Chapter 181: Removing the Brand
"You just want... Amazon Lily's Haki training methods?"
Hancock's eyes trembled as if she couldn't believe her ears. But seeing Rhodes's genuine expression, she had to accept this somewhat deflating truth.
It was rather deflating.
She was narcissistic, proud, and domineering—but she was no fool. She knew full well what her greatest assets were: her position as Pirate Empress, her title as the world's most beautiful woman, and her body that could captivate anyone who laid eyes upon her.
But she hadn't expected...
"What, did you think I wanted to sleep with you?"
Rhodes rested one hand on Spectre's hilt, regarding her with an amused half-smile.
"Though if you're offering, I wouldn't necessarily refuse."
"The world's most beautiful woman... that does have a certain appeal."
Of course, despite his teasing words, Rhodes had no intention of actually pursuing that path.
On one hand, he didn't like forcing anything. On the other, who knew how Hancock—already impossibly beautiful and charming—would react in such intimate circumstances. If he couldn't resist her allure in that vulnerable moment, it could become extremely complicated.
"To think someone could completely ignore Sister's charm..."
Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged shocked glances, watching Rhodes chat so casually with their sister, completely unmoved by her beauty. They gasped as if witnessing something truly impossible.
"Since you come with honest intentions, you are naturally a guest of Amazon Lily."
Elder Nyon spoke calmly, her assessment complete.
If Hancock represented Amazon Lily's strength and beauty, Elder Nyon represented its wisdom—a figure akin to a national advisor, profound in her understanding of the world.
It was she who had single-handedly facilitated Hancock's appointment to the Seven Warlords, preserving Amazon Lily's status as a protected pirate nation.
"It's not just honest intentions. I also have the strength to back them up."
Rhodes smiled faintly, his gaze shifting toward the Kuja warriors gradually gathering at the palace gates. Suddenly, an inexplicable glint flashed in his eyes.
WHOOM!
Almost instantly—
A wave of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki erupted from Rhodes, instantly sweeping over the Amazon warriors quietly assembled outside the palace walls.
Silence fell across the entire area.
Under Rhodes's Haoshoku Haki, the female warriors collapsed in waves like wheat before a scythe. Only a handful managed to remain standing—and even they dropped their bows and weapons, clearly unable to continue fighting.
"This is..."
"Haoshoku Haki!"
Sandersonia and Marigold were horrified.
Not only them—even Hancock felt genuinely shocked, realizing that Rhodes's Conqueror's Haki was actually stronger than her own!
Nearly all of Amazon Lily's warriors were proficient in using Haki, and having experienced Hancock's Conqueror's Haki many times, they possessed some natural resistance. Yet under Rhodes's Haoshoku, most fell almost instantly, and those who remained standing were clearly incapable of combat.
Strength was the best negotiating chip.
Seeing this display, Elder Nyon—who hadn't fully grasped that this young man possessed power capable of subjugating all of Amazon Lily—felt a bitter taste in her mouth.
She'd believed Hancock was a once-in-a-century prodigy, capable of leading Amazon Lily onto the world stage as a major power.
She hadn't expected this Dragon Slayer to be even more formidable.
"My patience has limits, Hancock. Give me your answer..."
"Will you cooperate willingly, or do I need to take what I want by force?"
Rhodes's Conqueror's Haki slowly faded. He calmly regarded Hancock—the least affected by his display—and spoke with cool indifference.
Under that unwavering gaze, Hancock's psychological defenses—already fractured by having her greatest secret discovered—crumbled almost instantly.
Avoiding Rhodes's eyes, she lowered her head slightly and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper:
"Isn't it enough that I've agreed...?"
Fortunately, Rhodes possessed excellent hearing, otherwise he wouldn't have caught Hancock's mosquito-soft response.
Leaving her two younger sisters to care for the unconscious Kuja warriors, Hancock and Elder Nyon led Rhodes to the island's most sacred location.
"Can you truly remove the Celestial Dragons' brand?"
Elder Nyon gripped her serpent staff tightly, her expression filled with desperate hope.
The slave marks on the three Hancock sisters had always been her greatest source of anxiety—and posed the most existential threat to Amazon Lily itself.
In this world, anything involving the Celestial Dragons was a matter of catastrophic significance.
She could easily imagine that if those brands were ever exposed, Amazon Lily would face devastation—possibly wiped out overnight by the World Government.
Hancock, walking ahead while maintaining her cold and haughty expression, secretly perked up her ears, listening intently.
"It's not particularly difficult to remove."
Noticing Hancock's subtle interest, Rhodes offered a reassuring smile. "I have a friend who was also branded with this mark. He eventually managed to remove it completely."
