Of course, Arlong would never allow them the chance to land.
Alan collected his thoughts.
From the first moment he saw Gin today, he had already considered targeting Krieg.
Compared to the former Black Cat Pirates he had absorbed, the Krieg Pirates fleet was far more professional.
To manage such a massive force, even Krieg had to possess a certain level of organizational talent, and at the very least, he had plenty of capable officers.
Ship doctors, craftsmen, riflemen, cannoneers, countless professionals.
If Alan could absorb these people into his crew, the Ghost Lion Pirates would be essentially complete. Even entering the Grand Line immediately wouldn't be a problem.
Gin stared at Alan with clenched teeth, shocked that this man had set his sights on their crew.
He didn't know what state Krieg and the main ship were currently in. If they had made it back to the old base… before he was separated from the main ship, their fleet had already lost more than eighty percent of its forces.
Even if they returned to the East Blue, they likely had very little strength left.
In that condition, facing the man before him, his captain's chances were grim.
A trace of worry flickered in Gin's eyes.
...
The sky darkened. The sunset dropped clusters of red clouds, painting a canvas of twilight across the horizon.
The Nyaban Brothers began distributing the weapons they'd seized earlier. Everyone received a flintlock pistol, and there were still more than a hundred left.
At the edge of the deck, a few experienced veterans taught the others how to handle, tune, and fire their guns.
With their new toys, the pirates played around excitedly.
Among the seized weapons was a modified flintlock pistol, which the Nyaban Brothers presented to Alan as tribute.
Alan examined it, fired a test shot toward the bow, and was surprised to find its power slightly greater than the standard flintlock musket.
"Nice toy. A pirate really does need a gun on his waist."
He holstered the pistol and patted it, feeling like he had gained a bit more pirate style.
When the sun completely set, the dining hall echoed with shouts; celebration time had arrived.
Alan checked the sea chart; they should reach Krieg's base around midnight.
After dinner, Alan announced that they might be launching a surprise attack at night and instructed everyone to rest and prepare.
Although they'd fought earlier in the day, the battle was short, and no one felt tired, only unsatisfied with the amount they had gained.
Hearing they would attack the former East Blue's overlord, the pirates were both nervous and excited.
Torches that had sat in the warehouse for ages were finally taken out and wrapped with oilcloth, ready for battle.
By midnight, a voice finally echoed from the lookout at the mast, instantly rousing the entire ship.
"Land in sight, captain! And pirate ships too!"
A massive warship was anchored along the coast, facing a cliff on the island.
The ship was completely battered from front to back, as if it had been mauled by a ferocious prehistoric beast, nearly on the verge of collapsing.
At the edge of the cliff, several bonfires burned, around which a group of pirates huddled, ten or so at a time, their faces gaunt and haggard.
On the ship's deck, many pirates lay or sat, bandages wrapped around various parts of their bodies, looking equally exhausted.
In the corner of the ship's deck, a muscular man with purple hair sat cross-legged, his entire body covered in wounds.
Krieg leaned against the wall, his gaze dim, as if he had lost his soul.
The ship's food had long since been consumed. Over the past few days, the crew had suffered from both hunger and injury, lacking even the strength to hunt.
The Grand Line, he had risked everything to enter it, but he never expected that the moment he stepped in, he would face such a desperate blow.
They had practically gone mad, storming through the Calm Belt riddled with Sea King nests and barely escaping back to the East Blue with their lives.
And all of this was because of one man…
Thinking of that man, Krieg shuddered involuntarily, his eyes immediately filled with panic.
For days, those dark eagle eyes had haunted him like a nightmare, tormenting his mind relentlessly.
Suddenly, it seemed there was the sound of a fight above.
Hearing it, Krieg instinctively looked up, only to be startled as a figure fell from the cliff!
"Ahhhh!!"
Bang!!
A pirate smashed through the deck, crashing into the ship's cabin below.
Wood splintered everywhere, the loud crash instantly alerting all the pirates aboard.
"What's happening?"
"Look up there! Someone's fighting!"
"It's an ambush!"
"There are intruders!"
The pirates on deck grabbed their weapons in panic.
Krieg, supporting himself with one hand, struggled to stand and looked up. The firelight on the cliff flickered, and the sounds of gunfire, clashing blades, and moans became increasingly clear.
"Bastards!"
Krieg was furious; clearly, their location had been exposed, and someone was targeting them.
And in this situation, someone dared to take advantage and strike him when he was vulnerable!
"Prepare to fight! Whoever it is, I will not spare them!"
Krieg shouted, summoning all pirates from the ship's deck, his bloodshot eyes glaring menacingly upward.
A man slowly appeared at the edge of the cliff.
Alan stood high above, looking down coldly.
Behind him, dozens of pirates led by Sham and Buchi clashed with Krieg's crew, the clanging of swords and blades ringing out.
Their ship was completely black, and under the cover of night, it was extremely hard to detect from afar.
When they spotted Krieg's ship, they immediately sailed toward the island's coast.
Alan led Nyaban Brothers and fifty pirates onto the island, while Sanji stayed with the remaining crew on the ship, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Moving through the forest, Alan led the team to the cliff and launched a surprise attack on the pirates gathered around the bonfire.
Unexpectedly, the fight went smoother than anticipated.
"What's going on? These guys are way too weak."
Buchi kicked over three pirates at once, a hint of pride crossing his face despite the confusion.
Sham sneered in agreement: "Looks like they haven't eaten in days. Looks like we hit the jackpot this time."