Hancock Has Finally Grown Up!
After hearing Hancock's thoughts, Grandma nodded with great satisfaction. As the ruler of Amazon Lily, Hancock was finally able to let go of her personal grievances and consider the broader interests of the kingdom.
Although there was a significant gap in power between the Kain Chamber of Commerce and the Nine Snake Pirates—or even the entire Amazon Lily—Grandma understood clearly that if the Snake Pirates wished to rise, their best bet would be to secure advanced weaponry and floating ships from the Kain Chamber of Commerce.
As long as Hancock could suppress her hatred, her charm as the Empress of Amazon Lily would surely earn the support of her people.
Grandma said, "I support your decision, Hancock. The current global situation is changing rapidly. Only by aligning ourselves with a powerful force can we ensure the safety of the Amazon Lily Kingdom."
She had been reading the newspaper daily—changes were happening too fast. Since the Summit War, even the World Government had come under attack.
The scale of devastation surpassed even the incident caused by Fisher Tiger more than a decade ago. That explosion had spread over ten kilometers.
Two of the Four Emperors had also fallen.
Hancock had mentioned that Kain likely encountered Kaido—or at least his corpse—during his return from a distant sea.
Meanwhile, the smaller uprisings and Blackbeard's raid on Impel Down, involving a former Shichibukai, had thrown the status of the Seven Warlords into disarray.
"Let me go to Alabasta to test the waters and sound out their position," Grandma offered. "I've dealt with them before—"
But Hancock interrupted her before she could finish.
"No. I will speak to them personally. If you go, it will be meaningless!"
With that, Hancock stood up and declared, "Gorse, the king is about to take a bath."
"Yes, Lady Snake," the palace guards responded promptly. Grandma, recognizing Hancock's decisiveness, chose not to argue further and quietly excused herself.
Since their last defeat, the Nine Snake Pirates had swiftly replenished their ranks. While the Amazon Lily Kingdom might not boast many advantages, its Haki cultivation was widely renowned.
Every warrior was required to master Armament Haki to serve in the national guard. Those who could wield both Armament and Observation Haki were eligible to become captains.
Marine Headquarters
Sengoku had found a building still intact to serve as the temporary Marine headquarters. The Marines now had a mountain of tasks to deal with—caring for the wounded, relocating to their new base, adjusting pirate-related policies, and addressing the uncertain status of the Seven Warlords.
"The new Marine headquarters at New Marineford will be ready in a few months. In three days, Sakazuki will lead a detachment of Marines to begin the transition," Sengoku announced.
Since returning from the Holy Land of Mariejois, Sengoku had been buried in Marine affairs.
However, he had no long-term plans. Between the aftermath of the Summit War and the sluggish response of the World Government, he had begun considering retirement.
Still, he intended to see this through. The Summit War had been his operation—and he would take responsibility for the aftermath.
"Report!"
A Marine burst into the meeting room, addressing those present. "Marshal Sengoku, today's newspaper has arrived, but one article—you'd better read it yourself."
Along with Sengoku, many Vice Admirals were in attendance. The Marine handed out copies of the newspaper to each of them.
As they read, nearly all of the Vice Admirals frowned at the same time.
Mage had announced his withdrawal from the Shichibukai—and the termination of all arms deals with the Marines.
"That bastard—what's he trying to do, become one of the new Four Emperors?!"
Sakazuki, the representative of the Marine hardliners, spoke with his usual firm tone. At present, all of the Marines' munitions and equipment were supplied by the Kain Military Factory.
They were just about to begin large-scale replacement with new howitzers—when this situation suddenly arose.
It's not as if the Naval Headquarters had never considered manufacturing their own arms and equipment. But mass production was beyond them, and their efficiency couldn't match Kain's.
While guns and bullets were manageable, howitzers and god missiles were another story entirely. As far as anyone knew, only Vegapunk within the World Government had the capability to research, develop, and mass-produce such advanced weaponry.
"Mage doesn't seem like someone who wants to become a pirate," Momousagi said, noting Sengoku's unusually calm expression. "Sengoku, do you know something?"
Sengoku replied, "Let's talk about that later. For now, inform the equipment department to begin cracking the manufacturing techniques behind Kain's ordnance. The Marines must be able to produce their own. Also, move forward with the plans we discussed earlier—as soon as possible."
The faces of the other Vice Admirals, including Akainu, shifted subtly. Mage had unilaterally withdrawn from the Shichibukai—without any discussion. And he was still the strongest among them. It was a heavy blow.
But Sengoku's composed reaction told them there was more going on behind the scenes. None of them pressed for answers—except perhaps Akainu, who was one of the few with the authority to question him directly.
What had been a stable situation quickly became uncertain. Mage's departure from the Shichibukai posed a serious problem.
