Awards and Declaration

In the New World, in the waters of Atavor, on the island of Grimms. The grand and lively Flower Fairy Festival came to an end.

Princess Alice, with an absolute advantage, won the final victory, becoming the first champion of this year's Flower Fairy Festival and the future image spokesperson of Grimm Island for the next year.

Excited and blushing, Princess Alice pulled Irada onto the stage. "Hehehe, I can't believe I became the champion. I'm so excited!"

Excited, Alice hugged Irada next to her and planted a kiss on his lips. This action shattered the hearts of many of her fans.

"No!"

"How could this happen? My Princess Alice!"

"Who is that man? I'm challenging him to a duel!"

"That's Captain Irada of the Rox Pirates."

"Oh, well, never mind then..." Lorax, accompanied by Morgan and Leo, took the stage.

He looked at Irada in surprise and then at Alice. He had no idea when Irada got involved with Princess Alice. Feeling Lorax's gaze, Irada scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't expect this woman to drag me here..."

"Hehe, I'm looking forward to your wedding, Irada." Lorax patted Irada's shoulder and said with a meaningful tone, then turned to Alice.

"Congratulations, Princess Alice. This is one of the prizes for this event, the Animal-type Zoan Devil Fruit in the form of the Flower Fairy."

"As long as you eat this fruit, you will gain the ability to control all the flowers in the world and become the fairy of the flowers." Lorax handed a beautifully crafted box to Alice.

"Hehehe, I will treasure this power. Thank you, Captain Lorax. On behalf of the Kingdom of England, I thank you for your generosity."

Alice performed a standard noble etiquette toward Lorax. "Is that so? Then cherish it well." After Lorax finished speaking, he walked off the stage.

Morgan, holding a golden trophy, walked up to Alice and handed it to her, flapping his wings. "Squawk, Princess Alice, congratulations."

Morgan looked at Alice with a sly gleam in his eyes, and his laughter carried a hint of suggestive meaning. Alice responded with a standard noble gesture.

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan."

"Squawk, I hope we can meet again in the future." Morgan said something similar to what Morgan had said and then left the stage.

Finally, Leo approached her and handed her a giant check with "One Hundred Million Berries" written on it.

"Hehehe, Princess Alice, nice to see you again. You are as beautiful as ever."

Leo looked at Alice with a sly smile and praised her.

"Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Leo."

"Hehehe, no need to thank me. I hope we can meet again in the future." Leo said something similar to what Morgan had said and left the stage.

After the awards ceremony, Lorax returned to the centre of the stage. He took the microphone from Ainilu's hand and looked around at all the spectators.

Among the spectators were ordinary civilians, pirates, nobles from various kingdoms, merchants, bounty hunters, and slave traders.

Almost any profession you could think of was represented.

"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend the annual Flower Festival and Flower Fairy Contest on Grimms Island." Lorax said in a calm tone.

"Oh oh oh!"

"Lorax Captain!" Many Grimms Island natives cheered loudly. Lorax lowered his hands slightly, and the noisy venue instantly quieted down.

"Today, on this rare occasion, I would like to announce a few things."

"Heh heh! This guy must have some ulterior motives!"

"Gah rah rah! I wonder what Lorax is going to announce next. I hope there's some profit in it!"

"Tsk, this guy is finally showing his true colours!" Many pirates, merchants, nobles, and others muttered quietly.

Lorax paid no attention to the various unkind words that reached his ears. "Today, I have three things to announce."

"First, our Rox Pirates will establish an exclusive trade association for our pirate group called the 'Hundred Flowers Trade Association.'"

"Whatever goods it may be, our trade association will handle them."

"Second, our Rox Pirates will establish a Hundred Flowers Bank."

"Third, from now on, the entire Atavor Sea in the New World will belong to our Rox Pirates."

"These are the three things I want to announce today. Well, thank you all for your support. Please continue to enjoy the lively Flower Festival."

After saying that, Lorax left the stage without paying attention to the completely shocked audience.

After Lorax left, the quiet venue erupted into chaos after ten minutes. "That bastard Lorax! Is he preparing to declare war on all the pirates in the Atavor Sea? Who does he think he is?"

A pirate captain's face was twisted in anger. "That's right! I just occupied the island where that dead lion Siki used to rule. There's no way I'm giving it up easily!"

"Squawk hehe, what a domineering declaration. It seems like a man worth following!"

The pirates at the scene were either furious or determined. They quickly left the venue, leaving Grimms Island.

On the other hand, the merchants and nobles in the audience were extremely excited.

"The Hundred Flowers Trade Association? I should check it out. Maybe I can make a big profit!"

"The Hundred Flowers Bank? It's quite surprising. A pirate wanting to dip his fingers into finance. This guy has big ambitions."

"Hehehe, the Hundred Flowers Trade Association. I wonder if they'll sell weapons. That's where the real money is!"

Meanwhile, not far away, Alice finally understood why Morgan and Leo had said those words to her.

As the only military power in the Atavor Sea, the Kingdom of England would inevitably be targeted if Lorax planned to dominate the entire sea.

Alice bit her finger in contemplation and looked down. "I didn't expect this to happen at this time. Damn it! I need to expedite my plan! Whether I eventually join the Rox Pirates or not, I must become the Queen of England!"

With this determination in mind, Alice stood up and chased after Lorax. She had made her decision.

Morgan, flapping his wings with a sly smile, followed behind Lorax. "Squawk hehe, this is really big news, Captain Lorax. Planning to rule such a large area in the Atavor Sea. You've got quite the ambition."

"Heh, it's only natural after I defeated the Golden Lion Pirates."

"Morgan, I hope that tomorrow, your World Economic News can spread today's events to every corner of the world."

"Squawk hehe, it's my honour, Captain Lorax!"