"A friend...?"
Hancock felt a wave of relief wash over her at this revelation.
She also reconsidered her assessment of Rhodes.
If Rhodes could befriend someone who'd once been a Celestial Dragon slave, he was clearly the type who held no reverence for the World Government—possibly even opposed to them.
Amazon Lily's heritage site was extraordinarily well-hidden—not even located within the palace proper.
The three of them traversed numerous winding tunnels, all dark except for a special type of bioluminescent stone providing dim illumination.
Rhodes sensed they were heading somewhere deep within the mountains behind the palace.
This made Rhodes somewhat grateful he hadn't acted rashly earlier. In such a secluded location, finding this place without a guide would have been virtually impossible.
Observation Haki wasn't omniscient—it could only detect living presences, not terrain features or hidden structures.
Finally, Hancock pushed open a heavy iron door, and they emerged into a chamber roughly several dozen meters in diameter.
At the center stood a black stone monument.
Surrounding it were bookcases filled with leather-bound tomes preserved for easy reference.
"These books contain the accumulated experiences of successive Kuja Empresses in cultivating their Haki, along with various taijutsu techniques. The stone monument contains an extremely ancient Haki training methodology. Study whatever you wish."
Elder Nyon gestured broadly.
Rhodes nodded and slowly approached the monument, which had three distinct faces.
The inscriptions weren't in some arcane ancient script, but rather the common language of the current era. The front section contained information specifically related to Haoshoku Haki—Conqueror's Haki.
There were no methods for awakening it or basic training—only advanced techniques for controlling Conqueror's Haki after awakening.
For example: how to direct Haoshoku Haki toward only specific individuals, or even a single person, rather than unleashing it indiscriminately upon friend and foe alike as Rhodes currently did.
Rhodes possessed an excellent memory, and with just a single reading, he'd nearly memorized everything. However, to ensure he missed nothing critical, he reread the instructions several times to cement them in his mind.
He then examined the other two faces of the monument, obtaining cultivation methods for Busoshoku Haki (Armament) and Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation).
Comparing the methodologies, Rhodes found the monument's techniques far more systematic and comprehensible than anything he'd encountered before. Practicing these methods would dramatically improve awakening efficiency and refinement speed. No wonder nearly every woman on Amazon Lily possessed at least basic Haki proficiency.
He also learned about the highest level of Armament Haki—a realm beyond even full-body hardening.
At this ultimate level, Armament Haki no longer coated the body like armor. Instead, it permeated every muscle fiber, every bone, even every individual cell!
"That must be Garp-san's level... I wonder how many others have reached it."
Rhodes blinked, feeling a surge of aspiration.
The materials described this ultimate realm as dramatically enhancing human physical capabilities—transcending natural limits and unleashing power far beyond normal capacity.
The description of Observation Haki was equally thorough, giving Rhodes a more intuitive understanding of its mechanics.
Kenbunshoku Haki had two primary functions: sensing presences and predicting attacks.
When these abilities reached their absolute peaks, one branch could sense emotions—even reading the thoughts and true intentions of others—while the other could provide brief glimpses into the immediate future.
"Excellent. This was well worth the trip."
After absorbing all this knowledge, Rhodes felt deeply satisfied. Compared to these ancient traditions refined over centuries, the Revolutionary Army—with only a single generation of development—was undoubtedly quite immature in their Haki methodology.
"Then, Rhodes-san... can you truly...?"
Elder Nyon asked with barely contained anticipation.
Rhodes understood what she was asking and nodded immediately.
"I'm ready whenever Hancock is."
Even at this critical moment, Hancock showed no false modesty or excessive shyness.
She approached a large stone table and knelt upon it, then removed her qipao top with deliberate movements, exposing her pale, flawless back. Her long black hair fell forward, initially covering the location of the brand.
After a moment of internal struggle, Hancock gritted her teeth, turned her head slightly, and spoke to Rhodes:
"Go ahead."
Then she reached up with one hand and lifted her hair away from her neck and upper back.
The movement inevitably allowed Rhodes a glimpse of her figure from the side—the graceful curve of her form partially visible in profile.
It had to be said: this concealed, suggestive view was somehow far more alluring than the direct exposure from their earlier encounter.
Rhodes suppressed the stirring in his heart and focused on Hancock's smooth back.
There, burned into her skin, was the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon—Hancock's lifelong source of shame and trauma.
Even just revealing it to Rhodes caused her entire body to tremble slightly. Her hands clenched into tight fists, knuckles turning white from the pressure.
(End of Chapter)
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