# Chapter 180: Another Warlord's Support (For the Alliance Leader Xuanzhiyimo)
Ian guessed that the most likely reason Boa Hancock was looking for him was to take him back to Amazon Lily for refuge.
Amazon Lily was located in the Calm Belt, with the seabed filled with massive Sea King nests. Under normal circumstances, very few ships could reach that place. Even though the Marines' technology had advanced over the years enough to reach the Calm Belt, one must not forget that Amazon Lily was a nation of women, strictly prohibiting men from entering. The Marines probably wouldn't think that Amazon Lily, which had always rejected men, would actively accept Ian as a man to take refuge there.
This was a blind spot in thinking. Considering these two aspects, even Ian had to admit that if he hadn't brought Sardine and the others along as pirates but had left alone instead, Amazon Lily would indeed have been his most ideal hiding place.
Sure enough, when Ian formally asked Boa Hancock about it, she lifted her head, looked at Ian, and stammered hesitantly: "I... I actually wanted you to come to Amazon Lily."
"To take refuge?" Ian smiled slightly and said, "There's no need for that now."
Boa Hancock grew anxious and grabbed Ian's hand, saying: "Why is there no need? Do you know how great a crime you've committed? You killed a Celestial Dragon!"
Having once been a slave herself, although she later escaped and became the Queen of Amazon Lily, her hatred for the Celestial Dragons had never diminished. However, after becoming a Warlord, she also gained a thorough understanding of the Celestial Dragons' power. This was why, after learning the full story, Boa Hancock didn't hesitate to travel all the way to the New World, wanting to rescue Ian.
She knew very well that the Celestial Dragons could command the World Government, and the World Government could command the Marines. Ian simply couldn't contend with these two behemoths.
In her urgency, she grabbed Ian's hand, but without using her ability, so Ian finally had his first skin-to-skin contact with her.
Soft, warm, and with a smooth, slippery sensation that made Ian's heart flutter.
Forcing himself to suppress his wandering thoughts, he smiled and said to her: "It's fine. I still have other trump cards."
Ian certainly knew that he couldn't fight the World Government and the Marines alone, even if he had formed a pirate crew. Not unless he could grow to the level of the Four Emperors.
However, Ian also had his own trump cards. The first was the Celestial Dragon identity chip he had stolen. As long as he had this, the Celestial Dragons wouldn't let him die.
The second was the Revolutionary Army. Although Ian didn't know the exact extent of the Revolutionary Army's power, he figured it should be considerable. Kuma had managed to become a Warlord and infiltrate Marine Headquarters, while Konenai and the others had even managed to infiltrate the World Conference. The power the Revolutionary Army had secretly developed was not to be underestimated. And since Ian was now considered a member of the Revolutionary Army, he could naturally borrow their strength when necessary.
Ian's thinking was now very clear: first, be a pirate for a while, quickly improve his strength before his identity was exposed, and then when the Marines finally discovered his true identity, he would slowly maneuver against them. Not only would he make the Marines take him seriously, but he would also drag things out until the Celestial Dragons grew extremely anxious. Finally, following the plan Kuma had arranged, he would smoothly ascend to become a member of the Seven Warlords.
From the moment Ian set sail, he knew that his interference might cause some deviations in the history of this world, but these deviations would differ depending on the strength of his influence.
Becoming a Warlord was a huge turning point, bringing unparalleled influence.
Ian was also very curious to see what changes would occur if he became a Warlord. This goal had seemed very interesting to him ever since he first heard about it from Kuma.
Thinking of this, Ian suddenly had an idea and asked Boa Hancock: "By the way, what's the process for becoming a Warlord?"
"You... you want to become a Warlord!?" Boa Hancock was somewhat surprised.
"Anything is possible, isn't it?" Ian laughed.
Boa Hancock furrowed her brows slightly, beginning to consider the possibility of Ian's words. She said: "Generally speaking, there needs to be a vacancy among the Warlords. When a vacancy appears, the Marines initiate a proposal, and once the World Government approves it, an invitation can be sent out. Sometimes, the Marines also symbolically ask for the opinions of us Warlords. That's how it was a while ago when they wanted to recruit Fire Fist Ace. I simply ignored them at the time..."
