"Could you… could you please give us some time to consider?"
In the end, thanks to Otohime and Neptune's stalling, Alucard and his group temporarily left the Ryugu Palace. They went to the Sea Forest, located on the border of Fish-Man Island and the route to the New World, to wait.
Meanwhile, Wolf was sitting on the shore of the Sea Forest, staring blankly at the scenery. He muttered weakly to himself, "Ugh… I'm starving…"
After swimming ten thousand meters underwater from the Sabaody Archipelago, and with his naturally large appetite, he was on the verge of fainting from hunger.
"Can I eat this?"
Wolf looked at the vividly colored corals growing near the rocks. After a few seconds of thought by his simple-minded brain, he pulled one out and stuffed it into his mouth.
Alucard summoned a chair and sat on the deck of the Kuja Pirates' ship, waiting. Onboard were only the three Boa sisters, Elder Nyon, and less than a fifth of the female pirates who were left to guard the ship.
The others had either gone to gather supplies or were exploring this paradise-like place.
Hancock watched Alucard's face as he dozed, occasionally falling into a state of adoration, then suddenly becoming serious, lost in her own thoughts.
Suddenly, Hancock called out, "I, the Empress, have made a decision!" "Hm?"
Everyone left on the ship turned to look at Hancock.
Hancock ran over to Alucard's chair, knelt down, and said in a sweet, demure voice, "Master~ Elder Nyon just said you have many islands in the New World, right? There must be some with similar geographical conditions to Amazon Lily, right?"
Alucard opened his eyes and glanced at Hancock, but didn't reply.
In truth, he didn't remember the details at all, as he had never paid attention to them.
"Among the twelve countries that Alucard the Immortal once ruled, the Arderay Kingdom was the largest, a great nation with a population of two million. Besides that, there's also Orunidia, a holy land for tourism, along with Laguna and Freya, which are all relatively famous national
island regions."
Mid-explanation, Elder Nyon's expression changed drastically. She had a vague guess as to what was on Hancock's mind. "Snake Princess! Don't tell me you want to move Amazon Lily to the New World?"
Sandersonia and Marigold were both startled, but Hancock looked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What's so strange about it? I am a pirate. A pirate must constantly strive for the top. How could I stay cooped up in the Grand Line forever?"
'Could you not look at Alucard while you say that?' Everyone present thought the same thing.
An old pro like Elder Nyon could easily see through Hancock's intentions. She said sternly, "Amazon Lily is a precious legacy left to us by our ancestors. How can we just abandon it?
Furthermore, it is precisely because we are located in the Calm Belt that the country has maintained peace for hundreds of years. If we were to enter the turbulent New World, would you be able to bear the consequences of whatever happens?"
The reason Amazon Lily, a nation of pirates and women, had been safe for hundreds of years was the Calm Belt. Moving to the New World would mean getting caught up in the war between pirates, the government, and the Marines. The consequences were unimaginable.
What Elder Nyon said made perfect sense.
However, a female pirate walked over to Elder Nyon holding a newspaper and said hesitantly, "Elder Nyon, this is… today's official newspaper from the Marines."
"Hm?"
Although she didn't understand why the pirate was giving her a newspaper now, Elder Nyon opened it with a curious look. But when she saw the headline, she gasped in shock. "How is this possible?!"
The headline read: [Marine Science Unit develops new battleship, will be able to freely traverse the Calm Belt in the future].
This news was a severe blow to Elder Nyon. With this, Amazon Lily's advantage of being in the Calm Belt would completely vanish.
"Hmph! Now you have nothing to say, old hag!"
Hancock flipped her hair back dismissively, then reverted to her sweet, demure state. With a bright smile, she asked Alucard, "Master, which of those islands would be the most suitable for us Amazon Lily residents to live on?"
Elder Nyon's hands were trembling as she looked at the newspaper. This was a grave matter. Without the Calm Belt's natural barrier, Amazon Lily would be subjected to endless attacks from the Marines.
Given the situation, it might be better to enter the New World and seek Alucard's protection. But… could they really abandon the precious island left by their ancestors?
After hesitating for a long time, Elder Nyon said to Hancock, who was still trying to get a word out of Alucard, "Since this has happened, Snake Princess, we should cancel our plan for an
expedition to the New World and return to Amazon Lily to defend it." "Huh?"
Hancock's expression turned into a disgusted black-lined glare. She quickly walked over to Elder Nyon, grabbed her tiny body as if she were a cat, and yelled furiously, "You old hag, do you have a death wish?"
With that, Hancock threw Elder Nyon overboard. The other Kuja crew members cried out anxiously, "S-Snake Princess-sama, how could you treat an elder like that?!"
Hancock turned around and put on a pitiful, innocent act. "It was an accident~"
Instantly, everyone's eyes turned into hearts as they enthusiastically declared, "It's okay, it's okay! Everyone has accidents!"
But in less than half a minute, Elder Nyon had climbed back onto the ship's railing, clutching her messy hair. "Snake Princess! Don't forget there are still tens of thousands of Kuja citizens on the island! If the Marines seize this opportunity to attack, what will happen to them?!"
Hearing this, Hancock's expression softened slightly. Sandersonia and Marigold also quickly pleaded, "That's right, onee-sama. There are still many Kuja residents left on the island."
"Right now, the island's forces are insufficient, and it has lost the Calm Belt barrier. If the Marines launch an attack, Amazon Lily will be in danger."
After hearing her two sisters' pleas, Hancock's face finally showed some sign of relenting. However, she still looked at Alucard with reluctance and said pitifully, "Master…"