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Ray watched silently as the battered pirate ship pulled away into the distance. Then, without turning, he said to his officer, "Have all ships dock. We're landing."
"Yes, sir! And what about the other pirates?" the man asked, gesturing toward the scattered pirate crews still sailing frantically offshore.
Ray snorted. "That slob of a Navy Commander… Bugsy's already close to losing patience with him. But honestly, we need fools like that. If he wants glory, let him chase it. We're done playing along."
"Understood!" the officer said, saluting sharply before hurrying back to the captain's quarters. There, nine Den Den Mushi were mounted, one for each of their allied ships ready for coordinated deployment.
Ray looked out at the other ships sailing in formation behind him, thinking:
"Our forces are still weak. Until those trained in the Six Powers join us, we'll never be truly strong. Without technique, we're just another Krieg fleet, big but brittle."
As they neared the island, the remnants of Krieg's crew steered clear of them, giving a wide berth to the ten Hurricane ships.
The ten ships docked in a straight line along the coast.
Ray leapt down first, his boots landing firmly in the sand.
Dozens of black-cloaked Hurricane Pirates followed, weapons at the ready. They had come for something important.
Ray moved quickly to a nearby stone outcrop, sat down, and pulled a vibrating Den Den Mushi from his coat pocket.
Brr-brr…
"Ray Stan reporting in," he said calmly.
"Ray? Are you on the island?" came Bugsy's voice, urgent but excited.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We've made landfall. And… Krieg's been defeated. That man did it."
"Of course he did!" Bugsy's voice was beaming. "That means we now hold the strongest force in the East Blue! Tell me have you spoken to him yet?"
"Not yet," Ray replied. "Our forces are assembled, and the Navy commander's out of the picture. I'm heading to meet him now."
"Good," Bugsy said. "And Ray make sure to send him my regards."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ray hung up and turned to his troops. Leaving a few behind to guard the ships, he led the rest, nearly a thousand strong, straight into the island's interior.
Along the way, other pirates eyed them warily. Their presence raised eyebrows, but when it became clear they weren't looking for a fight, most gave them space and moved on.
No one wanted to get caught between two factions right before a potential war broke out.
Though the island was still riddled with fighting between pirate crews, Ray kept his focus forward. He was once a pirate too. Even now, despite his title as Bugsy's naval commander, he knew in his heart that a pirate's life was all he'd ever know.
He led the group confidently, flipping through three bounty posters. The one on top bore the face of the young man they were here for.
"Aero Aegis."
"Commander, over there!" his second-in-command pointed toward a crumbled structure up ahead.
There, four figures in black cloaks were resting.
They wore the same Hurricane uniforms as Ray's men.
Aero had already received a call from Bugsy.
The king had told him: reinforcements were coming nearly a thousand men, ready to join the Hurricane Pirates.
Eddie's eyes lit up when he saw them. "They're here… This is what real backing looks like. The power of a kingdom."
But Aero remained calm.
In this world, power spoke louder than anything else. With strength came followers. That was the natural order.
His only concern was the risk: the Bugsy Kingdom was a World Government ally. If word got out that they were supporting pirates, they could be stripped of their protected status.
But that was a problem for later, and Aero already had a plan to deal with it.
He scanned the approaching group. The numbers were impressive, but their strength… that remained to be seen.
Ray spotted him, too, the quiet, sharp-eyed teen watching their approach.
He stepped forward and called out loudly: "Commander Ray Stan, reporting for duty, Captain!"
Ray had once been a pirate captain himself, the first to swear allegiance to Bugsy. Now, he was a general and a loyal one, even if his progress learning the Six Powers was laughable after two months.
Still, Bugsy trusted him more than most. Ray obeyed without question and got results, making him more reliable than any soldier in the former militia.
Aero nodded and stepped past him, facing the nearly thousand cloaked recruits.
"I am Aero," he said firmly. "From this day forward… I am your captain."
The black-cloaked pirates already knew who he was. Some had seen his face on bounty posters. Others had been briefed the moment they boarded the Hurricane ships.
This was the man with the highest bounty in all of East Blue.
The man who had crushed Arlong within two months of setting sail.
"AYE, CAPTAIN!"
The shout was deafening shaking the trees and silencing the gunfire echoing across the island.
Even the other pirates, locked in their skirmishes, paused and turned toward the sound.
Aero smiled.
His true adventure hadn't even begun yet… but standing before him now was his force.
His future.
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