As the saying goes.
Big has its advantages.
Small has its shortcomings.
The reason Storm gathered his crew and formed a pirate crew was to one day charge into the New World and take on the Pirate Emperors.
Given that.
Forming a small but elite "elite team" simply didn't suit his actual situation.
It must be understood.
On these seas, truly "elite pirate crews" are exceedingly rare.
Even crews like the Red Hair Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates, who pride themselves on being "elite teams."
Once they entered the New World and established themselves, didn't they all eventually become "grand fleets"?
The Red Hair Pirates have subordinates like the Waterhole Pirates, the Social Club Pirates, the Rich Pirates...
The Straw Hat Pirates have the Beautiful Pirates, the Barto Club Pirates, the New Giant Warrior Pirates...
As for the other Pirate Emperors, it goes without saying.
The Whitebeard Pirates, the Beast Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, the Blackbeard Pirates, the Cross Guild...
Which of these forces isn't a massive grand fleet with overwhelming numbers?
Since he already knew how the great pirates of the New World operated.
Storm naturally wouldn't bother with any "elite team."
Why not go straight to the point and, when forming his crew, direct everyone toward developing a "grand fleet" from the start?
Moreover.
Among the crew Storm had recruited so far.
Aside from Robin and Nami, whose strength and abilities didn't quite meet the standard...
Ace, Kid/Killer, Kuma, and even Bonney—they were all pirate captains who had been tested by the sea.
The weakest among them were still "Pirate Supernovas" of their respective years!
And crews like the Spade Pirates, the Kid Pirates, the Bonney Pirates...
These weren't crews Storm had fabricated out of thin air.
Without Storm's interference.
These crews would have been formed by Ace and the others on their own.
As for Kuma.
The mighty "Tyrant" never formed a pirate crew.
But let's not forget.
Before becoming one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, the "Tyrant" had been a revolutionary army commander!
Whether in status, strength, or experience, Kuma was in no way inferior to the top officers of an Emperor's pirate crew.
Thus.
The moment Storm made up his mind and officially established the [Storm Pirates].
He declared right in front of his crew that the [Storm Pirates] would develop toward becoming the [Storm Grand Fleet]!
Even though the so-called "Storm Grand Fleet" was still just a vague shadow at this point.
Among those present, including Storm himself as the "captain," they couldn't even fill a single ship with eight people.
But the concept of the "Storm Grand Fleet" deeply captivated everyone.
Even Bonney, who had been crying earlier, wiped away her tears, clenched her little fists, and put on a look of fierce determination.
She was a member of the Storm Pirates! She was part of the Storm Grand Fleet!
Once they found more comrades, Bonney would form her own pirate crew too!
If Bonney was like this.
The others were even more "unrestrained."
"Captain!"
Kid passionately suggested.
"I'll head back to the South Sea with Killer right away, then go to Belfast Island and raise a fleet!"
Before setting sail, Kid and Killer were both gang leaders on Belfast Island, with a "deep" "mass base."
Seeing Kid speak up first, Ace wasn't about to be outdone.
"I'm not going to the South Blue! But I can gather crewmates in the East Blue!"
"Enough joking around, you lot."
Storm suddenly calmed down, even pouring cold water on the excitement of Ace, Kid, and the others.
"Pirate crews aren't so easily formed.
"Besides, your current strength is far too weak!"
Robin, an archaeologist, possessed vast knowledge and top-tier intelligence-gathering skills.
Nami was a genius navigator, her talent in navigation unmatched.
Storm's standards for these two weren't as strict.
If they couldn't fight head-on, mastering escape skills would suffice.
But the others were different.
Storm looked at Kid, Killer, and Ace.
"Kid, have you finished your studies? Killer, have you mastered your swordplay? Ace, have you honed your fists?"
Over the past few days, Kid and Killer had been tormented by Storm's brutal training regimen, leaving them speechless now.
Their current strength truly wasn't up to par.
At the same time, they could clearly feel the benefits of "studying" and "sword training" on their abilities.
So, for now, Kid and Killer said nothing.
"Studying" and "sword training" weren't so bad after all, haha...
But Ace was different.
He was the last to join the Storm Pirates and had little understanding of Storm's "200x Effort Training Plan."
He set sail to become a pirate, not to train his fists!
Besides.
When it came to training fists, of course, you needed someone to spar with!
What progress could you make by practicing alone?
"Captain! Vongola! That's not what you said before!"
Ace glared, his voice tinged with indignation.
"I set sail to be a pirate! Why do I have to keep training?"
"Because right now, you, Kid, and Killer—all three of you—are too weak!"
Storm already knew Ace didn't want to eat a Devil Fruit, so the Flame-Flame Fruit was out of the question for him.
The original "Fire Fist" had lost his "fire."
So shouldn't he at least perfect his "fist"?
Back in the day, Roger had wielded a pirate cutlass, carving his way from Loguetown in the East Blue all the way to the final island, Laugh Tale.
If Ace's physique and Haki grew strong enough, he might just be able to fight his way into the New World!
The same went for Kid and Killer.
