Bang!!
Hancock landed another powerful airborne kick, smashing Sero heavily into the ground.
The force of this kick was likely on par with the one she would later use to collapse Douglas Bullet.
At any rate, Sero was now lying on the ground, aching all over.
"Die!!!"
Fixing her gaze on the downed Sero, Hancock wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity slip by.
From above, she descended with a crushing blow, her Armament Haki-infused Giant Perfume Femur aimed straight at Sero's head.
"Water Breathing! Sixth Form: Whirlpool!"
As tempting as it was to enjoy the view from below, Sero quickly decided he'd rather not have his head smashed in the next second.
Instead of dodging, he slashed upward, executing Whirlpool.
A raging spiral of water burst from his katana, crashing into Hancock's descending form.
Caught off guard, Hancock lost her balance midair and was flung back dozens of meters.
"Water Breathing! Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop!"
Just as Hancock barely stabilized herself, Sero's voice suddenly came from behind.
Startled, she instinctively turned and launched a Haki-coated kick behind her.
With her incredibly sturdy high heel, made of some unknown material, she managed to barely block Sero's Piercing Rain Drop.
But the attack still shattered one of her shoes.
Sero looked at the broken heel in disbelief.
Still, this was his chance. Hancock was off-balance and falling backward.
"Water Breathing! Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
This time, Sero didn't bother turning the blade to strike with the back like before.
If she wasn't going to appreciate his kindness, then he wouldn't show any more.
His katana slammed into Hancock's body with full force.
Just like she had earlier kicked him into the ground, now Sero slashed her down with the same weight.
He thought this would finally end it…
But in a flash, Hancock, now on the ground, aimed an ethereal pink arrow directly at him.
"No one can resist falling for me! Turn to stone, you damned man, Slave Arrow!!"
A sneak attack.
When she couldn't win head-on, she resorted to dirty tricks.
Sero was speechless. Hancock was a true tactical gremlin.
He hurriedly raised his katana midair to block the arrow at close range.
Crack! Two-thirds of the blade instantly turned to stone.
It made his heart ache.
This blade had been with him since the beginning of his swordsmanship journey. Alongside Little Sparrow, it was like family.
Panicking, Sero jumped back dozens of meters and frantically motioned to Little Sparrow.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
"Yes, yes! Not just a fine seafood feast, I'll throw in a full Sea King banquet!"
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
"If I'm lying, I'm a mangy mutt! Hurry!"
Little Sparrow, ever the opportunist, demanded a grand meal before agreeing.
But the price was worth it.
Its raging fire burned away the petrification on the blade.
Fortunately, the sword's natural toughness helped preserve it.
"Whew… I let my guard down."
Honestly, Sero had forgotten that Hancock was a Love-Love Fruit user.
He'd gotten too caught up in testing her hand-to-hand combat.
"Hmph! Slave Arrow Barrage!!"
Impressed by the tiny bird's flames, Hancock didn't let up; she leapt into the air again, unleashing a volley of pink arrows.
Countless Slave Arrows shot down toward Sero in a furious rain.
"Water Breathing! Eleventh Form: Calm Water!"
Sero, as if surrendering, drove his katana vertically into the earth and stood motionless.
This baffled Hancock.
Yet she didn't stop her barrage. The arrows now rained down thick as fog.
In her mind, Sero would be turned into a standing stone statue.
But strangely, a complex feeling welled up inside her.
She couldn't help but recall everything that had happened in the past hour.
This man, unlike others, hadn't shown the slightest greed when looking at her.
He even turned the blade to its back when striking.
Maybe it wasn't pity…
Maybe it was tenderness.
"Dodge it!!"
Right as the arrows neared Sero, only a meter away, Hancock suddenly shouted at him.
Sero stood frozen, confused.
But just then, every single arrow cracked, shattered, and disappeared midair, less than a meter from him.
The battlefield returned to complete silence and calm.
"…What just happened?"
Landing back on the ground, Hancock stared at Sero in shock.
From what she saw, he hadn't even moved.
Yet all her arrows had vanished like dust.
Grrrrrumble…
A loud sound broke the silence. It came from Sero's stomach.
It made things just a bit awkward.
"Er… It's probably lunchtime… So… let's call it a day and end this fight!"
"Little Sparrow!"
Sero raised his katana and called out to his tiny bird companion.
Little Sparrow, also hungry, obediently flapped its little wings and rose above him.
Suddenly, blazing flames burst from its tiny body.
In seconds, it transformed into a towering Vermilion Bird, soaring in the sky like a second sun.
Hancock was utterly stunned.
"No wonder it could produce such massive flames… It must have eaten a Devil Fruit?!"
"But… what is he planning to do with it?!"
She still didn't understand.
The next second, the transformed Vermilion Bird turned into a stream of flame and fused into Sero's katana.
Now, a blazing flame katana appeared in Sero's hand.
A bad feeling suddenly flashed through Hancock's mind.
"Ryūjin Jakka, All Things Turn to Ash!"
Sero swung with everything he had.
His sword aura, engulfed in flames, tore through the sky.
In a flash, it swept past Hancock, who stood frozen in shock.
Behind her, the sea and sky were split in two.
A deep trench formed in the ocean, fire raging along both sides.
Above, a massive slash of flame etched across the sky like it would burn the heavens away.
"That strike… it holds twenty years of my swordsmanship. Is it enough to conquer Hancock now?"
Sero sheathed his katana, and Little Sparrow returned to his shoulder, back in its small form.
When he looked forward, he saw Hancock crouched on the ground, her body curled up.
The strike hadn't hit her; it passed just a meter beside her.
But the flames had burned away her cheongsam.
At this moment, she looked like a helpless lamb.
Sero felt a wave of guilt and quickly stepped forward to cover her with his coat.
And in that moment, he saw it.
On Hancock's back, the Celestial Dragon's Hoof.
He froze.
Just for a second.
But that second of stillness made Hancock panic.
She scrambled to cover her back, but it was too late.
"Don't look! Don't look! Please… don't look…"
Tears streamed from her eyes.
To Hancock, this was the worst moment since escaping the Red Line.
Defeated by a man, then seen in her most vulnerable state.
The urge to die surged inside her.
But then, she felt warmth.
The coat.
Sero had draped it over her.
"I wasn't the one who hurt your crew… and I'm not a pirate."
Sero saw no point in comforting words.
The Celestial Dragon's Hoof was a lifelong burden. And no amount of sympathy would ease what Hancock had endured.
So he simply turned and left.
His stomach growled. He needed lunch.
On the way, he grumbled about the mission system.
"What, I haven't 'conquered' Hancock yet? Does she need to kneel and sing 'Conquered' for it to count, you damn system?!"
Of course, the mission system didn't respond.
It was always silent.
"…Right. It's always been a mute system. Never mind."
Unlike Sero, who was back to normal, Hancock was still lost in thought.
She clutched the coat, watching Sero's back as he walked away, her eyes full of complicated emotions.
"Just… what kind of man is he?"