The chaotic shouting gradually died down as the captains of the various ships looked up at the flagship.
Soren raised his cutlass.
"I don't care what you came here for!"
"The Marines have sounded their highest alert!"
"Sengoku, Garp, the Three Admirals, and the Shichibukai are all at Marineford!"
"Approach alone, and you'll be reduced to scraps of flesh under the coastal guns!"
Someone interrupted loudly.
"Cut the crap!"
"When do we leave?"
"Now!"
Soren pointed his cutlass toward the harbor exit.
"All fleets, group up by speed!"
"Scout ships go first! The main force will maintain a distance of five nautical miles!"
"If any ship fires without permission, the fleet behind it will sink it immediately!"
Barre stood at his own ship's bow and shouted.
"John's old crew, stay close to the White-Bone Goblet Flag!"
"Whoever breaks into the Marines' treasury first gets an extra ten percent!"
Blacktooth drew his serrated broadsword as well.
"Ochoku's old crew, raise Rocks' old flag!"
"The Young Master is waiting for us!"
"Show the Marines that God Valley didn't bury everyone!"
Hundreds of pirate flags rose up the masts at once.
Sails obscured the sky above the harbor as ships squeezed out through the channel one after another.
The vanguard had only just left Hachinosu, while the ships at the rear were still untying their mooring lines.
Nearly a hundred more ships joined them offshore.
"Captain, that's the fleet of Rocks' remnants up ahead!"
"Should we pull alongside them?"
"Do it!"
"Wherever they're going, we're going!"
"But we don't know their plan!"
"Marineford is that way!"
"If we follow them, we're bound to get some loot!"
Along the route, scattered pirate crews kept being absorbed into the fleet.
One ship, ten ships, fifty ships.
The various forces had no shared command, yet all