These two brothers—one a "Magnet Person," the other a "swordsman"—needed proper tempering to reach their potential.
Of course.
As the saying goes, "Strike with one hand, soothe with the other."
Forcing Ace and the others to focus solely on training wasn't the way.
Storm needed to set a clear long-term goal for them.
And that goal wasn't hard to find.
"Ace, Kid, Killer, your most important task right now is to train your bodies and build a solid foundation."
Storm raised his right fist and clenched it tightly, his fingers producing a sharp sonic boom.
Armament Haki surged from his body, coiling around his fist and turning it into an "Iron Fist."
"Then, learn the power of Haki!"
Kid and Killer, both natives of the South Blue, stared blankly at Storm's fist, completely clueless about what kind of ability this was.
In contrast, Ace, who had undergone Garp's brutal training since childhood, wore a thoughtful expression.
[Haki]... huh?
...
The banquet continued.
Storm exchanged a glance with Kuma, signaling him to follow outside the Clay Castle.
Sky Garden.
Storm gazed down at the East Blue below and spoke softly.
"Kuma, Bonney's treatment will still take a long time. During this period, you can't leave her side."
"Mm."
Kuma responded firmly.
"I will definitely protect Bonney."
"But I have my own matters to attend to."
Storm turned to look at Kuma beside him, then glanced back at the Clay Castle behind them, where faint laughter could be heard drifting over.
"Leave them to you."
Storm had already stayed in the East Blue long enough.
The training of Ace, Kid, and the others would still require a lengthy schedule.
With so much time ahead, Storm had no intention of "wasting" it in the East Blue.
His own strength hadn't yet reached its limit, and there was still significant room for improvement in his "seven-star" attributes and abilities. He needed more high-level Grand Prize Trophies.
These trophies—no one in the small East Blue could provide them.
Storm planned to return to the Grand Line.
"Yes, Captain."
Kuma understood the implication in Storm's words and replied solemnly.
"When I was with the Revolutionary Army, I also trained many young recruits... I will definitely train Ace and the others well."
"Ace, Kid, and Killer—these three must be pushed hard in their training. As long as it doesn't kill them, train them to the brink."
Storm didn't see anything wrong with his words.
After all, he himself had trained just as relentlessly, going from an ordinary person to an outstanding graduate of the Marine Elite Training Camp in just two years.
Though Storm's rate of improvement couldn't compare to that of another Marine "Hero Lieutenant."
But then again, that "Hero Lieutenant" had a "Hero Vice Admiral" as his mentor.
Storm hadn't had such educational resources.
Now, however.
Storm could provide Ace and the others with similar educational resources.
With Kuma's level of strength, teaching these "rookie pirates" like Ace would be more than sufficient.
"As for Robin and Nami, they aren't combatants. Just ensure their basic physical fitness is up to standard."
Kuma nodded seriously.
"As for other issues..."
Storm frowned in thought, preparing for the worst-case scenario.
"For example, if one day you encounter an enemy you can't possibly defeat, send everyone straight to Sky Garden!"
"I'll relocate Sky Garden to the Calm Belt in Paradise later."
Kuma's [Paw-Paw Fruit] ability includes what could be called "location marking," allowing him to teleport over vast distances.
Sky Garden was the Storm Pirates' headquarters.
Now, Storm intended to repurpose it as the crew's "return base"—a last resort in desperate situations.
Whether it would be useful or not, it was better to prepare in advance.
Storm rarely fought battles he wasn't prepared for.
Unless he accidentally crashed into the Red Line…
After giving all the necessary instructions, Storm returned to the banquet with Kuma.
Once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill,
Storm and the others returned to the Germa Kingdom below.
The Sky Garden was still too desolate at the moment, with harsh living conditions unsuitable for long-term stays.
The Storm Pirates returned to the Germa Kingdom.
From Judge, Storm learned that the Germa Kingdom would soon set sail to return to the North Sea.
The next day,
as the giant snails of the Germa Kingdom slowly departed the waters near the Oykot Kingdom,
the Sky Garden, hovering ten thousand meters above, swiftly flew toward the Calm Belt under Storm's control.
Upon safely reaching the Calm Belt, Storm left his base here.
As the name suggested, the Calm Belt had no wind.
By placing the Sky Garden here, Storm didn't have to worry about it being blown away by sudden super storms…
However, to make it easier to locate his "home,"
Storm still found a "neighbor" for the Sky Garden—Impel Down.
Ten thousand meters above the underwater prison was the headquarters of the Storm Pirates.
This place was in the "blind spot" of the world.
If divided according to the Paradise map,
the Storm Pirates' base was located between Marine Headquarters and Enies Lobby, already close to the final stop of Paradise.
Storm parked the Sky Garden directly above Impel Down.
Then, like a meteor from the sky, he plummeted downward.
As he fell,
Storm's appearance continuously transformed.
By the time he landed on the first floor of Impel Down,
Storm had donned a new identity—
With [Cherry Ten] and [Withered Tree] in hand, Golden Lion II—Lion made his grand entrance!
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