War broke out, and four pirate crews fought with everything they had.
More precisely, the Flying Pirates were fighting three crews at once.
The Flying Pirates' Three Giants—Golden Lion Shiki, Reinhardt, and Atlas—each led four fleets.
Each fleet targeted a separate island and invaded at the same time.
That meant five battles were raging simultaneously along each border between the Flying Pirates' territory and that of the other crews.
There was, of course, one more campaign.
Goenitz, captain of the Flying Pirates' Thirteenth Fleet, led his forces westward through their own territory.
The Flying Pirates had never been in a hurry to claim the vast territory to the west. Their expansion there had been slow.
Now it was time to take it all.
This was also a test of Goenitz's abilities.
At least a hundred islands in those waters remained unconquered, and some powerful pirates who had yet to leave were hiding among them.
Plenty of pirates in the Flying Pirates had their eyes on Goenitz's position.
There had always been competition for command of the Thirteenth Fleet. No one had expected Shiki to appoint an outsider outright.
Naturally, they were dissatisfied. The Three Giants and fleet captains were hardly the only powerful fighters in the Flying Pirates.
But only fleet commanders counted as senior officers of the Flying Pirates.
Goenitz had to prove his strength and his methods.
He had until the war ended.
Golden Lion Shiki was confident he could defeat all three pirate crews.
Before that victory came, Goenitz had to capture every island in those waters.
More precisely, he had to defeat and drive out the Great Pirates still there—or bring them into the fold.
It was a difficult task, but it also showed how highly Shiki regarded Goenitz. Under such pressure, Goenitz could grow quickly.