The next morning, Pudding led Koala—who had been thoroughly "trained" by her—to Carl.
Upon seeing Carl, Koala immediately bowed respectfully and addressed him, "Saint Carl."
Carl scrutinized Koala briefly. Her expression appeared somewhat dazed, unlike the animated expressions she had yesterday.
Pudding explained from the side, "Saint Carl, I injected a large amount of information into her. She's still experiencing slight mental disorientation, but by tomorrow night, she should be back to normal."
Carl nodded with a smile.
"No problem. This is good enough. Luffy's crew is scheduled to rendezvous with her at night anyway. They won't notice anything unusual in the short term."
Then, Carl turned to Lucia and asked, "Lucia, how long until the fleet reaches Goat Island?"
Lucia responded, "We should arrive in the waters near Goat Island tonight. However, our fleet is too large. If we get too close, Luffy's crew might detect us."
"Hm, you have a point. When the time comes, I'll use my Devil Fruit ability to lift the fleet into the clouds. Inform the crew in advance so they won't panic."
"Yes, sir!"
Carl then turned back to Koala. "Koala, maintain contact with Luffy's crew and ensure that tomorrow's supply exchange goes smoothly."
"As you command, Saint Carl."
...
The Next Night, Goat Island Shore
Three pitch-black submarines slowly surfaced from the water. Luffy, Lindbergh, and several Revolutionaries emerged, scanned their surroundings, and then moved toward a simple outpost on the shore.
This outpost was previously occupied by the Alvida Pirates but had since been taken over by the Revolutionary Army as a secret base.
Upon arrival, the Revolutionary soldiers were ordered to stand guard outside while Lindbergh, the senior officers, and Luffy's crew entered a small house.
Once inside, Gildeo placed a Den Den Mushi at the center of the table. Everyone gathered around, staring at it. After a brief silence, Lindbergh was the first to speak.
"Gildeo, it's getting late. Why isn't Koala here yet?"
Gildeo responded, "The naval patrols have been frequent lately. Koala's fleet is disguised as a merchant convoy, but if they're stopped for inspection, things could get complicated. She's constantly adjusting her route, so a delay is to be expected."
Lindbergh nodded. "Once she arrives, we must complete the supply exchange as quickly as possible. Given the current situation, lingering on the surface for even a second longer increases the risk."
"Understood. I had Hack scout the area these past few days. No signs of Marine activity. This base should be safe for now."
"That's reassuring."
Luffy, Nami, and the others sat quietly, listening to the discussion.
Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise echoed through the room. Everyone turned to look at Luffy.
Frowning, Luffy rubbed his stomach and groaned, "I'm starving…"
The submarines had already run out of food the day before. Given Luffy's enormous appetite, he had survived only on two loaves of bread since yesterday. While that amount might suffice for an ordinary soldier's daily rations, it was barely a snack for him.
Seeing this, Lindbergh quickly turned to the officers of the other submarines.
"Do you have any food left?"
Deputy commander of the East Army Ahiru spoke up, "Most of my crew consists of women with smaller appetites, so we still have some supplies."
"Great! Bring everything over. We need to get Luffy fed first!"
Luffy's combat ability was crucial, especially given the precarious nature of their mission. The other Revolutionary commanders understood this and readily agreed. Ahiru immediately left to arrange for food to be transported.
Soon, the room was filled with food. Luffy wasted no time, diving in and devouring everything in sight while the others watched in silence.
The officers from the other submarines exchanged looks of sympathy and admiration toward Lindbergh. The fact that his submarine had managed to sustain Luffy this long was nothing short of a miracle.
As Luffy continued eating, the Den Den Mushi suddenly rang with a "Buru Buru" sound. Lindbergh swiftly moved to answer it.
Koala's voice came through. "We're approaching Goat Island."
To everyone in the room, hearing this was like music to their ears. Lindbergh composed himself and replied,
"Excellent. We'll head to the western shore to meet you."
Koala didn't respond and simply hung up.
No one found this unusual. Given how the World Government, the Marines, and the CP organizations had spread their influence across the seas, keeping Den Den Mushi transmissions brief was a necessary precaution to avoid interception.
Lately, every step they took felt like walking on thin ice, where even the slightest mistake could spell disaster.
Luffy, having stuffed his mouth with meat, nodded at Lindbergh, signaling that he was ready.
Without further delay, Lindbergh and his team left the house, gathered their forces, and marched westward.
From a vantage point on the western shore, Lindbergh pulled out a custom-made monocular. Unlike ordinary telescopes, his invention had far superior magnification and night vision capabilities.
Through the lens, he saw a merchant ship flying a trade guild's flag slowly approaching the shore. Koala stood at the bow.
A wave of relief washed over Lindbergh's face. He immediately signaled the others, and the Revolutionaries moved en masse toward the beach.
Under the watchful eyes of the Revolutionary Army, the ship finally docked. Koala and a group of cloaked individuals disembarked, heading toward Lindbergh and his team.
"Commander Lindbergh, the supplies are ready. We had to take a detour, which caused a slight delay."
Lindbergh patted Koala on the shoulder. "Good work. Take a break while we get everything unloaded."
Koala nodded and stepped aside. A subtle, crimson gleam flickered in her eyes.
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+200 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg