High above in the sky, Ben looked down. He could see that the castle was being protected by the Kuja Tribe. He knew Hancock was in the shower. He thought back to how Luffy ended up in that situation and thought it probably is the best option.
Ben glided down through the air and crashed into the roof. The roof shattered as he went through it and landed on the bathtub. Ben felt the hot water touching. He started to transform back into his human form.
He looked up and saw the mist was parting. It revealed a sight that would have brought any other man to his knees. Standing in the center of the massive pool was Boa Hancock, completely nude. Her body was a masterpiece. Her skin was perfectly silk and smooth. It was glistening with droplets of warm water. She had a towering, slender body. She had curvy hips and a narrow waist. Her breasts were large and spectacularly round. She had dark, firm nipples. Hancock had long legs. She had round buttocks.
Ben then saw her back and saw a red mark on it. It looked like the foot of the dragon. Ben thought, The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon. He thought that was the mark of the celestial dragons on their slaves.
He clenched his fist with pure, unadulterated anger. He thought no person should be a slave to anyone.
Hancock froze. She felt the sudden presence behind her. She turned her head and saw through a mist a pair of large wings and red eyes. She looked in horror. "A bat?" she questioned. She saw the mist clearing and her eyes widened again "A man," she added.
At that moment, she realised he was standing right there and staring at her bare skin. "You saw it?" she gasped. "You saw the curse upon my back?!" she questioned.
At that moment, the doors burst open as Sandersonia and Marigold rushed into the room.
"Big sis what happened?" Sandersonia asked as she looked ahead.
"Is that man?" Marigold questioned as she looked at Ben.
Hancock grabbed her discarded royal robe and wrapped it around her exquisite curves with trembling hands. She looked at him and thought he was strikingly handsome. However, she thought he had seen it. Her thoughts turned into defensive rage.
"He saw my back," Hancock said.
Sandersonia and Marigold looked in shock.
"Then he will have to die," Marigold said as she held her spear.
Ben raised his hands. "Well," he said. "I have seen it before," he said a little quietly. He thought that was not an entire lie.
"We would rather die than let anyone see what you saw on my back," Hancock shouted.
Her fingers formed a heart shape. "Take everything you saw to the grave. Love-Love Beam," she said as a pink ray of energy erupted from her hands. It went towards Ben and through him.
Hancock stood there. She waited to see him turn into stone however it never came.
Ben stood exactly where he was.
"What?" Hancock whispered. "Why are you not stone?" she asked.
Ben looked down at his chest and then back at her. "I'm not sure," he admitted,
"Love-Love Beam," she said again as a pink ray of energy erupted from her hands. It went towards Ben and through him once again.
"Why does that not work? Does he not have any lust or excitement seeing me with my bare skin," Hancock said as she looked flustered.
"That is not possible, big sis," Marigold responded. "The naked body will charm anyone regardless of age or gender," she added.
"His fear of death must be overpowering his wicked thoughts," Sandersonia remarked.
"Maybe it's because I was too busy being angry off at what's on your back to feel 'lust' for you," Ben said.
Hancock's heart skipped a beat. "You know what that mark is?" she asked.
"We need to talk, Hancock," Ben said as he stepped forward. "I didn't come here to peek. I came here because I know your history, and I want to help," he added.
"Silence," Hancock said. "I will hear no lies from a man," Hancock added as her eyes flared. "Pistol Kiss," Hancock said as she blew a kiss and created a heart-shaped bullet. She took aim with her index finger. She then fused it with her Armament Haki and fired it at Ben. The heart shaped bullet went forward through the air.
Ben saw the pink bullet coming. He stood still. He thought this was going to hurt. He thought that if he fought back now, he would lose any chance of earning her trust. The projectile slammed into his shoulder and the force of it knocked him back against the marble wall. He grunted in pain and slid to the floor.
"Capture him," Hancock commanded. She looked at him and. Her eyes remained troubled. "Throw him into the pits," she shouted.
