Although his drill head was gone, Qingjiao was still the pillar of the Eight Treasure Navy, and his status had not changed.
Eight Impact Fist is a secret martial art of the Eight Treasure Navy, a combat technique that every generation's pillar must learn.
Eight Impact Fist is not limited to fisticuffs; this martial art can use any part of the body as a weapon. When cultivated to a certain extent, it will break through and gain its advanced skill—Mystic Art: Drill Dragon Drill Nail.
After receiving recognition from the previous pillar, they would bestow the title of Drill Dragon Drill Nail upon the next generation, allowing him to inherit the Eight Treasure Navy. Qingjiao merely chose to cultivate his unique drill head.
Now he had lost his proud weapon, but his foundation remained, and there were few people in the Flower Country who could trouble him.
It was just that he could no longer access the treasures accumulated and stored in the Ice Continent by generations.
In the past, when he saw those who coveted his treasures but couldn't open the Ice Continent, he would only mock them mercilessly, letting them fall into the glacier where the treasures were stored, and then letting them be trapped to death beside the treasures.
During this period, Qingjiao's daily activity was to kowtow on the glacial continent, trying to break through the glacier again, but the results were not ideal.
He had visited all the famous doctors in the Flower Country and nearby, but they couldn't even figure out what was wrong with Qingjiao's head, let alone cure it.
The fact that his drill head was gone was beyond their comprehension.
"Sidilier Orlan? Piltover?"
Taking the newspaper handed to him by his subordinate, Qingjiao read the news. Morgans was someone who liked to make comparisons. While subtly hinting at Orlan's "unknown ambition," he heavily emphasized his achievements in medicine.
"Sidilier? I've heard of him. Isn't that guy a quack? His philosophy is replacement, turning people into toys with all sorts of metal contraptions. How can that be considered medical art?"
Not everyone approved of Orlan's treatment methods; many even considered his surgical procedures heretical, and in the Flower Country, this sentiment was quite pronounced.
"Broken arms and legs are one thing, but how will the leader treat this drill head? Is he going to replace the leader's head?"
"Shut up! Do any of you have a way to cure my drill head?"
Listening to the discussions around him, Qingjiao stood up and waved his hand to stop them from continuing their discussion.
Qingjiao had not yet given up hope of saving his drill head and was in a state of desperation, willing to try any possibility of a cure.
"Grand Line. Firefly Island. Go prepare the ship, and depart immediately!"
Qingjiao had given the order, so the others naturally had nothing to say and could only prepare the ship as instructed by Qingjiao.
Aside from those who already knew Orlan and injured patients like Qingjiao who were troubled by external injuries, the people most concerned about Firefly Island were undoubtedly the royal families of neighboring countries.
Drum Kingdom, where the king was not yet Wapol; Wapol was not even a fertilized egg at this time.
Thanks to its developed medical industry, Drum Kingdom had always held the right to participate in the World Conference.
"Firefly Island, perhaps it's a good thing. The recipient of the Iber Prize should have a lot of experience."
The current King of Drum Island was still very concerned about the lives of his citizens, even considering whether to invite the other party to hold an academic seminar or something similar. Prosthetics were not prohibited items on the sea, and they could also be seen on Drum Island.
The doctors on Drum Island had already mastered the installation techniques and greatly admired this invention. If Orlan could be invited, they should gain a lot.
"Your Majesty, should we prepare an invitation letter?"
"Not yet. It seems he might no longer be an ordinary doctor, but a king like me. Let's see what Firefly Island becomes, then decide the next step."
In Alabasta, in another direction, Nefertari Cobra was still only a prince, learning how to govern the country from his father, and this king had the same thoughts as the King of Drum Kingdom.
What Orlan would do, whether his Piltover would be a fleeting wonder that fell in the tide of the times, or exist for a while as a non-Allied Nation, or become a member of the Allied Nation, all influenced their subsequent attitude.
Not to mention people from other countries, even those on Firefly Island itself did not know what Orlan's next step would be.
"Big Brother Orlan… No, is it more appropriate to call you Your Majesty Orlan now?"
The original palace had changed hands again. After eliminating most of the pirates and gangsters, Orlan had already moved in with his people.
At this moment, in the dining room, Ginny was struggling with how to address Orlan.
"I don't care about such things. Just call me as you always have."
"No, no, no, you are a king after all; you must maintain your dignity."
