The warship and the Training Ship sailed side by side, advancing at full speed toward the pirates' final paradise, Hachinosu Island.
The atmosphere on the deck of the Training Ship was somewhat peculiar.
Hancock had recovered from her negative state, but her expression was even darker than when she had been kneeling on the ground earlier.
Standing by the ship's rail, she stared at Perona, who was hanging from the main mast's horizontal beam, her chilling gaze almost freezing the surrounding air.
How dare she make her lose face in front of her husband!
Unforgivable!
Feeling the undisguised killing intent, Perona, swaying mid-air, showed no fear.
Instead, she swung her legs triumphantly and stuck out her tongue at Hancock.
"Hee-hee-hee! Want to kill me? Even if I lent you ten times the courage, you wouldn't dare!"
"The Fleet Admiral dotes on me the most! If I hadn't followed Mihawk out to search for some stupid stones, you wouldn't have had the chance to get close to the Fleet Admiral at all!"
Hancock's chest heaved with rage.
If looks could kill, Perona would have been sliced to pieces a thousand times over.
After flaunting her advantage, Perona immediately put on a pitiful act, tilting her head toward Orion at the cabin door.
Her voice softened to a sugary, pleading tone, "Fleet Admiral, i know i was wrong. Can you let me down now? Hanging from the mast isn't fun at all!"
Orion was busy studying the terrain and troop deployments of Hachinosu Island with Mihawk and paid no attention to Perona's coquettish pleas.
Seeing that Orion was ignoring her, Perona pouted and instantly redirected her frustration toward Mihawk nearby, her expression turning fiercely demanding.
"Mihawk! This princess orders you to come over and let me down right now!"
A muscle twitched at the corner of Mihawk's eye.
Pretending not to hear her, he pointed at the map and said, "Hachinosu Island has been under Wang Zhi's control all these years, and his strength should not be underestimated. Moreover, since you led the Training Ship into the New World, most of the pirates who fled in fear have gathered at Hachinosu Island to seek refuge with Wang Zhi."
"As of now, Hachinosu Island has assembled over a thousand Pirate Crews, large and small, with a total force of around 150,000 people."
"150,000?"
Orion narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping the map lightly with his fingertip.
"I never expected that my journey to the New World would end up boosting that backstabber Wang Zhi that much."
Mihawk was taken aback by this. "Backstabber?"
"A traitor," Orion explained with a faint smile. "When the Battle of God Valley erupted, Wang Zhi, then a member of the Rocks Pirate Crew, struck a secret deal with the World Government. At the most critical moment, he switched sides and betrayed Rocks. After the God Valley incident, he seized control of Hachinosu Island and has held it ever since."
"Precisely because of this, the World Government has never launched a true campaign to eradicate Hachinosu Island over the years."
Here, Orion's tone shifted abruptly.
"No matter what agreement he made with the World Government back then, it holds no weight with me."
"Now that I am here in person, it's only natural to uproot this so-called pirate paradise completely."
Mihawk tilted his head, glancing at the group of trainees on the training ship who were either recuperating or buzzing with excitement, then looked at the members on his own ship like Yamato and Nekomamushi.
He spoke cautiously, "Hachinosu Island has gathered at least 150,000 pirates at this moment. With just our two ships, uprooting them completely won't be easy."
"A mere 150,000 ant is nothing to fear," Orion waved his hand dismissively, his tone light and casual.
He then glanced back at the trainees on the deck and chuckled.
"Don't underestimate these trainees. Their growth during this period has exceeded your imagination."
"Oh?" Mihawk turned his gaze back to the trainees. "Exceeded my imagination? That's high praise coming from you! How do they compare to when you first joined the Marines?"
"There's no comparison," Orion blinked, unabashedly reflecting. "There's no one else like me in this world! For ten thousand years to come, you'll only remember the name 'Fleet Admiral Orion'!"
...
The training ship and the naval vessel gradually disappeared over the horizon.
At the edge of the cliff in West Village, The Sunny World, Elbaf.
Scopper Gaban lowered his telescope, blinking in confusion.
What was going on?
Why did the Fleet Admiral's ship suddenly change course and leave?
Just as he was puzzling over it, the sound of footsteps from behind snapped him out of his thoughts.
Gaban turned toward the source of the sound.
A fair, slender, yet disproportionately large hand descended from the sky above him, hovering steadily in front of him.
Then, Ripley's familiar and beautiful face emerged from behind the cloud-like canopy, coming into his view.
Before Gaban could react, Ripley, standing over a dozen meters tall, bent down like a gentle mountain, casting her shadow over the tiny Gaban.
"Why did you suddenly come here? Didn't I tell you to wait for me outside Walrus Academy?"
Gaban leaped down from the tree trunk, landing gracefully in Ripley's palm.
He then settled into a comfortable reclining position and grinned.
"Just killing time, enjoying the scenery."
"Liar," Ripley extended a finger from her other hand and gently poked Gaban's head.
"Tell me the truth. Did you sneak out to meet some giantess while I was teaching the kids?"
"Absolutely not!" Gaban immediately raised his hand in a vow. "My heart only has room for you, my dear wife!"
Ripley's cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a shy hum. "Good answer."
With that, she gently set Gaban down on the ground.
Once standing, Gaban's height didn't even reach Ripley's calf.
If not deliberately searched for, no one would notice that this former core member of the Roger Pirate Crew, once renowned alongside Rayleigh, was standing at the feet of this giantess.
Gaban looked up at his wife, who was as towering as a mountain yet perfectly harmonious, and silently gave himself a mental pat on the back.
'I'm truly something.'
'Not only did I marry a giantess, but I also successfully sowed the seeds and fathered a giant son.'
Though inwardly preening, Gaban's tone was utterly serious.
"Ripley, we need to go see Elder Jarul!"
Ripley looked at him in surprise. "Why do we suddenly need to see ElderJarul?"
Gaban tilted his head, his gaze once again turning toward the distant sea.
"Ten minutes ago, the training ship led by Fleet Admiral Orion appeared in the waters near Elbaf."
"Though we don't know why he suddenly changed course and left, we must prepare in advance!"
"After all, he is the most powerful Fleet Admiral in the history of the Marines. His appearance near Elbaf is no coincidence!"
Hearing the name "Fleet Admiral Orion," Ripley's pupils abruptly contracted.
Immediately after—
"Let's go!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she bent down, scooped Gaban back into her palm, and turned to stride quickly toward the village.
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