The audience chamber of the Alubarna Palace was even emptier than the day before, the following morning.
Only the innermost row of candlesticks on both sides of the hall was lit, the light dim and concentrated, just enough to illuminate the long table in front of the throne, which was covered with a map of the entire Alabasta, and the few people on either side of the table.
Wolof sat at one end of the long table, his royal robes replaced with lighter, dark blue casual clothes, the cuffs embroidered with the Nefertari Royal Family's Sun Emblem.
His eye bags were heavier than yesterday, but his eyes had regained a certain composure, the kind of composure that remained after an old man, driven to the brink of despair, finally tore off all pretenses.
Lia stood half a step behind her father, wearing a light beige dress and her hair was braided into a single braid that hung over her left shoulder.
Her posture was as upright as yesterday, but her fingers were unconsciously twirling the hair tie at the end of her braid.
Barlow sat opposite Wolof, wearing a dark gray shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, revealing several faint old knife scars on his forearms.
Roy leaned against the pillar to his left, arms crossed, sword resting casually on his leg, a relaxed expression on his face that suggested he was enjoying watching a good show.
Mila sat in the chair to Barlow's right, her back ramrod straight, her hands clasped on her knees.
"The Uchiha Trading Company can take full control of Alubarna's defenses."
Wolof spoke first, pointing his finger at the marker for Alubarna's city walls on the map.
"The remaining troops of the royal palace garrison will be under your unified command. The Uchiha Trading Company may prioritize purchasing the city's grain reserves at cost price, with no upper limit on the purchase quantity."
"The Uchiha Trading Company will have exclusive rights to the post-war spice trade, and the three main trade routes from Yuba to the Rainbase, for ten years, with no interference from Alabasta."
"Furthermore, the Alabasta Treasury will fully compensate your Chamber of Commerce for all losses incurred in this war in installments after the war."
After he finished speaking, he looked up at Barlow.
This was all the bargaining chips he had up his sleeve after a sleepless night: military power, food supplies, trade licenses, and compensation for losses.
For a royal family, each of these concessions is like cutting off a piece of their own flesh.
Barlow tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the table.
"I see His Majesty's sincerity, but it's not enough."
He stood up, placed his hands on the edge of the long table, and leaned forward slightly.
"The Uchiha can do much more than this."
"Our Guard Corps have arrived in Alabasta. This force is unmatched by any other armed group the rebels have faced so far; they are well-trained, well-equipped, and require no supplies from Alabasta."
"As for ammunition, medicine, and food, Your Majesty, please do not underestimate the Uchiha Trading Company. We have countless supplies in the East Blue, West Blue, and the first half of the Grand Line, which is more than enough to deal with the rebels."
He paused, then lifted his finger from the map and pointed out the window in the direction where the warships were anchored.
"More importantly, my elder brother, Uchiha Damian, a vice admiral in the Marine Headquarters, is currently patrolling the waters near Alabasta."
"His warships are already in position and can intervene in this war at any time under the pretext of 'striking down pirate forces.'"
"One of the supporters behind the rebels is Fisher, the commander of a squadron under the Rocks Pirates."
"Once it is confirmed that Fisher is in the rebel camp, Damian will have a legitimate reason to send troops. I don't think I need to explain to His Majesty the King what the involvement of a Marine Vice Admiral means."
Wolof's fingers clenched tightly under the edge of the table.
He knew perfectly well what this meant; Marine Vice Admiral was a card that could change the entire course of the war.
"Troops, ammunition, medicine, food, and the navy will be the last resort."
Barlow counted on his fingers one by one, his voice not loud, but each word slammed onto the long table.
"Without any one of these five things, Alubarna n't have been able to withstand the rebel siege. Looking across the entire Grand Line, only the Uchiha can gather all five at the same time."
"I need you to think this through carefully. Nefertari Family needs right now isn't a partner, but a lifeline, and the Uchiha are that lifeline."
Wolof remained silent.
He picked up the water glass in front of him, found it was empty, and put it back.
He had lost count of how many times he had picked up an empty cup today.
He was stalling for time every time; he knew what Barlow wanted.
What Barlow wants is the future of Alabasta, a future where the Uchiha has the final say.
