Elder Nyon was deeply hurt.
Her counsel, once respected and followed throughout Amazon Lily, now seemed to carry no weight against a single word spoken by someone else. It bothered her on an almost personal level.
She couldn't help but suspect: was this girl, Princess Snake, really involved with that man?
The earlier words about pregnancy... could they be true?
But in the end, that wasn't what truly mattered. It didn't matter who Princess Snake loved. Even if she chose to follow that man and leave Amazon Lily behind, that wasn't the issue to be addressed now.
The truly urgent matter was attending the Shichibukai meeting.
The elder shrugged off the maids trying to restrain her and firmly declared:
"Princess Snake, since you've made your decision, then go quickly!"
"Wait a few more days, there's no rush," Luffy replied, shaking his head. (If I don't make Momonga wait a bit longer, how else can I show off my hard work and highlight my accomplishments?)
At that moment, the Empress suddenly asked:
"Luffy, you said earlier that your father is the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Why did you—"
"Why did I become a Shichibukai?" Luffy smiled. "'Fire Fist' Ace is my sworn brother. I only became a Shichibukai to save him."
That had been his goal at first, but then Luffy had obtained a White Fruit from the system shop.
Now he had another reason to join the war at Marineford.
No one with even a shred of common sense would turn down the Gura Gura no Mi.
As for the possibility of Whitebeard dying—as long as Luffy didn't intervene to save him—the odds were high.
But why should he save him?
He had no connection to Whitebeard. They had never even met.
In fact, it would be more beneficial to Luffy if Whitebeard died.
Maybe he could take the opportunity to absorb the Whitebeard Pirates. And if that wasn't possible, Ace would inherit the leadership and become the new captain.
It was all a matter of self-interest.
Indeed, he was a bad man.
Luffy thought to himself.
"Ace is your brother?" Hancock exclaimed, shocked.
But the others were focused on something else.
Elder Nyon, shaken, murmured: "The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon, is your father?!"
"My grandfather is Garp. As long as he hasn't lied to me, that's the truth. Sadly, I've never seen my father's face."
Luffy mentioned it casually, as if stating any trivial fact.
Nyon was left completely stunned.
This boy… has such a deep history.
"No wonder your old wanted poster said you were to be captured alive…"
Now she finally understood why Princess Snake's attitude toward him was completely different.
Dragon, the revolutionary, was a man who wanted to overthrow the Celestial Dragons—and had become a massive problem for the World Government.
It was only natural for Princess Snake to feel a strong affinity for the son of such a man.
From then on, the elder began to ask Luffy subtle questions.
For example: his relationship with his father… Did the Government know about it?
And other similar inquiries.
Luffy answered them casually too, as if they meant nothing.
In the blink of an eye, the third day arrived.
After being warmly welcomed and treated as an honored guest, Luffy departed for Marineford with the Empress aboard a warship.
The Kuja Pirates came to bid them farewell, forming a large crowd on the shore.
No one knew exactly who started the rumor, but the news of the Empress's supposed pregnancy—a casual joke Luffy had made days ago—had spread through Amazon Lily like wildfire.
All the women on the island seemed to believe it without question and were now completely enamored with the idea. The prospect of an heir born from the Empress left them eagerly anticipating the next ten months.
Even Marigold, who had always been extremely cautious of Luffy, now displayed a satisfied and relaxed attitude at the thought of her sister being pregnant.
The only one who seemed completely unaware of everything… was the Empress herself.
At that moment, a group of female pirates had gathered on the warship's deck, waving enthusiastically as the ship prepared to set sail.
"Safe travels!"
"Luffy, take good care of Princess Snake!"
Under their collective gaze, the Empress kept her regal posture, proud as always. Not a single emotion escaped her face.
"Your name is Momonga, right? I've accepted the World Government's summons. Why haven't we set sail yet? How long do you plan to keep Luffy and me waiting?"
Momonga stared, stunned by the surreal scene.
The Empress, who had flatly refused the order just days ago, now spoke as if she had always agreed.
(When did she change so much?) he wondered, perplexed.
Instinctively, his eyes turned toward Luffy.
Luffy simply smiled and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
"No need to thank me so much."
Momonga glanced back and forth between him and the Empress and could only think one thing:
Incredible… He really made her change her mind.
Even without knowing exactly what had happened between them, it was clear that everything had been Luffy's influence.
"Boa Hancock, please release the petrified soldiers," he asked casually.
The Empress just snorted in response, turned her head, and gently blew toward the statues scattered around the ship. A glow swept across the deck, and the stone figures soon began returning to normal.
The soldiers woke up as if they had only blinked—without any memory of having been turned into statues.
"You fools, hurry up and prepare to return!" Momonga shouted sternly.
Still confused, the Marines began moving at once. Since there was still time before the meeting, they didn't rush—the ships didn't travel at full speed, but they were still faster than ordinary vessels.
On the tenth day, the colossal structures of Marineford—the Marine Headquarters—appeared on the horizon.
[You have arrived at the new island: Marineford. Reward: 1000 Adventure Coins.]
[You have sailed the Paradise Sea for 10 days. Reward: 1000 Adventure Coins.]
In addition to these system rewards, the results of the journey were remarkable. During the days at sea, his crew in Water 7's capital had learned a total of 14 techniques, earning 2800 Adventure Coins.
Sanji and Bartolomeo became the fourth and fifth crew members to fully master their techniques.
Of course, the coins vanished as quickly as they came.
During these ten days, Luffy had updated the system shop four times a day—constantly obsessed—until he finally obtained a second "Blank Fruit" even before arriving at Marineford.
Along with that, he also acquired one Haki Fruit Box, two Rokushiki Fruit Boxes, and one Self-Healing Fruit.
[Adventure Coins]: 23,945
[Adventure Warehouse]: 5 Haki Fruits, 18 Rokushiki Fruits, 3 Life Fruits, 1 Healing Fruit, 2 Blank Fruits
The warship finally docked at Marineford's bay.
Luffy and Boa Hancock disembarked one after the other, immediately drawing attention.
The Marines in charge of reception reported via Den Den Mushi:
"Naval Headquarters, Second Port of Marineford! Reporting arrival of the Shichibukai: Monkey D. Luffy and Boa Hancock!"
On the dock, several Marine officers, their coats of justice billowing in the wind, lined up solemnly to welcome the newcomers.
Upon seeing them, all saluted in unison with stiff, rehearsed movements.
"Heh... Marines bowing to pirates. The word 'justice' must be weeping right now," Luffy laughed, crossing his arms.
"You don't like this kind of reception?" said Momonga, making a beckoning gesture. "This way. I'll take you to HQ."
The two walked in silence through Marineford's wide corridors.
The arrival of two high-profile Shichibukai had stirred inevitable commotion.
It was the first time Luffy had set foot in the Marines' central stronghold.
Right after disembarking, they were greeted by the grand Execution Square. The platform was already set up, towering like a grim reminder of what awaited in the days to come.
Behind it rose Marineford's colossal walls, the word "justice" carved in stone as a symbol—or perhaps an irony—of the world they lived in.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."