Pirate: My Piltover technology is far ahead!

Chapter 109 Member States? Heavenly Gold? I refuse.

Although he lost his "cone head" (a nickname for a person), Qingjiao is still a pillar of the Babao Water Army, and his status remains unchanged.

Ba Chong Quan is a secret martial art of the Ba Bao Navy, a combat technique that every generation of leaders must learn.

The Eight-Strike Fist is not limited to fist techniques. This martial art can use any part of the body as a weapon. When you practice it to a certain level, you will break through and obtain its advanced technique - the ultimate technique: Cone Dragon Cone Nail.

After gaining the approval of the previous generation, they would bestow upon the next generation the title of Cone Dragon and Cone Nail, allowing them to inherit the Eight Treasures Navy. Green Pepper simply chose to cultivate his own unique cone head.

He has now lost the weapon he was so proud of, but his foundation remains, and there are not many people in the Flower Kingdom who can make things difficult for him.

However, he can no longer access the treasures that generations have accumulated and stored in the Ice Continent.

In the past, when he saw those who coveted his treasure but couldn't open the Ice Continent, he would mercilessly mock them, let them fall into the glacier where the treasure was stored, and leave them to die trapped beside the treasure.

During this period, Qingjiao's daily activity was to kowtow on the glacial continent, trying to break through the glacier again, but the results were not ideal.

He had consulted renowned doctors in the Flower Country and nearby areas, but they couldn't even figure out what was wrong with Green Pepper's head, let alone cure him.

The fact that the cone tip was knocked off was beyond their comprehension.

"Sidiel Oran? Piltover?"

Taking the newspaper from his subordinate, Green Pepper began to read the news. Morgans was good at making comparisons; while alluding to Oran's "unknown ambitions," he emphasized Oran's achievements in medicine.

"Sidiel? I've heard of him. Isn't that guy a quack? His idea is to replace, to turn the human body into a toy with all sorts of iron contraptions. How can that be considered medical skill?"

Not everyone approves of Oran's treatment methods; in fact, many consider his surgical procedures heretical, a sentiment that is quite prevalent in the Flower Country.

"Losing hands and feet is one thing, but how are they going to treat the leader's head? Are they going to replace the leader's head?"

"Shut up! Do you have any way to cure my cone-shaped head?"

Hearing the chatter around her, Qingjiao stood up and waved to stop them from continuing their discussion.

Green Pepper hasn't given up hope of saving his head and is desperately trying anything, willing to try anything that offers any chance of recovery.

"Grand Line. Firefly Island. Prepare the ship, depart immediately!"

Since Green Pepper had already spoken, the others naturally couldn't say anything and could only prepare the boats according to Green Pepper's instructions.

Aside from those who already knew Oran and injured individuals like Green Pepper who were already struggling with external wounds, the people most concerned about Firefly Island were none other than the royal family of the neighboring country.

The Kingdom of Drums, where the current king is not Wapol, who is not even a fertilized egg yet.

Thanks to its advanced medical industry, the Drum Kingdom has always had the right to participate in world conferences.

"Firefly Island might be a good thing. The winner of the Iber Prize should have a lot of experience."

The current king of Drum Island is very considerate of the lives of his people, and is even considering inviting them to hold an academic seminar. Prosthetics are not prohibited at sea, and they can be seen on Drum Island.

The doctors on Drum Island had already mastered the installation techniques and were full of praise for the invention. They thought that if they could invite Oran over, they would probably gain a lot.

"Your Majesty, shall we prepare an invitation?"

"No need for now. It seems he may no longer be an ordinary doctor, but a king like me. Let's see what Firefly Island becomes before deciding what to do next."

In Alabasta, on the other side, Neferutari Cobra is currently just a prince, learning how to govern the country from his father, who shares the same ideas as the king of the Drum Kingdom.

What Oran ultimately decides to do—whether his Piltover will be a fleeting phenomenon swept away by the tides of time, exist for a while as a non-member state, or become a member state—will all influence their subsequent attitudes.

Not to mention people from other countries, even the people on Firefly Island don't know what Oran's next move will be.

"Brother Oran... no, shouldn't I call you His Majesty Oran now?"

The original palace has changed hands again. After eliminating most of the pirates and gangsters, Oran has taken over the palace with his men.

Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Ginny was struggling with the question of how to address Oran.

"I don't care about that kind of thing, just call me the same as before."

"No, no, you are still the king, and you must maintain your dignity."

