Amazon Lily!
This tribe masters supreme Armament Haki, and in terms of combat power, they have long been a force the Marines Headquarters deeply fears!
Who would have thought they would now join El's ranks? Are they joining willingly, or is this just El's one-sided declaration?
"El, Amazon Lily's allegiance is not yours to decide alone!"
"Snake Princess Boa Hancock is the rightful ruler of this island. Your announcement means absolutely nothing."
Sengoku tried to use his wits to drive a wedge between the Kuja tribe and El.
But would El ever make such a bold declaration at this gathering unless he was fully prepared?
It was Sengoku's own overconfidence that led to this very situation.
Negotiating territory directly between Marines and pirates—something barely seen in history—yet here it was, happening right when Sengoku served as Fleet Admiral.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this is none of your concern. I have already reached a full agreement with Hancock of Amazon Lily."
"With strength as great as mine, who would dare refuse to submit?"
El's words caught Sengoku completely off guard. He had still hoped there was room to maneuver, to find a way to weaken El's power.
But now, El's dominance had forced the Marines into retreat.
Add to that the defeat at Marineford, where they failed to eliminate Whitebeard, and the entire balance of power in the New World had fEl completely out of control.
The Marines now had no choice but to build up new strength as quickly as possible if they ever hoped to stand against El.
Otherwise, the seas would forever be ruled by pirates, with the Marines left weaker and weaker.
"Very well—if you've already reached an agreement, then we shall proceed as you say…"
Sengoku glanced helplessly at Tsuru beside him; even she could offer no useful advice or ideas at this moment.
Everything had to go exactly as El demanded. Refusal would bring no good result, and resistance would only lead to another all-out war.
The Marines Headquarters had already suffered too much; they simply could not endure another massive battle.
Far better to let El and Whitebeard have their way for now.
Their conflicting interests would inevitably bring them into conflict again in the future.
Wherever there are pirates, there will always be struggle.
Whitebeard had ruled the seas as an Emperor for decades. Now he stood equal to a younger man—both former members of the same Rocks Pirates crew.
If the Marines wanted an opening, their only chance lay in letting those two turn against each other from within.
"El, kid—your territory now stretches wider than mine!" Whitebeard remarked, glancing at him.
He cared little for land or dominion himself, but he had thousands of sons and family under his protection.
If he were to die one day, would they all end up under El's rule?
"Captain Whitebeard, I only hold a few more islands in the first half of the Grand Line—nothing that threatens your domain as one of the Four Emperors."
"Look at Fleet Admiral Sengoku's sharp, calculating eyes—he's clearly hoping we'll fight each other!"
"Do you honestly think we need to turn on each other anytime soon?"
El called out Sengoku's true intentions without hesitation or mercy.
Whitebeard fell silent, thinking it over, and pushed his irritation aside for the moment.
Back in the days of the Rocks Pirates, El had displayed such overwhelming power that even Whitebeard had viewed him with deep caution.
Now, of all the former crewmates, only a handful—including himself—had gone on to build independent forces.
Most of the strongest warriors had sworn loyalty to El, and the future of the seas might very well be shaped entirely by his hand.
Yet there was nothing Whitebeard could do to stop this tide; he could only stand by and watch it unfold.
Right now, after the brutal battle at Marineford, the Marines had suffered heavy losses.
The Whitebeard Pirates had fared no better. In the end, El had gained the most from it all.
If Whitebeard chose to fight El now, it would be the worst possible timing. This was not the moment.
"You really are an arrogant brat… I actually like your style. No wonder Kaido and Big Mom were both willing to work with you."
"Now you hold Amazon Lily, Alabasta, and so much more. We'll save our fight for another day."
---
By now, the Seven Warlords system had been dismantled and abolished. The era of using pirates to check pirates was over.
All the plans and preparations the Marines had made over years—even decades—had crumbled into nothing.
As someone who had sailed through the old era himself, Whitebeard couldn't help but find it satisfying to watch.
El nodded and stood up.
"If there's nothing else, my crew and I will take our leave."
"I've just taken control of Water 7 and Amazon Lily—there's a mountain of work waiting."
"No wonder I never wanted to join the Marines. Governing territory is such a headache… Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean."
Though he spoke of "trouble," El's expression was nothing but arrogant and triumphant.
Under everyone's gaze, he walked out of the hall, boarded his ship, and set sail for Water 7.
As El had demanded earlier, the results of this negotiation would be printed in newspapers and spread across every corner of the world.
It would serve as a clear warning: anyone who still had designs on El's lands would have to abandon those thoughts immediately.
The man who negotiated on equal terms with the Marines!
Who would dare attack his territory?
That would be nothing less than suicide—only a fool would try.
Whitebeard also secured what he wanted. He returned to the New World with his crew, ready to rebuild and recover their strength.
---
At the port of Water 7, Iceberg had arrived early to wait for El's arrival.
Everything had changed completely now; El was clearly destined to become Water 7's new master.
Iceberg had his own thoughts about this.
El was a man who had single-handedly shifted the tide of the great war. Under his rule, Water 7 might not be in such bad hands after all.
And in their earlier talks, El had already promised: Iceberg would keep his position and authority.
The land belonged to El, but Iceberg would remain the one truly leading and governing the people—no changes, no disputes.
As long as El kept his word, Iceberg was willing to serve him, for the sake of Water 7's trade and its citizens.
"Captain, look—so many people have come out to greet and welcome us!"
"We really do have status now, don't we!" Crocodile said from the deck, looking toward the shore.
Ever since he submitted to El, Crocodile had merged his Baroque Works completely into El's organization.
Looking back, it was clearly the best choice he could have made—giving himself and his men a chance to survive and maneuver.
If he had chosen to fight to the end, he would surely have been killed, his ambitions turning to dust and vanishing from history.
Now, placing all his hopes in this man named El, he not only saw a chance to realize his dreams, but even to change the very shape of the world.
"I see it," El smiled. "Iceberg has finally come around. Our last talk wasn't for nothing."
"The world's greatest shipyard, the island of master craftsmen… now it's all ours!"
"From now on, any ship we want, we can build right here—no limits, no obstacles. Hahaha… this is wonderful!"
El felt incredible, savoring every bit of his victory.
"That's Captain El's ship! The great pirate El has arrived!"
"Cut that word 'pirate' out—do you want to die? Call him Lord El!"
"You're right! From today on, Lord El is the master of this island!"
"Welcome Lord El! Welcome Lord El!"
The people shouted again and again, accepting him completely.
Resistance would bring them nothing but harm or unnecessary trouble. It was far better to be respectful from the start.
Hearing their cheers, Iceberg let out a breath of relief.
Originally, he had planned to meet El alone, keeping the townspeople away.
They had no intention of fighting pirates—but the idea of being ruled by one was something else entirely.
El was an immensely powerful warlord; if the people had reacted badly, it could have been a disaster.
But now, it seemed he had worried for nothing.
Just like him, everyone here loved their home deeply.
And to protect it, they were willing to do whatever was needed.
__________________
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