Struggle to build a country in the world of pirates

In front of the Alabasta Palace, soldiers on both sides lined up neatly. [Alabasta King] Cobra came to the palace in person to greet Lei Luo and his party.

Lei Luo walked up to King Kobra and performed a chest salute, "Lei Luo, the first heir of the Hanas Empire, sends his regards to King Kobra of Alabasta."

Cobra responded with a salute, "Welcome to all distinguished guests who have come from afar, please follow me into the palace. I will ask the captain of the guard to arrange your accommodation. Everyone will have a rest after traveling and traveling. There will be a banquet for everyone later." "Thank you very much. , His Majesty the King.”

A group of people followed Kobra towards the palace. The palace was still very grand and spectacular. Most of it was made of stone bricks, and the decoration inside was also very simple.

Being used to seeing royal palaces in various places, everyone didn't think there was anything strange. The children who followed didn't show too much surprise. They had all been educated in etiquette, and even though they were children, they were very calm.

Ikarem [Alabasta Kingdom Guard Captain] arranged accommodation for them all. In the evening, everyone came to the banquet hall for dinner. The banquet table was an extra-long table. King Kobra sat at the main seat and Lei Luo sat at the main seat. to his left.

"As the King of Alabasta, I would like to first extend a warm welcome to my friends who have come from afar to the Hanas Empire. I would like to propose a toast to you all. Please don't be restrained and feel free to do so."

"Thank you King Kobra for your hospitality. We are new to the Grand Line. It is of great significance for the Kingdom of Alabasta to be the first country we visit on this trip." Lei Luo responded.

Meiya took out the gift list and handed it to the head guard of Ikarem, "We are visiting your country. These are some specialties of our country. Be careful and don't dislike them."

The head guard of Ikarem opened the gift list. It was a long page with all kinds of things, as if he was opening a shopping mall.

King Kobra: "Your Highness Lei Luo, your country is so kind. Unfortunately, our land is barren and it is all desert. There is really no gift that can be given in return."

"Your Majesty is joking. Alabasta has a vast land, rich resources, large population, and a long history. This is not comparable to ordinary countries. Our visit this time is, firstly, to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, and secondly, we hope to deepen trade exchanges."

"Of course. As the overlord of the East China Sea, the Hanas Empire can trade with our country, which is what I wish for."

"In this case, I won't beat around the bush. What policies does your country have for foreign investors? Or how did you conduct trade in the past?"

"It's very simple. As long as you abide by the laws of our country and pay taxes according to regulations, we welcome businessmen who come to invest here."

"Then, can your country guarantee the security on your land and at sea?"

"Of course! We have a standing army of 60 in the royal capital, and there are more than 40 in other places combined. This kind of military strength is not weak."

"If this is indeed the strongest in the four seas, even our Hanas only has an army of more than 30. This has been expanded in recent years. However, there are some powerful pirates on the Grand Line who do not rely on military strength. It can be done, and His Majesty the King must be very clear about it.”

King Kobra: "There are indeed strong men like what His Highness Lei Luo said, but most of them are in the New World. This is the first half of the Great Line. Even if there are some pirates, they are weak pirates and should not be feared. , and it’s close to the Navy Headquarters, so even if there are a few strong men, the Navy can take care of them.”

Lei Luo shook his head, "Your Majesty the King, you and I are both the leaders of the country, how can we place our hopes on others? To be honest, I actually had the strength to come to the Great Sea Route in the East China Sea a long time ago, but I have not set off for a long time because I am afraid. Even if you come, you can’t stand.”

"Only when you are strong can you not be controlled by others, what do you think?"

"I didn't expect His Highness Lei Luo, at such a young age, to have such a vision. I was just too whimsical."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to laugh at yourself. Your country's overall strength is still very strong. Just improve its high-end combat power. You need someone who can control the pirates. Let's get back to the topic of trade just now."

"I have a proposal here." Meiya took out a stack of documents and sent them to King Kobra.

"The general idea is that I rent a place in your country's coastal city to garrison troops and ensure the safety of our country's ships and merchant ships."

King Kobra looked solemn, "I will not agree to this proposal."

"Your Majesty the King, you can take a look at the contents first and think about it before proceeding. We will stay in your country for a while, so there is no rush."

"You can think about it this way, even without our army, will your country's coastline be safe? The navy can freely enter and exit Alabasta, and pirates can freely enter and exit Alabasta. How can your country guarantee the interests of our merchants here? "

King Kobra was speechless and thought for a moment.

"Your Majesty, you can rest assured that our country's military will only conduct military activities within the prescribed scope; and it has promised not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. Although our country dominates the East China Sea, it has not assigned all the territory to our country. First, it is not in line with our immediate needs. Secondly, there are too many things and they are too troublesome. So, Your Majesty, you don’t have to worry about what our country will do against your country. Not only will it not happen, but it will also help your country maintain public security and maritime order."

"His Royal Highness Lei Luo, you will be staying in our country for a while. Let me discuss it with the ministers."

"No problem. I want to visit some cities in your country. I hope it will be convenient for Your Majesty."

"Okay, Bell, this is the adjutant of my Kingdom Guard. It's up to you to protect His Highness Lei Luo these days!"

Bell [Animal type "Bird Fruit-Falcon type" ability user]: "Okay, Your Majesty"

"Then thank you, His Majesty the King, for your hard work, Adjutant Bell." "You're welcome, Your Highness Lei Luo, this is my responsibility."

"You guys have been protecting me for a while. Now that I have Adjutant Bell, you can relax a little and move around freely. You can buy whatever you want. If you don't have enough money, you can borrow it from Allen and pay him back later."

"Why do so many rich people ask me to borrow money?"

"You run a bank, who can lend it to you if you don't want it, you idiot? You won't ask for interest."

Everyone. . . . . .

Meiya: "Your Highness, I'd better follow you."

"No, you have worked hard during this period. Give yourself a holiday and play with your brothers and sisters!"

"Nancy and Dora, just follow me. Everyone else can do their own thing. Martin is looking for a big house outside. It's not convenient for these people to come in and out of the palace all the time."

"Yes, Your Highness"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ King Kobra: "It's not in the way, it's not in the way, feel free to stay." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~