The sea wind howled, and salty waves slapped against the hull of the Shadow.
Cheng Xiaoyu stood at the bow, gazing at the boundless ocean in the distance.
His confrontation with Garp left him with lingering fear, but it also made him more deeply aware of the gap between himself and top powerhouses.
The four core members behind him exchanged glances, none daring to speak first.
Each of them had a different personality, yet rarely were they as silent as they were now.
Facing Garp in battle just now, they couldn't even withstand one of his blows, and were unable to help Cheng Xiaoyu in a top-tier fight.
Their self-esteem was undoubtedly shattered, and mixed in the atmosphere was deep self-reproach and disappointment.
"Captain..." Gin finally mustered the courage to speak, his voice hoarse and filled with apprehension.
"We... we were too useless. If we could have been a little stronger, even if we could have held Garp for an instant, you wouldn't have been in such a dangerous situation."
"That's right!" Kuina's voice was tinged with guilt and remorse, "I didn't even get to swing my sword just now before he shattered it with a punch. I'm really... very sorry."
"Shut up," Cheng Xiaoyu spat out two words coldly, his tone as sharp as a blade, almost piercing the air.
The four of them froze, all falling silent, but his tone suddenly shifted, becoming deep and indifferent,
"Do you think... this is your fault?"
By the ship's rail, Cheng Xiaoyu slowly turned around. He scrutinized the four, his sharp gaze seemingly able to see through to the deepest emotions in their hearts.
The next moment, he smiled.
"If a team progresses too slowly, the reason is never just because of problems with certain members. The real problem is that the leader doesn't have enough ability to drive your growth."
The four stood stunned, clearly not expecting Cheng Xiaoyu to point the finger at himself.
"In my pirate crew, there are no people, only Shadows. But you few are my official crew members, and to me, you are thinking individuals, and I am responsible for you."
"Only by becoming stronger will you not be so battered next time!"
Upon hearing this, the four subconsciously clenched their fists, their chests filled with indescribable complex emotions: anger, unwillingness, and deep shame.
"Captain, where are we going next?" Kuro walked up to Cheng Xiaoyu and asked respectfully.
Cheng Xiaoyu withdrew his gaze, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "To Small Garden."
"Small Garden?" Kuro was slightly taken aback, then understood Cheng Xiaoyu's intention, "Captain means to..."
"That's right," Cheng Xiaoyu interrupted Kuro.
"There are two giants with bounties over 100 million, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy; their strength cannot be underestimated."
"If we can extract their Shadows, our strength will be greatly enhanced."
"But those two giants are the Captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, and their strength is very formidable, we..."
"I know."
"So, are we going to land on the island together this time?"
"No need, I'll go alone. This battle must be quick..."
...
Days later, the Shadow arrived at Small Garden.
During the voyage, Cheng Xiaoyu was not idle; he constantly sparred with the others and tried to develop new skills.
Although this island was called Small Garden, it was actually not small at all.
The plants and animals on the island were unusually huge, and there were even dinosaurs, but to giants, it was indeed like a Small Garden.
Cheng Xiaoyu lay in wait at the edge of the island, closely observing the movements on the island.
According to his memory, Mr.3 and others from Baroque Works had already infiltrated Small Garden, preparing to attack Dorry and Brogy.
This Mr.3 was also a seasoned schemer.
But in front of Cheng Xiaoyu, he was like a rookie.
"They're here!" Cheng Xiaoyu whispered, his gaze fixed on a dense forest in the distance.
Mr.3 and the others crept out of the dense forest, carrying strange devices in their hands, clearly intending to use them against Dorry and Brogy.
As time passed, the figures of Dorry and Brogy finally appeared in Cheng Xiaoyu's sight.
These two giants were about forty meters tall, like two moving small mountains, and their bodies exuded a powerful aura, making them awe-inspiring.
"These two guys duel in the same place every time a volcano erupts... and it's been going on for a hundred years..."
He did not expose himself, but instead hid his body within the trees.
In the distance, the vegetation rustled, and several figures stepped on thick fallen leaves.
Just as Cheng Xiaoyu expected, the Straw Hat finally entered Small Garden as well.
Luffy's laughter echoed from afar, wild and unrestrained, while Zoro and Sanji, as expected, were bickering endlessly.
"I found this dinosaur first, you idiot cook!" Zoro roared back, fending off a giant Stegosaurus with his sword.
"Hmph, moss-head, don't force yourself if you can't! Watch my cooking sword style!" Sanji sneered, lifting his leg to kick away another Velociraptor that lunged at him.
"Then let's see who catches the bigger prey!"
"Hey! You two stop fighting! We didn't come here for a hunting competition!" Nami's voice came from the other side, but it sounded incredibly powerless.
Soon, the three disappeared without a trace, leaving Nami and Usopp.
While trying to keep their distance from the dinosaurs and wild beasts, she and Usopp accidentally stumbled upon the giant Brogy.
Facing such a giant, they immediately played dead, but were still directly caught in his huge hand and taken back to his stone cave.
"Aohahaha! You two are really interesting, just stay and be my guests!"
Brogy roared with laughter at the two "unexpected guests," his enormous laughter making the entire cave tremble slightly.
At the same time, Luffy had already been drinking with Dorry on the other side.
He clutched a huge piece of dinosaur meat in his hand, his entire body nestled beside the amber-colored bone pile Dorry had stacked, looking like a symbol of national unity: "Dorry, your roasted meat is really good! Delicious! Hahaha!"
Dorry threw his head back and laughed heartily, his laughter even louder than Brogy's.
He stared at this tiny human, as if he found a bit more fun and companionship.
Dorry and Brogy were preparing for their daily duel as usual, unaware that a dangerous aura had quietly approached.
Cheng Xiaoyu observed quietly, patiently waiting for the best moment.
Suddenly, a violent roar shattered the peaceful island!
The sake barrel exploded, and hot steam billowed up, severely wounding Dorry.
His giant body swayed and fell, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
When the smoke cleared, he clutched his chest with one hand, blood trickling between his fingers, while a half-drunk Luffy jumped up, his eyes wide: "Hey! What's going on?! Who's messing around?!"