"Has the Navy... mastered this technology?"
In the palace of the Nine Snakes, Gloriosa looked at Olga's letter and fell into deep thought. This kind of technology might be insignificant to others, for instance, the Hundred Beasts wouldn't care about such things at all.
Morgans called them Sea Emperors for the sake of sensationalism, but they truly live up to the name.
After Morgans' hype, the pirates attempting to challenge the Emperor's status were countless, but the results were always the same; no one ever succeeded.
Joining, dying, being handed over to the Navy for bounty — even those who managed to retreat leaving only parting gifts were considered lucky, and many lost their spirits.
They relied on strength to defend their territory, but the Nine Snakes were different. Though they were also a Pirate Realm, Nine Snakes were not weak yet lacked the strength of a Sea Emperor.
Particularly, the strength gap among high-ranking officers was immense, which was something they couldn't compare with the Emperor's crew. The Nine Snakes had survived peacefully mainly because of the Windless Zone serving as their natural barrier.
This was their natural defense; if not for the ancestors of the Nine Snakes mastering snake training techniques, entering and leaving even with the help of venomous sea vipers would be difficult.
If this barrier were actually broken, it would mean the era of Nine Snakes' secluded peace was over, and the Navy could freely cross the Windless Zone to attack them.
"How did you all learn of this? This should be a secret within the Navy, right?"
Gloriosa's position in Nine Snakes was more like a think tank and she wasn't someone who simply believed whatever others said. Although this kind of warning information wouldn't cause them loss, it didn't stop her curiosity.
"Oh, of course, there are special channels, and the Seastone they use is sold by us."
Although Queen in the Navy's intelligence department was almost deified, the upper echelons of the Hundred Beasts knew the truth. The process of embedding Seastone wasn't complicated, requiring only some skill, though it would significantly increase the ship's load.
Even if Arceus hadn't told them, with Queen and Vegapunk having worked together for so long, they would have deduced this matter.
Moreover, due to the difficulty in cutting Seastone, when the World Government procured it, they requested the Hundred Beasts to shape it to specific forms, which they accepted joyously after receiving a significant processing fee.
"You... you all sold it..."
Upon hearing this, Gloriosa's aged appearance turned a little strange; this reason was something she had never thought of.
"Don't worry about such details; it's not unusual for pirates to do business with the World Government. Anyway, this information is real. You'd better prepare for it."
As a Pirate Realm, it's naturally impossible to be self-sufficient like a regular country, and the Nine Snakes couldn't achieve this due to their small territory, which led to the formation of the Nine Serpent Pirates.
Their usual practice was to rob and flee, returning with supplies to the Nine Snakes, then using the Windless Zone to fend off enemies. This change had too great an impact on Nine Snakes.
"Of course, we have a solution; would you consider relocating?"
"Relocating?"
"Simply put, moving the entire Amazon Lily under the banner of the Hundred Beasts, that way, even without the Windless Zone, the Navy wouldn't act recklessly."
"So... you want the Nine Snakes to become your vassal?"
"That's roughly what it means; in the world of pirates, that's nothing unusual, is it? Some people would love to hoist our banner but haven't had the chance."
The Hundred Beasts of today were not the Hundred Beasts of the original timeline's warmongering nature. When it came to logistical development, their territory was even more advanced than BIG MOM's.
In a sense, they were a mini World Government with total control over their islands.
And Olga's words were no idle talk; indeed, some wished to hoist their banner but hadn't had the chance.
"Such a matter....."
Gloriosa thought about how to refuse them. She couldn't merge the Nine Snakes into an unfamiliar force just based on a few words, but the fact that a high-ranking officer personally came to discuss this, and directly stated the Navy ships' new technology, was significant.
Since the Navy could accomplish it, those who sold Seastone could naturally do so as well. Nine Snakes weren't opponents of the Navy, nor the Hundred Beasts.
Moreover, relocating the entire tribe was too difficult. At this moment, Gloriosa hadn't thought that Olga meant to move the entire island.
"No need to rush; it's just a suggestion. In fact, you have another option; the so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea the Navy has proposed isn't fully recruited yet."
The Seven Warlords of the Sea concept was proposed a long time ago. Years ago, Crocodile earned his spot in the Seven Warlords after the battle with Bullet.
Its purpose was to balance the powers across the Sea. As legal pirates with legitimate plundering rights, the Seven Warlords couldn't be selected casually.
The World Government valued sufficient prestige and strength, which is why Crocodile was invited to become one of the Seven Warlords, and he accepted this invitation with ulterior motives.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea..."
"That's right; in the First Half of the Grand Line, this status is the best cover. After acquiring legitimacy from the World Government, most pirates wouldn't dare confront you."
"What is your goal?"
"Friendly assistance, like organizing a union meeting now and then. Besides, being part of the Seven Warlords should grant you access to some special information. We need that intel.
And, as mentioned at the start, you may hesitate now, but in the future, you might join willingly."
To Olga's words, Gloriosa did not offer a response. What she spoke of were potential future scenarios; even Gloriosa couldn't directly dismiss the possibility of such events occurring, and the two suggestions Olga gave were crucial for Nine Snakes.
Without the Windless Zone's protection, they needed alternative routes.
Temporarily, they won't consider relocating, but the position of the Seven Warlords also weighed on Gloriosa; after all, the Seven Warlords weren't something one could acquire at will.
"If you agree, we have means to give you that push; if all goes well, the World Government will soon extend an invitation to you."
"Thank you for your suggestion. Rest for now as I need to discuss this thoroughly before responding. Take this guest to rest for a bit."
Even though someone had come, it was Hancock who had returned and had stayed outside. She had a certain status in Nine Snakes, leaving as the strongest warrior of the new generation.
"Let's go, Sister Olga. I'll let you experience the hot springs of Nine Snakes."