Just as everyone was sorting through the information they had gathered, Leah and Reinacame running back in a hurry.
Hearing the noise from inside, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward the door.
"Everyone... something's wrong! A bunch of pirate ships just arrived at the port! I counted at least a dozen!" Reinaburst through the door, panting and shouting.
"Ryuen, everyone, I think it's the people Aokiji mentioned. You know... the ones who want to join our Dream Exploration Crew," Leah said, sounding a bit awkward.
After she finished speaking, everyone's faces turned a little strange.
To be honest, they didn't feel good about these so-called followers.
When they had first left Fishman Island, they ran into a similar situation. Back then, they had just started their New World journey, and it caused them a lot of trouble.
Now it was happening again, and it gave them a headache just thinking about it.
"Let's go and take care of this. If we handle it right, these people might actually be helpful to us in the future," Ryuen said softly as he stood up.
At the port.
The captains of the pirate crews were feeling nervous, but also very excited. The rest of the pirates were just like them.
They were finally about to meet the seniors they had been looking up to!
"Whoa!!!"
"Captain, look! They're here! The seniors are really here!"
"Yeah!!!"
"It's really them! Ryuen! Nami! Nojiko!"
"Waaah, I'm finally seeing them in person!"
"They're so cool!"
...
As the members of the Dream Crew appeared, the port suddenly came alive with excitement. The pirates from all the crews couldn't hold back their emotions anymore.
One after another, they shouted and cheered so loudly it made the whole port shake.
With all their hearts, these pirates showed their deep respect and admiration for the Dream Crew.
Their eyes were filled with tears. Some were so moved they couldn't stop crying.
But seeing this emotional scene, the Dream Team couldn't help but stop in their tracks, with awkward looks on their faces.
This was just way too embarrassing.
Over three hundred grown men from a dozen pirate crews were standing in front of them, bawling their eyes out—it was honestly hard to watch.
Ryuen couldn't help but shiver. He even got goosebumps.
"Alright, alright, stop!" Ryuen quickly waved at them. "We know why you came, but let me tell you up front—we're not looking to take in any followers right now!"
"Boohoohoo~~~"
"Even cold-hearted Ryuen-senpai is so cool!"
"We guessed this would happen, but Ryuen-senpai, you can't stop us. We've already decided on our own to follow you guys!"
"That's right!"
"All of you are our heroes..."
...
Even after Ryuen turned them down, their admiration for the Dream Team didn't fade at all.
But still...
Joining on their own like that...
The Dream Team really didn't know what to say. They figured these guys would be a bit much, but they didn't think they'd admire them this much.
And Ryuen also noticed—these guys weren't weak. Especially the captains. They had real presence.
"Alright, quiet down, all of you!" Ryuen finally couldn't take all the cheesy words anymore.
As soon as Ryuen spoke, the whole group went quiet. It felt like he was a teacher and they were well-behaved students.
Ryuen simply sat down cross-legged, and the hundreds of pirates all sat down with him.
"You say we can't stop you from joining us, and maybe that's true.
But listen up!
You should all know that the reason we, the Dream Exploration Team, came to the New World wasn't to fight over the One Piece," Ryuen said, sweeping his gaze across all the pirates before stopping on the thirteen captains.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.
When they heard this, all the pirates turned serious.
They knew this was an important talk—one that could shape their future goals.
"Yes, Ryuen-senpai, we know your dream is to map the world, but that's not the main reason we chose to follow you," Kars said firmly, eyes full of respect.
"Is it because of the orphanage?" Robin, standing next to Ryuen, asked with curiosity on her face.
"That's right, Robin-senpai. In our hometowns, many of us had children who were sent to orphanages. We're really thankful for what you all did. That kind of kindness really moved us," Kars said, voice trembling with emotion.
The other pirates nodded in agreement.
They came from different places, but all felt deeply grateful for the Dream Team's kindness.
"So, we decided to follow in your footsteps—not just for our own dreams, but to carry on your spirit.
We want to be strong like you and give children a better life," Kars said, his eyes full of passion.
Ryuen felt a warm feeling rise in his chest.
He didn't expect that what they did would have such a big impact on these pirates.
The rest of the Dream Team also saw them in a new light. They'd met a lot of pirate crews at sea, but never ones with hearts like these.
"In that case, you don't need to join the Dream Exploration Team. As long as you don't forget your dream, even if you're pirates, history will still remember the good things you've done," Ryuen said softly, but every pirate heard him.
"We understand. But Ryuen-senpai, we do have one request. Would it be alright if our ships flew your flag? That way, when we do those things, we'll face a lot less trouble," Kars asked seriously.
Ryuen didn't answer right away, and the rest of the team hadn't expected such a request either.
Seeing him stay quiet, all the pirates grew nervous.
After a few long seconds, Ryuen finally said, "I agree."
"Yeah!!"
"We can finally raise the flags of our heroes!"
"That's amazing!"
"Woohoo, this is really great!"
...
All the pirates cheered loudly. Their passion and determination burned like fire, lighting up the whole place.
From this moment on, they would chase their dreams together and fight for a better future for the kids.
---
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