Tea Pig's face darkened.
"What rotten luck! Absolutely rotten!"
"So they really did come looking for the El Pirates!"
His aide stood beside him.
"Vice Admiral, let's just call it quits and head back."
Everyone knew they were no match for El.
Unless they had a death wish...
there was nothing to gain by going any closer.
Tea Pig thought for a moment.
"No... we sail a bit closer."
"The Kuja may not have reached an agreement with them yet!"
"El might not even agree to protect them!"
On the deck of El's ship...
El sat in the center, calm and imposing.
Behind him stood four former Warlords:
Crocodile, Dracule Mihawk, Gecko Moria, and Jinbe.
Like four guardian statues, they stood rigid and powerful behind him.
Any person in the world who saw this lineup...
would tremble in fear.
It was simply too magnificent, too overwhelming.
Clack... clack... clack...
The distinct sound of high heels clicked slowly across the wood.
Boa Hancock stepped onto the deck.
Behind her came her inner circle: Elder Nyon, Sandersonia, and Marigold.
They had arrived radiating the powerful aura of great pirates...
But the moment they saw El and his crew...
their presence faltered instantly!
Their eyes widened in shock.
El's side was far too formidable.
It was practically the very definition of dominance and authority.
Compared to them... Hancock—who also possessed Conqueror's Haki—felt as small and meek as a kitten.
Sandersonia and Marigold instinctively lowered their heads the moment they laid eyes on the group before them.
This lineup was absurdly powerful.
And that wasn't all.
The sheer, overwhelming pressure radiating naturally from El commanded absolute fear and submission.
He hadn't even unleashed his Haki to intimidate them...
yet he inspired a deep, reverent dread from the very bottom of their hearts.
Is this the legendary pirate... the strongest man in the world?
Even Hancock herself—someone born with the qualities of a king and her own powerful aura—
felt completely overwhelmed.
Normally, she held her head high and looked down on everyone she met with supreme arrogance.
But standing before El, she humbly set aside her pride—a rare thing indeed.
In his presence, no one had the right to be arrogant.
Crocodile was the first to break the silence.
"Why has the Kuja Pirates contacted us?"
Since Robin wasn't present, he was effectively acting as El's secretary and right-hand man.
Hancock glanced at him, then immediately shifted her gaze back to El.
She knew that only El's words carried any real weight here.
El spoke plainly. "Speak your mind. The famous Kuja Pirates must be in some kind of trouble to come here."
Hancock didn't beat around the bush. "You surely know by now—the Marines have officially abolished the Seven Warlords system."
"To ensure the safety of Amazon Lily, we decided to form an alliance with one of the great powers of the sea—so the Marines won't dare touch us."
Her words were clear and direct.
But standing beside her, Elder Nyon was growing anxious.
To her ears, Hancock's tone was all wrong.
After all, they had come here begging for help.
They were the ones in trouble; they were the ones needing aid.
Yet the way Hancock spoke made it sound as though they were negotiating as equals.
El showed no particular reaction. He simply said, "I see."
"Then... what are you willing to give in return?"
There is no such thing as a free meal in this world.
Hancock and the others knew this well.
El and his crew wouldn't simply accept them into their fold for no reason.
As long as the demands weren't too outrageous...
they were prepared to agree.
Unlike Charlotte Linlin... who had demanded they build factories to make sweets—an impossible condition they had to refuse.
But the awkward truth was...
Hancock and her sisters hadn't actually thought of what they could offer El.
Now, silence fell heavily over them.
Hancock didn't even know what to say next.
Suddenly, Sandersonia stepped forward from behind her.
"With all due respect, our situation is extremely urgent—Marine warships are already chasing us! Can we not agree to the alliance first, and discuss details later?"
Hancock inwardly cursed. This is bad.
If Sandersonia had said nothing, perhaps they could have navigated this carefully.
But blurting out the truth like that... was practically inviting El to demand whatever price he wanted.
Sure enough... El and the four men behind him all curled their lips into cold, knowing smirks.
Sandersonia realized she had spoken out of desperation and fear.
She immediately clamped her mouth shut, not daring to say another word.
Hancock and the others could sense through their Observation Haki...
that enemy warships were slowly closing in on their position!
What were they going to do?!
Fortunately, at that very moment, El finally spoke again.
"Forming an alliance with us is simple. All you need to do is show sincerity. It's not complicated at all."
"From now on, you follow my orders, and the alliance is formed."
"If you cannot accept that... then I'm afraid we cannot help you."
Hearing his demand, Hancock and the others felt their hearts tighten.
This was exactly what they had feared most.
If he had asked for normal conditions—like contributing ships or resources... those were things they could easily accept.
But for El to demand absolute obedience...
What if he orders us to do things we cannot bear?
Countless thoughts raced through Hancock's mind.
__________________
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