Ben let his arms go limp as Sandersonia and Marigold captured him. He looked at Hancock one last time before he was dragged away. He thought the first part of the plan was completed. He thought now it was the arena.
Hancock thought what a strange man.
After a few hours Ben stood in the Kuja Arena. He saw it was like a gladiator colosseum. There was a white stone circular floor. Between the arena and the stands there was a gap which was filled with water. Ben looked to see thousands of warrior women filling the stands.
The woman looked to see him. For some of the women, this was the first glimpse a man
"Wait, look at his face! I thought men were supposed to be shriveled, hairy monsters, but his features are so symmetrical. Is it possible for a man to be handsome?" one questioned.
"Why is a man even standing on our sacred soil? He's a walking infection," another shouted. "Someone call the guards, he shouldn't be allowed to breathe our air, let alone stand in the Empress's view," she added.
"He's so small and strangely shaped. Where are his curves? Men are such weird creatures. How do they even function?" another remarked.
"He looks sturdy enough, I suppose. But can a male truly withstand the strength of a Kuja," she said.
A younger girl tilted her head. "Is that really a man? He doesn't look like the drawings in the old book," she muttered.
"Most men would be trembling in their boots facing the Snake Princess, but he's standing there like he owns the pit. There's something dangerous about that one," one said.
Ben thought they had opinions. He thought at least they were not throwing this. He thought they kept his hands free. He looked to see Hancock Sandersonia, Marigold looking down at him.
"The Snake Princess is there," one shouted.
"Marigold," another cheered.
"They are all so cool," another added.
Ben thought they were fan girls. He thought Hancock was certainly popular.
Boa Hancock crossed her legs. Her long sexy legs were on display. "Tell me, man, why and how have you come here?" she asked.
Ben looked up. "I came flying here," Ben responded. "And the reason I came is because I want you to join my crew," he stated.
The arena went deathly silent for a heartbeat before erupting into a wave of stunned gasps and mocking laughter.
"He wants the Snake Princess to serve under a man? The sheer audacity is breathtaking," said a battle-scarred veteran as she tightened the grip on her serpent bow.
"Is he insane? He's barely the size of a Kuja elite, yet he speaks as if he's a King of the Sea," said a towering brawler as she let out a loud and mocking whistle that echoed through the stands.
"I thought men were supposed to be hideous, but he's remarkably easy on the eyes for a lunatic," said a younger scout as she leaned over the stone railing. Her face was flushed with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"He claims he flew here alone through the Calm Belt? He's either the greatest liar in the Grand Line or a monster in human skin," one said as she narrowed her gaze at Ben.
"To suggest our Empress is a mere subordinate is an insult to the entire Kuja tribe," said a high-ranking guard.
"Do men always talk this much before they are executed, or is this one just particularly full of himself?" said a massive warrior as she slammed her fist into her open palm.
Sandersonia and Marigold shared a look of pure disbelief. "How dare he?" Marigold said.
Sandersonia was looking at him closely. She thought he had seen him in her dream.
Hancock threw her head back. She let out a condescending laugh. "Join a man? You are bold, I will give you that. You might be passably good-looking for a male, but you are nowhere near my level of perfection," she said.
"She is right, his face is decent for a man, but the Empress is a goddess made of flesh," said a tall, muscular guard as she looked down at Ben.
"To think he actually believed his looks would be enough to sway our Princess is the funniest thing I've heard all year," said a broad-shouldered archer as she wiped a tear of laughter from her eye.
"Even a 'passably good-looking' man is still just a man. A primitive creature compared to the beauty of the Kuja," said a sharp-featured scout as she crossed her powerful arms.
"The Empress is perfection itself," another shouted.
"Snake Princess," Marguerite stepped forward. Her head bowed in shame. "It is my fault. I encountered him in the jungle and failed to report the full extent of his strange nature," she said. "I think he is not a bad person," she added.
"Marugerite," Aphelandra said.
"What is she doing?" Sweet Pea asked as he looked at her.
Ben thought this was bad. "Do not blame her," Ben interjected. "She was just doing her job," he added.
