After settling things with Scarlett, Hammer entered Lance's hospital room.
Seeing the sharpshooter being bandaged up, Hammer burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA, Lance, I'm impressed! A sniper like you charging into melee range for a point-blank shot?"
"Good! Strong! I like it!"
What could Lance say to that?
Back then, if he hadn't gone for a close-range shot, he and Onigumo wouldn't have stood a chance against the armadillo-form Tyrant.
Plus, he'd been nursing a simmering frustration ever since his loss to Mihawk, a frustration that had overridden his usual caution.
"Lance, what do you think of Dressrosa's defensive capabilities?"
Lance met Hammer's calm gaze, and having worked with him so long, he instantly understood what he meant.
This battle had made Hammer worry, no, not about Dressrosa itself, but about Princess Scarlett's safety.
Lance didn't know exactly why Hammer cared so much, but he knew this wasn't a joke.
"It's very weak. The royal army can handle regular pirate crews, but if something happens again, Dressrosa has no choice but to beg the Marines for help. If help doesn't come in time, it's over."
His words hit Hammer right in the gut. He'd seen it too, even with a warrior like Kyros, they were helpless when facing seasoned pirates.
And in the original story, Doflamingo had taken over Dressrosa so easily.
"Is there any way to fix it…?"
Hammer was just a blacksmith, a skilled, high-ranking one, but still just a blacksmith.
"Either station a Marine garrison here…"
"Or overhaul Dressrosa's military."
Hammer fell silent. Those solutions were simple to say, but nearly impossible to do. In the New World, only G1 and G5 bases existed, G1 sat behind the Red Line, and G5… was a mess, to put it nicely.
Stationing Marines in Dressrosa was near-impossible.
As for military reform? That wasn't an overnight project.
Three days later, Sakazuki's unit and Hammer's unit finished their recovery and were ready to set sail.
In those three days, Hammer racked his brain for solutions, finally choosing the second option: boosting Dressrosa's own military.
But how? Arm them with firearms, if that wasn't enough, maybe even Devil Fruits. There had to be a way.
To this end, Hammer arranged a talk with King Riku himself.
Gazing up at the royal palace on King's Plateau, Hammer recalled how it went:
"Your Majesty King Riku, this incident makes it clear, Dressrosa lacks the armed strength to protect itself."
"I urge you to strengthen the kingdom's military forces, not for conquest, but survival."
King Riku's expression turned grim, his eyes locked onto Hammer.
"Vice Admiral Hammer, I am a pacifist at heart. I dislike using military force to show our strength."
Hearing that, Hammer nearly summoned a giant hammer right then and there to flatten him, but remembering this was Scarlett's father and his own savior, he swallowed his anger.
He forced his voice to stay calm.
"It's not about showing off. It's about survival.. You saw it yourself, when big pirates come knocking, Dressrosa's power is as fragile as paper. And now that Scarlet has Conqueror's Haki, neighboring kingdoms will see Dressrosa as a threat."
"Peace requires strength to uphold. Do you want a repeat of this crisis? What if the Marines arrive too late next time? What will happen then?"
Hammer's voice had risen with emotion.
King Riku's face grew darker.
He knew Hammer was right; this pirate attack had proven it. Even Kyros, Dressrosa's strongest warrior, hadn't been enough.
Scarlett had nearly been kidnapped.
Just as King Riku was wavering, the pink-haired princess made her entrance.
And the moment she did, she sided firmly with Hammer.
"Father, I think Vice Admiral Hammer is right. Dressrosa might yearn for peace, but it still needs power as its shield."
"As a member of the World Government, we can't always depend on the Marines to reassure our people. We have to strengthen ourselves, too."
Her resolute voice hammered right into King Riku's mind.
Seeing his own daughter stand against him, King Riku's heart twisted with bitterness.
If it were purely about protecting the kingdom, fine.
But that sweet smile she gave Hammer when she finished speaking, what was that about?!
In the end, King Riku gave in; he agreed to Hammer and Scarlett's request, handing the decision-making to Scarlett herself. He stomped off to the back hills to vent his frustrations.
"Scarlett, this is Lance's, uh, my Den Den Mushi. Call me if anything happens."
"As for the guns and weapons, I'll find the right merchants and be in touch."
Under Scarlett's reluctant gaze, Hammer once again left Dressrosa.
It wasn't until the Warhammer disappeared beyond the horizon that Scarlett finally turned away.
"Kyros, the training of the soldiers is up to you. Building up their physical strength is top priority."
"Vice Admiral Hammer said it himself, I want a future where no pirate ever dares covet Dressrosa again!"
Once the path of a queen was opened, it wouldn't stop.
Feeling the aura the pink-haired princess radiated, and recalling Hammer's overwhelming might, Kyros felt nothing but respect.
"Yes, Princess Scarlett, I'll handle the training perfectly!"
Aboard the Warhammer.
"Hey, Hammer, are you serious?"
"I mean, about building up Dressrosa's military."
"How exactly are you gonna do it?"
Lance and Shirley stared at Hammer, scratching his head in frustration.
So basically, you have no plan, huh?
"Getting guns is easy, Dressrosa's finances are solid. Worst case, we squeeze Judge for some advanced weapons."
"The real problem is the soldiers. Gladiators help, but it's not enough."
"Sigh… It's a long road ahead…"
As he spoke, Hammer gazed out at the sea, faces flashing through his mind one after another.
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu