"Maybe some unforeseen event occurred while they were chasing Gloriosa," Garp frowned, stating his guess.
"In any case, even if Gloriosa didn't do this, she can't escape involvement. And right now, she is our only lead."
"Garp, Zephyr, I leave this matter to you. From now on, hunt down Gloriosa throughout the entire New World. Find her at all costs."
"No matter who dares to kill Marine officers, they must pay the price!!" Admiral Kong ordered decisively with a cold face.
"Understood!" Garp and Zephyr exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
Rumble—
Rumble—
Just then, a thunderclap exploded in the sky.
Bright lightning flashed through the window, illuminating the eyes of all the Marine officers.
Admiral Kong walked to the window, looking at the pouring rain outside, and sighed faintly: "Truly, troubled times are ahead!"
On the deck.
The Reno Pirates and the Kuja warriors stood on opposite sides.
"Now then... we can talk about our business."
Reno looked at Gloriosa opposite him, a gentle smile on his face.
The powerful aura spreading from Reno stunned Gloriosa.
Is this his true strength?
When she first met Reno, the Marine pursuit left her no time to care about anything else. Unexpectedly, Reno acted and saved her from dire straits. While being saved, she felt an inexplicable sense of security.
But now, Reno wanted to talk business.
Could it be that this man's intention wasn't to save her at all, but that he had a strong ulterior motive?
Belatedly realizing this, Gloriosa became alert, and her face turned cold.
She originally thought Reno was different, but now it seemed men were indeed all the same—none of them were good.
"What do you want??"
Gloriosa tried her best to suppress her emotions. The opponent's strength far exceeded theirs; falling out with them wasn't a wise move.
As if unaware of anything, Reno maintained his spring-breeze-like expression and said gently:
"I hope you can join my pirate crew."
"No way!!"
Gloriosa refused Reno's request flatly without thinking.
She was the Pirate Empress; how could she join a man's pirate crew?
If this news reached Amazon Lily, how would her subjects view her?
Wouldn't she become a laughingstock for her people?
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the Kuja warriors picked up their weapons one after another, ready for combat.
Reno waved his hand, signaling Jace and the others not to act rashly, and explained:
"Gloriosa, don't be in a hurry to refuse. Do you know how bad your situation is right now?"
"Although my people killed those Marines, it has a direct connection to you. That was two Marine Vice Admirals and hundreds of soldiers. The Marines won't let me off, but they won't let you off either."
"If the Marines are truly determined to deal with you, you stand no chance."
"From today on, your Kuja Pirates will be hunted by the Marines daily, living in fear every single day."
Reno wasn't fear-mongering.
With such a major incident, the Marines would inevitably investigate thoroughly.
Finding them was only a matter of time. With the Kuja Pirates' current strength, any one of the Marine trio (Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr) could finish them off.
It was true that he wanted to recruit Gloriosa, but this was also an opportunity for them.
In the New World, pirates who wanted to go solo couldn't survive.
Even the future World's Strongest Swordsman, Hawkeye, what about him??
In the end, didn't he become a 'subordinate' of the Great Buggy?
Only by having an organization to back you up can things get done.
In Reno's view, Gloriosa was indeed a crew member worth cultivating, which was why he put in so much effort.
Of course, he absolutely wouldn't force her.
Even if he used force to make Gloriosa submit, it would be meaningless.
But he had to lay his cards on the table and let her know his thoughts.
There are exceptions to everything. If it were before, he might have failed.
But yesterday's incident was no small matter. Reno believed Gloriosa would have her own judgment.
If she insisted on going her own way, Reno wouldn't stop her.
As for the consequences, she would naturally have to bear them alone.
Hearing Reno's analysis, Gloriosa fell silent, uncharacteristically not refuting him.
Reno was right. Although they didn't do it, it was directly related to them.
If one or two Marines died, she could handle it.
But hundreds of Marines plus two Vice Admirals—the consequences were simply not something she could bear.
Perhaps the Marines had already sent people all over the world to find her.
For a moment, Gloriosa was caught in a dilemma.
"Empress, why don't we return to Amazon Lily!"
A Kuja warrior suggested with some reluctance in her tone, but at least it was better than dying in the New World.
Worst case, they just wouldn't come out anymore.
"Ridiculous. Return to Amazon Lily??"
Reno snorted coldly and mocked: "The Marines don't know your origin yet; their target is only you. If you return to Amazon Lily and they find out, you'll be turtles in a jar, unable to run even if you wanted to."
"The Calm Belt can stop other pirates from entering, but do you really think it can stop the Marines??"
In the original story, the Marines installed Seastone on the bottom of their warships, allowing them to traverse the Calm Belt unimpeded.
Entering the Calm Belt was no difficulty for the Marines at all.
"This..."
Gloriosa took Reno's words to heart.
She had her own calculations, and what Reno said made sense.
Choosing the lesser of two evils... unless she was bent on seeking death, joining Reno's pirate crew was indeed a good choice.
As for the identity of the Pirate Empress, what did it matter in the face of life and death?
Besides, she could choose not to consider herself, but she had to consider the entire Amazon Lily.
Gloriosa bit her lip lightly, wanting to speak but stopping.
Reno didn't rush her, just looking at her quietly.
One minute.
Two minutes.
...
A full ten minutes passed. Finally, Gloriosa sighed faintly, looked up at Reno, parted her red lips slightly, and said softly: "I am willing to join!"