Hancock's eyes flashed with cold irritation. "A Kuja who defends a man? Disgraceful," she added. "Slave Arrow," Hancock said as she breathed in deeply and kissed out a heart. She then pulls the heart back with a hand and, with a pop like that of a bubble, one arrow was unleashed. The arrow went towards Marguerite.
Ben saw this and tackled her to the ground. The arrow narrowly missed them. They rolled through the dust just as the arrow whistled through the space where her head had been a microsecond before.
"She actually fired at one of our own! The Snake Princess's justice is as absolute as her beauty," said a high-ranking captain.
"That man, his speed is inhuman! He moved before the arrow even left her fingertips," said a sharp-eyed scout.
"To touch a Kuja warrior so boldly. He has no shame," one said.
"He dares to interfere with Snake Princess` judgment? He truly does not value his life," said a towering brawler.
"Did you see his muscles as he moved?" said a muscular veteran as she narrowed her eyes.
"Marguerite is lucky to be alive, but now she is twice the traitor for being saved by a male," said Kikyo.. She thought about who he was.
"We should help her," Aphelandra remarked.
"No," Kikyo responded as she looked at them. "She has chosen her path," she added.
Sweet Pea and Aphelandra both nodded.
Marguerite lay in the dust. Her breath hitched as she felt the weight of Ben's powerful body pressed onto her. His chest touched her beasts. The whistling wind of the Slave Arrow still echoed in her ears. She looked up. Her eyes were wide and trembling as Ben shielded her body with his own.
She thought he had actually jumped in front of the Empress's judgment for me. She thought no man has ever valued a Kuja's life above his own. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She looked at Ben. His face, his jawline, his eyes, his muscular chest. She thought her chest felt so tight. He was staring at her. A flush crept up her neck, despite the thousands of eyes watching them.
Marguerite looked at him once more. She thought this man was something else. She instinctively gripped the fabric of his shirt.
"Why?" she questioned as she stared at him.
Ben looked at her beautiful face. "Beacuse I want you to join me," Ben said. "You are important to me," Ben added as he touched her face.
Marguerite looked at him. She could feel her heartbeat pounded.
Hancock sneered. She thought he had saved her. "You both," she said. "If you want to live, you will die fighting. That is the Kuja way," she said.
"Let me handle this," Ben said as he smiled.
"But," Marguerite said.
Ben put her finger on her lip. "Let your Captain take care of this," Ben said.
Hancock looked at them and she felt something. "Bring me his head," she shouted.
Ben got up. "I will fight on the behalf of us both," Ben stated.
Hancock saw his eyes and conviction. "Go Bacura," she ordered as she crossed her legs.
At that moment, Bacura, a huge black panther, with yellow and red eyes, and large fangs jumped forward. She landed in the arena. She wore a brown cap that went halfway down her back.
"Ben, she is the famous executioner," Marguerite warned as she got up.
Ben's smile widened. He began to transform into his hybrid form. His fingers lengthened and became tipped with razor-sharp black claws. From his shoulder blades, massive black wings erupted with a violent snap, unfurling to cast a shadow over the arena floor. A sleek, black tail lashed behind him, and two dark horns pierced through his hair. His eyes turned into pupilless red eyes.
"A Mythical Zoan," Hancock remarked as her composure slipped for a fraction of a second.
"This form," Marguerite said. She thought she had seen it when they first met.
"He... he transformed!" the women in the stands cried out.
"So a man can be a beast too?" another one added.
"He looks terrifying, but so cool," a third shouted.
"Big sis, he has one as well?" Marigold questioned.
"Who is he?" Sandersonia questioned.
Bacura jumped towards Ben.
"Demon Fist," Ben said as he channelled his energy into his fist. He swung a single, massive clawed fist and hit Bacura in the face. The impact sounded like a cannon blast. Bacura was sent flying across the arena and hit the stone wall with a sickening thud.
The crowd went silent. Marguerite went silent. "Who is he?" Kikyo questioned.