Chapter 87: The Battle Ends
"Flaming Flower, is it alright if I call you that?"
A gentle yet confident male voice, without warning, sounded beside Gloriosa.
"Who?!" Gloriosa was startled, her hair standing on end.
She hadn't even noticed when the other party had approached.
"Intruder!"
The surrounding Nine Serpent Warriors reacted instantly, raising their weapons, sharp arrows and snake-shaped spears all pointing at the suddenly appearing Kane.
"Put them down, everyone."
Gloriosa took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and sighed as she waved her hand.
As an old hand who had once ventured with the Rocks Pirates, she knew too well what a monster of Kane's caliber meant.
The attacks of ordinary warriors were useless against him.
"Heh, I didn't expect that in this era, there are still young people who remember this old woman's old nickname."
A complex, hard-to-read look of reminiscence flashed in Gloriosa's eyes, then she looked at Kane, her tone returning to calm: "Just call me Granny Nyon, Flaming Flower is a thing of the past."
Kane's appearance, on the contrary, slightly relaxed her taut nerves.
The fact that he was willing to communicate meant he wasn't here with the intention of destroying Nine Snake Island.
Kane's lips held a faint smile: "Then, Granny Nyon, how about we discuss cooperation?"
"Cooperation?"
Gloriosa feigned confusion, frowning: "The Nine Serpent Pirates are Shichibukai members with an agreement with the Marine. Cooperating with the Emperor Pirates, we can't afford that risk."
"Granny Nyon, we're all smart people, why play word games?
Kane's voice remained calm, yet carried a penetrating insight into everything: "You and I both know that the reason the Marine granted you the Shichibukai position is purely because Nine Snake Island is located deep within the Calm Belt, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. A full-scale assault would be too costly, so they had no choice but to offer a peaceful surrender."
He changed the subject, his tone becoming sharp: "But have you ever considered, what if one day, the Marine masters a technology that allows them to safely, and on a large scale, cross the Calm Belt?"
"You wouldn't be so naive as to expect the Marine to keep their word and promises with a group of pirates, would you?" Moreover, Kane's gaze shifted towards Hancock, who was still fighting in the distance, "With your Queen's personality, it's perfectly normal for her to do something that angers the Marine and the World Government."
"At that time, without the protection of the natural barrier, and having completely offended the Marine, will your Nine Snake Island still be able to live peacefully as it does now?"
Gloriosa's hand, gripping her snake staff, unconsciously tightened, her knuckles turning white: "Does such a technology truly exist?"
Kane nodded unequivocally: "Of course, it's the technology of embedding Sea Stone into the bottom of ships. As far as I know, Vegapunk has almost completed his research on it."
As soon as the name Vegapunk was mentioned, Gloriosa immediately believed most of it.
When she was still roaming the seas years ago, she had heard of Vegapunk's name.
Even then, Vegapunk had already mastered many astonishing technologies.
Compared to that, the Sea Stone embedding technology seemed rather ordinary.
"Even so, our Nine Snake Island may not be without the strength to fight."
Gloriosa still wanted to struggle.
"If you're referring to Shakky and Rayleigh, I advise you not to have too much hope."
Kane mercilessly shattered Gloriosa's illusion, his voice cold and realistic: "They are old, their peak is gone, and their physical strength is far from what it used to be. How can two aging old people protect your entire country?"
Gloriosa closed her eyes, her old face full of struggle and helplessness.
After a long while, she let out a deep sigh, as if she had aged several years in an instant.
When she opened her eyes again, there was only resolve in her cloudy gaze.
"What do we need to pay? And what can we gain?"
See, negotiating with smart people is simple.
Kane showed a satisfied expression: "When Nine Snake Island faces a crisis, I can step in to protect you. As an exchange, at that time, Nine Snake Island will join the Beasts Pirates."
"Very reasonable."
Gloriosa weighed the pros and cons: "But what will our status be? Partners or subordinates?"
"That depends on your Empress's strength."
Kane's smile carried a hint of playfulness: "This sea, after all, still respects strength, doesn't it?"
"I seem to have no reason to refuse."
Gloriosa finally admitted bitterly: "But I am no longer the Empress, this matter needs Hancock to decide."
"Understood. I will persuade her." Kane was full of confidence.
Gloriosa gave him a surprised look, wondering where this man's confidence came from. Hancock was a woman so proud she was arrogant.
Could it be based on his handsome face?
At the same time, the battle on the battlefield was also about to draw to a close.
"Extreme Ice Eight Trigrams!"
Yamato's arm muscles bulged, and her spiked club, imbued with bone-chilling frost, slammed towards Hancock.
Hancock was about to kick back, but the intense collision just now, and Yamato's frost, had affected her physical condition.
She was half a beat too slow.
This split second was the decider of the battle.
Hancock, frozen into an ice sculpture, was sent flying backward.
"Sister!" X2
"Empress Snake!"
"Hancock!"
Exclamations rose one after another.
The black-haired girl fell heavily to the ground, ice shattering and scattering.
She struggled to stand up and continue fighting, but a smooth iron staff, with a suffocating sense of oppression, rapidly enlarged in her pupils.
The club hadn't even reached her, but the violent wind pressure had already arrived, making Hancock's cascading black hair fly wildly.
Hancock despairingly closed her eyes, preparing to receive the heavy blow that could shatter her skull.
However, the anticipated sharp pain did not come.
The tip of the spiked club stopped steadily on her smooth forehead.
"Hehe, you lost."
Yamato chuckled.
Hancock opened her beautiful eyes, looking at the smiling white wolf girl in front of her with a surprised expression, her face ashen.
This Empress really lost.
Even if she still had the strength to fight, the outcome was already decided.
An unprecedented sense of frustration and humiliation instantly overwhelmed Hancock.
"Sister!"
Sandersonia and Marigold immediately rushed forward, nervously supporting the tottering Hancock.
Gloriosa also hurried over, lowering her voice, and quickly recounted Kane's proposed cooperation terms and the future of Marine technology development.
"No!"
Hancock shrieked almost reflexively, her face filled with extreme disgust and resistance.
"No man is any good!"
"Hancock, this is not the time for your willful behavior." Gloriosa advised: "Once the worst-case scenario we envision happens, and we lose the barrier of the Calm Belt, Nine Snake Island will face utter destruction."
"That will never happen."
Hancock cupped her exquisite face with both hands, saying stubbornly and willfully: "Because this Empress is too beautiful! Whatever I do, I will be forgiven!"
"Empress Snake is right!"
The surrounding Nine Serpent Warriors were immediately charmed, their eyes turning into heart shapes, as they shouted in unison with fanaticism.