Beneath the thick clouds, the colorful smoke gradually thinned out under the strong wind.
Three ornithopters flew close to the ground, their purple propulsion trails sweeping across the farmland, leaving fleeting ripples in the shape of the crops.
The team that carried out this reconnaissance and decoy mission was none other than the three most skilled pilots in the air pirate group, along with Dola's three biological sons.
Charles, the oldest and most robust bearded man, breathed a sigh of relief.
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "That was close! Did those turrets just rotate? I bet they almost opened fire!"
Louis, the second oldest and sporting a small Louis, chimed in, "Luckily, you reacted quickly, brother, or we would have been blown to bits by the cannon fire!"
" Charles! Louis!" a younger voice interrupted the two older brothers' mutual flattery, "Now is not the time for chatting! It's time to move on to the next step of the plan Mother gave us!"
The sky was silent for a second, with only the sound of bionic wings vibrating remaining.
Charles and Louis asked hesitantly at the same time, "Uh—what's the next step again?"
Henri couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his face in the cockpit.
Even through his goggles and helmet, he could picture the bewildered expressions on the faces of his two older brothers.
These three air pirates were undoubtedly skilled pilots, but they were always a bit forgetful when executing complex plans.
Fortunately, the youngest son, Henri, has not degenerated into a single-celled organism like his two older brothers.
"Detour! Harass!" Henri tried to make his voice as loud as possible so that his two silly brothers wouldn't misunderstand.
"Make it seem like you're desperately trying to lure Goliath away from Valley Town, but let them see our intentions," so they'll be more convinced of their judgment and rush towards the town!
"Oh! I get it!" Charles exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something. "We just pretend to be stupid to trick them into going over!"
" Henri, you have a good memory!" Louis chimed in.
Henri, too lazy to correct their crude conclusions, led the way by tilting the fuselage to begin slowing down.
The three aircraft traced arcs and began circling over inland farmland and hills, sometimes making attempts to re-approach Goliath, and sometimes appearing hesitant, as if they had lost their way.
This clearly deliberate attempt to lure the enemy was clearly visible to the Goliath.
However, the three men's "clumsy" acting only strengthened the fat general's resolve.
The airship slightly adjusted its attitude, its propellers blasting at full power, and resolutely headed eastward.
The distance between Valley Town and the Goliath is rapidly decreasing.
Under the Erdtree.
The Tiger Moth was hovering silently on the lawn less than half a meter above the ground.
Compared to the towering trunk of the Erdtree beside it, the airship looked like a fat pigeon foraging for food in the grass.
Dola slammed a hand-drawn map, covered in markings, onto the folding table, muttering to herself as she held a pencil and a protractor in her hand.
"Based on the last intercepted telegram message—"
The pencil drew a straight line on the map, dotted at the location representing Valley Town, and then extended towards the coast.
"If that guy charges straight here at full speed, he'll arrive in two hours at most."
Dola's tone was very calm, indicating that she had entered "battle mode."
"Very good, the bait is up to you."
Mu En only exchanged a brief conversation before withdrawing his attention. In order to ensure that he had enough energy to fight, he was trying his best to absorb the energy from the mineral vein.
If you look closely, you'll see that a layer of blue light flows across the surface of the golden roots winding through the canyon.
After the conversation ended, Dola noticed the crew members who had gathered around her.
She frowned and snapped, "What are you all still doing here? Didn't I tell you to evacuate to the mine with the townspeople? I'll keep watch here!"
However, the crew members, who usually obeyed her orders without question, did not immediately disperse this time.
A dark-skinned crew member explained in a low voice, "You're still here, how can we hide underground?"
"Exactly," another tall, thin young man chimed in, "Brother Charles and the others are still dealing with that big guy in the sky. What would it look like if we hid underground now?"
"That's right! Even though you've become young and beautiful now, and look like our boss, you're still the leader of the Dola's Air Pirate Gang."
"How can the boss not retreat while the underlings run away first?"
The other crew members echoed this sentiment.
"Shut up! Who's young and beautiful!" Dola deliberately put on a stern face and looked fierce, but the subtle fluctuations deep in her eyes betrayed her.
Just then, a rough but steady hand landed on her shoulder.
It was the old mechanic Motro, who always wore sunglasses made from windshields. He was the only old friend in the air pirate crew who was of Dola's generation and could talk to her on equal terms.
"Okay, Dola."
"Haven't you realized yet? Everyone stayed because they consider you and each other family."
"We are the legendary Dola's Air Pirate Gang!" We are partners and family who have gone through thick and thin together!
Dola stiffened for a moment, then turned her head away from everyone's gaze, leaving the crew with only her back to them.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Dola suddenly turned around, her face now bearing its usual impatient and fierce expression.
"What are you all standing there for? Get back on the ship and be ready to take off at any moment!"
"Without the Tiger Moth as bait, how could those uniformed idiots dare to approach? Go!"
"Yes, Mom!"
Seeing that Dola had returned to "normal," the crew members immediately scattered with grins and disappeared into the cabin.
Watching the crew disappear behind the hatch, Dola chuckled and muttered under her breath, "These useless bunch—without my command, they can't even come up with a decent plan."
Not far away, Sheeta and Pazu, who were sitting under a tree, also witnessed this scene.
"These people... don't seem so bad," Pazu thought to himself.
"It's so warm, like being with real family." That's how Sheeta felt at that moment.
The two children exchanged a glance and immediately understood each other's thoughts.
Dola doesn't seem as bad as they thought?
Time flies, and the scheduled time is getting closer and closer.
A premonition suddenly arose in Mu En's heart, and he turned his senses toward the western horizon.
A gentle breeze carried the scents of grass and earth, along with a distant, unusual, muffled rumble.
Suddenly, thick gray clouds appeared in the western sky, and the sound came from within them.
The next moment, the steel behemoth broke through the clouds, appearing in the world as if a metal god descended from heaven.
The air seemed to freeze, and even the wind seemed to become sluggish under the pressure of this enormous thing.
The hands-free voice echoed throughout the entire Railway Valley: "All residents of Valley Town, and all wanted criminals hiding here, heed my command!"
"Immediately hand over Dola, the leader of the air pirates, and all her followers!"
"Otherwise, the Kingdom Army will consider you all accomplices in treason and authorize the Goliath to completely wipe the entire Valley Town off the map!"