Governor Smith of the World's Crown stood rigid with his muscles all tensed up. The humiliation weighed down upon him, but he dared not show even the slightest sign of dissatisfaction.0

He knew well that the threats from Hope Island were not just idle words. They truly had the power to turn those words into reality. After all, Hope Island's influence now far exceeded even that of the Albion Isles in its former days of glory.0

They didn't even need to unleash their navy; they only had to say a single word to sever all trade ties between the World's Crown and other islands. Without trade, an island was as good as dead.0

"Did I… say you… could leave?" Bandages' voice sounded from the contraption again, causing Smith to freeze in his spot.0

He had already...0