Hancock agreed at once.
"Hmph… from now on, you're no longer master of this island."
El said bluntly, without a trace of politeness.
He'd just realized that speaking to Hancock this way seemed to work far better.
"This island is mine now."
"Within my territory, everything follows my rules. Do you understand?"
"I understand… Lord El!"
Hancock nodded vigorously.
Receiving orders from El seemed to her the greatest honor imaginable.
El, however, felt rather helpless.
Hancock's devotion to him was beyond question, but if he didn't keep her in check, she was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.
It wasn't just bad intentions that led to mistakes.
Often—more often than not, in fact—even good intentions could end up doing harm.
Hancock would never betray him.
But he feared precisely that: she might try to do right by him and end up making a mess of things.
Already, El was thinking about what would happen after he left Amazon Lily.
Would Hancock really be all right here on her own?
She stood quietly beside him, saying nothing; as long as she was near Lord El, she seemed content to leave all thought and decision‑making to him.
Before long, all the leaders and key figures of the island had gathered.
Everyone of any standing had been summoned.
Of course, not every single person in the kingdom could be brought together, but once he had spoken to those present, he would effectively have the whole island under his control.
"Ahem…" El stood up.
He was standing now in the very place reserved for the rulers of Amazon Lily throughout history. His presence there alone spoke volumes.
"Amazon Lily has never been an unknown name in the New World," he began, while the people below murmured among themselves.
"Yet… Amazon Lily is still not a nation that can easily protect itself in the Grand Line."
He was right.
Apart from the advantage of being located within the Calm Belt, the island had no real strength to rely on.
The only thing that had changed in recent years was that the Kuja Pirates had become part of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"…Do you even know why you are able to live as you do now?"
"Do you know whether you want this life to continue—or whether you even want it at all?"
Many on the island knew the truth well enough.
Without the protection that came with being a Warlord, they could never have enjoyed such peace.
The Kuja warriors were incredibly strong—a blessing from the heavens, yet also something of a curse.
A nation with such power, if it were not an ally of the World Government, would inevitably be seen as its enemy.
The World Government and Marine Headquarters were still, undeniably, the greatest powers in the world.
Even in this age of pirates, nothing had changed.
If they became enemies, if they became targets…
Amazon Lily's strength might save them from being wiped out, but dragged into war, they would never again know the ordinary, peaceful days they had now.
But all that was in the past.
Before, they had only themselves to rely on—no powerful backer at all.
Amazon Lily had always had to stand on its own. But now, things were different.
El's arrival was proof of that.
He had come here in person.
No matter how incompetent the Government or the Marines might be, they could not fail to notice or understand the meaning of his movements.
This meant El had not come simply to claim the island as his own.
He had come to make a clear statement to both the World Government and Marine Headquarters.
He had already told them plainly:
From now on, Amazon Lily is my territory. Anyone who attacks this island—whether World Government or Marines—will be treated as having declared war on the El Pirates themselves.
…
"…The days of being forced to serve others are gone for good!" El declared, standing in the island's largest square.
"From now on, what happens on Amazon Lily is the business of the El Pirates."
"Whoever attacks this island, whoever plots against it—they are enemies of us all!"
He had said this once before, at Marine Headquarters, when he laid claim to his territory.
Now he said it again, here, to the people of Amazon Lily. To say it to outsiders was one thing; to say it to them meant something entirely different.
A murmur ran through the crowd.
This was a promise from the captain of the El Pirates—one of the strongest men in the world.
For them, it was nothing less than a guarantee of safety.
They were strong, yes—but they knew how far they still were from the very top tiers of the Grand Line.
To have the El Pirates stand behind them, to protect them… it was more than they could ever have hoped for.
"And…" El went on, "do not fear I will interfere too much in your affairs."
"Amazon Lily's matters will still be handled by its own people."
His words sent a shock through everyone there.
If this was true… it meant they got a powerful ally for free.
The El Pirates would be their shield, yet they would remain free—no one's puppet.
Was this a dream?
Why would the El Pirates do something so selfless?
Many found it hard to believe.
"However…" El would never do anything for nothing.
"You will not have to give up everything, but you will not gain everything for free either."
"Join us as allies, and you will take part in all our future plans."
"You will contribute, yes—but you will also share fully in every reward."
In truth, this arrangement was almost entirely in their favor.
Strong as they were, they were still far weaker than El and his crew.
Even when they were called upon to help, their contribution would be small.
But the wealth and gains the El Pirates brought in would be enormous—far more than they could ever win alone.
"…I have nothing more to say."
He had laid out his plan clearly.
Whether they believed him or not, only time and his own actions would prove.
In the past, under Hancock's rule, the island had fared quite well.
True, she had often acted like a tyrant, but it was thanks to her leadership that they lived as they did now.
Without her, without the protection of the Seven Warlords, Amazon Lily would surely have long drawn the greedy eye of the World Government and the Marines.
The World Government never stopped seeking to bring nations into its alliance.
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