The entire Kuja Island was in chaos. All the Amazonian warriors were on high alert. Women, whether or not they knew Haki, picked up their weapons. Snake bows were drawn taut, short swords and long blades hung from their waists, they were fully equipped with bows and arrows, and they surged towards the city walls.
Though they were in a panic, the upper echelon of the Kuja Pirates didn't show any signs of panic. After all, Alistair had brought them the information, and he had been emphasizing this point for the past ten days. Even a fool should have been mentally prepared.
Then, Hancock, the woman with Conqueror's Haki, didn't hesitate to open the gates of Kuja Island. Two sea king venomous serpents slowly pulled the Kuja Pirates' warship, a ship resembling a floating palace, out slowly.
"To appear so suddenly at the doorstep of their lair, yet they're not panicking at all... what incredible courage." A frail, elderly woman stood on the deck of the Marine warship, wearing a Marine coat, arms crossed, watching the Kuja Pirates' ship slowly emerge. She chuckled and said.
"That person is... Sengoku?" Standing behind the Empress, wearing a cloak, pulling his telescope to its furthest extent, looking at the old woman standing on the deck of the other ship, though he didn't recognize her, he could almost immediately guess that the only high-ranking elderly female Marine officer was Sengoku.
This strategist was someone he had to win over, but not now.
"Sengoku, Garp, and Sengoku. These three are the pillars of the Marines, the iron triangle that allowed the World Government to remain undefeated against the Rocks Pirates, Gol D. Roger, and the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Their strength is not weak, and their intelligence is very high. Though Garp is usually unreliable, he's actually the most clear-headed of the three in terms of grand strategy. Of course, Sengoku is called the Strategist, but actually, all three of them are very intelligent. Many strategies came from their hands."
"Of course, they might not be able to have a say in the World Government's upper echelon, but their role in the military is undeniable. Compared to the current Three Admirals, they are the true pillars of the military."
He wore a cloak, standing among the Kuja Pirates, using his telescope to look at the other ship, observing the Marines on the deck.
"Almost half of them are female soldiers. It seems they're trying to counter your Mero Mero no Mi ability." He saw two very familiar figures: one was a woman with long black hair and a long sword hanging from her waist, the future Admiral candidate, Gion.
The other was a woman in a wine-red suit, with pink hair and sunglasses, Smoker's contemporary, the Ori Ori no Mi user, Hina.
This was still before the story, meaning that Gion, the future Admiral candidate, was probably a Colonel or a Captain now, while Hina, the Ori Ori no Mi, user, was powerful, but probably just a Captain. After all, she was Smoker's contemporary, she wouldn't be that high-ranking now.
But Sengoku bringing them here was a testament to his trust in their abilities. After all, if the Empress was foolish enough to refuse the World Government's summons, they would probably have to fight.
Ordinary male soldiers would be cannon fodder against the Empress's Mero Mero no Mi. Female soldiers were more likely to survive.
And Gion and Hina were important pawns to ensure the survival of the other soldiers during the Kuja Pirates' attack.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku was indeed very clever, he had even considered everything, but why was there only one warship...
"The government probably couldn't wait to show off, intimidate, and recruit you as soon as they got a Seastone warship." His analysis was quiet, but the nearby Kuja Pirates' female executives could hear it clearly.
The Empress's heart skipped a beat. If she could seize this warship here, could she delay the government's entry into the Calm Belt, or even obtain the Marines' Calm Belt navigation technology? As for these Marines, she would simply kill them all. The Empress didn't care about the lives of the Marines.
But Gloriosa was an old hand. She immediately saw through Hancock's thoughts.
"Empress, don't think too much about it. Follow the plan." She reminded her in a low, powerful voice.
But Hancock still turned her head and looked at Alistair. This action made Gloriosa's heart sink. Sure enough, you can't control a grown daughter, you can't keep a grown daughter. It had only been a few days, and she was already disobeying her, turning her head to ask Alistair's opinion.
But Alistair's opinion was no different from hers. He said in a low voice, "Just accept it directly. You can make some demands that the Marines can't accept. Be domineering. Bully them. It's best to turn them all to stone and then talk to Sengoku."
Hancock understood. Clearly, this was a show of muscle before negotiation. This way, they would have to agree to more outrageous conditions.
She wasn't bragging, when it came to being domineering, she had never been afraid of anyone.
"Sandersonia, Marigold, you two come with me!" The Empress commanded her two sisters imperiously.
"Yes, sister." Sandersonia and Marigold were completely loyal to the Empress. She had always protected them, both when they were slaves of the Celestial Dragons and after they escaped.
How could they possibly not tolerate her little temper now?
Marigold hissed twice, and one of the two sea serpents turned its head and lowered its head on the deck, pulling the three onto its back. Standing on the head of this giant serpent, Alistair finally realized how huge it was. It was probably over 130 feet long, spanning the entire keel of the ship. Just the height above the water was over 30 feet. The head was so large that it could fit the 6'3" Empress, the 14'9" Sandersonia, and the 14'3" Marigold, and there was still some space. Plus, they were inherently venomous. Indeed, even in the Calm Belt, where giant sea kings were numerous, these two serpents could walk all over.
This could even be considered a strategic weapon of Amazon Lily.
Sure enough, those who could become Warlords were not easy to deal with.
Alistair thought to himself, his telescope never leaving his eyes, hiding his whole body under his cloak, observing the negotiations between the two sides.
The Empress's entrance was incredibly stunning. Most of the other side was instantly captivated by the Empress. And as for the Mero Mero no Mi, there was only one outcome for those who were captivated...
They were all turned to stone!
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