"Then feel free to call me what you like in private, but use that title when there are outsiders. Otherwise, I'm still a bit unaccustomed."
Old acquaintances who met from the beginning were ultimately different from those who formed connections later. At least Brand's figure was not seen at this dinner table, and Blitz still served as the chef, making it a normal family dinner.
"So, Big Brother Orlan, what are your next plans? To become an Allied Nation?"
Ginny and Lyliana had started their eating contest again, while Kuma asked this rather crucial question.
"Allied Nation, huh? That position certainly needs to be secured."
The status of an Allied Nation could make many things convenient, especially in trade and transactions. Formal large-scale transactions were much better than the small-time dealings of the underworld.
"Then do we also have to pay heavens gold? Let those scums…"
Kate stirred the thick soup in her bowl. The thought made her uncomfortable.
"No, no, no, how could that be? Not only will I not pay heavens gold, but I'll also make them pay me."
The conventional way of joining the World Government was not difficult for Orlan. The Marine would not mind nominating and endorsing him. In such a situation, after paying the heavens gold, everything would be a matter of course.
But just like Kate's question, paying them money would sicken him.
"Don't be impatient. The first step is complete. After some time, I will make a deal with them in my own way, using their money to research things to deal with them.
That idiot Caesar's method of swindling funds is too low-level. If I ever see him again, I'll show him what it means to reasonably utilize funds."
Orlan did not go into detail, but according to his plan, the Allied Nation status would go hand in hand with the Shichibukai position. He intended to build this place into a powerful nation that would respond to calls but not to commands.
Drawing the necessary nutrients for independence from the great tree of the World Government.
"So, during this time... will our status be that of a non-Allied Nation?"
"That's right, but it doesn't make much difference. Our previous efforts weren't in vain."
Non-Allied Nations were not only unprotected by the World Government, but the Marine and World Government could even plunder these lands, which did not violate their laws.
However, in the current situation, the Marine certainly wouldn't do such a thing. In special circumstances, if Orlan requested aid from the Marine, they wouldn't ignore him either.
The World Government's attitude was generally similar. The Allied Nation status primarily affected trade and World Conference issues.
And the right to speak at the World Conference depended on national power. As long as the national power was strong enough, even if they joined late, their voice would not be small. As for trade issues, Orlan also had his own channels, so overall, the impact was not significant.
Everything was progressing systematically.
Time passed, and night approached.
"Curfew has begun. All citizens, please return home as soon as possible, close your doors and windows tightly, and stay safe."
On the streets of Firefly Island, two Guard Mechs patrolled the island's environment in pairs, simultaneously broadcasting messages.
Although most of the pirates had been eliminated, there were still a few stragglers roaming the island.
The curfew was also to help the island return to normalcy as quickly as possible.
The people on Firefly Island now knew what had happened recently, so they were very cooperative.
Some brave adults spontaneously formed security teams and, after reporting the news, accompanied the mech teams to search the corners of the island.
Based on the Guard Mech's grouping, Orlan had divided the island into twelve areas, and it would be managed by area in the future. Upon discovering pirates, locals only needed to fire a flare into the sky, and the mechs in that area would rush over at the fastest speed.
"It's unbelievable that those pirates were just driven away like that."
On the island's coast, residents were patrolling areas where people might be hiding, carrying various weapons seized from pirates. Order was still being rebuilt, and many things had to start from scratch.
Sixteen years might not build a nation, but it could utterly destroy what already existed.
"Roar!"
A roar suddenly came from nearby. Terra suddenly burrowed out of the ground and grabbed a pirate hiding in the beach wetland. Even though he was covered in mud and sand, he couldn't escape Terra's sense of smell.
As a Mountain Drake, it was very sensitive to people hiding in mud and sand.
"Terra, you're amazing! You caught another bad guy! Don't struggle. If you haven't committed any major mistakes, Dad won't do anything to you. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so fragile."
As a nighttime activity, Lyliana was patrolling the island with her dragon partner. She was merely trying to calm the other party, but her physical strength achieved her goal in another way.
"That tone sounds like a child."
"But she's so tall! Whose child grows that big?"
"She's the daughter of our new king. According to old customs, we should call her Princess Lyliana."
Among the patrolling team, Brand walked out.
Brand had undergone a significant change. After Firefly Island got a new beginning, he also tidied up his appearance, and his messy hair was now combed into a pompadour.
As the local most familiar with Orlan on the island, he naturally took on the role of explainer.
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