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Waiting is indeed a long process, but no one feels impatient because everyone understands that the upcoming scene will determine their future journey.
The Kuroshio is still some distance away from Larson and the others. Although the Kuroshio is not spreading slowly, it will still take some time to reach them.
Everyone just waited quietly. Marco and the others also sat there without speaking. Shanks and Buggy were unusually silent as well.
The atmosphere was solemn because Gaban had just informed everyone of the outcome of their discussion.
This issue cannot be kept secret, nor is there any intention to do so. It is something they will eventually come to know.
When Marco and the others realized that these individuals were actually holding the group back, they showed an expression of helplessness.
But the crucial point is that they cannot change anything right now. The only thing they can do is work hard to practice and improve themselves after this operation is over. In the future, if they encounter a similar situation, they won't find themselves unable to do anything to help and merely holding others back.
"Want something to eat?"
A voice came from one side, and Marco turned his head to see Larson silently sitting down.
"No, thanks."
"Haha."
Larson held a piece of steaming barbecue in his hand. When they came to this place, they were quite well-prepared.
Do they treat this as an adventure like others might? Most brought only some dry food, but they brought a variety of things.
However, when they first escaped from the Kuroshio, they left most of their food behind, so now they didn't have many supplies left.
At this moment, most people were eating dry food. This wasn't because they couldn't eat meat or there wasn't enough, but because they wanted to conserve it. In their opinion, since they would all be leaving soon, eating the meat now would be wasteful. It would be better to leave it behind.
Larson glanced at Marco, "Are you sure you don't want to eat?"
The aroma of the barbecue wafted into Marco's nose.
Marco resisted the urge to look at it. He shared the same thoughts as the others—they were all leaving soon, so it didn't matter whether they ate or not.
Gurgle~
But Marco's stomach growled rebelliously. His face turned red with embarrassment.
"Hahaha."
Larson wasn't bothered at all. He handed the barbecue to Marco, "Go on, eat it, don't hold back."
Marco swallowed, licked his lips, then grabbed the piece of barbecue offered to him and started eating.
He ate quickly, without thinking, as if venting his frustration on that piece of meat.
A piece of barbecue quickly disappeared into Marco's stomach, and he licked the grease off his fingers.
Larson chuckled, "I've got more."
As he spoke, he offered Marco another share.
Marco shook his head, "I can't eat anymore. You should keep these for yourself."
"What? Are you worried about me?"
Marco lowered his head, "I think we'll be retreating soon, and we can eat as much as we want when we get back to the ship. But you're different. No one knows what dangers lie ahead. It's already so perilous at this stage, and it will only get more dangerous from here."
"You need food more than we do."
"Don't worry, we old guys aren't at the point where we can't continue without food," Larson replied with a smile.
But Marco still shook his head and declined the barbecue.
Larson felt a little helpless. He stood up and looked around. Everyone else noticed his actions and turned their attention toward him.
"I have a few words to say," Larson's voice echoed through the forest.
"Although you may have to leave here and return to the ship, this does not mean your adventure is coming to an end. On the contrary, your next task will be heavier than ours!"
Everyone seemed confused upon hearing Larson's words.
A heavier task? How could that be?
Weren't they just retreating? Did they need to do anything else?
Even Roger and Whitebeard looked on with interest.
Larson continued, "Your next task is to protect our ship while we're away so that when we return, we can continue our journey."
"Because no one knows if the creatures on these islands will attack our ship. If the ship is lost, everyone should be aware of the consequences. So, I need each of you to stay safe and return in your fullest, most perfect state to protect our pirate ship for us, and wait for us!"
After a few seconds of silence, Rayleigh also stood up and addressed the group, "Larson is right. Your next mission is crucial. Don't let me catch any of you showing reluctance again. Our most important task now is to protect our pirate ship!"
Larson's eyes scanned everyone's faces. He noticed that while some looked clearly hesitant and seemed to understand that Larson's words were meant to reassure them, others had a renewed spark in their eyes—a determination to take this new task seriously.
Larson breathed a sigh of relief. His speech had one goal: to lift their spirits.
At that moment, the Kuroshio they had been waiting for finally came into view. From a distance, a dark mass appeared on the horizon, and soon enough, the ground seemed to be engulfed by this black tide as it moved steadily towards Larson and the others.
Taking a step forward, Larson turned and spoke to Gaban, "Remember what we talked about earlier."
"Of course," Gaban replied with a nod.
Feeling reassured, Larson continued, "You all should run to the other side. There shouldn't be any there. From there, you can return to the previous level and make your way back to the ship, just as we analyzed. Remember, you must be cautious and not let your guard down."
Although the dangers from the previous levels had transformed into this black tide, it didn't mean the path ahead would be free from danger.
The island was attracting more and more people, all eager to claim its treasures, meaning that more individuals would continue arriving. However, Larson recognized that, relatively speaking, this was a period of temporary reprieve on the island. If they acted during this window, they could safely leave before more dangers reappeared.
"Don't worry about me," Gaban responded confidently. "I may not be able to guarantee everything, but I can guarantee that every one of them will return safely!"
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