"Sandersonia, Marigold, you two have grown so tall!" Leo marveled, buzzing his wings to hover in front of the two massive Gorgon Sisters.
Mansherry rapidly waved her hands. "It's all thanks to Captain Bardock! If it wasn't for him, we never would have found the Golden City! Do you guys know? The Golden City was actually up in the sky!"
"In the sky?" The three sisters looked highly intrigued. The highly sensationalized newspaper article hadn't mentioned any of those specific geographical details.
"Mhm! There are actually entire islands up in the sky! They're called Sky Islands..."
With Mansherry passionately explaining and Leo excitedly filling in the gaps, the two dwarves recounted the entirety of their skyward adventure.
They detailed riding the apocalyptic Knock Up Stream to the White Sea, passing through Heaven's Gate to the White-White Sea, the transition from Angel Island to Upper Yard, the tragic 400-year holy war between the Skypieans and the Shandians, the heartbreaking ancient promise between Noland and Calgara, the ringing of the Golden Bell, and finally, the discovery of the legendary city of Shandora.
Whether it was Hancock and her sisters, or the dozens of Kuja warriors secretly eavesdropping from the rigging, everyone listened with absolute, rapt attention.
"So there really is an ocean in the sky? The White Sea and the White-White Sea..." "I can't believe it! Sky Islands! Islands floating in the sky... what a simple, easy-to-understand name!" "People actually live up there?!" "Those Shandian men sound incredibly brave!"
Hearing the frantic, excited whispers erupting behind her, Hancock whipped around, glaring fiercely. "Do none of you have jobs to do?!"
When the boss asks a question like that, even if you actually have nothing to do, you immediately pretend to be incredibly busy. The Kuja warriors instantly scattered like a flock of startled birds, grabbing mops and adjusting ropes, though they all subtly kept their ears angled toward the conversation.
Hancock wasn't genuinely angry; she was just maintaining her authority. She turned back to Bardock. "Based on the standard Log Pose routes, you shouldn't have been able to sail into this specific quadrant of the Calm Belt. Did you come here specifically looking for me?"
"No, actually! We were just running away to the South Blue!" Leo blurted out with absolute, devastating honesty, instantly earning a vicious, terrifying glare from Hancock.
"Hahaha!" Bardock laughed loudly, quickly stepping in to save the dwarf. "Our reunion was undeniably arranged by fate! By the way, Hancock, I never officially congratulated you on ascending the throne of Amazon Lily! Hold on a second, I actually prepared a gift for you."
Bardock jogged back into the White Dragon's cabin to retrieve the items.
While he was gone, Mansherry happily introduced Hancock to the rest of the crew. Hancock found them all to be quite acceptable. The men in the crew managed to maintain their composure and didn't drool or act disrespectfully in the face of her unparalleled beauty.
As for the remaining two women... one of them was fine, but the other one... why was she staring at Hancock with the exact same lovestruck, heart-shaped eyes as her Kuja crewmates?!
Robin quickly noticed Perona's highly alarming behavior. Using her Devil Fruit, Robin stealthily sprouted a hand behind Perona and sharply pinched her arm.
"Ouch!" Perona jolted, instantly snapping out of her daze. She had merely taken a few extra seconds to admire Hancock's face, but the woman was simply too devastatingly gorgeous! She was the Empress of an entire nation and the captain of a powerful pirate crew—she was literally Perona's ultimate idol! But Hancock's face possessed some sort of terrifying magical allure. Perona genuinely felt that if Robin hadn't pinched her, her orientation might have permanently shifted!
Whether her orientation shifted or not was irrelevant; if she kept staring, she was definitely going to get turned into solid stone.
At that moment, Bardock returned carrying a large, heavy wooden chest. Inside were massive quantities of Sky Island Dials and a large bundle of Mansherry's specialized healing Dandelions.
"Look here," Bardock smiled, opening the chest. "These are Mansherry's Dandelions; they possess incredible, miraculous healing properties. Keep them safe. And these are the signature specialty of Sky Island: Dials. This is a Water Dial for storing fresh water; this is a Lamp Dial for storing light..."
He carefully explained the mechanics of the everyday utility Dials (Water, Wind, Lamp, Tone, Vision) before moving on to the highly lethal combat Dials (Flame, Impact, Axe, Breath, Flash). He had prepared an incredibly generous haul, giving Hancock dozens of each type. It was more than enough to outfit every single core member of the Kuja Pirates with a specialized weapon.
"And what type of Dial is this?" Hancock asked, pointing elegantly at a unique, fleshy snail resting in the corner of the chest.
"Oh, that's not a Dial. That's a Den Den Mushi," Bardock said casually. "When we parted ways at the Sabaody Archipelago, we completely forgot to exchange contact information, which is why we lost touch. With this, we can communicate freely whenever you want."
