"This is a trap!"
The first to speak was Rocks, with sharp eyes and disheveled black hair. But a year and a half had passed since his first meeting with Silas.
After a year and a half of growth, Rocks no longer had the inexperience of a typical pirate rookie. As a pirate with a 50 million Belly bounty who had mastered Haki, the name Rocks D. Xebec had gained some fame in the New World.
New crew member of the White Wolf Pirates!
A supernova with a debut bounty of 50 million Belly!
Son of Evil Omen!
Even Rocks, who had just gone to sea a year ago, never imagined he could grow to this extent in such a short time.
All of this was thanks to the man before him.
Norse Silas.
Captain of the White Wolf Pirates.
Also his captain and the target he most wanted to surpass!
So Rocks was very clear.
The reason the Marines appeared here, able to wait for them and deliver news of Elbaf being under attack, was to lure the White Wolf Pirates to the rescue.
And undoubtedly, the Marines' invasion of Elbaf might already be over.
The Marines would not allow the Giant King and White Wolf to join forces.
The Marines' operation was all about timing, destroying Elbaf before Silas arrived. When Silas reached Elbaf, he would face well-rested Marines.
Could they win?
Impossible!
No matter how much confidence Rocks had in Silas, he would not believe Silas could directly confront two or even three opponents of equal level.
This time, they did not even have the original White Wolf Pirates crew members to assist.
Turning back to Sphinx now would mean automatically abandoning Elbaf.
What to do?
Even Rocks felt incredibly suffocated when truly facing Marine retaliation and World Government pressure.
The White Wolf Pirates only had one Silas.
But the Marines and World Government could field many fighters of strength comparable to Silas.
Even maritime overlords were not enough?
In Rocks's view, Silas, who could defeat two Marine Admirals, was already the undisputed overlord of these seas.
But immediately after, the World Government used an absolutely hard stance to tell them they were not targeting the White Wolf Pirates. They just did not want to waste effort.
If they continued their provocations, then Elbaf would be their fate.
So what if it was the world's strongest nation?
In the World Government's eyes, they were ants that could be crushed casually.
So what about maritime overlords?
Before them, they were still trash who did not dare make a move!
The air grew heavy.
All crew members fell silent. As just a temporary passenger hitching a ride, Kozuki Toki did not even dare breathe loudly.
Until...
"Hahahaha!!!"
Silas laughed. Accompanying his laughter was deep, abyssal Conqueror's Haki. Even without another person to clash with, the terrifying aura still pierced through the clouds in the sky, with black-red lightning shooting skyward across the entire island.
Silas's white short hair moved without wind. Right now, he was like a bloodthirsty mad wolf.
"A trap? So what if it is a trap!"
What even Rocks knew, how could Silas not know?
He wanted to choose too.
But did the World Government give him a choice?
Rocks had not awakened Conqueror's Haki yet, so he did not understand. So-called Haki was a person's spirit. Some things you could retreat from, but once you retreated from certain things, you would never advance another inch for the rest of your life!
Yes, Silas had the system. Even if his Conqueror's Haki could not improve in the future, as long as he was given time to continuously enhance cellular activity and improve his talents, maybe someday he could even develop a special physique like Charlotte Linlin's.
But even if such a day came, today's retreat and today's decision would still be a thorn in his heart!
Before obtaining the system, he had fought the World Government for most of his life. After obtaining the system, would his courage be inferior to his pre-system self?
He was no longer that old self who could not even swing a sword and would cower before any great pirate.
He now possessed Admiral-level strength.
Peak stamina, peak Haki!
Why should he fear? Why should he retreat? Why should he cower?
"I am White Wolf Silas!!!"
Silas emanated a bloodthirsty aura. Even Rocks and the others standing nearby could not help but feel suffocated, while Kozuki Toki seemed to be seeing Silas for the first time. Only now did she discover Silas's ferocity and Silas's arrogance.
Perhaps her initial thought that Silas was a good person was wrong?
But in the next instant, she saw Silas, who had released such an intimidating spirit, place his hand on Ripley's head. The mad wolf's face showed a gentle expression, as if everything she had seen before was an illusion.
"Besides, that is my most important crew member's hometown!"
"How could I possibly ignore it?"
Seeing this side of Silas, Kozuki Toki understood. Silas only showed his ferocity to enemies.
He kept his gentleness for those he cared about.
For the first time, Kozuki Toki felt her heartbeat accelerate. In her twenty-plus years of life, this was the first time she had seen such a man who completely captured her attention.
Only, this gentle Silas was not being gentle with her.
"Captain!!"
Hearing Silas's words, Ripley finally could not hold back and threw herself at Silas, then burst into tears.
She had been holding it in.
Because she did not want to pressure Silas. She knew how dire Elbaf's situation was, but she also knew that if Silas really went to Elbaf, it would definitely be a near-death situation.
But that was her hometown!
The place where she grew up, where she was born and raised!
Her friends and her family were all there. How could she possibly abandon them?
So she really did not know what to do.
Ripley hated her current weakness so much. If she had worked harder, if she had trained as diligently as Rocks and Newgate, would everything be different?
"There, there. Trust me. I never do anything I am not confident about."
Silas rubbed Ripley's head.
"Mm!"
Nodding heavily and trusting in Silas, Ripley finally smiled through her tears.
"What about you two?"
Silas looked at Rocks and Newgate.
"The upcoming battle might be very dangerous. You can disembark here. This battle is not something you can get involved in."
"Please definitely take me along!"
Before Rocks could speak, Newgate beside him had already shouted solemnly.
"Captain Silas, have you forgotten? You said you wanted to become my family. If I encountered difficulties, would you abandon me, Captain?"
"Of course not!"
Meeting Newgate's gaze, Silas said definitively.
"No matter who it is, as long as they are my crew member, I will absolutely never abandon them. If I abandon this crew member today, I will abandon another tomorrow. If I am going to abandon even my crew members, what right do I have to be captain of the White Wolf Pirates?"