At midnight, the lighthouse in the Sphinx Island port flickered tirelessly as pirate ships sailed further away from the shore. Following the announcement of the negotiations' results between the two sides, most of the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates no longer needed to stay on the island. They set out to sea one by one, each with many tasks ahead.
Sal sat on a rise, overlooking the entire port. He took a sip of wine, observing what had changed because of him.
In the dim moonlight, two flags fluttered on the masts of more than a dozen ships. In addition to the flag of his own pirate group, there was another one, entirely unfamiliar to the world.
"Sal Pirates, Roger, your skill in coming up with names is as lousy as ever," said a familiar voice, breaking the silence.
Without turning around, Sal recognized who it was. He raised his hand to catch the bottle Rayleigh tossed him and casually asked,
"Still up so late? Are you trying to recapture your youth with some curious tricks?"
Rayleigh sat down beside him, took a swig of wine, and looked at the starry sky. The sky, which had accompanied him for decades, seemed particularly enchanting tonight.
"You left the most beautiful woman in the world alone in an empty room; what else can I try?"
"Indeed, your Shakky is no slouch. If you decide on such things, watch out, or she might make you suffer," Sal chuckled.
Rayleigh, smiling, declined to further the topic, though he was eager to see Shakky's surprise when she saw him rejuvenated.
"Take care of yourself. How are you going to explain to Rouge, when Ace comes back, that on top of Hancock, known as the most beautiful woman in the world, you also have Hina, the jewel of the Marine Patrol?" Rayleigh tutted. "Tsk, you've become quite the womanizer, Roger."
"Clearing his throat," Sal clearly avoided the topic. Reviving Rouge was connected to Roger's lingering soul, plus resurrecting the dead didn't interest him, so he had passed this chance to Ace.
"Don't worry, here you go, another one for you. Give it to whomever you choose. But remember: a person can only eat it once. Eating more is useless," Sal also didn't want to continue this topic and tossed the Longevity Pill to Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's eyes gleamed after he accepted the pill. This pill, granting new life, unmistakably indicated who its possessor was.
Rayleigh remained silent for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice:
"What, your Sal Pirates aren't planning to invite me?"
"Rayleigh, my name is Sal, and our meeting is fated by destiny. Do you want to join me and turn the world upside down?" Sal stated clearly, then clinked his wine bottle against Rayleigh's, seriously and sincerely inviting him.
Tears, prompted by the familiar words, shone in Rayleigh's eyes. He raised his glass and took a sip. This time, the response was different.
"Let me see if you can achieve your goal, Sal."
Rayleigh's mind flashed with memories of the past. The Roger Pirates were a thing of the past. They ventured out to sea to fulfill everyone's dreams. Perhaps a new pirate group should take on a new goal.
"Rayleigh, do you want to be a fighter this time? Vice-captain? Does a beautiful woman need one?"
"…Get lost," Rayleigh replied.
The next morning, the agreement between Sal and Whitebeard's remnants didn't remain a secret. Most likely, its contents had already spread among the ordinary sailors, causing quite a stir, but they also calmly accepted the accord.
In the port, full of ships, many pirates were busy transporting resources and preparing for departure.
Marco stood on the ship with the whale, deep in thought, looking at the two pirate flags on the mast. The strong wind before the storm fluttered not only Whitebeard's flag but also the flag of Sal's pirate group.
Becoming part of someone else's pirate group was an idea that had never crossed his mind before.
"…All this is for Pops and everyone else," a resolute fire lit in Marco's eyes. He had grown stronger after the War at the Summit, even his dormant strength had slightly improved. But unfortunately, it all happened too late.
The agreement between the two parties, concluded the previous night, was very simple. Sal was granted the right to govern Whitebeard's territories. In the future, they might have to rename the territories to Sal's territories or Roger's territories.
As a leader, Sal could not intentionally suppress the former Whitebeard Pirates.
The price Sal paid included the protection of the territory and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates, and most importantly - the resurrection of Whitebeard.
The price paid by the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates was no less straightforward.
Fifteen squadrons (the fourth squadron was included in the main group) and the initial 22 pirate groups formed the affiliated pirate groups of the Sal Pirates, totaling 37, with a massive fleet numbering almost 10,000 people.
In the event of an enemy invasion of the territory, all affiliated pirate groups must obey Sal's orders and repel the attack.
If the attack occurs in the territories of other powerful enemies of the Four Emperors, then the affiliated pirate groups must be responsible for the attack.
The group only needs to mobilize half of their forces to participate in the war, while the other half should guard the territory. This is done precisely to prevent Sal from using them all as cannon fodder, although the likelihood of this is extremely low.
In the case of large-scale wars, the four pirate groups: first, second, third, and fifth should mobilize two pirate groups each to participate. After all, these four are quite capable of standing against the Three Calamities and Four Generals.
If Sal is unable to resurrect Whitebeard within five years, he will have to give half of his territory to the affiliated pirate groups, and the relationship between the two sides will change from affiliated to an equal alliance.
These conditions were the result of their struggle and the maximum guarantee for the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
And Sal received 37 life papers, and the Den Den Mushi in his hand could now contact any affiliated pirate squad.
The night agreement allowed the creation of a force comparable to the power of the Four Emperors, and the name of the Sal Pirates was destined to shine on the world stage.
A pirate's voice interrupted Marco's contemplation:
— Captain Marco, the pirate ship is ready to set sail.
— Elu, you better call me on the ship... Forget it, shout as you wish. This time our destination is the Kingdom of the Flower Elephant There are several dim-witted pirate groups operating there. Let these hyenas find out that after the War at the Summit, this is no hunting ground," Marco replied.
The ship with the whale sailed ahead, followed by several affiliated pirate ships, breaking through the gradually strengthening waves. The sky above them remained blue.
After the War at the Summit, two of the remaining three whale ships set out to sea, and other affiliated pirate ships also embarked on the mission.
By Sal's order, they were to eliminate the threat from the minor pirate groups in the shortest possible time and then focus their efforts on addressing a multi-faceted threat...