"You can use those terms of address casually in private, but only when there are outsiders around, otherwise I'm still a little uncomfortable with it."

The old acquaintances you met from the beginning and the people you contacted later are ultimately different. At least Brand was not seen at this dinner table, and Blitz was still cooking. It was just an ordinary family dinner.

"So, Brother Oran, what are your next plans? Becoming a member state?"

Ginny and Leriana started their eating contest again, and Bear asked this crucial question.

"We definitely need to secure that position as a member state."

Membership in a member state makes many things easier, especially in trade and transactions; legitimate large-scale transactions are far superior to small-scale operations in the underworld.

"So we also have to pay heavenly tribute? Let those scum..."

Kate stirred the soup in her bowl, feeling uneasy at the thought of it.

"No, no, no, how could that be? Not only will I not pay the heavenly gold, I will also make them give me money."

Joining the World Government in the conventional way wouldn't be difficult for Oran. The Navy wouldn't mind nominating and endorsing him. In this case, after paying the Heavenly Gold, everything would fall into place naturally.

But as Kate questioned, paying them money would disgust her.

"Don't be impatient. The first step has been completed. After a while, I will make a deal with them in my own way, using their money to research ways to deal with them."

"Caesar's methods for swindling funding were so simplistic. If I ever see him again, I'll teach him a lesson about how to properly manage funds."

Oran didn't reveal the details, but according to his plan, the status of a member state would be linked to the position of a Shichibukai. He wanted to build this place into a powerful nation that obeyed orders but not proclamations.

Draw the nourishment needed for independence from the great tree of the world government.

"So, during this period, were we considered a non-member state?"

"That's right, but it doesn't make much difference. All the previous efforts weren't in vain."

Non-member states are not only not protected by the World Government, but even the navy and the World Government can plunder these lands without violating their laws.

However, given the current situation, the Navy certainly wouldn't do such a thing. Even if Oran were to ask the Navy for help in a special circumstances, they wouldn't ignore him.

The attitude of most world governments is the same: the status of a member state affects issues related to trade and world conferences.

The right to speak at the World Conference depends on national strength. As long as a country is strong enough, even if it joins late, its voice will still be significant. As for the issue of transactions, Oran has its own methods, so in short, the impact is not great.

Everything is progressing smoothly and according to plan.

Time passed, and night approached.

[Curfew has been imposed. All citizens are urged to return home immediately, keep doors and windows closed, and be aware of safety.]

On the streets of Firefly Island, guard mechs patrolled the island's environment in pairs while broadcasting announcements.

Although most of the pirates have been wiped out, a few still manage to escape and roam the islands.

The curfew is also intended to get the island back on track as soon as possible.

The people on Firefly Island now know what has happened recently, so they are all cooperating.

Some of the bolder adults spontaneously formed a security team, and after reporting the news, they accompanied the mecha team to search every corner of the island.

Based on the grouping of the Guardian Mechs, Oran divided the island into twelve areas, which will be managed according to these areas in the future. If pirates are discovered, the locals only need to fire a signal flare into the sky, and the mechs in that area will rush there as quickly as possible.

"It's unbelievable that those pirates were driven away like that."

On the island's coast, the island's residents, armed with all sorts of weapons, are patrolling places where people might be hiding. These weapons were all seized from pirates. Order is still being rebuilt, and many things have to be started from scratch.

Sixteen years may not be enough to build a country, but it can destroy what already exists completely.

"roar!"

Suddenly a roar came from the side, and Terra suddenly emerged from underground, grabbing a pirate hiding in the wetlands of the beach. Even though he was covered in mud and sand, he could not escape Terra's sense of smell.

As a mountain dragon, it is very sensitive to people who hide in the mud and sand.

"Terra, you're so great! You caught another bad guy. Don't struggle. If you haven't done anything really serious, Daddy won't do anything to you. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to be so weak."

As part of a nighttime activity, Leliana was patrolling the island with her dragon partner. She was simply trying to calm him down, but her physical strength achieved its purpose in a different way.

"This tone sounds like a child's."

"But she's so tall! Whose child is that big?"

"She is the daughter of our new king, and according to the usual custom, we should call her Princess Leriana."

Brand stepped out from the patrol team.

Brand has changed a lot since then. After Firefly Island got a new start, he also tidied up his image, and his messy hair was combed into a pompadour.

As the local who knew Oran best on the island, it was only natural for him to do the job of explaining.

(End of this chapter)