He glanced at Lia.
Lia stood beside him, her posture upright, her gaze fixed on Barlow across the long table, lingering on him for several breaths longer than a princess would typically look at a merchant guild leader.
Wolof sighed inwardly.
He made countless political maneuvers throughout his life, married a queen he didn't love, and killed his beloved son.
Each time, he told himself it was for Alabasta.
This time will probably be no exception.
This time, however, it wasn't him who was placed on the scales, but his daughter.
Well, isn't this also for the stability of Alabasta?
He let out a long breath, as if he were expelling a stone that had been pressing on his chest for decades.
He placed the empty cup back on the table, the bottom of which struck the wood with a dull thud. He looked up at Barlow.
He lifted his hands off the table and placed them on his knees, slowly straightening his back as he looked at Barlow.
Is Mr. Barlow ever married?
Barlow's fingers, which were resting on the edge of the table, paused slightly.
The turn of events came so suddenly that it took him a while to move the question from the "negotiation techniques" category to the "personal issues" category.
He shook his head.
Wolof nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to Lia standing beside him before returning to Barlow's face.
His tone was calm, as if he were discussing an agreement whose terms had already been drafted and was just waiting to be signed.
"What do you think of my daughter? I believe that by betrothing her to Mr. Barlow, the Nefertari Family and the Uchiha Clan will form a blood alliance, and the future of Alabasta will be inextricably linked to the future of the Uchiha Trading Company."
Lia quickly looked up, her gaze passing over the long table and landing on Barlow's face.
There was surprise in her eyes, but surprise only made up a tiny part of it. More than that, it was a kind of long-suppressed expectation that finally found an outlet, like the first drop of rain falling after she had stood on the palace wall watching the sandstorm for several days.
Mila's face turned cold.
She narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Wolof, her voice sharp and pointed. "Why don't you ask your daughter's opinion?"
"I do."
Before Mila could finish speaking, Lia's answer slammed onto the long table.
Barlow and Mila turned to look at her, their movements almost synchronized, like two puppets being pulled by the same string.
Lia stepped out from beside her father, walked around the long table, and stood in front of Barlow.
She was only up to Barlow's shoulder, and when she looked up at him, her braid slipped off her shoulder, the hair tie at the end flashing silver in the candlelight.
Her hands were clasped together in front of her, her fingers gripping tightly until her knuckles turned white, but her eyes did not waver.
It wasn't submission to a political marriage, nor was it obedience to a father's command. It was a woman who had finally waited for an opportunity to stand rightfully before this man and decided to say everything she had long wanted to say.
"Not just for Alabasta."
Her voice wasn't loud, but she enunciated each word clearly, a stark contrast to the casual tone she used when asking him in the hallway, "What's your favorite color?"
"Mr. Barlow walked all the way from the Rainbase to Alubarna, clearing out rebels, intercepting intelligence, and protecting civilians along the way. No one asked you to do these things, but you did them."
"Yesterday in the corridor, Cobra was almost killed by an assassin, and you risked your life to save him."
"You saved my brother, you forced my father to tell the truth, and you remained calm while everyone else was in a panic."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't lower her head. She looked directly into Barlow's eyes and said her last words, "Mr. Barlow is a man I can entrust my life to. I am willing to marry you, not only for Alabasta, but also for myself."
The audience hall was silent for a few seconds.
Roy leaned against a pillar, rhythmically nudging Mila's arm with his elbow, a grin spreading across his face.
His expression shifted from leisurely observation to gleaming schadenfreude, and each time his elbow touched Mila, it was with a distinct rhythm—once, twice, three times—each strike seeming to say, "You've finally met your match."
Mila's expression grew even colder than before.
She was the only daughter of the Uchiha Clan, and grew up surrounded by her Pops and three older brothers, accustomed to the rhythm of the clan without other women interfering in its internal affairs.
Gwen was already enough of a problem for her, and now a Royal Princess she'd only known for two days was saying to her face, "I'm willing to marry you."
She opened her mouth as if to say something sarcastic, but when she saw Roy's gloating face winking at her, her nameless anger instantly found a more specific target to vent.
Why are you looking at me?
She turned and glared at Roy, her voice low and icy.
