"Very well then. If there are no objections, let's move to the next item," Red-Haired Shanks said briefly.
"You go first, El!" Whitebeard said, looking straight at him.
He was willing to yield only because he didn't want their claims to overlap. If El wanted something, he would let it go.
El didn't hesitate for a second. "The Kingdom of Alabasta belongs to me."
No hesitation, no doubt—he declared it openly, right there.
Every Marine's eyes went wide. Everyone else turned to stare at him too.
"What did you just say?!" Sengoku demanded, his beard bristling with rage.
"Have you gone senile? Can't you hear clearly?" El met his gaze coldly. "I said: Alabasta is mine now."
It wasn't a discussion, nor a request. It was a straight-out declaration of ownership.
Sengoku breathed heavily. "Alabasta is a member nation of the World Government! It is no man's land you can just take!"
His meaning was clear: absolutely not.
But his agreement or disagreement didn't matter in the slightest.
El spoke with icy calm. "I don't care what you say. From today onward, no Marine base or World Government facility is permitted anywhere near Alabasta. If I see even one, I'll destroy it—and leave no survivors."
No one dared doubt him. No one dared object.
After all, he had both the will and the strength to do exactly that. For someone like him, it would be effortless.
The Marines had expected greed from Whitebeard and El—but never this bold. To claim a sovereign member nation, and say it to the whole world…
Back in Alabasta, everyone watching the broadcast stood frozen in shock. None had imagined El's target would be their own home.
"What… what are we going to do?"
"I'm terrified… do we have to become subjects of pirates now?!" people cried out.
But others argued back.
"Who says all pirates are bad?! Have you forgotten Sir Crocodile?!"
Crocodile's plot to seize the kingdom had failed, and his treachery had never been revealed. To the people, he was still a hero.
"If even he willingly serves El, then El can't be evil, right?"
"I think so too!"
"What has the World Government ever done for us? They never helped us at all!"
Arguments broke out everywhere.
Inside the royal palace, Princess Vivi stood watching, her face filled with worry.
"Is our country really going to become El's territory…" she whispered, unsure whether this would be a blessing or a curse.
...
Back at the summit, the Marines fell silent. They hated it, but there was nothing they could do to stop him.
Their supposed ally, Big Mom, paid no attention to any of it. She sat apart, happily shoveling cake into her mouth. As long as it didn't affect her own interests, she didn't care.
El turned to the recorder standing nearby. "What are you waiting for? Write it down."
The man jumped, trembling all over. Ignoring the glowering Marines, he began scribbling furiously.
El continued his announcement. "Let me make this clear: Alabasta is under my protection—but I will only defend its safety. I will never interfere in your internal affairs or how you rule."
This made his claim even more legitimate. He presented himself purely as a protector, not a ruler. No nation would refuse such an offer.
When the strongest man in the world says he will guard you and leave you completely free… could there be a better deal?
The Marines' faces darkened again. Now, not even Alabasta itself had any reason to reject him. It was a brilliant, ruthless move.
And indeed, the mood in Alabasta shifted instantly.
"Did you hear that? Is he serious?!"
"Of course he is! He's the strongest man alive—he'd never lie about something like that!"
El said this because he had zero interest in governing Alabasta. Managing a kingdom was far too boring for someone of his power.
All he wanted was control over the land—to keep other powers out. That was all.
For them, every time the Marines backed down, it was a victory.
The Marines glanced toward Big Mom, hoping Charlotte Linlin would speak up.
But she couldn't care less. Her territories were all in the New World; El's claim didn't touch any of them. Why would she get involved?
Truth be told, she'd already decided: as long as Whitebeard and El didn't touch her lands, they could divide up the rest however they liked. The Marines could fend for themselves.
And the Marines hadn't expected much from her anyway—they only hoped she'd defend her own territory and stop El and Whitebeard from expanding too far.
El and Whitebeard already understood each other's limits.
Their plan was simple: all the lands they claimed were in the Grand Line or the Four Seas—territories taken directly from the Marines.
This weakened the World Government without provoking the other Emperors.
"Right then. Since no one objects, Alabasta is officially El's territory," Shanks, acting as mediator, announced when no one spoke up.
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