The Pirate: Dark Admiral - Chapter 32

As the hall fell into a sudden silence, Vice Admiral Adekin again fell into self-doubt, questioning his abilities. “To calm things down so easily, maybe I really am only suited for fighting and killing?”

“You must be… Navy’s Major Longinus? I’ve heard Cobra mention you many times, and he speaks very highly of you. Now, let me hear what this Navy hero has to say,” said the King of Alabasta, his tone still somewhat high and mighty but enough to make everyone in the hall take notice.

After all, both the kings of Krita and St. Kitka were reprimanded by him in a superior tone. This Navy major held a higher status in the eyes of the Alabasta king than the other kings.

The other two kings, having done their homework, knew that this Navy major was considered a prominent figure in the G2 branch and had the potential to become a major figure in the Navy in the future.

Thus, these two kings also spoke politely, “Major Longinus, what is your perspective on this matter?”

This move impressed the noblewomen, who were initially only captivated by Longinus’s looks.

“The southern part of Sainting Island is vast enough to accommodate four kingdoms, and the wars waged by the kings are merely for better development.”

“For instance, St. Kitka is wealthy but small in territory and scarce in resources, often at a disadvantage in free trade, hence the desire for more land.”

“The Kingdom of Krita, situated in hilly terrain with numerous rivers, lacks large plains suitable for growing grain and has the highest demand for food among the four nations.”

“Alabasta has vast lands and strong soldiers but faces sharp internal conflicts and water shortages, making prolonged wars unsustainable.”

When Rougishupointed out their shortcomings, the kings of St. Kitka and Krita frowned initially. But upon hearing that Alabasta’s situation wasn’t much better, they cast disdainful glances at the Alabasta king, realising why he agreed to the talks. They were also impressed by Longinus’ grasp of the overall situation.

The King of Alabasta frowned slightly, his lips moving as if to speak, but he soon relaxed and gestured for Rougishuto continue.

“The Kingdom of Azka has the largest granaries among the four nations but lacks suitable trade routes, making them envious of St. Kitka’s trading ports.”

“Hmph!” The King of Azka snorted in displeasure but remained silent.

“In my view, the four kings can achieve complementary goals through trade and development. If today’s talks can evolve into a mutual aid alliance, it would be a significant advancement for each nation.”

“Looking further ahead, there are dozens of countries on Sainting Island alone, and beyond it, wolves are always lurking. The threat of pirates never fades, and each year, the kings must tribute a significant sum of treasure as heavenly gold, adding a heavy burden.”

“The real threat comes from the outside. If the four kings can set aside past grievances and work together, in decades, this sea might see four top-tier strong nations emerge.”

With Longinus’ analysis and persuasive words, the atmosphere in the hall became heavy.

Seeing Rougishustir the situation effectively, the noblewoman’s heated gazes seemed to wish to devour him. Their bodies subtly heated, making them shyly tighten their legs.

The kings of St. Kitka and Krita were the first to respond, “If the other two kings show enough sincerity, we are willing to set aside past hatred and prejudice to cooperate.”

“Cooperation…” The King of Alabasta tapped the armrest lightly, seemingly in contemplation.

The King of Azka, however, laughed derisively, “I have no other issues, but before starting your so-called alliance, I hope the King of Alabasta will compensate me with a hundred billion Beli in war reparations.”

“Gasp!”

The hall echoed with sharp inhales. Was the King of Azka out of his mind? Though they now knew Alabasta wasn’t as strong as it seemed, the current war still heavily favoured Alabasta. Was he trying to force a decisive battle?

Cobra’s father, initially hesitant, seemed liberated by the King of Azka’s brazen words. He squinted slightly and said, “King of Azka, did I hear you right? Do you feel too comfortable and want to experience downfall?”

“Ha! Before you speak, reflect on yourself. Don’t think I don’t know about your little schemes in this war. If you don’t want to lose face or even be expelled from the alliance, you better agree to my demands,” the King of Azka retorted arrogantly, feeling he had the upper hand.

The hall buzzed with whispers. It seemed the King of Azka had something up his sleeve!

Rougishufrowned slightly. It appeared more people than just Cobra knew about Alabasta’s dealings with pirates. Did he think such a scandal could topple the Alabasta king?

After all, secretly hiring pirates was almost an unspoken agreement among nations. Even the Azka king’s dealings with pirates two years ago, which were exposed, only slightly tarnished the royal prestige and national reputation, with little substantial impact.

In short, the corrupt regime wouldn’t care much as long as it didn’t involve rebellion or historical text threatening the government’s rule.

So, the King of Alabasta said calmly, “Oh? Are you referring to my hiring of pirates in the war? I deeply regret that and promise Vice Admiral Adekin that it will never happen again.”

“Alright, I’ve said what you wanted to say. Do you have anything else?”

Seeing the Alabasta king’s shameless attitude, the other royals, though angry, were helpless. This old fox didn’t care about royal dignity.

What should they do now?

The nobles of Azka also broke into a cold sweat for their king. He probably didn’t expect the old fox to be so straightforward!

But the King of Azka remained unfazed, sneering, “King of Alabasta, you’re quite adept at deflection. Unfortunately, you may not realize that my information is more detailed than you think.”

“You moved the talks to tonight not because of pressing state affairs, but to coordinate with a notorious pirate, planning to have us all killed here in this palace!”

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