It didn't matter whether it was a stealth infiltration or an open entry—Amazon Lily never accepted any form of violation.
Amazon Lily, as the name suggested, was an island inhabited exclusively by women, and for centuries, an unyielding and cruel rule had dictated: Men are not allowed.
But there he was, a daring man, with his trademark smile and typical carefree attitude: Monkey D. Luffy.
The second sister, Sandersonia, and the third sister, Marigold, exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of fury and disbelief. They knew that the punishment for such disrespect was fatal, yet it was impossible not to be infuriated by Luffy's completely relaxed demeanor.
"Luffy, the Straw Hat!" Sandersonia shouted, fists clenched.
"You boarded our ship and followed us here?!"
Marigold, with a piercing gaze, shook her head in disapproval. She couldn't believe the audacity of the man before them.
Hancock, with a stern expression, her eyes brimming with coldness, looked at Luffy. With a graceful movement, she extended her index finger to her lips, creating a massive pink heart in front of her.
Without wasting time, she shot an arrow—a deadly weapon capable of turning anyone it touched into stone.
Marigold laughed sarcastically when she saw Luffy's movement.
"You may not feel it, but what our older sister used is stronger than anything you've ever seen. You're finished, Luffy!"
"No matter what trick you used on the warship, this time there's no escape. You're completely lost!" Sandersonia added, crossing her arms and showing confidence.
But the Empress, even with her cold gaze, slightly furrowed her brow. Something wasn't right. She felt a thread of unease, but she couldn't allow herself to be shaken.
Luffy, however, was having fun.
"These two sisters are hilarious..." he thought, before stretching out his right hand and grabbing the Slave Arrow. With a simple snap, he crushed the pink arrow effortlessly, leaving the two sisters stunned.
"What?!" they exclaimed, their mouths agape in shock.
The Empress, however, was even more perplexed.
(Busoshoku Haki... And at an impressive level!)
She narrowed her eyes, trying to understand the situation.
(No wonder he dared to enter Amazon Lily. He's stronger than I imagined...)
With a quick movement, Hancock charged, her legs moving with the agility of a serpent ready to strike. Her high heels sparkled in the air as she prepared to strike Luffy directly in the face, releasing a wave of Haki, her petrifying power coursing through the attack.
Luffy, however, had already seen the future. His eyes glowed with a quick and clear premonition. He raised the palm of his right hand, the Conqueror's Haki intertwining with his aura.
In an instant, an explosion of energy filled the room.
Bang!
The impact reverberated through the room as if a hurricane had passed, even causing the Empress to halt in mid-air. The power of the shockwave made her instinctively recoil, her attack blocked before it even touched him.
"What?!" Sandersonia and Marigold shouted in unison, their eyes wide with surprise. "He... He has Conqueror's Haki?!"
The Empress, who had already used the same Haki, was even more perplexed.
"What... is this man...?" she thought, her lips trembling.
"Even Conqueror's Haki... He... He's mastering it better than I am!"
Luffy smiled, as if everything were one big joke.
"Don't get so mad. I'm not here to fight you. I just asked for some information... and I can compensate you for that later." He said with the kind of lightness only he could muster, ignoring the growing tension in the room.
Her provocative expression made the Empress lose her patience.
"Enough!" she shouted, her voice fierce.
"I'll finish you right now!"
Right behind him, Sandersonia and Marigold transformed.
"Sister! We'll help you!" they shouted in unison, their bodies transforming through the power of their Akuma no Mi.
Both shouted simultaneously.
"Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Anaconda!"
"Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: King Cobra!"
Two enormous snakes, almost as large as the room, took form.
But Luffy, with an expression of pure indifference, shook his head.
"Ah, forget it. I just came to ask for directions..." he murmured, dispersing his Conqueror's Haki with a dismissive sigh.
Without giving further explanation, he stepped forward and, with a swift motion, grabbed the Empress's ankle, lifting her off the ground with surprising strength. Before the sisters could react, Luffy propelled himself forward with a phenomenal jump, breaking the window and leaping into the air.
"Sister Master!" Sandersonia and Marigold shouted, rushing to the window, but their massive, transformed bodies couldn't fit through.
Outside, the island's guardians began to stir as they saw the Empress being carried away. Aifurandora, one of the tallest and most respected warriors on the island, looked up and saw Luffy soaring through the sky with her sister in his arms.
"Oh no! The Empress has been kidnapped!" she cried, panic-stricken, quickly drawing her bow and preparing an arrow.
But before she could shoot, another warrior screamed in terror:
"No! You'll hurt the Empress! We have to stop them! Chase after them!"
