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Aero's new voyage had begun.
Crocus had wanted more details about Brook, but Aero refused to say another word. The more he talked, the more he risked revealing too much. So, faced with the old man's persistence, Aero made a quick retreat back onto the New Dove.
Before he left, Crocus had called out one last request if Aero ever found Brook, he should bring him aboard.
Aero didn't even have to think about it. Not happening.
He had no strange hobbies and certainly no interest in keeping a walking skeleton as a "rare pet." Bringing Brook onto his ship was absolutely off the table.
The Hurricane Pirates' fleet cruised steadily behind the New Dove. Several massive warships surrounded a comparatively slow-moving sailing vessel an odd sight, but it worked.
Since entering the Grand Line, they'd avoided any major blunders. Following the Log Pose's direction had kept things relatively peaceful.
Occasionally, they crossed paths with other pirate crews but most weren't foolish enough to attack.
Of course, there were exceptions.
One pirate crew, whose captain was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, had made the mistake of striking first.
He didn't last long Aero summoned a waterspout and sent the man spinning into the sea before he could even launch an attack. Their ship took heavy damage and was left dead in the water.
For many in the fleet, it was the first time they'd truly seen their captain's power in action.
---
"Land ahead!!" the lookout called from the crow's nest, excitement in his voice.
Eddie was at the bow with a telescope. After a quick glance, he turned to Aero. "If Buggy's map is right, that should be Whiskey Peak."
"Whiskey Peak… why does that name sound familiar?" Aero frowned, squinting at the hazy outline of the island.
He paced the deck, trying to dredge up the memory. It was right there, on the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn't quite place it.
---
"Captain, that bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro has been cutting down a lot of pirates in the East Blue lately. The news is all over the place. With his skill, he's bound to become one of the East Blue's most famous bounty hunters," Eddie said, lowering his telescope and picking up a newspaper.
"Bounty hunter?" Aero froze mid-step, then clasped his hands together in thought.
"Yeah… why? Is there a problem?" Eddie asked, confused by his captain's sudden shift.
"There's a big problem. Gather the officers. Now."
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Ray, Gin, and Dylan had been stationed on other ships recently, keeping the crews in line. Half of the New Dove's original ten crew members were now serving as sub-captains across the fleet.
Since their last talk, Ray had been far more cooperative a fact that pleased Aero.
Soon, Dylan, Eddie, Gin, and Ray were seated in the captain's quarters, waiting for him to arrive. The room now held several large Den Den Mushi communications lines to issue orders across the fleet.
By this point, Aero's influence was almost on par with a Warlord of the Sea though probably the weakest one. Still, he had plans to change that.
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Aero walked in and took a seat. "Based on the Log Pose, our next stop is an island known as a nest for bounty hunters."
"Whiskey Peak is a bounty hunter stronghold?" Eddie asked, surprised.
"That's right," Aero said. "Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal. We have numbers on our side, and with our total bounty over 100 million Berries, they should think twice before trying anything."
He paused, then dropped the real bombshell.
"But those bounty hunters work under one of the Seven Warlords—Crocodile."
---
That got a reaction.
"The Seven Warlords?!" Eddie exclaimed.
"Didn't expect to run into one of the Three Great Powers so soon," he added, sinking back into his chair.
Aero's gaze swept over them. Dylan was calm. Eddie looked excited. Gin was intrigued. Ray seemed… mildly surprised.
"We're not here to fight," Aero continued. "In fact, there's an open seat among the Warlords. We might need to avoid offending him altogether."
The Seven Warlords had the right to recommend or reject candidates for the title and Aero had been laying the groundwork for that opportunity since the East Blue.
In his fights with the Marines, he had held back. He'd let opponents go. He'd avoided needless killing. All of it was to keep the door open.
If he'd entered the Grand Line with a trail of slaughtered officers behind him, the Warlord position would've been nearly impossible to secure.
Now was the time to recover strength, consolidate power, and wait.
Crocodile was a Logia user like Aero. Sand versus wind is an interesting match-up, but not a pressing conflict. There was no immediate reason for them to clash.
In fact, there was a chance they might even become allies.
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