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She had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Arthur again, but now that he was actually here, she was suddenly at a loss for words.
"Lord Arthur?"
"Snake Princess knows this man!"
"He looks very powerful..."
A group of women, completely devoid of shyness, critiqued Arthur openly. Some even took notes, recording his appearance, attire, and behavior.
"All of you, back away!!"
After fiercely and rudely shoving the female warriors aside, Hancock suddenly became coy and bashful, her pretty face flushing crimson.
"Hancock, tell me, how did you end up fighting?" Arthur stepped onto the iron chain, walking steadily from the Rockwell ship toward the Kuja ship. With a final leap, he landed on the deck in front of Hancock.
"Han... Hancock?"
Hearing Arthur call her by name, she looked as if she were about to faint. Her body wriggled uncontrollably as she fell into a delusion.
In her fantasy, Arthur raised an eyebrow, gave her a thumbs-up, and called out her name, syllable by syllable, leaving her utterly captivated.
"Lord Arthur, this rude, crazy woman charged at us the moment she saw us. To prevent her from disturbing you, I took the initiative to attack..." Rockwell said, his face filled with shame.
"Hmph! How was I supposed to know you weren't some lowly man using Lord Arthur's banner to swindle people?" Hancock's eyebrows shot up. She pointed at Rockwell with a look of utter disdain, then hurriedly waved her hands to explain to Arthur, "I wasn't talking about you, Lord Arthur!"
"Alright, we're all on the same side!"
Listening to their bickering, Arthur felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. He waved his hand helplessly. "Hancock, you lead the Kuja Pirates now. You've become the Empress of Amazon Lily, haven't you?"
"Do you plan to move to the New World and settle in the Thunder God's territory?"
"Settle in the Thunder God's territory? Does... does this mean the legendary Amazon Lily tradition of... marriage?" Hearing this, Hancock's face turned so red it looked like steam might erupt from her ears, and she instantly plunged back into her fantasies.
"Not marriage. I mean moving the entire island of Amazon Lily out of the Calm Belt!" Arthur explained patiently.
With his current abilities, once he familiarized himself with the Float-Float Fruit, moving an island wouldn't be too difficult. While the fruit was top-tier, the difficulty of developing it was actually quite low compared to others.
"This... Lord Arthur, we need to go back and discuss this with Elder Nyon!" Sandersonia suddenly spoke up.
"No need to discuss anything with that old hag. I make the decisions for Amazon Lily!" Hancock declared with awe-inspiring dominance.
"Good!"
Arthur nodded, then turned to Rockwell. "Rockwell, take your crew and head to the New World. I've already briefed Stussy, the acting Vice Captain who handles affairs, about you!"
"Yes, Lord Arthur!" Rockwell replied respectfully.
Truth be told, having Arthur on his ship for over a month had been incredibly stressful. Now that Arthur was leaving, he could finally relax on the journey.
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The Rockwell Pirates departed. Given their current strength, no one in the first half of the Grand Line, aside from the Navy, could pose a threat to them. Arthur was reassured.
So, he boarded the Kuja Pirates' ship. After filling his stomach thanks to the fiery hospitality of the women, he dove headfirst into the room Hancock had arranged for him and fell into a deep sleep.
Inside the cabin.
Red curtains, red quilts, red furniture and utensils—Arthur lay on the bed, his entire body and mind sinking into slumber.
The excessive drain on his physical and mental energy, combined with pain no ordinary person could endure for eight full days, meant that the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out cold. Nothing could wake him.
A group of women, brimming with curiosity about men, sneaked into the room, their eyes wide as they watched the steadily breathing Arthur.
"Men love to fight; they start a war as soon as they meet!"
"Men are gluttons; they can eat a mountain of food!"
"Men love to sleep; they fall asleep right after eating..."
A tall beauty in a bikini pulled a notebook from her chest, writing furiously while muttering under her breath.
"Get out, all of you! No one is allowed in or out of Lord Arthur's room..." Hancock walked in from outside, head held high, hands on her hips, looking proud and arrogant.
In her heart, she secretly added, 'Except for me!'
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Five days later. The Calm Belt, Amazon Lily!
Dragged by the giant serpents, the red pavilion-style pirate ship traversed the Calm Belt, teeming with Sea Kings, and arrived at its destination.
On the island, countless women stood at the port, eagerly awaiting the return of the Kuja Pirates. It was a sea of people, with cheers rising and falling like waves.
At the forefront was a very short old woman leaning on a snake staff, holding a newspaper in her hand. She watched with an anxious and worried expression as the Kuja Pirates sailed into the harbor...
"Long live Snake Princess!"
"Snake Princess is so beautiful!!"
Countless compliments and praises poured freely from the Kuja warriors on the shore. Everyone looked at the pirates disembarking with worship and fanaticism.
For the women of Amazon Lily, joining the pirate crew to plunder the seas was the highest honor.
Hancock walked at the very front, her head held high with immense pride, flanked by her sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold.
The three of them accepted the praise of the islanders without a change in expression, as if it were only natural.
"Snake Princess! Look at what you've done on this expedition!" 'Elder Nyon' Gloriosa tapped her staff on the ground, looking at Hancock with disappointment and frustration.
"Sinking the Heavenly Tribute transport ship of the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons? That could doom the entire island of Amazon Lily to eternal damnation!!"
The Navy's Buster Call was no joke!
In the past, Amazon Lily had the Calm Belt as a natural barrier; the endless Sea Kings would devour any crew that entered. But now, Navy warships possessed the ability to cross the Calm Belt. The natural barrier was no longer insurance.
Angering the World Government meant that once they made their move, Amazon Lily would have no reason to survive.
So, when Gloriosa saw the news in the paper, she was both furious and anxious, rushing to the port to lecture Hancock.
"Why hasn't Lord Arthur woken up yet? Is he ignoring me? I heard the Thunder God Pirates' current acting Vice Captain is named Stussy, and she's a peerless beauty!!" Hancock couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Elder Nyon, muttering to herself as if performing a monologue.
What were the Celestial Dragons compared to Lord Arthur? With him here, they wouldn't dare come.
"Hmph! Shut up!" Hancock looked at the short old woman blocking her path. Fury erupted, and she kicked the chattering Gloriosa flying.
"Sinking the Heavenly Tribute transport ship? No matter what mistake I make, I will be forgiven, because..." She threw her head back, left hand on her hip, right hand pointing at the flying Elder Nyon, and declared with unparalleled narcissism.
"I am simply too beautiful!"
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