The entire Battle of Sphinx ended with the victory of the White Wolf Pirates led by Silas, but this battle had also been brutal.
According to incomplete statistics, at least three thousand pirates and Marines died in this war, with over five thousand pirates and Marines severely wounded and countless others lightly injured.
In the end, the number of Marines who retreated to the warships was approximately eight thousand.
Seven thousand remained on Sphinx.
These were Marines who, for various reasons, had not received the news in time and could not evacuate.
If not for the fact that when the Marines retreated, their morale had not completely collapsed, and Kong, an Admiral-level fighter, was still there, and while the Marines wanted to leave, the pirates did not dare pursue, the casualties would definitely exceed these seven thousand.
In the end, the Marines led by Kong on their warships and the pirates led by Silas stared at each other across the sea, neither daring to act rashly.
Continuing to fight was impossible.
But with a large number of Marines still stranded on Sphinx, Kong could not simply abandon this portion of Marines and leave.
"I will have Rona rush over as soon as possible!"
With Marine Headquarters needing an Admiral stationed there, the only Admiral-level fighter the Marines could mobilize now was Crimson Snake Rona.
Elephant Yama had regretted more than once why he had sent Rona to deal with some Giant Shark Pirates.
Three Admiral-level fighters pressing down at once.
How could they lose with such an overwhelming advantage?
But anyone could see this was impossible.
If three Marine Admirals really appeared, Silas would run without a second thought.
Even after dispatching two Admirals, Elephant Yama had worried that Silas might flee upon seeing the unfavorable situation.
This was pirates' strength.
If you come, I run. With no foundation or territory, they could rob wherever they fled to.
But if Silas really planned to develop his own forces on Sphinx for the Marines, this was not necessarily a bad thing.
Pirates with foundations were not scary.
What was scary were pirates who were strong yet had nothing to fear, as they had nothing to lose.
Previously, Silas's White Wolf Pirates had nothing to lose.
Even with several Admiral-level fighters, the Marines were helpless against the White Wolf Pirates roaming the world.
They could not beat you, but they could disgust you!
But now it was different. Once Silas began developing his own forces, monitoring the White Wolf Pirates' movements would become easy for the Marines.
As for whether the White Wolf Pirates would pose a threat to them?
"In the end, he is just a pirate."
This was the feedback from the Five Elders, the World Government's highest authority, after Elephant Yama compiled and submitted intelligence from this operation to them.
Silas being strong did not mean the White Wolf Pirates were strong.
After receiving Kong's intelligence, these powerful figures immediately saw through the White Wolf Pirates' hollow appearance. The entire crew relied solely on White Wolf Silas for support. Without him, the entire White Wolf Pirates would not be worth mentioning.
"However, we are quite interested in how he regained his youth and broke through his limits."
Above were all the Five Elders' opinions.
They did not take Silas seriously at all.
And hearing the Five Elders say this, even Elephant Yama himself felt his previous reaction had been excessive, thinking the White Wolf Pirates could actually threaten them.
The fact was, there was only one White Wolf Silas.
He could defeat Admirals, but his strength had not reached an unmanageable level.
Looking at the entire White Wolf Pirates, besides Silas, the strongest was a Vice Captain with a bounty under 200 million, who had no ability to fight back against a real Marine Admiral.
And now, Silas obviously intended to occupy Sphinx Island.
"Since he wants it, let him have it."
Elephant Yama made his decision. It was just a non-World Government affiliated nation that was not under World Government jurisdiction anyway. Their Marines would not go there unless necessary.
Giving it to Silas, if they could confine him to that place, it would actually be beneficial.
The only headache was...
"Fleet Admiral Yama, a large number of news reporters have gathered outside our headquarters. What do you think we should..."
After careful analysis, they found the White Wolf Pirates posed no real threat to them, but ordinary people did not know this!
They only knew the Marines had been defeated by the White Wolf Pirates on Sphinx. Not only were they defeated, but they had also lost a Marine Admiral.
Once this news spread, the entire Marines' prestige would suffer severe damage.
The problem was, the news simply could not be suppressed.
Because Sphinx was originally a place where all sorts mixed together, not just pirates, but also black market merchants, slave traders, and news reporters, among them.
The Marines dispatching a large force to attack Sphinx. How could those news reporters miss such big news?
Elephant Yama glanced at Silas's wanted poster on his desk.
After this battle, Silas had completely shed the title of ordinary great pirate.
He had become worthy of being recorded in history.
A maritime legend!
Silas was unaware of the World Government and Marines' assessment of the White Wolf Pirates. Even if he knew, he would only smile.
The White Wolf Pirates were hollow?
Silas looked at Rocks, wrapped in bandages, eating roasted meat while loudly denouncing the Marines; Ripley, who had returned to her original giant size and was sleeping soundly on the ground; and Edward Newgate, sitting beside Rocks with a shy expression but eyes filled with longing as he gazed at the sea.
Then he thought of Charlotte Linlin, still in the Giant Kingdom of Elbaf.
Well, let them think it was hollow.
The World Government misjudging the White Wolf Pirates' strength was a good thing. At least Silas did not have to worry about facing the World Government's full targeting.
"Once this storm completely passes, I will go get Linlin."
Although Charlotte Linlin was doing well staying in the Giant Kingdom, her eating disorder was indeed a problem. With Kureha here, she could research how to treat it.
Roya, Lily, Ed, Kureha!
In this battle, four original White Wolf Pirates crew members had come.
Without their help, Silas could not have occupied Sphinx. More likely, after a great battle with Sebastes and Kong, he would have fled with Rocks and the others.
That only four came was not because the others did not want to or did not dare come, but more likely because they had not received the message or were still on their way.
After all, these seas were too vast.
Sometimes a single parting meant never meeting again.
"Roya, what are your plans for the future?"
"What plans?"
Roya, leaning to one side wrapped in bandages like a mummy, looked at Silas in confusion.
"No way, I am in this condition, and you still want to drive me away, Captain?"
"That is right."
The blonde woman glared fiercely at Silas.
"I rowed a boat for half a month to get here. If you try to drive me away, I will never forgive you!"
"Hehe."
Blue Flame Ed on the side chuckled.
"Although I am getting old, I should be qualified as a swordsmanship instructor, right?"
"I said the White Wolf Pirates can only have one doctor, me!"
Kureha laughed loudly.
To this, Silas could only shrug helplessly, making promises to his old crew members.
At the banquet exclusive to the White Wolf Pirates, laughter echoed throughout the entire night.