The newly established 17th Division of the Whitebeard Pirates was a bit unusual. The first sixteen divisions were all stationed on the Moby Dick and its two support ships, with only Whitebeard's forty-plus fleets operating freely around the world.
While the 17th Division carried the name of a Whitebeard Division, its members were not the type to regularly stay on the Moby Dick and enjoy the comfort; they also liked to roam freely, flying Whitebeard's flag.
The other sixteen divisions only had 100 members each, but the 17th Division had over two hundred, creating a situation where it was both a division and yet not quite a division.
If this had happened within the Immortal Pirates, it would have undoubtedly led to suspicion and conflict. However, due to Whitebeard's unique charisma, no such issues had arisen within his crew.
Yet, after Whitebeard declined to go to Gran Tesoro, the 17th Division, led by Lucky Roux, actively asked to go, which did cause many on the Moby Dick to glance at them with curiosity.
"What, are you interested in the entertainment city?" Flower Sword Vista walked up and questioned Lucky Roux.
"Always staying on the ship feels like we can't grow anymore."
Lucky Roux gave a vague answer to Vista's question without explaining himself clearly, then turned to Whitebeard. "May we go, Pops?"
Whitebeard stared at Lucky Roux's small eyes for a long moment, making him feel uneasy, before finally saying, "Every man is free. Go do whatever you want."
Lucky Roux mentally sighed in relief and nodded. "Thank you, Pops."
But then Whitebeard's tone shifted. "But don't do anything foolish. You should know what a misfortune it is for a white-haired man to send off a black-haired one, Roux!"
Lucky Roux's heart skipped a beat, unsure if Whitebeard was subtly warning him about something. Finally, he bowed twice to Whitebeard. Then, he, Yasopp, and the other former Red Hair Pirates who now made up the 17th Division of the Whitebeard Pirates boarded a battleship marked with the Whitebeard Pirates' symbol and departed.
Watching Lucky Roux and the others leave, Marco stood by the railing with his hands on his hips. "As I thought, they still can't let it go, can they?"
Vista walked up beside Marco, shaking his head. "Shanks is a man to be respected. It's understandable that Yasopp and the others can't let it go. What probably hit them even harder was Ivalis and Benn Beckman joining the Immortal Pirates."
"I don't understand what those two were thinking, they were core officers of the Red Hair Pirates."
Marco shook his head. Indeed, not only he but most pirates found the situation incomprehensible.
…
Lucky Roux and his crew, upon leaving Whitebeard's territory, were not actually heading toward the Gran Tesoro entertainment city. Following the direction of an Eternal Pose, they arrived at an island nation.
The country was named Baren.
Even a brief glance at the news from half a year ago would reveal that Baren was one of the nations governed by the World Government, overthrown by the Revolutionary Army six months prior. Now, the entire kingdom was a ruin.
When Lucky Roux and his crew arrived at the ruins of the kingdom, they looked at the surrounding shattered walls and shouted loudly, "Hey! We're here, where are you?"
A light breeze passed through. It seemed there was no one else here besides Lucky Roux's group.
But five minutes later, people began to emerge from behind the broken walls: helpless old people and children, young people in tattered clothes, and also... Revolutionary Army members wearing various animal-themed hats, with an imposing and mysterious presence.
"Welcome. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
A deep voice came through, causing Lucky Roux and the others to turn. In the direction of the voice, the gathered crowd parted, clearing a path. A man wearing a green cape with the hood up, leaving only his face visible, walked toward them.
When he reached Lucky Roux and his crew, the man pulled down his hood, revealing his face—it was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon.
Dragon spread one hand from beneath his cape and swept it around. "These are the survivors of the Baren Kingdom incident six months ago. After Baren was overthrown, the World Government didn't send anyone back here. When they realized they couldn't find any trace of our Revolutionary Army, they abandoned the ordinary citizens here to fend for themselves."
A glint flashed in the eyes of Lucky Roux and the others. He quickly stated, "We didn't come here to hear this. Your people contacted us claiming to have a way to deal with the Immortal Pirates, that's why we came."
Some time ago, when Lucky Roux's group was sailing alone instead of with the main Whitebeard fleet, they were approached by members of the Revolutionary Army who claimed to have a method to deal with the Immortal Pirates.
Since Whitebeard had refused to go to war with the Immortal Pirates to protect his sons, this went against the ideals of Lucky Roux's group, who were eager for revenge against Alucard. The Revolutionary Army's offer was a welcome lifeline.
Knowing Whitebeard would never agree to his actions, Lucky Roux used the excuse of going to Gran Tesoro to lead his division away from the Moby Dick and secretly rendezvous with the Revolutionary Army.
"I've already told you: Alucard accepted Gild Tesoro's invitation and has gone to Gran Tesoro. The time he is away is your opportunity."
With only three years left until his son sets sail, Alucard's departure from his territory, creating a vacuum of over a month, seemed like a golden opportunity in Dragon's view.
Even if they couldn't do anything to Alucard himself, Dragon was unwilling to miss the chance to perhaps dismantle his forces or even reduce him back to the lone wolf he once was, believing he would be much easier to deal with in the future.
"I want you to deal with the Golden Hair Pirates."
After leading Lucky Roux's group into a dilapidated villa, Dragon wasted no time and stated his intention directly.
The Golden Hair Pirates.
Upon hearing the name of this pirate crew, Lucky Roux and his men were startled.
The Golden Hair Pirates, led by Captain Ivalis and Vice-Captain Benn Beckman, had about two hundred members, over twenty of whom were former Red Hair Pirates. They were Ivalis's core subordinates and now a major pirate crew under the Immortal Pirates.