Gloriosa, the former Empress of Amazon Lily, didn't look as decrepit as she did in the original story, but she was still well into her old age.
This was her first time setting foot on the G-7 Marine Base. She hadn't left the Calm Belt in many years. If it weren't for the fact that the three Boa sisters had fallen into Marine hands, an event that affected the fate of Amazon Lily, Gloriosa wouldn't have dared to come to G-7. After all, she was a pirate.
Led by a Marine Captain, Gloriosa walked through the G-7 fortress and into its interior. After walking for a while through the complex corridors, she suddenly caught a whiff of food.
"A restaurant?" Gloriosa wondered. Was the base commander going to meet her in a restaurant? What kind of move was that?
Before she could think more, she was led into the dining hall. She then saw a tall, handsome man in casual clothes eating. Next to him sat a girl with long pink hair. The girl was wearing a Marine justice coat. The emblem on her shoulder showed that she was a Marine Headquarters Commander.
Unlike the man, who was eating ravenously, the girl was slowly eating a fruit salad, occasionally giving him a look of disgust.
"Admiral, can you please pay a little more attention to your image? Your table manners are a mess!" Hina couldn't help but remind him.
But Diarmuid ignored the girl and continued to eat his meat with gusto.
On the other hand, Gloriosa was stunned when she heard what Hina said. After a careful look at Diarmuid, she recognized him.
'The 'Ferocious Tiger' of Marine Headquarters... Admiral Rodriguez Diarmuid,' Gloriosa thought in shock.
She knew that Diarmuid used to be the commander of Marine G-7, but hadn't he left after being promoted to Admiral? Why was he here today? Could he have come specifically for Amazon Lily? Given the current state of Amazon Lily, if a Marine Admiral were to lead an assault, he could indeed wipe them out.
Just as Gloriosa was shaking with fear, the Marine Captain who led her in snapped to attention and saluted. "Admiral Diarmuid, Gloriosa of the Kuja Pirates has arrived."
Diarmuid finally turned his head and looked at Gloriosa, his mouth still chewing food.
At that moment, Gloriosa's heart trembled. Diarmuid hadn't done anything, he had simply turned his head. But Gloriosa felt as if she was being stared down by a fierce tiger. A layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on her back.
Diarmuid swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded. "Alright, you can go."
"Yes, Admiral Diarmuid!" The Marine Captain replied, no longer paying attention to Gloriosa. He turned and left.
At the same time, Diarmuid turned his attention back to his meal and took a sip of juice from his glass. Gloriosa stood there, not knowing whether to move forward or backward. She was filled with fear and awkwardness.
When Diarmuid finished his juice, he put the glass down on the table and said without looking up, "Come in and have a seat."
Even though it was just a simple sentence, Gloriosa's heart let out a sigh of relief. She thought to herself, 'Is this the power of a Marine Admiral?'
She hadn't been out at sea for many years, and her former temperament as a great pirate had long since been worn away. Her strength had declined to an unrecognizable state. That's why she was so anxious.
Not daring to say more, Gloriosa nervously walked to Diarmuid's table and sat in the chair across from him.
"Have you eaten? Do you want me to get you some food?" Diarmuid asked, still not looking up, eating his lunch with a slightly rude manner.
On the other hand, Hina was calmly eating her fruit salad while curiously observing the former Empress of Amazon Lily.
Gloriosa forced a smile and shook her head. "I... I've already eaten."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid paused, then looked up at Gloriosa. In that instant, Gloriosa's expression changed dramatically. "I... I'm suddenly a little hungry. Thank you for your kindness, Admiral."
Diarmuid smiled. "I like people who know how to adapt to the situation. And I really don't like it when people refuse me."
Gloriosa forced another smile and said a little nervously, "I understand."
Soon, at Diarmuid's signal, the dining hall served Gloriosa a meal. The old woman had already eaten, but she still forced herself to eat as if she had a great appetite.
After a few more bites, Diarmuid asked in a casual tone, "How's Amazon Lily doing? Things must be pretty bad, right?"
Unlike Hancock's stubbornness, Gloriosa hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Things are not very good..."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid wasn't surprised. This was what he had expected. Before Gloriosa could speak again, Diarmuid continued, "Boa Nero passed away a few years ago. The Amazon Lily throne has since been vacant. She had no children, so the three Boa sisters are the last remaining heirs of your Boa royal family. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Gloriosa nodded with a heavy expression.
"But in other words, you're the one in charge of Amazon Lily right now, right?" Diarmuid asked.
"That's right. I was, after all, the former Empress of Amazon Lily..." Gloriosa replied.
Diarmuid nodded but didn't say anything more. Instead, he took a few more bites and said to Hina, "Hina, I'd like another glass of juice."
