The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

In the Sabaody Archipelago, and further afield in the seas where the battle of Marineford can be observed, countless onlookers were already terrified by the battle between the two giants in the sky.

The Lava Demon God uprooted mountains and hurled fire, while Takemikazuchi summoned thunder and lightning; the aftershocks of each collision felt like a natural disaster.

Many people began to deeply regret staying in this place so close to the main battlefield; it was like gods fighting, and mortals suffering!

They had no doubt that if those two were to unleash their full power and fight with all their might, the entire sea area surrounding Marineford would cease to exist, and even the Red Line would suffer even more terrible damage.

While the outside world was in turmoil, the atmosphere remained relatively calm in a highly secretive underground base located somewhere in the Sabaody Archipelago.

A straw-hatted boy, his body wrapped in blood-soaked bandages with only his eyes and mouth showing, is launching a fierce attack on a mountain of food.

Holding a giant beast leg in his left hand and a whole cake in his right, he devoured the food in front of him like a whirlwind. This was Luffy, who had been unexpectedly rescued after being severely injured by Admiral Kizaru.

“Hey, hey… just how big is this kid’s belly?” Capone Bege, captain of the Flame Tank Pirates, sat in a high-backed chair opposite him.

With a cigar dangling from his mouth, he watched Luffy's astonishing eating speed, his eyes twitching slightly, and he couldn't help but complain to his companion beside him.

"Luckily, I have enough food stored up in this base to last a year, otherwise it really wouldn't be enough to fill this rubber belly."

Although Luffy didn't know the three people in front of him, his simple logic was very straightforward: those who healed his wounds and gave him food were good people and friends.

"Ugh... thank you," he swallowed hard, his cheeks puffed out, and mumbled his thanks. "I was so hungry after fighting that flashy old man."

Kidd crossed his arms, his scarlet coat casually open, showing little interest in Luffy's current silly, food-obsessed appearance.

What he cared more about was the peculiar white energy that had vaguely emerged from Luffy's body during the previous battle, an energy that carried a sense of liberation and joy.

Hawkins, leaning against the dark corner of the wall, remained silent, intently fiddling with his tarot deck.

The results of several divinations made his face grow increasingly gloomy. The ending shown on the cards was full of mystery, betrayal, and great uncertainty, even pointing to a devastating final outcome.

He raised his pale face, glanced at Luffy who was eating and drinking heartily, and thought to himself: "Rescuing the Straw Hat Boy might bring us unpredictable disasters."

Kidd broke the silence, walked up to Luffy, looked down at him, and said directly, "Hey Straw Hat, stop eating and I have something serious to talk to you about."

Luffy looked up, half a sausage still dangling from his mouth, and asked blankly, "Huh?"

Kidd succinctly stated, "How about the three of us, plus you, forming a pirate alliance to take down those bastards from the Navy and the World Government?"

"Alliance"?

Luffy blinked, seemingly unfamiliar with the term; he didn't have much of a political understanding of the risks and benefits of alliances.

He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then instead of answering directly, he asked the question that concerned him most: "If we form an alliance... can you help me save Ace?"

Ace's name made both Kid and Bege's eyes flicker. Kid and Bege exchanged a glance, and after a moment of silence, Kid replied in a deep voice, "Yes, we will provide you with assistance when necessary."

He paused, then added his reasons, which included both considerations of the bigger picture and personal grudges: "If the Navy successfully executes the Pirate King's son, it will only greatly embolden the Navy and will not benefit any of us pirates."

A hint of malice flashed in Kidd's eyes, "There are also enemies in the Navy that I must kill."

As if afraid Luffy wouldn't understand, Kidd specifically mentioned someone Luffy had fought before, a purple-haired old man who followed Garp and could fire Seastone bullets with his mechanical arm.

When Zeff and Garp were mentioned, Luffy seemed to have some recollection of them, mainly because he remembered the troublesome move of the mechanical arm firing seastone bullets, which caused him a lot of trouble in the early stages, mainly because he had never seen this kind of fighting style before.

He scratched his bandaged head. Luffy thought about it, and the person he was closest to in the Navy besides his grandfather seemed to be Helmeppo, who was now an officer in the Navy. As for whether Zephyr was dead or alive, he really didn't care.

"An alliance... sure," Luffy agreed without much hesitation.

Although he often makes foolish mistakes, he is clear about some basic principles: "Many hands make light work. It seems a bit difficult for me to rescue Ace from so many powerful marines by myself."

Seeing Luffy agree so readily, Kid's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and Capone Bege also exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Hawkins, sitting in the corner, silently put away his tarot cards without uttering a word, as if he had already foreseen some kind of turbulent undercurrent.

Luffy readily agreed to Kid's alliance proposal, but this does not mean that the alliance is now secure.

Alliances between pirates, especially among the proud and calculating Supernovas present, cannot be taken seriously with just a verbal promise.

Capone Becky exhaled a smoke ring and said in a low voice, "Straw Hat Boy, alliances are not child's play. A formal ceremony is essential. At the very least... we need to drink a toast to establish our oath of brotherhood and set the rules."

Kidd snorted coldly, "That's right, so that no one will deny it later."

With his mouth full of meat, Luffy nodded vaguely, "Oh, as long as there's meat to eat, that's fine." He clearly didn't care about the ceremony itself.

The current secret hideout clearly does not meet the conditions for holding a formal alliance ceremony. Just as Becky was thinking about where to get some wine to go through the motions,

Boom...boom...boom...

A clear and rhythmic knocking sound suddenly broke the atmosphere inside the stronghold.

Capone Becky's brows furrowed instantly, a hint of displeasure and confusion flashing across his face. His men stationed on the island were well aware of the rules here.

Knowing that the boss absolutely forbids any disturbance when meeting guests, which blind fool is itching for a bullet?

Before Capone Becky could react, Kidd, whose temper was even more volatile, impatiently yelled towards the door, "Who's sneaking around like that? Get out here, or I'll make things difficult for you."

Hawkins, who had been silent in the corner, also raised his head, his fingers unconsciously twirling a reversed Tower card, foreshadowing sudden upheaval and destruction.

The knocking on the door paused for a moment, followed by a calm, even somewhat indifferent, young male voice.

The voice came through the heavy door, clearly announcing his name: "It's me, Allen..."