Aria's Pov
So apparently, sleeping with the Pirate Empress counted as "passing the test." Who knew?
One night in Boa Hancock's bed and suddenly I wasn't a spy, I wasn't a criminal, I wasn't suspicious—I was… tolerated. And honestly? I'd take it. If the choice was between death-by-snake-sisters or making the Empress scream my name a couple times, then yeah, I was going to live to see another day.
The days that followed felt almost surreal. I stayed on Amazon Lily like I actually belonged there. I got closer to Marigold and Sandersonia—they were surprisingly fun once you stopped panicking about being crushed to death by their oversized snake tails. They'd tease me, share food with me, even cover when I slipped up and said something dumb that proved I wasn't really from around here. It almost felt like I had sisters of my own.
Of course, Hancock and I had… an arrangement. Every now and then, she'd summon me with that imperious little tilt of her chin, and I knew exactly what that meant. Sometimes it was intense, sometimes it was oddly tender, and sometimes it was so full of power plays I wondered if she thought she was still sitting on her throne instead of in her sheets. Either way, I wasn't complaining.
But I didn't just spend my time tangled in Hancock's bedsheets. I explored. The island was breathtaking, all lush forests and gleaming rivers, with warrior women training in every clearing. The architecture looked like something out of a fantasy sketchbook—temples carved into cliffs, giant statues looming like guardians. And the food. Actual, hot, cooked meals. After a week of surviving on an unnamed fruit and half-cooked fish back on my lonely island, the first time I ate stew I almost cried.
For the first time since I landed in this world, I almost felt… comfortable. Like maybe I could stay here.
But comfort is dangerous, and my brain wouldn't let me have it.
Because one day, while I was lounging under the shade of a palm tree watching some women spar shirtless (purely for cultural appreciation, of course), my thoughts drifted to the future. I knew what was coming.
Luffy.
Soon, he'd be the one crashing into this paradise. And once that happened, nothing would be the same.
Hancock would fall in love with him, head over heels, and it would change everything. People online loved to call her a pedophile because of it, but they were wrong. It wasn't about Luffy's age. Hancock had fallen for him because he was the first person who didn't fawn over her beauty or her body. He didn't kneel, didn't grovel, didn't objectify her. He looked her in the eye and treated her like a human being. That was what hooked her. Luffy could've been fifty and she would've felt the exact same.
Still, as I thought about Luffy, my stomach dropped.
Why was he here in the first place?
Because Kuma had sent him. Because it was here, on this island, that Luffy learned Ace was about to be executed.
Ace.
Ace!
How could I have forgotten Ace? The sweet, freckled, fire-fisted hottie who didn't get nearly enough screen time before he turned into a donut. I'd been so caught up in Hancock's bed sheets that I'd forgotten one of my top priorities: meeting Portgas D. Ace while he was still alive.
My chest tightened. Time was running out. Blackbeard was probably already in play. Ace wouldn't live much longer if canon held true. If I was going to cross paths with him, it had to be now.
The realization hit me so hard I nearly fell out of my hammock. My Amazon Lily vacation was officially over.
So I started saying my goodbyes. I gave Sandersonia and Marigold the warmest hugs I could (without being squeezed to death), threw in some cheeky winks at a few warrior women who'd been eyeing me since day one, and even gave Hancock one last night in her chambers. She demanded to know where I was going, of course, but I spun her some vague excuse about needing to "deal with something important."
I didn't tell her about Ace. For obvious reasons.
When dawn came, I stood on the cliffs overlooking the island, the salty breeze in my hair. Amazon Lily had given me food, shelter, fun, and a chance to check one warlord off my increasingly chaotic One Piece bucket list. But it was time to move on.
"Goodbye, ladies," I whispered, throwing one last salute to the jungle-covered paradise.
And with a deep breath, I closed my eyes and started wishing.
Except… I had one small problem.
I had no freaking clue where Ace was.
So I finally updated some chapters. I thought I'd do them earlier today, but today's September 12th in my country so I had to head to the cinema first. Speaking of which, if any of you watched the Demon Slayer movie, feel free to share what you think in the comment. It doesn't matter that it's a one piece fic, I don't have enough friends that watch anime so I need someone to talk to.
Anyway, I've updated a few chapters (And tried to indicate what island in front) and I hope I can keep doing so. Thank you for reading!