In the Calm Belt, the Kuja Pirates' Perfume Yuda ship boasted even better performance than the average Navy battleship.
Especially in terms of speed—with two enormous serpents as its power source, it was only slightly slower than their ship.
So, Michael didn't have to wait long at the shore before the Perfume Yuda brought the Kuja Pirates ashore.
As for Amazon Lily, a place where the presence of men was strictly forbidden under normal circumstances, they couldn't afford to be bothered by that detail in a time of crisis.
Even the veterans of the Kuja Pirates tactfully avoided bringing it up.
After all, they were merely following tradition—not because they actually hated men.
So even when faced with the SWORD Secret Special Force, which included quite a few male members, they chose to ignore it for now.
"Hyacinth, Hedyotis… I figured it was you two."
A voice rang out from behind Michael.
It was Shakky, who had been sitting off to the side, chatting with the three little Hancock sisters.
At the sight of her face, the two elderly women froze in place.
It took a long moment before they snapped out of it.
"Sha-Sha-Sha—Shakky-sama!"
"You're still alive!?"
The two old ladies instantly burst into tears as they rushed toward Shakky.
This was Shakky!
The smartest of the recent emperors of Amazon Lily!
Especially when compared to that brute Gloriosa!
They had always assumed that Shakky had died of lovesickness—but apparently, that wasn't the case!
Whatever the truth...
It meant Amazon Lily still had hope!
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you two doing?"
"Our former Empress passed away a year ago, and the current Empress is still too young. Please, reclaim the throne and lead us again!"
The two little old ladies each clung to one of Shakky's legs, clearly determined to keep her there.
Michael even noticed they'd activated their Armament Haki.
"Can we… talk about this later?" Shakky's mouth twitched slightly. She had expected this kind of thing upon returning to Amazon Lily. "Right now, the priority is the Empress and the Navy."
With Shakky's reminder, Hyacinth and Hedyotis finally turned their attention back to Michael.
And only then did they realize—
The former Empress…
Seemed to have arrived here with this Navy officer.
"This..."
"Let's return to the palace of Amazon Lily first," Shakky said to the two elderly women, then turned to Michael. "Have your people come along too."
...
After a chaotic journey, the group finally reached the palace of the Kuja Empress.
The people of Amazon Lily, endlessly curious about the existence of "men," were ultimately kept outside the palace gates.
Michael wiped sweat from his forehead.
These women, who had never seen a man before, were absolutely terrifying in their extreme curiosity.
"So I still don't get it. Why does Amazon Lily insist on allowing only women to stay in the country?"
Michael shrugged and looked at Shakky, who was accompanied by the three Hancock sisters.
"Not even I know the reason. I only know that it's been a strict rule followed by Amazon Lily since ancient times," Shakky replied with a trace of helplessness in her expression. "Even when I was the Kuja Empress, I had no choice but to obey it."
After all, her own ascension had been rather sudden—Gloriosa had just suddenly thrown in the towel and quit.
Listening to their conversation, the elderly women Hyacinth and Hedyotis were deeply shaken.
Shakky-sama seemed very close with this Navy officer. What was he trying to get Amazon Lily to do?
Judging by Shakky-sama's attitude, she didn't seem opposed to the proposal this Navy officer was about to make...
She might even support it?
The two elderly ladies exchanged glances. For now, they could only take things one step at a time.
Everyone took their seats, but Shakky didn't accept the old ladies' persuasion to reclaim the throne of Kuja Empress.
Instead, she sat beside Michael.
Compared to being the former Kuja Empress, she preferred being Shakky the information broker—or Shakky the tavern owner.
"Sigh... Navy officer, please state your terms," Hyacinth finally let out a long sigh and turned to Michael. "Since you've returned our Empress to us, we will keep our word."
Michael nodded.
This was exactly the response he had anticipated. Amazon Lily at this point in time was arguably at its lowest in history.
The Navy hadn't bothered to target the Kuja Pirates, a group that raided but didn't slaughter indiscriminately. There were far more dangerous pirates all over the Grand Line.
That was the only reason Amazon Lily was able to enjoy any peace.
It was precisely during this period of low presence that made it the perfect time for the Kuja Pirates and Amazon Lily to shift identities.
"I hope, starting today, the Kuja Pirates will be officially disbanded."
The moment Michael uttered those words, everyone—aside from the already-informed Shakky and Issho—was visibly shocked, including the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force.
"Disband the Kuja Pirates!?" Hyacinth shot to her feet. "Navy officer..."
"Please, don't be hasty." Michael maintained his calm and polite tone throughout. "Let me finish stating all the terms, then you can respond."
"You will disband the Kuja Pirates because, from the moment you agree, you'll be joining the Navy."
"From now on, Amazon Lily will no longer be seen as a pirate nation—but as a Navy nation!"
Michael then gestured to the three little girls.
"And as for the Empress Hancock and her two sisters—they'll be personally trained and protected by me, so that when they grow up, they can hold an esteemed position within the Navy!"
After Michael finished speaking, the room fell completely silent.
Everyone felt as though their worldview had just been flipped upside down.
Especially Hyacinth and Hedyotis.
They had lived through the rule of four generations of Kuja Empresses. The label of "pirate nation" was deeply rooted in their minds.
And now Michael was asking them to become part of the Navy.
They had originally wanted to reject the idea flat-out—but then they thought of the current desperate situation of Amazon Lily… and the calm demeanor of their former Empress…
They hesitated.
They began to consider the possibility…
"Military funding instead of pillaging. You can freely choose among the fine young men in the Navy."
"Your livelihoods will be secure, and your population will grow, bringing prosperity to your nation."
"The next Empress will also be a high-ranking Navy officer."
"Do you..."
"Still need time to hesitate?"
Michael's gentle yet irresistibly persuasive voice made Hyacinth falter completely.
She looked once more at this Navy officer named Michael.
Even though there were pure white wings behind him...
Why did it feel like he ought to have two devil horns on his head instead?
Such a little devil...
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