One hundred men was a lot compared to his previous expeditions, but for Victory it was not enough: the ship needed at least 250 sailors to be fully manned.
Just steering the ship required a crew of one helmsman and nine sailors acting as observers.
- Yes, Nelson. We're taking him with us.
Having said this calmly, Bill was about to give the order to sail away when he heard Nelson continue to complain:
— This huge beetle can fly and spit fire! Think about it!
- Yes, and if there is a fight, we will have another one on our side.
Turning back to the men on the dock who were quickly climbing aboard, Bill waited for Nelson to look at him in amazement.
"Another one on our side? Captain, could you explain to me how you plan to control this insect? It's known to hate pirates—that's its only good quality—but we can't keep an eye on it all the time! What if it accidentally eats someone it thinks is a pirate?!" Finishing his tirade, Nelson pointed at the Boss, speaking loudly enough for Yoko to hear, and she ran over to them.
"The boss doesn't eat people, you eat people! Bill, I told you no one could get as fat as him," Yoko said, adding, loud enough for Nelson to hear, "Now I think he ate the real Nelson Royale!"
Bill rarely saw Nelson react to insults, but he saw something in his eyes that made him say,
"The boss doesn't eat people, but Nelson is right about the potential threat. Bring him back."
Yoko rolled her eyes at the two men and went after the beetle. When she returned, Bill asked the insect several serious questions. The insect tried its best to reassure him that it wouldn't fly away, which reminded Bill of Chuchuna and Itomimizu.
Although he had not heard news of the Foxy Pirates for a long time, he had not forgotten them and was ready to deal with them if they met again.
After a few minutes of questioning, Bill calmed down a bit, and Nelson seemed to have no more objections.
All that remained was to raise the anchor, and, leaving the natural harbor of New Haven, they set course at full speed.
The direct journey from New Haven to the Kingdom of Alabasta took about a month, and Bill returned to his old routine. He took with him twenty special operators who had signed extended contracts, and they trained as a group in the mornings.
While not all had mastered the technique, these were his most elite soldiers, aside from the lieutenants, and each was equipped with pulse boots and gloves.
After much deliberation, Bill couldn't come up with a name for this new unit. On the one hand, he wanted to simply call them "Spartans" or "Navy SEALs" and leave it at that, but on the other, he wanted a name that better reflected the essence of his Division.
When it became known that the group would be given a special name, Yoko suggested her own:
— In honor of the defender of New Haven and the equipment they received, the group should be called "Bugborgs."
Some people thought it was funny, others thought it was cool, and since everyone liked the name, Bill decided to make it a reality.
Thus, twenty people became the first Bugborgs. They even came up with elaborate traditions, like the one that to become a "true" Bugborg, you had to master the Iron Body—something to do with turning your skin into a shell, but Bill didn't pay much attention to that.
"The main thing is that they don't start breathing fire," he thought with a grin.
Day after day passed in this spirit, and before he came to his senses, three weeks had already passed.
One day, after guiding the ship through a sudden storm, Bill sat on a chair next to Nelson. Relaxing in the middle of the day was unusual for him in both his lives, but he felt he deserved it after the storm, and as he lay in the sun, he saw a flock of gulls.
Given the nature of storms in this world, it wasn't surprising to see a flock so soon after bad weather. Bill reached into his pocket for a coin and tossed it in. One of the gulls deftly snatched it, and another swooped down and dropped a newspaper—a sight he'd never tire of.
Holding the newspaper in his hands, he winced when he saw that it was the World Economic Herald.
It was his least favorite newspaper. Although it covered major events and pirates, it was always too speculative to be considered useful.
Leaning back in his chair, he opened the newspaper and rolled his eyes at the headline. He glanced at the article, then chuckled and closed it.
Nelson:
— What do they write?
Bill:
- Nothing interesting, just more gossip from the World Economic Forum.
Although he said this, what he read alarmed him.
"Open revolution in the kingdom of Alabasta!"
After years of drought and misrule in Alabasta, rebels have begun to gather near the oasis town of Kathoira. The rebellion's leaders are demanding the use of a globally banned substance known as Dancing Powder! To promote a peaceful resolution, the Hero of Alabasta, Sir Crocodile, has intervened on behalf of the kingdom's citizens, vowing to protect the innocent caught in the revolution's crossfire. It is unknown what measures the kingdom's government is currently taking, as all communications from the castle appear to have ceased. However, in our exclusive report, we have received confirmed information regarding arms shipments heading to the capital, Alubarna. This newspaper will monitor developments and keep its readers informed of these terrifying events.