Roy was startled by her glare and immediately turned his face to the other side, pretending to admire the reliefs on the columns, while whistling.
Barlow ignored the little fuss his younger siblings were making behind him.
He stared at the royal girl looking up at him, his mind racing.
Cobra is still young, Wolof is already old. If they marry the eldest daughter of the Nefertari Royal Family now, it would be incredibly easy for the Uchiha to completely control Alabasta.
The marriage was not his purpose in coming here, but when an opportunity happens to fall into your hands, refusing it is a mistake in itself.
He glanced back at Roy.
When Roy saw his second brother turn around to look at him, he immediately straightened up, turned his head, and whistled a long, drawn-out whistle towards the wall next to him.
Then he grabbed Mila's face and examined it closely, muttering, "This Mila is so much Mila."
Mila slapped his hand away.
Barlow turned his gaze away from the two clowns and looked back at Lia.
She was still looking at him, her hands still clenched in front of her, the blush on her cheeks spreading from her ears to her neck, but she didn't back down or dodge.
Never mind, it's all for the Uchiha.
This woman seems pretty silly. Someone who could stand in the hallway and ask him "What's your favorite color?" for several minutes probably isn't very smart.
But then I thought about it again. The fact that she could ask so many questions in those few minutes meant her memory was at least not bad; and the fact that she could quickly organize her thoughts and report to her father after being kicked away by the assassin meant her logic was also quite clear.
If managed properly, they shouldn't cause any trouble.
At least it's less troublesome than having those Tenten at home constantly nibbling on the sofa.
He looked up at Wolof, "Okay."
Wolof slapped his thigh, the dull thud echoing several times in the empty audience hall.
The first genuine smile he had shown in a long time appeared on his face—the uncontrollable smile of a father who, after experiencing the pain of losing his son, the danger of rebellion, and the humiliation of being in dire straits, finally saw a turning point.
He stood up, walked to one end of the long table, and patted Barlow on the shoulder forcefully.
"Good! Once the rebels are quelled, we will hold a wedding for the two of you. The gloom has been too heavy lately; Alabasta hasn't heard any good news in a long time. This wedding will be a way to cleanse this desert of bad luck!"
Cobra stood not far behind Lia, one hand still clutching her sister's skirt, looking up at the scene.
He was too young to understand the meaning of words like "marriage alliance" and "blood alliance," but he understood one thing: the expression on his sister's face when she said she was willing was something he had never seen before.
When she looked at the expressionless older boy, her eyes lit up.
He loosened his grip on his sister's skirt, tilted his head to look at Barlow, his lips moved for a moment, then he swallowed hard without saying anything.
Roy emerged from behind the pillar, patted the wrinkles in his pants caused by Mila's kick, and walked to Barlow's side.
"I'll contact Rosa and my older brother. Rosa needs to confirm the specific deployment plan for the Guard Corps, and my older brother needs to know that Rocks is behind the rebels."
He turned and walked towards the palace gate, but after a few steps, he turned back to look at Barlow, a smile he couldn't suppress. "Second Brother, congratulations."
Mila followed behind him, passing Barlow without looking at him, only saying in a very low voice, "You're really something," before quickening her pace to catch up with Roy, grabbing him by the back of his collar and dragging him out of the temple gate.
Outside the palace gates came Roy's muffled thud as he struggled, followed by Mila's icy reprimand. "If you ever dare to scratch my face again—"
Barlow followed behind as he walked out of the audience hall, his pace unhurried, just like when he went to the conference room for meetings.
Lia's gaze was still fixed on his back. Unlike when he left the main hall yesterday, he did not quicken his pace this time.
He walked in the morning light along the palace corridor, his mind simultaneously racing with several unrelated thoughts.
The child born from the combination of Nefertari's bloodline and the Uchiha bloodline should be very strong.
Would it be easier to open one's eyes then?
Is it possible to Awakening new abilities?
This is something worth studying.
But Lia takes so long to ask about colors; won't her genes lower her child's IQ?
She's probably smarter than she appears. Yesterday, when she reported on the assassins, her points were quite clear and she got to the point.
Barlow had no idea how much he would later love this Royal Princess who had made him so uneasy.