Amidst the wailing of the little boy, the Thousand Sunny set sail, heading towards the base island of the Black Cat Pirates.
It’s strange to note that even the residents of Windmill Town, who are involved in maritime trade, have heard of the Black Cat Pirates’ stronghold. The fact that Crowe and his crew are still active without being wiped out is peculiar.
Perhaps it’s due to their considerable strength, or maybe they’re skilled in escaping like the Buggy Pirates, or there are deeper reasons…
In any case, Icey’s goal for this journey is quite clear!
Apart from the sudden surge of excitement, upon calm reflection, there are many benefits to taking down the Black Cat Pirates.
First and foremost, there’s the hefty bounty on their heads.
Among other executives, Captain Crowe, Vice-Captain hypnotist Jango, and the Cat Brothers have a combined bounty of nearly 30 million berries. A single capture could fulfill the amount needed for the next wish.
At the same time, helping the residents of Windmill Town reclaim the important “Sacred Fruit” would greatly enhance their faith in Aqua, turning them into devout followers of the eccentric Aquan religion and accelerating Aqua’s divine power restoration.
Although the Goddess of Imbecility is mostly unreliable, setting aside intellect, her attribute boosts are quite valuable!
Not long after, Icey and his companions leave Windmill Town, somewhere in the sea.
Colonel Smoker halted the navy warship heading towards the branch.
“Everyone, rest in place for ten minutes, gather your strength, and then follow me to attack the Black Cat Pirates’ stronghold!”
“In the name of justice, we will slay Captain Crowe, who mercilessly persecutes civilians!”
His impassioned speech instantly ignited the morale of the entire warship.
All marines were brimming with fighting spirit, drawing their weapons from their waists, determined to follow the Colonel’s footsteps to hunt down the pirates!
They’ve been waiting for this day after returning empty-handed every time!
After issuing the orders, Colonel Smoker returned to the ship’s cabin to prepare for the battle against the Black Cat Pirates.
“Colonel, the Black Cat Pirates still have their uses for us. Why are you…” His deputy, following closely behind, quietly voiced his doubts.
Seated in the dimly lit room, Colonel Smoker puffed on his cigar, the bright flames illuminating his indifferent gaze.
“Wishing for a transfer to the headquarters, mere protection of the populace’s accomplishments is far from enough. The Black Cat Pirates have just completed a raid; if we silently strike back now, we can catch them off guard.”
Thinking of Captain Crowe’s sinister face, Colonel Smoker’s eyes brimmed with killing intent. “That guy Crowe knows too many of our secrets.”
“Even if I can successfully promote to vice admiral, keeping him in the East Blue is still a trouble…”
The deputy seemed intimidated by this ferocity, hesitating for a few seconds before realizing, “Yes, Colonel, you’re as considerate as always!”
“Hmm?” Colonel Smoker grunted displeasedly.
Quickly realizing his mistake, the deputy hurriedly corrected himself, “My apologies, when no one’s around, I should address you as Vice Admiral…”
“Enough, the Black Cat Pirates are formidable; go prepare.” Seeing his reaction, Colonel Smoker nodded in satisfaction.
“Understood!”
The deputy saluted solemnly, greeted, and then left.
To Colonel Smoker’s surprise, once back in his room, the deputy looked around to ensure no one was there, then discreetly took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and quietly dialed a certain number.
“Captain, it’s me; as you suspected, Colonel Smoker intends to move against you.”
“Approximately one hour from now, the warship will arrive at the stronghold.”
…
While the navy warship was resting in place, the Thousand Sunny, at sea, was already speeding towards the Black Cat Pirates’ stronghold.
Inside the dining hall, Icey, Aqua, and King were seated around the table, having what could loosely be termed a pre-battle meeting.
“Aqua, you should have felt the power of faith from the residents of Windmill Town just now. How’s your power now?” Icey inquired.
Although the faith wasn’t particularly strong, Aqua summoning a large body of water to avert the town’s crisis was enough to impress the ordinary folks.
It had some effect, at least.
“Hmph, so you noticed, huh?” Aqua raised her head proudly and clenched her fist, “That’s right, this goddess is feeling super awesome now; I can easily handle any enemy!”
The term “handle” was something she recently picked up from Icey.
“Oh, is that so? Then, when we arrive at the Black Cat Pirates’ stronghold, I’ll leave those ordinary pirates to you.” Icey showed no signs of wavering despite Aqua’s display of confidence.
After a few recent incidents, he had become smarter. Keeping Aqua by his side would never lead to anything good.
Since he was bound to be tricked anyway, letting her trick the opponents was better, giving him a chance to fight alone.
Moreover, regarding abilities, Aqua would have difficulty dealing with Crowe’s speed. If they were to fight, he would have to divert unnecessary energy to deal with Aqua.
In comparison, the Black Cat Pirates’ Vice Captain Zanji or the executive’s Cat Brothers would not pose a threat to Aqua for the time being!
“Huh? You’re letting this goddess deal with those small fries? Icey, you’re underestimating me too much!” Aqua slammed the table hard, showing strong dissatisfaction.
“The executives of the Black Cat Pirates are not easy to handle casually. I hope when fighting Crowe, I won’t be disturbed by others.”
“These troubles I can’t handle, Aqua, only you can help me solve them.”
Icey said sincerely.
Upon hearing this, Aqua’s displeasure vanished instantly, “So that’s it, you can’t handle troubles even you, huh.”
“No problem, leave it to this goddess!” She promised confidently.
Huh, indeed, she was the Goddess of Imbecility, easy to handle!
Icey felt disdainful but still expressed gratitude on the surface, “Then I’ll leave the back to you, Lord Aqua!”
“Uh, what about me? Is there anything I can help with?” King tentatively asked.
Although he knew that, as an ordinary person, he could hardly provide effective assistance in such a battle, he still wanted to contribute to the team in his own way.
“King, I’ll trouble you to guard the Thousand Sunny. If any unexpected situation arises, you can provide us with assistance and backup.” Icey said in a deep voice.
At present, this was the most reasonable arrangement.
The simple battle meeting concluded, and the Thousand Sunny continued toward the Black Cat Pirates’ stronghold.
What Icey didn’t expect
Was to encounter two pitiful souls on board who came seeking food.
They were none other than Zoro’s underlings from the original story, “Sword Saint” Joseph and “Sword God” Johnny!
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