"She collapsed?"
Rengoku's expression turned serious as he listened to the news of Hancock's condition.
"Yes! The doctors examined her, but none of them could determine the cause! What on earth is going on? Granny Nyon! You know something, don't you?"
"Nyonyon… Sonia, can you please let me go first? It's hard to talk like this."
Granny Nyon calmly soothed Sonia, and after a moment of hesitation, she let go.
"Let's head straight to where the Snake Princess is. I'll explain more once we're there."
Granny Nyon quickly moved down the hallway with her short steps. Sonia and Rengoku followed right behind her.
Before long, with the escort guards stepping aside, Rengoku was led into Amazon Lily's absolute forbidden zone, a sacred area off-limits to all men.
"Ugh…"
"What's wrong?" Rengoku asked, noting Sonia's hesitation.
She wavered for a moment at the thought of letting a man into her sister's private chamber but ultimately relented and opened the door.
"Don't try anything funny with my sister!"
Her warning was powerless—driven by concern more than threat.
Rengoku gave a silent nod to acknowledge her worry and stepped inside.
In the center of the lavish chamber, Boa Hancock lay unconscious on her bed.
She was still dressed in her crimson battle attire, too weak from the sudden illness to have changed. A pale pink-patterned snake, her beloved companion, anxiously circled her, almost as if it were pacing in worry.
"Haa... Haa..."
Her breath was ragged, and her flushed face gave off a fragile aura. Even Rengoku, despite himself, couldn't help but momentarily admire her beauty.
Her clothes, soaked with sweat, clung to her form.
Strands of her once-soft hair stuck to her cheeks and neck. Her fair complexion now bore a deep flush, and her usually lively lips had turned faint pink, losing their vitality.
Due to the urgency of her condition, there hadn't even been time to properly cover her with a blanket. Sweat beaded across her exposed midsection, pooling lightly around her navel.
The tension and relaxation of her muscles from the fever had loosened the edge of her garments, creating a disheveled look that, while unintentional, revealed the physical toll of her illness.
Granny Nyon and Sonia, having spent most of their lives among women and overwhelmed by the situation, hadn't thought to consider how Hancock's state might appear to an outsider. Their concern for her health far outweighed any sense of modesty in that moment.
Only Rengoku noticed the situation and, acting quickly, removed his Marine coat and gently draped it over her body.
He then grabbed a nearby towel and began wiping the sweat from her face.
"Has she taken any fever medicine?"
"Yes! We gave her something right away, but her temperature isn't going down at all!"
Sonia was visibly distressed, tears welling up in her eyes as she helplessly paced beside her sister—this was the first time she'd ever seen Hancock in such a state.
Realizing how critical things were, Rengoku leaned his forehead against Hancock's to check her temperature directly.
"What are you doing, you creep?!"
"Wait! Sonia! This is how you check a fever properly. Hands aren't accurate, but foreheads can give a better reading. Just observe for now."
"...39.3°C. If it goes up by even 0.2 more, we'll need to transfer her to a specialized medical facility. For now, bring me a cold, damp towel."
If her temperature exceeded 39.5°C, it would become a serious emergency requiring advanced care, but thankfully it hadn't reached that point yet.
"A fever is the body's defense mechanism against illness. Has she eaten anything strange lately?"
"Nothing! Everything Sis eats is carefully selected and filtered to be the best!"
Sonia wrung out a damp towel and handed it to Rengoku.
He gently placed it on Hancock's forehead while trying to piece together every possible cause he could think of.
Virus? Bacteria? Blood infection?
Sudden high fever could come from many causes.
Pneumonia? Ear infection? Urinary tract infection?
The on-site doctor had already examined her but found no clear cause. It wasn't likely they were incompetent either...
Rengoku gently lifted her face and checked her ears.
No redness or swelling of the eardrum—ruling out an ear infection.
Could it be pneumonia?
But she only had labored breathing—no signs of a cough.
Then...
It was a long shot, but Rengoku decided to ask a sensitive question.
"Has Boa Hancock recently been... physically involved with anyone?"
"What did you just say?!"
Sonia initially thought Rengoku was being inappropriate, but when she saw the sincerity and seriousness in his eyes, she calmed down.
There was no ulterior motive—just a professional's urgent concern.
"No. Absolutely not. I can promise you that."
Hearing her response, Rengoku became even more perplexed.
He had gone through every likely cause of high fever, and none applied. If this continued, her life might truly be in danger.
Not even the ship's medical staff could explain this... Wait. The ship.
"Granny Nyon! Earlier you mentioned the Supermarine-class battleship. Do you know anything more about it?"
Only then did Granny Nyon remember what she had meant to say.
Originally, Granny Nyon had intended to explain things step by step, but the situation had escalated so quickly that she had forgotten entirely.
"To explain this, I'll need to start from her past… but right now—"
"Then just tell me the key points!!"
Rengoku's voice, unusually sharp, cut through the room. It was rare for him to raise his voice, but he would never allow someone to die in front of him—no matter who they were.
Even if she was a pirate, she was still one of the Seven Warlords. More importantly, as the reigning Empress of Amazon Lily, her sudden death would throw the island into chaos.
If the pillar of power fell, those under it would spiral out of control. It could lead to even greater instability.
No matter what—Boa Hancock must survive!
"She has trauma related to the World Government," Granny Nyon said quickly. "Especially when it comes to Supermarine-class battleships—those ships are only deployed by Marine Admirals. When she escaped from the World Government's clutches, the greatest fear she faced was one of those ships!"
She didn't go into further detail, but it was clear: the mere sight of the Supermarine-class battleship triggered a deep-rooted defense mechanism within Hancock's psyche, born from her past trauma with the World Government.
"The timing of this trauma—when was it?"
"Around 17 years ago, I'd say."
Seventeen years ago… Supermarine-class battleship…
These massive ships were the largest in the Marines' arsenal, with only three existing, all docked at Marineford.
The one Rengoku had arrived on had been lent to him by Admiral Borsalino, who said, "You're practically a full Admiral now anyway. Might as well make a strong impression when meeting a Warlord."
Because of their rarity and importance, the deployment records of Supermarine-class battleships were meticulously kept. Rengoku had reviewed them before.
Seventeen years ago… and then it hit him.
The Celestial Dragons.
The word struck his mind like a bolt of lightning.
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