Konoha finally set out. Clown Buggy and his officers returned to their own ships, and the entire fleet swiftly headed toward the battlefield.
Hikaru remained as composed as ever, his expression calm, but the men behind him were filled with surging emotions. This time, they were declaring war on one of the Four Emperors—there was no way they could remain unmoved. Especially when they were so heavily outnumbered, their chances of victory seemed minuscule.
Yet Alliance Leader Uchiha Hikaru had laid out his plans step by step, gradually pulling the situation into the Alliance's favor. The far-reaching scope of his arrangements and the brilliance of his strategy opened their eyes. They had never imagined that every seemingly unrelated decision Uchiha Hikaru made could become part of an interlocking chain.
Such command from behind the scenes elevated their admiration for their Alliance Leader to an entirely new height.
"Why are you all so worked up?" Hikaru said flatly. "It's fine to be nervous. After all, a massive battle involving more than a hundred thousand people is about to begin. Keeping your nerves taut at all times will allow you to catch every subtle change on the battlefield. But remember, do not panic. Panic exposes weaknesses, and exposing weaknesses in battle leads to terrifying consequences!"
"Understood!" everyone answered solemnly.
The rumbling of cannon fire gradually reached them. Though it was still faint, it meant they were nearing the battlefield.
"Good! Pass down the order: all hands, move out! Surface and surround the Blackbeard Pirates!"
Amid the rolling waves, enormous bubbles suddenly rose one after another. Then ship after ship burst from beneath the sea. Other than the leading Konoha, which flew no flag, every vessel bore Clown Buggy's pirate flag.
At the same time, Kuzan, the Gon Corps, Marco, and the others