"Current Alabasta is truly rudimentary," Michael remarked as he walked through the streets of Alubarna, where the city bustled with reconstruction efforts.
"Of course, I'm judging by the standards of a nation's capital."
"It wasn't always like this... After occupying Alubarna, the Great Kingdom began relentless exploitation and deliberate dismantling of the city, squeezing living space to the bare minimum and extracting every ounce of wealth..." Lily's expression turned sorrowful.
"Alubarna used to be... the pearl of the desert."
"Pearl or not, for many years to come, Alubarna is destined to become one of the strongholds of the resistance..." Michael didn't turn to look at Lily as he continued, "Will you... blame me? Once war begins, people of Alabasta will inevitably perish in the flames of battle."
"Why would I blame you? It's not like you started this war... And without resistance, the people of Alabasta would still be drained dry like the Nefertari family before being brutally slaughtered." Lily shook her head.
"They'd rather die on the battlefield than endure torture as slaves, waiting for that so-called 'release' called death... Look, after learning what the resistance has done, they're rebuilding their homes with smiles."
After Alabasta's full liberation, Lily, under the name Nerona Imu II and with undeniable Nefertari lineage, officially became the king of Alabasta.
Her first act as king was declaring complete severance from the Great Kingdom.
Then, she redistributed the resources plundered by the Great Kingdom's garrison forces back to Alabasta's cities, initiating national reconstruction.
This time, however, the focus was entirely different.
The former Nefertari family had loved peace, shared joy with the people, and excelled at leading them to prosperity.
Their long governance had made Alabasta one of the wealthiest nations while earning them the people's unwavering support.
This very foundation allowed Alabasta to learn profound lessons during the four years of suffering—that mere wealth couldn't protect them under the Great Kingdom's predatory gaze.
Thus, under Lily's leadership, Alabasta began transforming from a wealthy nation into a powerful one.
The first priority was expanding the standing army.
Given Alabasta's vast territory and abundant population, their existing military force was pitifully small.
Previously, most citizens had been reluctant to enlist.
But after four years of endless exploitation, the people's mindset had changed.
Within just one month, over 300,000 formally joined Alabasta's standing army, undergoing rigorous training with assistance from elite forces of allied nations.
This explains why, eight hundred years later, Alabasta maintained a standing army of 600,000.
Evidently, "the more troops, the better" had become ancestral wisdom.
"Speaking of which, the Great Kingdom hasn't made any major moves recently..." Lily frowned.
"Though I heard from Imu about your method of spreading fear... I don't believe the Great Kingdom would suddenly start fearing you."
"Of course, this is a gradual process, but at least they wouldn't dare to directly invade Alabasta with overwhelming force... After all, they're not united among themselves. Several races are all trying to grab more for themselves." Michael smiled. "In this state, how could they possibly confront me directly?"
"But if they don't dare to throw everything at you, they'll surely find others to vent their anger on."
"That's true. That's why I've had Imu frequently use Den Den Mushi to contact all our allies during this period, to keep track of the Ancient Kingdom's movements."
Before Michael could finish speaking, the beautiful queen standing at the Alabasta palace in the distance waved at him.
The moment Lily saw Imu, she bristled like a startled kitten, all her previous rationality and intelligence vanishing in an instant.
Not that Lily was actually a cat.
If she were, she'd probably have activated her spiked-back dragon or diamondback rattlesnake mode by now.
"I really don't understand why you're so hostile toward Imu." Giving Lily a helpless glare, Michael sighed and approached Imu.
"What's happened?"
"The Ancient Kingdom has made its move."
Imu's extremely serious expression, combined with her words, made even Lily instantly drop her previous demeanor.
"Made its move? Against whom?"
"Elbaf."
Hearing this name, Lily immediately looked puzzled.
"The Ancient Kingdom... are they insane? Why attack Elbaf now? That's just making unnecessary enemies for themselves."
"Calm down, Lily. Imu said they made a move, not that they attacked." Michael looked at Imu with interest.
"The Ancient Kingdom... sent people to form an alliance with Elbaf, didn't they?"
"Exactly." Imu said excitedly, "This means your plan is working... Your presence has indeed made them anxious. Otherwise, they wouldn't risk sharing their power by trying to recruit Elbaf's giants."
Michael clapped his hands cheerfully.
Just when he needed it, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
He hadn't even decided where to strike the Ancient Kingdom first.
And now... here it was.
"How are Elbaf's relations with the various races of the Celestial Council?"
"Relations with other races are passable—no major conflicts but no deep friendships either. The ones to watch are the Buccaneer Tribe and the Lunarian Race." Imu held up two fingers.
"The former are giant hybrids and very close to the giants... while the latter deeply despise the giants. In the eyes of the Lunarians, no race should be as naturally gifted as they are. The giants' seclusion in Elbaf is partly due to the Lunarians."
"So, if we can create a situation where the Buccaneers are inexplicably attacked by the Lunarians... and the Buccaneers flee to Elbaf to seek refuge with their kin..."
Michael stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone? We'd eliminate some powerful enemies while ensuring their attempt at alliance fails."
"You make it sound simple, but how do we achieve the scenario you described?" Imu clapped her hands.
"We can't expect the Bakanian tribe to directly clash with the Lunarian Race right now, can we?"
"That's a matter for later... Right now, we need to take the first step."
Michael looked up at Imu.
"What about our esteemed leader of the resistance?"
"Tell him—it's time to get to work!"
"Now's the moment for him to unleash that foolishness of his... er, I mean, his charisma!"
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