had anticipated the movements of the