"Come on, today I'll shatter the myth of your Armament Haki with my Indestructible Body."
Badak transformed into his Great Ape Form and assumed a defensive stance.
"Psycho."
Hancock punched Badak in the chest, using only about half her strength and minimal Haki—just enough to protect her hand.
With a "thud," Badak didn't budge an inch and gestured for Hancock to continue.
Confident now, Hancock delivered a full-power punch to Badak's stomach, sending him sliding backward a short distance.
"That punch had some real power behind it. It hurt a bit, but still didn't injure me."
Badak assessed the impact and accurately described his condition.
"In that case, I'll go all out with my Armament Haki. You might actually get hurt this time."
"Bring it on. Give me everything you've got."
This time was different. Hancock didn't attack immediately. Instead, she channeled all her Haki into her fist, feeling the invisible armor around her hand grow thicker. Only then did she strike, hitting Badak squarely on the shoulder.
Badak clearly sensed the attack before Hancock's fist even made contact. The moment her punch landed, the full force erupted, sending him flying until he crashed into a large tree.
"Oof, that really hurt," Badak said as he quickly got back on his feet. "Definitely injured, but not badly. That punch of yours is starting to show signs of Haki flow."
Instead of being pleased, Hancock felt disheartened. She had given it her all, excluding her Devil Fruit abilities, and Badak had taken the hit head-on without dodging—yet he only suffered minor injuries. Though she'd deliberately aimed for his shoulder to avoid seriously hurting him, the fact that Badak, who was so much younger and didn't even know Haki, could withstand her full power made her worry. In a few years, would she even be able to scratch him?
Unaware of Hancock's thoughts, Badak continued, "Hancock, why didn't you use your legs? What about your Perfume Leg?"
That's right—I could've used my legs. Kicks are much more powerful than punches. Besides, my strength has barely improved over the past three years; I'm only slightly stronger now than I was at twelve. But I'm about to enter a rapid growth phase, and my abilities will skyrocket soon.
"What Perfume Leg?"
"Huh? You don't know it? I thought you did."
"That's absurd. Are we done testing?"
"No need to continue. I've already gauged my defensive capabilities."
"Fine. I'm going to rest."
Badak flexed his shoulder as he walked toward the small boat. The pain had already faded. "A good night's sleep, and I should be fine by tomorrow."
With a "bang," the cabin door slammed shut, nearly hitting Badak in the nose. "Hey, that's too much! At least let me grab my sleeping bag."
A moment later, the door opened and closed again, and Badak's sleeping bag was tossed outside.
"Alright, fine. You are the Pirate Empress, after all."
Truthfully, Badak wasn't intimidated by the current Empress at all. Based on Vice Admiral Momonga's method of avoiding petrification by stabbing his own hand to override lust with pain, despite Badak's height of 1.7 meters, he was still half a month shy of turning nine. He had never experienced an erection—his mental attraction didn't translate physically. Right now, he was a man without desire."What kind of freaks are the Kozuki father and son? One was visiting brothels at six, the other a perverted lecher by eight."
The next morning, when Hancock woke up, food was already cooking, and Badak was practicing his swordplay.
Since crossing over to this world and eating the Devil Fruit, Badak's energy recovery has been exceptionally fast. He starts training every day before dawn. First, he does warm-up exercises, then practices swordsmanship. Currently, he focuses mainly on swordsmanship and physical training, and when he has time, he studies the Six Styles. The Devil Fruit has reached a certain level, and further development now depends on inspiration.
After watching Badak practice his swordsmanship from afar for a while, Hancock also began her own training. The two didn't interfere with each other until the sky brightened and the sun rose high.
"Another beautiful day! Are you ready? Let's eat while flying."
"I'll freshen up and then we'll go."
Badak packed his things and loaded them onto the ship just as Hancock returned, moving with swift efficiency.
"Let's go!"
...
During the journey, Badak learned firsthand what the weather in the New World was like: one moment, the sky was clear and sunny, and the next, hailstones were falling, forcing him to use his Somersault Cloud as an umbrella. At other times, storms would inexplicably arise, and Badak had to exert tremendous effort to break free. There were even massive whirlpools, though since they were flying, the impact was minimal...
"Whew, we're almost there. This journey has been tough. It's hard to imagine how dangerous it would be to sail on the sea."
Badak's enhanced vision could already faintly make out the outline of an island in the distance.
"That's because neither of us knows navigation. A skilled navigator would avoid these harsh weather conditions or quickly escape if accidentally caught in them. If it weren't for you flying in the air, we'd have died countless times already."
Hancock huffed. Several times during the journey, she had nearly lost her life to the sea, especially during that storm that almost swept them into the towering waves—thankfully, Badak had quickly gained altitude.
"Don't be so worked up. Everything turned out fine in the end, didn't it?"
"Hmph. If we don't find the princess of the dwarves who can cure anything this time, I'll turn you into stone and display you as a decoration in Shaki's bar."
"Seriously? By the way, Hancock, does a person remain conscious after being turned to stone?"
"How should I know? Want to test it out on you?"
Seeing Hancock's eager expression, Badak quickly shook his head. That kind of experience was better left to someone else.
"Green Bit is an island adjacent to Dressrosa. On the surface, it's uninhabited, covered in tall plants, and supposedly home to the dwarves underground. How should we find them—go directly or look for a middleman?"
Badak swiftly changed the subject.
"Would they accept our visit if we went straight there? And who would the middleman be?"
"The middleman would definitely be the royal family of Dressrosa. The two islands have always been neighbors, so if anyone knows about the dwarves, it's the Riku royal family of Dressrosa. I'm a bit worried they might refuse to see us if we go directly. Although the dwarves are said to be simple and kind-hearted, they rarely interact with strangers."
"Let's go to Dressrosa first and check things out. We can decide what to do next."
"Fine. Let's keep a low profile and not approach from the air. We'll go by sea and land at the port."Looking at the island surrounded by towering rocks, Badak was amazed. This terrain was easy to defend and hard to attack—no wonder Doflamingo later chose to occupy this place. Taking back his ancestors' throne was just an excuse.