Meanwhile, Hancock was in a state of total disbelief. Her eyes were fixed on nothing, and her body seemed tense and paralyzed, as if she was trying to process what had just happened. The sound of the broken window still echoed in her ears, but nothing had prepared her for what followed.
It was only when the word "kidnapped" reached her ears that she finally regained her senses. Those words, spoken by someone already running toward the city, sent a shockwave through her.
The repulsion she had always felt toward men, something she carried so intensely, now seemed to have a physical effect. Her skin tingled with discomfort, and her mind was overtaken by a deep unease. "Damn..." she cursed mentally. "Turn to stone, you idiot!"
With a swift motion, the Empress activated her petrification power, and a wave of pink energy enveloped Luffy. But, to her surprise, what she saw wasn't a victim turning to stone. He... simply avoided it.
Luffy, with his relaxed smile and eyes glowing with foresight, looked at her with a curious expression.
"Slave mark..." he murmured, his voice almost sounding like a spell. The Empress, caught in a wave of confusion, saw her own energy dissipate. Her pupils contracted, and she felt a cold shiver running down her spine. "This... this can't be..."
The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. She, the mighty Empress, was there, at the mercy of a man who didn't even seem to be trying. Luffy dodged her attacks as if they were nothing. She felt her strength slipping through her fingers, and for the first time in a long time, her will to resist collapsed. "I can't..."
Luffy easily jumped onto the roof of one of the nearby houses, looking at her with an even wider smile. He approached, the lightness of his step contrasting with the tension in the air. He whispered softly:
"Is there any uninhabited island near Women's Island? Which direction is it? Can you point me the way?"
The Empress, stunned and unsure how to respond, swallowed hard. "He... He's serious?" Her body trembled, and her mind was in tatters.
"Were you... sent by the World Nobles?" The Empress bit her lip, her voice trembling.
Contrary to her previous arrogant image, she now seemed weak, pitiable, and defenseless.
"What?" He was visibly surprised by her confusion, but then smiled, letting out a soft laugh.
"Sorry, I poked at a wound unintentionally. But, as for the World Nobles... it has nothing to do with me."
He paused, as if reflecting on the best way to answer, before continuing.
"My father is Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and his goal is to destroy the World Nobles."
The Empress froze. Those words were like a punch to the stomach. The man before her was the son of the one the World Government called "the most dangerous criminal in the world."
Her mind went blank. For a moment, she couldn't organize her thoughts. The information overwhelmed her to the point that she fell silent, her eyes fixed on Luffy, as if he were an unsolvable riddle. "Is this real...?" she thought.
Not knowing what to do, she lifted her finger, pointing to the horizon, as if being pulled by an invisible force, obeying something beyond her will.
"Thank you," Luffy smiled, grateful for the information, before turning and preparing to leave.
In the blink of an eye, Luffy entered Gear Fifth, his body twisting with power. The roof beneath his feet softened with a dull thud, sinking instantly as if made of rubber. With a swift movement, he jumped into the air, taking the Empress with him.
Swoosh!
In an instant, both shot into the sky, disappearing in a silver streak of light that cut across the horizon, leaving only a trail of destruction behind.
"Empress!" The voices of the island's guardians echoed, filled with panic and confusion. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
In a small tea house, an elderly woman sat calmly reading her newspaper. The sound of a sudden tremor made her look away from the page, and she raised her head with a sigh of displeasure.
"What's that noise?" she murmured, irritated.
A woman, running hurriedly, burst through the door with wide eyes.
"Something terrible has happened! The Empress has been kidnapped by a man!"
"What did you say?!" The old woman exclaimed, jumping from her chair as if struck by lightning.
She looked at the woman who had told her with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"How is that possible?! Where did a man come from on this island? No... even if he got in, how could the Empress, with all her power, be captured by someone?!" Her mind seemed to struggle to process the impossible.
Far away, in the hills, Sandersonia and Marigold arrived at the scene, their expressions furious.
"Vice-Admiral! Is this how you handle our Sister when she refuses to be summoned?!" they shouted in unison, their teeth clenched and their gazes piercing.
Meanwhile, on the warship, three kilometers from Women's Island, a solitary figure observed the situation with a tired expression.
Momonga, watching the chaos unfold, was picking up bottles and jars from the infirmary, tending to his wounds with a serious look. He wasn't a fool. Boa Hancock's Akuma no Mi was an extremely powerful ability, one he knew was difficult to deal with.
He sighed, the weight of the situation hanging over his shoulders.
"Ha..." He sighed, looking at the horizon.
"If Luffy goes to Women's Island, it's going to be problematic."
As he reflected on what he had just witnessed, the sound of a Den Den Mushi from his pocket interrupted his thoughts. The device started to ring, cutting through the silence.
Pururupuru~
"What now?" He murmured, aware that more problems were about to arise.
---
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."