Once this news spread, the Marine's rising momentum could falter. Even if Mage wasn't turning pirate, an ambitious figure like him would become a major obstacle to Marine expansion in the New World.
Worse still, Mage's withdrawal could stir up trouble in East Blue, South Blue, and the first half of the Grand Line. Pirate activity might reignite across the seas.
Alabasta
King Cobra was aware that the headquarters of the Kain Chamber of Commerce would soon move to the New World for development. Though saddened, he understood their reasoning.
"To just leave like this… it really does make me feel sad. If the people find out, won't they assume the Kain Chamber of Commerce is displeased with me, their king?"
Igram nodded solemnly. "Your Majesty, that is possible. From the people's perspective, it may seem as if the king has done nothing. Not just the citizens—others may think so too."
Cobra rolled up his sleeves in frustration. "Igram, you shithead! I'm ordering you as your king—don't speak for a month!"
"Don't change the subject, you two!" Vivi interrupted, punching her palm angrily. It was too obvious—they really thought she wouldn't see through it?
Rubbing his head where she hit him, Igram chuckled. "Princess Vivi, the New World is too dangerous. Even with armor, you may face serious threats. Alabasta still needs you to inherit the throne—you can't afford to have any accidents."
Cobra nodded. "Vivi, I agree with Igram."
With her hands clasped, Vivi insisted, "Father, Igram—I'm already very strong. Even without armor, no one in Alabasta can stand against me. Besides, if I'm going to inherit the throne, I need to broaden my horizons."
After much reasoning and persuasion, Cobra finally agreed to let Vivi go to the New World. As for the throne, he believed he could hold onto it for another ten years or more.
Vivi also used Bailey to purchase some super soldier serum from Kain, strengthening both Cobra and Igram's bodies.
At the very least, before aging took its toll, Cobra and Igram would remain in good health—free from illness and frailty.
Moreover, the Kain Military Factory left the final batch of firearms and ammunition for Alabasta. In other words, Alabasta's 600,000-strong standing army had been fully equipped with new weapons.
With this level of military strength, Alabasta could now be considered a leading power in the first half of the Grand Line.
Additionally, the Kain Chamber of Commerce's branch remained headquartered in Alabasta, so there was little need for concern—except when it came to the World Government.
King Cobra was well aware of the Neferutali royal family's origins. If the World Government was targeting the Kain Chamber of Commerce, it was likely that part of the reason involved Alabasta as well.
"Hahaha! This island now belongs to the Red-Eyed Pirates! There's no more Whitebeard to protect you!"
The Red-Eyed Pirates, after burning Whitebeard's flag, burst into arrogant laughter. Their captain soon summoned the mayors of several small towns on the island and declared a new set of rules.
The pirate known as Red Eye—bounty 120 million Berries—was a notorious figure from West Blue. Upon hearing of Whitebeard's death, he had wasted no time in claiming the fallen emperor's territory.
"From now on," Red Eye declared, "each town will pay 80 million Berries a month—plus food and fine wine. And don't even think of resisting, or I'll double it!"
The towns had once paid only a few million to Whitebeard's crew, a symbolic sum in exchange for protection. Now the demands were ten times higher. The mayors were heartbroken, but resistance was impossible—the town guards had already been slaughtered.
Left with no choice, they reluctantly agreed. Angering the Red-Eyed Pirates now would only bring ruin to their people.
"What's the next island we're going to seize?" Red Eye grinned sinisterly.
But before he could finish the sentence, a discus-shaped object suddenly fell from the sky, crushing him into a bloody pulp on the spot. His crew hadn't even reacted when several figures descended from the sky and swiftly dispatched the rest.
"Miss Valentine, you were too impulsive," a calm voice chided. "A pirate with a bounty over 100 million is valuable to the boss. Vice President Robin will definitely punish you for this."
The speaker, Miss Doublefinger, rebuked Valentine sternly. Realizing her mistake, Valentine lowered her head and apologized meekly.
"I'm sorry."
Nearby, the Sandia Warrior known as Mantis asked, "The Red-Eyed Pirates only had one valuable target. The rest were nobodies. Where to next?"
"We've got four more islands to secure," Doublefinger replied, checking the map. "Then it's Wano Country and Fish-Man Island. But Wano has strong forces—we'll need Vice President Robin to lead that one."
After marking the route, Doublefinger took out several flags of the Kain Chamber of Commerce and handed them to the island's mayor.
"From now on, this island is under the protection of the Kain Chamber of Commerce. Raise our flag. If any pirates show up, contact us via the Transponder Snail. And tie up the remaining pirates—someone will come to collect them shortly."
With that, the group flew back up to their airborne ark, heading off toward the next island on their list.
…
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