Over the next three days, Dorry and Brogy did not come looking for Shirakawa, and Shirakawa did not go looking for them either. They needed time—plenty of time to think things over properly.
As for the crew of the Silver Pirates, these three days were pure bliss. Whether strong or weak, every member got something out of it. A powerhouse like Kurolokam, for instance, discovered the joy of molding others to his will.
Shirakawa was starting to wonder if he'd accidentally awakened some special proclivity in the man, because every time training came around, Kurolokam got downright giddy.
Riddle was even more absurd. He protested every single training session, yet somehow still gave off this unmistakable vibe of pushing you away while secretly wanting you to pull him closer.
The rest of the crew fared a bit better. Only the truly weak had someone dedicated to training them. People like Jora, Yuristine, and Salar? Shirakawa simply let them run completely wild.
The ancient beasts on this island were no pushovers, so those monsters became training partners for the three of them. If they could handle these creatures with absolute ease, then Shirakawa's objective for this training camp would be met.
As for Shirakawa's own daily practice, he sat cross-legged facing the sea, cultivating his mind and nature, attuning himself to the rhythm of the world.
Throughout it all, however, he constantly radiated his Kenbunshoku Haki without pause. Should any crew member encounter a danger they couldn't overcome, he would be able to step in and rescue them in an instant.
Little Garden, a place rarely touched by human presence, had become bustling with activity due to the arrival of the Silver Pirates. Even the island's wildlife grew far more spirited. If Jora and the others didn't seek them out, the beasts would take the initiative to seek them out instead.
Looks like dropping them here was the right call.
Shirakawa thought to himself, thoroughly satisfied.
As for Dorry and Brogy, his true targets for this trip, they still hadn't given him an answer. But Shirakawa was confident the two would come find him sooner or later.
Most likely, having refused so bluntly before, they were having a hard time backing down and saving face.
Shirakawa was in no rush. They could stay on this island for a long time. Food and fresh water were abundant, and even fruit packed with vitamins could be found all over the place.
Another two days passed. At last, Dorry and Brogy slowly approached. They sat down beside Shirakawa and, like him, faced the sea, contemplating life.
"We accept your offer. But you must help us rescue our comrades, and you must help us take our revenge."
Dorry got straight to the point, stating their demands right off the bat.
"No problem."
"Good. In that case, we agree to join your pirate crew."
"Riddle! Bring the booze over!"
Hearing Dorry's words, Shirakawa shouted. His voice carried across the entire island, and Riddle, who was in the middle of training, naturally heard it too.
"Ahh, even with Mutt around, why am I still the one fated to do all the heavy lifting?"
Riddle grumbled inwardly, helpless and baffled. He was a full-fledged crew member of the Silver Pirates now, not some cabin boy anymore.
"No way. I'm dragging Mutt into this."
"Mutt, you're coming with me. I can't carry it all by myself."
"Okay," Mutt replied.
A short while later, Riddle and Mutt hauled three giant barrels of alcohol over to Shirakawa's side. Riddle took in the sight of the two giants sitting shoulder to shoulder with the captain—like a concave 凹 character.
"Captain, the booze is here."
"Good. Set it down there. And let everyone know: tonight, we're throwing a banquet to celebrate our new giant crewmates joining us."
"Aye, Captain." At the mention of a banquet, Riddle lit up with excitement.
A banquet meant no getting tortured by Kurolokam's training tonight.
"To celebrate you joining us—cheers."
Shirakawa raised a barrel toward the two of them. Though the barrel looked huge next to Shirakawa, to the two giants, it was barely bigger than one of their hands.
They lifted their barrels with great care, afraid that the slightest excess of force would crush them to splinters.
Time soon reached nightfall. The moon hung high in the sky, a host of stars accompanying it.
On the island, a bonfire roared to life. A circle of people sat around it, eating and drinking their fill. Occasionally, large creatures would appear in the shadows behind them, as if wanting to blend into the cheerful atmosphere.
Everyone extended a warm welcome to the two giants. Kurolokam, in particular, after getting thoroughly drunk, actually challenged them to an arm-wrestling match. Just how he intended that to work was anyone's guess.
In the end, every last person drank themselves into a stupor, collapsing to the ground and passing out cold. It was a good thing they'd left such a deep impression on the island's monsters over the past few days; otherwise, sleeping with absolutely zero defenses like that would have definitely ended badly.
The next morning, everyone woke up a little late. But once one person rose, the rest of the crew gradually stirred and followed suit.
"Captain, when do we set sail?"
Dorry asked Shirakawa directly.
"Mm, that'll have to wait a while. Our ship can't accommodate two giants on board right now, and the rest of the crew still need to train on this island."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Brogy sounded a little disappointed, but after thinking it over, he let it go. No ordinary pirate ship could fit giants, after all. Their ships always required special custom builds.
"I know of a place. A powerful creature lives there—even Brogy and I together are no match for it."
At that moment, Dorry suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? There's actually a place like that? Take me to see it."
Shirakawa's interest was immediately piqued by this powerful creature. He headed off toward the other side of the island alongside Dorry and Brogy.
Soon, they arrived before the mouth of an enormous cave.
"The powerful creature is inside here," Dorry said to Shirakawa. Brogy, meanwhile, kept a noticeable distance from them—seemingly a bit afraid of whatever was in there.
"What kind of creature is it?"
"A centipede."
"A centipede?" In Shirakawa's mind, the image of a multi-legged crawler instantly surfaced.
"Brogy, go get Jora, Yuristine, Salar, and Abro. Bring them all here."
"Got it, no problem."
Brogy turned and bolted as if he didn't want to stay in that place a single second longer.
Before long, the four who had been scattered across different parts of the island all arrived. Having a giant on the crew really was convenient—even rounding people up was this easy.
"Captain, what's the matter?" Jora asked.
"You see this cave entrance?"
"I see it. What about it?"
"Inside is a giant centipede. If each of you can go in and defeat that centipede one-on-one, then our mission here is officially complete. How about it?"
"That's too easy." Jora sounded dismissive.
"Easy? Then how about you go in and give it a try?"
"Try I will." With that, Jora strode straight into the cave. Behind him, Dorry and Brogy exchanged a look of pure pity.
/-\
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