Amid the wailing of the little boy, the Endless Dream set sail, heading towards the base island of the Black Cat Pirates. (The boy really wanted the candy T.T)
It was strange how even the seafaring residents of Fuchsia Town knew the location of the Black Cat Pirates' lair, yet Kuro and his crew had managed to stay active without being wiped out.
Maybe it was their formidable strength, perhaps their knack for fleeing like Buggy's pirate crew, or maybe there were deeper reasons...
In any case, Zyhark's goal for this journey was clear!
Aside from the sudden surge of fighting spirit, upon reflection, there were several benefits to subduing the Black Cat Pirates.
First and foremost was the hefty bounty.
The combined bounty for Captain Kuro, the hypnotist Jango the vice-captain, and the Nyaban Brothers among other officers was close to 30 million Belly—a single haul could cover the cost of the next wish.
Additionally, helping the residents of Fuchsia Town retrieve the important "Sacred Fruit" could significantly boost their faith in Aqua, turning them into devoted (fanatic) followers of the Church of Axis, accelerating Aqua's divine power recovery.
Despite the goddess's frequent unreliability, her attribute bonuses were undeniably appealing!
Not long after leaving Fuchsia Town, somewhere at sea, Colonel Morse ordered the navy warship, heading towards the base, to halt.
"Everyone rest in place for ten minutes. After regaining our strength, follow me to attack the Black Cat Pirates' base!"
"In the name of justice, we'll execute the cruel Captain Kuro who persecuted civilians!"
His rousing speech instantly ignited the morale aboard the ship.
All marines, their fighting spirit surging, drew their weapons, ready to follow their colonel in the crusade against the pirates!
They had been waiting for this day after repeatedly coming back empty-handed.
After officially issuing the order, Colonel Morse turned and went back into the warship's cabin to prepare for the battle against the Black Cat Pirates.
"Colonel Sir, the Black Cat Pirates are still useful to us, why are you..."
The following aide, voicing his confusion in a low voice.
Morse sat in a dimly lit room, a cigar burning brightly in his mouth, his gaze cold.
"To get reassigned to headquarters, merely protecting civilians is far from enough. The Black Cat Pirates just completed their plundering. Attacking them now, quietly and unexpectedly, will surely catch them off guard."
Thinking of Captain Kuro's sinister face, a murderous intent surged in Colonel Morse's eyes, "That Kuro knows too many of our secrets."
"Even if I successfully get promoted to commodore, leaving him in the East Blue is a menace..."
The aide, intimidated by this fierceness, froze in place for a few seconds before flattering with a smile, "Colonel Sir, you always think things through!"
"Hm?" Morse hummed displeased.
The aide, cunningly pretending to slap himself twice, corrected, "My mistake, when no one's around, I should call you Commodore, sir~"
"Enough, the Black Cat Pirates are not weak. You should prepare as well."
Morse nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.
"Understood!"
The aide saluted and left.
Unbeknownst to Morse, the aide, ensuring no one else was around, stealthily took out a Den Den Mushi and made a secret call.
"Captain, it's me, just like you thought, Morse is planning to move against you."
"Yes, the warship will arrive at the base in about an hour."
...
While the navy warship was resting, the Endless Dream, the sea restaurant, was already speeding towards the Black Cat Pirates' base.
Inside the restaurant, Zyhark, Aqua, and King sat around a table, holding a makeshift pre-battle meeting.
"Aqua, you must have felt the faith from the residents of Fuschia Town just now. How's your power feeling?" Zyhark asked Aqua.
Though their faith wasn't particularly strong, Aqua summoning a great flood to solve the town's crisis was enough to win over the ordinary citizens.
There was some effect, after all.
"Hmm, you noticed that, huh?"
Aqua, puffing out her chest proudly, swung her fist, "Right, I'm feeling super great now. I can easily handle whatever enemy comes our way!"
That term "handle" was something she had picked up from Zyhark not too long ago.
"Oh, is that so? Then when we arrive at the Black Cat Pirates' base, those ordinary pirates will be all yours to deal with."
Zyhark remained unswayed by Aqua's displayed confidence.
After a few past incidents, he had learned that having Aqua by his side would lead to nothing good.
Since trouble was inevitable either way, it was better to let her cause trouble for the enemy, giving himself a chance to fight alone.
Moreover, Aqua was unlikely to handle Kuro, known for his speed. In a real fight, Zyhark would still have to divert unnecessary attention to her.
Compared to that, Black Cat Pirates' vice-captain Jango or the Nyaban Brothers couldn't trouble Aqua in the short term!
"Huh? You're actually letting me deal with those small fries, Zyhark? You're really underestimating people!" Aqua slammed the table, expressing her strong dissatisfaction.
"The Black Cat Pirates' officers aren't easy foes to deal with. I hope to fight Kuro without any interference from others."
"These troubles I can't handle, Aqua, only you can solve for me."
Zyhark spoke with a sincere face.
Hearing this, Aqua's displeasure instantly vanished, "So, troubles even you can't handle, huh."
"No problem, leave it to me!" She confidently promised.
Ah, the foolish goddess, easily manipulated!
Despite Zyhark's disdain inwardly, he gratefully said, "Then I'll leave my back to you, Lady Aqua!"
"And me? Is there anything I can help with?" King tentatively asked.
Although he knew, as an ordinary person, he couldn't offer much help in battle, he still wanted to contribute his part to the team.
"King, you'll be tasked with guarding our Endless Dream. If any unexpected situations arise, you can provide us with support and backup," Zyhark said gravely.
This was the most reasonable arrangement for now.
With that, the brief strategy meeting concluded, and the Endless Dream continued towards the Black Cat Pirates' base.
To Zyhark's surprise, en route, they encountered two poor souls boarding the ship seeking food.
They were none other than Zoro's underlings from the original story, "Sword Saint" Yosaku and "Sword God" Johnny!
(End of Chapter)