"What?! Join... you?"
Diego Backan looked stunned. The guy had just beaten him half to death, taken his stuff—and now wanted him to join his crew? Did he really think he'd just switch sides like that?
"...Actually, maybe it's not such a bad idea."
The surrounding Mountain Pirates were all dumbfounded. They'd been locked in a brutal battle just moments ago—now their captain was being recruited by the enemy? Some started voicing agreement, others objected, and a few looked genuinely tempted.
"Oi~ oi~ Are you seriously thinking of bringing this big oaf onto the crew?"
Arlan and Gorbo were just as shocked. They hadn't expected Aeridar to make such a bold decision.
But the more they thought about it, the more it made sense. Since setting sail, the Chris Pirates had lost nearly a third of their manpower. The Chris was built to Marine battleship standards, meant to be manned by a full complement of a thousand. Right now, they barely had 200 on board—it felt like a ghost ship.
Aeridar had already been planning to recruit more hands. And now the Mountain Pirates had just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Navy. They still had over seventy crew left alive. Though most of their officers were dead, their surviving members were elite fighters who'd made it through the carnage. Backan himself was no weakling. If they could be brought aboard, the Chris Pirates' combat strength would rise significantly.
So even though Arlan and Gorbo were surprised, they didn't object.
"This is the world of pirates—survival of the fittest. You've got talent, but in the grand scheme of things, you're still a long way off."
Aeridar gave a wild grin and continued, "Why not come with me... and see the real world out there? See what true power at the peak of this world looks like."
"...What do you say?"
"The real world? The power at the top of the world?"
Backan froze. After witnessing Aeridar's strength firsthand, he knew the world wasn't as simple as he'd once thought. His imagination ran wild—just how powerful was the peak of the world?
"Monstrous strength. Power that could sink an island. Cataclysmic, natural-disaster-level destruction."
Aeridar pointed at the earth beneath his feet, expression grim.
"You're kidding me, right? No one's that strong..."
Backan's pale face flushed with anger. He thought Aeridar was mocking him. A person sinking an island? What a joke. Total nonsense.
Aeridar lost his temper. This guy really was an ignorant fool.
"You have no idea! Have you ever seen the power of the Navy's three Admirals? Do you know what the Fleet Admiral can do? Do you even know who the Four Emperors are? Or the leader of the Revolutionary Army? They're monsters! Terrifying monsters! And when they go all-out, sinking an island is child's play!"
"You ever heard of Whitebeard, the strongest of the Four Emperors? The World Government once described his power as capable of destroying the world! You—you're just some small-time pirate. Don't use your narrow worldview to judge a limitless sea. This world is... colossal."
Backan was stunned. He had heard of these figures... but he'd never truly understood the scale of their power. Coming from the Four Blues, no matter how experienced he thought he was, he'd never witnessed a clash at that level.
"...Is the world really that... vast?"
He looked at Aeridar in disbelief. Without seeing it for himself, it was hard to accept.
Aeridar gave him a sideways glance and said, "Unless it's something massive like Alabasta—almost a continent—any other island, even the impregnable Marineford, could be sunk under that kind of power."
"...If that's true... then yeah, I guess... I am blind to the world."
Backan wasn't stupid. He realized Aeridar had no reason to lie. He took a deep breath and finally asked:
"If I... join you... can you spare... my crew?"
"Captain, wherever you go—we go!"
"We're with you to the end!"
Hearing their captain's words, the Mountain Pirates erupted into cheers. None of them wanted to be left behind.
"You are a little fish in a big sea. And man, you talk weird," Aeridar said bluntly. Then he looked over at the remaining Mountain Pirates, scanning each one with a serious gaze.
"If you join, you'll be the Fourth Division Commander on my ship. They'll come under your command."
"Ha... ha... ha—cough cough cough!"
Backan burst out laughing, then doubled over, hacking up blood from his injuries. After a long moment, he wiped his mouth and grinned.
"Hahaha! Welcome aboard!"
Aeridar laughed heartily and raised a hand to pat Backan's shoulder—then remembered the guy's towering height and settled for his uninjured arm.
"I'm Gilbert Arlan—First Mate of the Chris Pirates and Captain of the Second Division. Welcome aboard."
Arlan stepped forward, smiling as he introduced himself.
"I'm the cook, and Third Division Captain—Hariel Gorbo. Once you're healed up, let's have a little strength test."
Gorbo joined them, giving a friendly nod despite Backan towering over him. A faint smile played on his lips.
"I'm Diego Backan. Hand-to-hand combat's my specialty. Looking forward to working with you all."
Backan replied quietly, giving Arlan a longer look. He hadn't expected someone with such a lean, well-built frame to be the First Mate—and he could feel the danger radiating off him. He wasn't about to underestimate this guy.
The atmosphere relaxed. Both the veteran crew of the Chris Pirates and the newly-joined Mountain Pirates sheathed their weapons and started shaking hands, chatting cheerfully. It seemed like everyone was pretty welcoming overall.
"Hmm? Hmm? Looks like someone's joined the Chris Pirates?"
A rustling sound came from the nearby brush. Two figures stepped out—one of them, a young man with twin swords at his waist, surveyed the aftermath with a lazy glance.
"Looks like I missed the fun."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Myles Dimitri, navigator of the Chris Pirates."
Dimitri smiled politely, then gestured to the man beside him.
"This is Oliver—our Head of Combat, and Captain of the First Division."
"Name's Oliver. Once you're patched up, let's spar sometime."
Oliver waved casually, interrupting the introduction with his usual relaxed tone.
Backan was stunned again. This laid-back guy was the Head of Combat? That meant he was on par with Aeridar and Arlan—maybe even stronger. And Backan could feel it. That terrifying, bone-deep sense of danger that Oliver gave off sent a chill through him.
That guy... was no joke. If Aeridar was the first pillar, and Arlan the second—then Oliver was definitely the third. The combat power of the Chris Pirates was nothing to scoff at.
With so many top-tier fighters, Backan felt more confident than ever in his decision to join. They might still be short on numbers, but if the Navy came knocking—they'd hit back hard.
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