Chapter 147 Luffy Invites Boa Hancock to Resign from the Seven Warlords of the SeaRobin and Kalifa exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
Upon arriving on the island, Kalifa cautiously surveyed her surroundings, knowing full well that the female warriors of Amazon Lily were all freaks proficient in Haki.
The entire nation possessed CP9-level combat power! Were you afraid?
However, the attack she anticipated didn't occur.
Instead, led by the sisters Marigold and Sandersonia, they received a warm welcome from the citizens.
"Lord Luffy, our sister asked us to lead you into the royal city. She wasn't feeling well and couldn't come herself," Sandersonia said apologetically.
Luffy waved his hand dismissively: "Come on, let's go inside and take a look."
Then, to Robin and Kalifa's astonishment, Luffy was ushered inside by cheering crowds.
Along the way, the royal guards and officials whispered amongst themselves as they watched Luffy's now robust and powerful figure.
"Is this Lady Snake Princess's savior?"
"I heard he not only cured Lady Snake Princess's serious illness, but also fought a great battle against the curse of Gorgon's remnant soul last night, completely lifting the Gorgon curse from the three sisters!"
"I heard he's also the youngest vice admiral in the Marine Headquarters!"
"So handsome! His body looks so strong. I wish I could take him back to have children."
"Don't dream. A man that strong definitely belongs to Lady Snake Princess."
"Hehe."
Robin's face was full of doubt upon hearing this. Was Luffy's so-called battle against the Sea Kings yesterday about that Gorgon's remnant soul?
Luffy strode into the palace.
Boa Hancock was sitting lazily on a chair coiled up by the giant snake Samero, looking somewhat delicate and weak.
The moment she saw Luffy, Boa Hancock immediately jumped up excitedly and rushed into Luffy's arms like a fledgling swallow returning to its nest.
"It's been so long! I've missed you terribly!"
The surrounding officers and ministers stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the usually aloof Boa Hancock, never having seen her display such a vulnerable, feminine side.
"Ahem," Luffy coughed twice, looking at the astonished crowd, "I'm here to take you to Marine Headquarters for the regrouping."
Boa Hancock, her face flushed, looked up at Luffy, who seemed to have a super-powered beauty filter, and said sweetly, "If that's your wish, I'm willing to go with you to the ends of the earth."
Granny Newt stared in shock at the completely bewildered Boa Hancock: "The Snake Princess actually decided to go to the government without hesitation!"
You see, the place where Boa Hancock was once imprisoned was none other than Mary Geoise!
Luffy affectionately stroked Boa Hancock's hair. "Don't worry, you can just come with me to Marine Headquarters. We don't need to go to a hellish place like Mary Geoise."
Boa Hancock looked up in surprise. She had actually prepared herself to face that nightmarish place again, and Luffy seemed to know everything about her past experiences, but she was certain she hadn't told him those details yesterday.
Luffy, seeing the high-ranking officials of Amazon Lily gathered there, then turned to Boa Hancock and said seriously, "I'm not here simply to have you join the Marines at Marine Headquarters."
The others looked at Luffy curiously, wondering what he was up to.
Luffy smiled slightly and said something surprising: "I want Boa Hancock to officially withdraw from the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
"What?!" Granny New exclaimed in shock, "That's absolutely impossible! Once Hancock withdraws from the Seven Warlords, Amazon Lily will become just an ordinary country. The Marines, who possess the technology to navigate the treacherous Calm Belt, will definitely plunge us into war."
However, Boa Hancock didn't hesitate at all: "Whatever you say, I'm willing!"
Looking at the so docile and obedient Boa Hancock, Luffy couldn't help but sigh that being loved by such a woman was every man's dream partner.
Luffy gestured to Granny New to calm down: "I'm not asking you to go back to the old ways of pirates."
"Once Boa Hancock leaves the Seven Warlords of the Sea, won't her country automatically become an ordinary pirate nation?" the group asked curiously.
"I'm going to have you all join the Navy after the Marineford War!"
The group looked at Luffy in surprise: "Is there any fundamental difference between the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Navy?"
"Of course there is. Because I will personally destroy the Seven Warlords system. As a righteous Navy, we don't need to rely on pirates to maintain the so-called order of the sea."
"Your Kuja Pirates are essentially a national army. Your raids are just external warfare, not targeting civilians at sea. This is a survival strategy for you, living in the Calm Belt, where you can't trade with the outside world. Let's leave your past actions aside for now."
"After you join the Navy, I will hire the female warriors of Kuja Island as mercenaries to form an elite Navy force to fight against the pirates of the New World."
"I will also arrange warships to help Kuja Island connect with the outside world for trade. With your formidable fighting power, you don't need to rely on such low-level means as plunder to obtain resources."
The reason Kuja Island is a pirate nation is precisely because the only ships they can sail are pirate ships pulled by giant sea serpents.
The rest of the population is completely unable to communicate with the outside world through the Calm Belt, which has led to Amazon Lily's unique culture of plundering and pirates.
If Luffy could solve Amazon Lily's transportation problem, then Amazon Lily wouldn't need to rely on piracy to survive.
Granny Newe frowned, scrutinizing Luffy: "The World Government will definitely not agree to what you're doing, right?"
The Seven Warlords of the Sea were originally established to balance the conflict between the Navy and pirates, or more like a third-party force supported by the World Government to mediate the protracted war between the Navy and pirates. Luffy's current actions are blatantly undermining the World Government.
"And what good will this do you?"
Granny Newe asked Luffy seriously, already realizing that Luffy's stance was not aligned with the World Government.
Luffy found a comfortable position and casually pulled Boa Hancock into his arms.
"This requires telling you an ancient story."
"On the Red Line, at the pinnacle of the world, once existed a magnificent 'Kingdom of Gods,' a place where powers bearing the names of many gods converged, collectively known to outsiders as Devil Fruits."
"And guarded them were generations of Sky Island people called the Lunaria, who prevented those who coveted this power from succeeding."
"But eventually, an ambitious individual emerged, possessing the Dark-Dark Fruit. He could sever the connection between humans and Devil Fruits, and his immense ambition and terrifying darkness consumed the Lunaria and the Kingdom of Gods."
"He obtained unprecedentedly powerful Devil Fruit abilities, plunging the world into immense crisis, and countless nations became his slaves."
"Then a man named Joy Boy stepped forward, uniting numerous nations and wielding the three ancient weapons to challenge the Dark Lord."
"An epic battle ensued, with Joy Boy ultimately emerging victorious, preventing darkness from engulfing the world. The Dark Lord perished, and his power was scattered once more into the sea."
"After the war, an alliance led by Joy Boy established a vast, equal, and free kingdom."
"Due to the immense power of this kingdom, people saw the shadow of the 'Kingdom of God,' and some began to fear that this power would once again become a threat."