Hancock's eyes softened considerably. She nodded gracefully. "Thank you for these wonderful gifts. I also have a gift for you."
Reaching into her robes, she delicately produced a small piece of special paper. She tore off a corner and handed it to Bardock. "This is my Vivre Card. With this, you will always know if I am safe, and you will always be able to locate me across the sea."
Bardock gently took the paper. This was an incredibly significant gesture. With this Vivre Card, he could find Hancock anywhere in the world. And when Hancock was residing on Amazon Lily, this tiny piece of paper effectively exposed the highly classified coordinates of her hidden island nation directly to him.
On the open ocean, a pirate absolutely never gave their Vivre Card to someone they didn't trust with their life. Unfortunately, Bardock hadn't gone through the complex process of manufacturing his own Vivre Card yet, so he couldn't reciprocate the gesture.
"Ah, right. There's an incredibly important piece of intelligence I need to share with you, Hancock. I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors yet, but the Navy has officially mastered the technology required to safely navigate warships through the Calm Belt."
Bardock knew that Amazon Lily was fundamentally a pirate nation. Because the island was completely isolated and lacked natural resources, their entire economy and survival relied exclusively on the Kuja Pirates sailing out to pillage other ships.
In the past, the massive swarms of Sea Kings inhabiting the Calm Belt had acted as an impenetrable natural moat, ensuring the Navy could never launch a direct assault on Amazon Lily. But that absolute security was now gone.
In the original timeline, Hancock had ultimately agreed to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai) specifically to form a non-aggression treaty with the Navy to protect her homeland. However, with Bardock's massive butterfly effect altering her worldview, he couldn't be entirely certain she would make the same strategic compromise now.
If she arrogantly decided to declare open war against the Navy right now, it would be a disaster for her nation.
"WHAT?! That is terrible news!" Elder Nyon shrieked, suddenly vaulting out from behind a barrel. She had been shamelessly eavesdropping the entire time.
"Hmph!" Hancock scoffed haughtily, crossing her arms. Though her brow furrowed with genuine concern, her pride refused to falter. "So what if the Navy can cross the Calm Belt and reach our shores? If those filthy men dare step foot on Amazon Lily, I will turn every single one of them into stone!"
Just like in the original timeline, her deep-rooted, traumatic hatred for the World Government and the Navy was palpable.
"Snake Princess! You must not underestimate the absolute military might of the Navy!" Elder Nyon pleaded desperately. "Even the Pirate King had to strategically avoid direct confrontations with their main fleets! If we engage in an all-out war with the Navy on our own shores, the casualties will be catastrophic!"
Elder Nyon had seen the true horrors of the world. In her youth, she had been a member of the legendary Rocks Pirates. She had personally participated in the apocalyptic God Valley Incident alongside Whitebeard, Golden Lion Shiki, Big Mom, and Kaido. She understood the terrifying, bottomless depths of the World Government's power better than anyone.
"You should proactively seek out a position as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," Bardock suggested calmly. "Once you secure that title, you'll establish a binding, legal non-aggression treaty with the Navy."
At this current stage, an isolated Amazon Lily located in the first half of the Grand Line was absolutely not equipped to withstand a concentrated Buster Call from the World Government.
"A Warlord of the Sea? You want me to become a pathetic lapdog for the World Government?!" Hancock spat, her eyes flashing with sheer disgust at the thought of serving the Celestial Dragons' institution.
"Snake Princess, becoming a Warlord is the only viable strategic option to guarantee the absolute safety of Amazon Lily!" Elder Nyon argued frantically. "Until you and your crew grow significantly stronger, you have no other choice!"
She knew Hancock's traumatic past, but as a ruler, sometimes one had to make agonizing compromises for the survival of their people.
"Hancock, becoming a Warlord doesn't actually mean you have to diligently follow the World Government's orders," Bardock smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "If they summon you for a mission, just make up an excuse. If you can't refuse, just delay it indefinitely. You only need the title to protect your island. If they forcefully draft you into a war, just show up and completely slack off. Hit a few random grunts and pretend you're helping.
"Furthermore," Bardock added logically, "having the Warlord title makes you a massive, shiny target. Countless arrogant, brainless rookie pirates will actively sail toward Amazon Lily just to challenge you to make a name for themselves. You won't even have to hunt for supplies anymore; the loot will literally deliver itself directly to your doorstep."
Hearing Bardock logically reframe the Warlord position as an incredibly lucrative, lazy scam designed to exploit the World Government, Hancock's disgust faded.
She nodded slowly. "Your reasoning is flawless, Bardock. I will accept the title. But... how exactly do I become a Warlord?"