It was late afternoon when Solian and his crew met in their ship's cabin, a small room lit with dim light from a wooden table in the middle. An aged map of the region lay across it, crowded with lines and marks and annotations from what they had gathered in town.
"This isn't going to be easy," Jorin muttered, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "We're not just dealing with one high-bounty pirate—we've got his entire crew to worry about."
Solian's fingers drummed on the map, his sharp eyes scanning the illegible notes scrawled on it. Their prey, Dante 'Stormfang' Veldt, was ₿80 million in bounties and far and away the most deadly opponent they had yet faced. But the danger in him lay not in what he was capable of himself but in the four high-ranking officers who worked under him, each over ₿40 million, and the scores of well-armed goons.
We can't just charge in dark, Kael said, rubbing his jaw. "A frontal assault will get us outnumbered. To succeed, we need a plan."
Drayce leaned forward, his scarlet eyes shining in the candlelight. "We have them barricaded in an ancient fortress on a remote island. That gives them the home ground and numbers advantage. But if we utilize our minds, we can turn it to our advantage.".
Solian nodded. "Alright, let's see it in pieces."
The Enemy Forces
Vance, who had so far said nothing, finally spoke up. "Stormfang's forces are divided three ways: the core officers, the main crew, and the fodder." He indicated on the map where he had made rough estimates of their strength.
Dante 'Stormfang' Veldt (80 million) – A brutal fighter with monstrous physical power and mythical power, rumored to possess the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
Four Elite Officers (40 million each) – They were all powerful fighters with unique abilities.
Main Crew (5-10 million each) – They were their best pirates, about 30 or so.
Fodder (Unranked) – There were around 100 of them, not that strong but deadly in large numbers.
Kael whistled. "That's a lot of muscle."
"But not invincible," Solian said. "We just have to divide them up and take them out in waves."
The Strategy
Jorin leaned over the map, tracing his finger along the coast. "Their fortress is surrounded on three sides by cliffs, so the only easy way to get to it is by sea. That's our advantage."
Kael grinned. "A sea battle before we even need to set foot on land?"
"Right," Jorin said. "If we can get some of their men into the water, we'll thin their ranks before we even set foot on land."
Solian's eyes were shining. "And then we attack from a few different angles. They'll have no idea what's happening."
Drayce smiled. "Sounds good. But how do we make them take the bait?"
Vance cracked his knuckles. "We make them think we're just another crew looking for a fight. If they think we're nothing but small fry, they'll send out some of their forces to crush us early."
Solian nodded. "Exactly. We'll act like we're reckless and challenge them head-on. They won't expect us to outmaneuver them at sea."
The Assignments
Solian looked at his crew. "We're going to need all of them at their best. Here's how we're going to do it."
Jorin and Kael – Command the ship battle. With Jorin flying and Kael's destroying abilities, they'll take out as many ships as possible before we land.
Drayce and Vance – Coordinate the core crew. Drayce's Logia intangibility and Vance's Recoil Fruit will keep them from being overwhelmed by the minions.
Solian – Take down Stormfang himself. It would be a test of stamina, but with his Solar Rift Fruit, Solian was confident he could defeat the pirate.
Vance smiled. "I like the sound of that."
Solian clenched his fist. "Then it's done. Tomorrow, we attack."
The room became silent. This would be their most dangerous battle yet, but if they were successful, not only would they be eliminating a major pirate, but Solian would earn his first summon ticket.
Their legend would take another step forward tomorrow.