"I know, Admiral," Hina said, giving Diarmuid a glare. She picked up his empty cup and went to the back to squeeze some juice for him.
Gloriosa thought that Diarmuid was trying to get rid of the Marine Commander named Hina to talk about something important. But Diarmuid didn't say anything until Hina came back with his juice. He took a sip and then continued, "You must have heard some things about the Calm Belt, right?" Diarmuid asked.
Gloriosa nodded seriously. "About four years ago, the G-7 base under your command started developing the Calm Belt. We often saw warships sailing nearby when we were hunting Sea Kings near Amazon Lily... We know a little about these things."
"You must also know about the new technology on our warships, right?" Diarmuid asked.
"Yes. About two years ago, we often saw warships fighting Sea Kings, but after that, we noticed the Sea Kings no longer actively attacked the warships..." Gloriosa said again.
"You've been watching closely. I might as well tell you. The Marines have indeed mastered the technology to safely navigate the Calm Belt," Diarmuid said with a smile.
This was all thanks to Dr. Vegapunk. In the original story, it was unclear when the Marines would master the technology to combine seastone with warships. But due to Diarmuid's intervention, the Marines' focus on the Calm Belt was raised to a whole new level. As a result, research in this area was accelerated, and it wasn't a very high-end technology to begin with.
So, shortly after Vegapunk was brought to the Marine's Special Science Group, the technology to safely cross the Calm Belt was implemented.
Even though Gloriosa had long suspected this, her expression still became sour when she heard what Diarmuid said.
Amazon Lily had been able to fight a giant like Marine Headquarters for hundreds of years for two reasons. The first was that all their citizens were warriors with Haki, so their strength was very high. The second was that they were located deep within the Calm Belt, which served as a natural barrier that made it difficult for the Marines to launch an effective attack.
But now, due to Boa Nero's death, Amazon Lily's strength had been greatly reduced. Their pirate activities had been stagnant for many years, and there were not many warriors with real combat experience.
On top of that, they were lacking in supplies and were very weak. To make matters worse, the Marines had now mastered the technology to safely cross the Calm Belt, which meant their natural barrier had lost its protective effect. And to top it all off, the three heirs of Amazon Lily had fallen into Marine hands.
This was the most dangerous time Amazon Lily had faced in hundreds of years. If they weren't careful, their country could be destroyed!
"Do you think Amazon Lily can resist the Marines?" Diarmuid asked suddenly, looking at Gloriosa's troubled expression.
Gloriosa's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly said, "Maybe we can't resist, but even so, the Marines will have to pay a heavy price!"
"Oh? You're surprisingly stubborn at a time like this," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
Gloriosa didn't say anything.
Diarmuid smiled again. "To be honest, I think so too. Besides, I don't have much hostility toward Amazon Lily. Otherwise..."
"...Otherwise, we wouldn't have received a letter from G-7. Instead, we would have seen the heads of Hancock and her sisters and dozens of warships with full firepower at our doorstep," Gloriosa said softly. After a pause, she continued, "That's why I chose to come to G-7 myself, even though I knew it was dangerous."
"Just as I thought. You must be one of the few pro-Marine, or rather... reformists, in Amazon Lily?" Diarmuid said with a laugh.
In the original story, it was Gloriosa who persuaded Hancock to become a Warlord and not resist the Marines. Although her original intention might have been to prevent Amazon Lily from being attacked by the Marines, it was undeniable that she was more inclined to cooperate with the Marines. That was also why Diarmuid chose to see her.
"Perhaps. But in reality, I just hope Amazon Lily can become better. As the former Empress of Amazon Lily, I know its flaws. When Marine warships started developing the Calm Belt, I was very afraid. I had long anticipated this day... I just didn't expect the cause to be Hancock and her sisters," Gloriosa said with a bitter smile.
Diarmuid looked at her in surprise. "It seems I've underestimated you. If what you're saying is true, then you are indeed very far-sighted. I'll be honest with you. The Marines value the Calm Belt very much. We will not allow any threats in this area. We weren't ready to deal with Amazon Lily before, but now, my G-7 base is expanding its forces. Once we reach our target, at least 100,000 Marines will go to flatten Amazon Lily, and I will personally join the war!"
Gloriosa was both shocked and terrified to hear this.
But at that moment, Diarmuid smiled. "Of course, that's assuming you are still our enemies at that time..."
"What do you mean, Admiral?" Gloriosa's eyes lit up.
"Personally, I hope to guide Amazon Lily onto the right path. That would be the righteous thing for the Marines to do," Diarmuid said with a smile.
Of course, this was just a high-sounding reason... but it was enough to take the moral high ground!