Nami, after finishing her complaints, finally turned her gaze to Black Maria.
The moment she got a clear look at Black Maria's height, her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect "O."
Tilting her head back to stare up at the Black Maria who was a full eight meters tall, Nami felt like her neck was about to snap.
She couldn't help clicking her tongue in amazement.
Then she quickly sidled up to Robin, nudged her with an elbow, and whispered,
"Hey, Robin, look at this woman—she's way too tall, isn't she? I'm guessing she's gotta be like eight meters. My god… standing in front of her, I look like an elementary school kid."
Robin covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then nodded.
"She really is tall. Among female pirates, Miss Black Maria's height is definitely one of the top."
Nami nodded, then scooted over to Nojiko and kept whispering, her face full of gossip and confusion.
"Nojiko, tell me—Rei Ao brought back a woman this tall… how is he even supposed to use her?"
"The height difference is insane, right? He's, what, just over 1.8 meters? That's almost four times! What's he thinking?"
Nojiko's face turned red from the question. She smacked Nami lightly and said helplessly,
"Why do you even care? He's always been like that. If he likes her, what is there he can't do?"
"Stop gossiping here—what if Hancock hears you?"
"Hear what?" Nami pouted.
But she still reflexively glanced at Hancock. Seeing Hancock staring at Black Maria and not paying attention to them, Nami finally let out a breath of relief.
She continued whispering,
"I'm just curious! You think a woman that tall needs a custom giant bed to sleep? Eats out of a basin? What does Rei Ao even want?"
"Because she's pretty and has a great figure," Robin said with a smile, her eyes teasing.
Nami froze for a second, then nodded hard in agreement.
"True. Aside from being tall… she is pretty, and her body's amazing. That whole… allure thing—most people can't compete."
"But I'm still curious—how does he even use her?"
Their voices were quiet, but Black Maria's hearing was excellent. She caught every single word.
Her face darkened instantly.
She trembled with rage, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Back in the Beasts Pirates, she had been one of the Tobiroppo—someone who called the shots. Who would dare talk about her like this? Who would dare look at her with such sleazy eyes?
And now, she'd been dragged here for no reason, her Devil Fruit powers sealed, and people were gossiping about her like this—pure humiliation!
Black Maria whipped her head around and glared viciously at Nami, gritting her teeth as she snapped,
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Nami jumped at the sudden shout.
But she quickly recovered, folded her arms, and not only wasn't scared—she rolled her eyes instead.
"What I say is none of your business. I'm telling the truth—am I wrong? Rei Ao brought you back, and you're still acting all high and mighty?"
"You—!"
Black Maria's face flushed red with anger.
She instinctively wanted to lash out, but the moment she moved, she remembered her Devil Fruit had been sealed.
And this was Amazon Lily—surrounded by Kuja warriors, with Hancock right here. There was no way she could win.
So she forced herself to endure it.
Just then, Hancock finally spoke.
She stepped forward two paces, standing in front of the three of them.
The gentleness and docility on her face vanished without a trace, replaced by the cold pride and commanding aura of the Pirate Empress.
Chin lifted, she swept an icy gaze over all three—especially Black Maria—and spoke coolly:
"You three, listen carefully."
Hancock's voice wasn't loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority.
The entire hall fell silent in an instant. Even Nami shut her mouth and stopped gossiping.
"From today onward, this place is your home.
Rei Ao-sama has entrusted you to me, so I will teach you the rules of this place properly."
"On Amazon Lily, in this palace, Rei Ao-sama is the heavens. He is everything to you.
Your bodies, your lives, everything you have—belongs to Rei Ao-sama."
"Whoever dares disobey Rei Ao-sama's orders, whoever dares refuse to behave… I will never forgive her."
As her words fell, a faint wave of Conqueror's Haki seeped from her.
She wasn't deliberately releasing it, but the pressure alone made Kozuki Hiyori's face go pale, and she instinctively took a step back.
Black Maria clenched her teeth, her expression ugly, yet she didn't dare say a word.
She knew it—right now, she had no right to resist.
Yamato only rolled her eyes, leaned against a nearby pillar, and acted like none of this had anything to do with her.
Seeing their reactions, Hancock nodded with satisfaction.
Then she waved at the attendants beside her and said coldly,
"Take the three of them to their rooms and settle them in. Starting today, teach them the rules properly. Understood?"
"Yes, Lady Hancock!"
Several armored female warriors immediately stepped forward and gestured politely. "This way, please."
Kozuki Hiyori looked at Yamato, then at Hancock. In the end, she bit her lip and followed the attendants.
Black Maria hesitated for a moment, but she had no choice—so she followed as well.
Yamato waved casually at Hancock and walked after them too.
She actually wanted to find somewhere to sleep. That spatial jump earlier had left her a little dizzy.
Watching the three of them leave, Hancock's small mouth pouted again, her face full of displeasure.
Nami walked over, patted her on the shoulder, and said with a grin,
"Alright, Hancock, don't be mad. You know Rei Ao's always been like this."
Hancock turned to Nami and spoke with a wronged, pouty look:
"But… he brought more women back… I… I'm really jealous…"
"Being jealous won't help," Robin said with a smile as she walked over and adjusted her glasses.
"It's not your first day knowing Mr. Rei Ao. You know what he's like."
"But it's fine. No matter how many women he brings back, you're definitely different in his heart—otherwise he wouldn't hand them over to you to 'train,' right?"
Hancock froze, and then her eyes lit up instantly.
Right!
Rei Ao-sama handing them to her to train meant that in Rei Ao-sama's heart, she was the most important!
In an instant, Hancock no longer felt wronged. A smile returned to her face—there was even a hint of smugness.
She put her hands on her hips, lifted her chin proudly, and once again looked like the supremely confident Pirate Empress.
"That's right! The one Rei Ao-sama loves most is definitely me!"
Nami and Nojiko exchanged a look and smiled helplessly.
Seriously—every time.
The moment you tell her she's the most important one in Rei Ao's heart, she perks up right away. She's so easy to cheer up.