"Alright then, Boa. If you really want to help me, then if the Marines ask for your opinion, just express your agreement!" Ian said seriously. "The timing is uncertain. It could be a few months, or it could be a year from now. Just remember this."
However, Boa Hancock was momentarily stunned. "You... what did you call me?"
"Boa!" Ian said with some confusion. "I can't keep calling you 'you' all the time, can I?"
"Then... how should I address you?" Boa Hancock asked. She still didn't even know Ian's name until now.
"Just call me Ian!"
"Ian?" Boa Hancock silently repeated the name twice, then nodded. "I'll remember. When the time comes and the Marines ask for my opinion, I'll support you. However..."
However, Boa Hancock didn't know why Ian was so confident that the Marines would nominate him to become a Warlord. The information she had gathered didn't include the fact that Ian had taken the Celestial Dragon's chip.
Ian also didn't notice the hesitation at the end of her words. He was currently calculating how many Warlords he could get to support him.
Kuma was one, that went without saying. Now Boa Hancock counted as another. Plus Jinbe — he had met him before, and their relationship was fairly friendly, so Jinbe might support him too when the time came.
Counting it this way, Ian could already secure the support of three Warlord members.
Although the position of Warlord was basically decided by the Marines alone, the support of three Warlords should make them take him more seriously, right? That was already half of the Warlord members.
Thinking of this, Ian couldn't help but smile happily. He said to Boa Hancock: "Alright, we've said enough. Help my crew members remove the petrification!"
As soon as she mentioned this, Boa Hancock suddenly thought of something and asked Ian: "Your crew members... they're the people you brought out from Mary Geoise, aren't they!?"
"Of course!" Ian nodded. "I sent some of them away, and the rest are now following me."
Hearing that these crew members were also former slaves, Boa Hancock nodded. Fisher Tiger had done the same back then — after freeing the slaves, he set sail and formed a pirate crew. So Ian's actions were understandable.
"Awaken!"
She extended her right hand toward the petrified statues and gently blew a breath. Then, heart-shaped light waves spread out, enveloping the statues.
Immediately after, Ian's crew members woke up.
However, their memories were still stuck at the moment when Boa Hancock had first jumped onto their ship, so they were all on high alert, staring at the Pirate Empress, completely unaware of what had happened during the time they were petrified.
"Take this!" Boa Hancock pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Ian. "This is my Vivre Card. If you need it, you can follow its guidance and come to Amazon Lily!"
"Oh!" Ian took it, looked at it, and carefully put it away.
Boa Hancock waved toward the distant Kuja pirate ship, and then the ship began sailing toward them.
"I... I'm leaving!" Boa Hancock turned back to Ian.
"Alright... alright!" Ian was momentarily stunned before responding.
He just felt that ever since she learned his identity, Boa Hancock had changed somewhat. Her queenly demeanor had disappeared, and her attitude toward him had become much gentler, giving him a feeling of adorable contrast.
He really wanted to say something more to Boa Hancock, but when he thought about it, there didn't seem to be any more topics. Since he wasn't planning to go to Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock would naturally have to return.
It wasn't just him feeling this way. Boa Hancock felt the same — she wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.
Finally, when the Kuja pirate ship pulled alongside, Boa Hancock could only leave.
Ian watched Boa Hancock walk into the cabin, feeling somewhat listless. He could only turn and go back into his own cabin, leaving the crew on deck exchanging bewildered glances, wondering what had happened and why Captain Ian and the Pirate Empress had such expressions.
On the Kuja pirate ship, Boa Hancock walked into the cabin and said: "Don't disturb me. I need to rest!"
A Kuja warrior asked: "Snake Princess, are you just going to let this Dragon Hunter Pirates leave like that?"
"Yes!" Boa Hancock nodded without saying anything more. She entered her room, lay down on the chair formed by Salome's coiled body, and stared silently at the ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long time, she lifted her right foot and gently stroked her ankle.
This was the spot where Ian had grabbed her with his hand twice.
From the first time she saw Ian on Stripe Island, her intuition told her that this man seemed somewhat different. But she never expected that Ian was actually the real black-clothed masked man she had been looking for.
And what surprised her most was that Ian was so young...
"His name is Ian?" Boa Hancock gently stroked her leg, murmuring to herself: "Do I... really look good in stockings...?"