"What kind of commands exactly do you have in mind?"
She finally asked the question that mattered most.
After all, their lives and deaths would be decided within minutes.
If they couldn't form an alliance with El's crew...
in a little while, they would become hunted fugitives with nowhere to go—a truly miserable fate.
El replied calmly, "Relax. My terms won't be harsh or unreasonable."
"I only ask that you follow my orders, help me gather resources when needed, or join me in battle if required. As long as you can meet those simple conditions, that is all I ask."
Hearing his words...
the four women from Amazon Lily let out a visible sigh of relief.
Is that all?
Truth be told, conditions like these were incredibly lenient—almost generous.
El really didn't demand much from them.
After all, he lacked nothing himself.
The only thing he might need in the future was extra manpower to help search and collect Devil Fruits.
Elder Nyon urged quickly, "This opportunity may never come again, Lady Hancock!"
Hancock nodded vigorously herself. "If you can truly guarantee what you have said, we will consider ourselves allies immediately!"
El nodded. "We will make a record of it shortly. We shall have it written in black and white to formally witness our alliance."
With that promise, Hancock and her companions finally set their hearts at ease.
Now, they were truly safe.
El waved his hand.
Instantly, a crew member ran forward...
carrying a large pirate flag in his hands.
"From this moment onward, you are permitted to fly my flag alongside your own," El stated calmly.
This action signified that the Kuja Pirates were now under El's protection.
Sandersonia dared not waste a single second.
She turned and ran all the way back to her ship.
Aboard the Marine warship...
on the bow, Tea Pig and his subordinates watched intently as the Kuja ship sat motionless.
"It looks like they haven't made any progress at all!" Tea Pig said excitedly.
This was perfect!
Now he could capture Hancock and claim a massive reward and merit.
But he never expected...
that in the very next second...
high up on the mast of the Kuja Pirates' ship...
El's flag would be raised and flutter side-by-side with the Kuja's own Jolly Roger.
Tea Pig's expression turned dark and ugly instantly!
"El!"
He spat the name out in frustration. "They actually formed an alliance! Dammit all!"
He was furious.
His subordinate asked anxiously...
"What do we do now, Vice Admiral?"
"Do we continue the pursuit?"
It took Tea Pig a long moment to suppress his rage.
Finally, he said, "Forget it. What would be the point?"
"We have absolutely no chance left now."
He knew very well...
that standing before the El Pirates, it was a miracle that someone of his rank was even alive and standing.
Tea Pig's ship circled the area for a while longer...
before finally turning away reluctantly.
Feeling the enemy ships retreat...
Hancock and the others breathed a huge collective sigh of relief.
They felt incredibly lucky.
The first great crisis was over!
From here on...
they just needed to spread the news far and wide.
As long as they sent announcements and flyers across every corner of the world...
declaring their alliance with El... they would be able to rest easy and secure.
Hancock and her crew immediately expressed their deep gratitude to El.
It might have seemed as though El simply lent them a flag... but that flag was far more powerful than it looked.
It had single-handedly scared off a Vice Admiral and his warship!
Ultimately, this was possible only because El's reputation after the Summit War had become absolutely overwhelming.
Even the likes of Whitebeard—the man who started the war and one of the strongest men alive— was widely believed to be no match for El.
El's performance during the war had gone far beyond words like "impressive."
He had appeared almost godlike... a presence impossible to ignore.
Listening to their thanks...
El suddenly remembered something important.
"Later, during the formal peace negotiations... you will stand beside me and participate," El said, pointing directly at Hancock.
This instruction left them all stunned.
What did he mean by that?
Hancock's mind immediately jumped to unpleasant conclusions... and her expression turned sour and gloomy.
It looked as though she was about to explode in anger.
Elder Nyon quickly grabbed and held her back.
The Kuja Pirates had only just found safety.
They absolutely could not afford to ruin the security they had worked so hard to gain.
Hancock suppressed her anger and asked El, "What is the meaning of this?"
Was he going to make her—the Empress of Amazon Lily—stand next to him like a secretary, pouring tea and running errands?
To her, that would be unbearable humiliation.
El replied calmly, "There will be a live broadcast to the entire world at that time."
"If we stand together, we can show the whole world directly and clearly that we are allies."
"Wouldn't that save time and effort?"
As soon as he explained, Hancock and the others immediately realized it was a brilliant idea.
What better way was there to announce their union to the world?
At the same time, Hancock felt deeply ashamed of the thoughts she had just had.
I really judged a gentleman's heart with my own petty thoughts...
El paid no attention to her inner feelings.
But standing behind him, Crocodile had seen everything clearly.
He knew exactly what had been going through their minds just moments ago.
He asked mockingly, "I wonder... what were you ladies thinking just a moment ago?"
Hancock had no choice but to bow her head and apologize.
"Forgive us... we misunderstood you."
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