This was back when I was still traveling the Four Blues.
I'd stopped by Amazon Lily for a rare visit when this little incident happened.
"A 'World's Most Beautiful Pirate Ranking'…? Huh. I didn't know something like this existed."
"You read newspapers from the outside world, don't you? How could you not know?"
"I don't read every paper," I said, shrugging. "Mostly the World Economy News Paper, or whatever local prints I stumble across. …Ah. This one looks like a pretty big publication."
It had been a long time since my last visit, and I was eating and chatting with Hancock, Sandersonia, Marigold, and Elder Nyon like old times.
Midway through the meal, Elder Nyon produced a newspaper the Kuja Pirates had brought back from an expedition.
Not that Elder Nyon had stolen it herself, obviously. Hancock and the others returned from their outings with all sorts of goods, and anything they weren't personally interested in—newspapers, books, miscellany—tended to end up at Elder Nyon's place. She was Amazon Lily's foremost "intellectual," after all.
And in that paper—not the World Economy News Paper, but a slightly less reputable (and much more gossip-hungry) publication—there was a special feature titled:
Top 100 Most Beautiful Pirate Women & Girls
A project that could only exist in the Great Pirate Era, I suppose.
According to the article, the ranking was determined through a mix of reader votes and "secret-channel surveys" targeting active pirates and Marines. The whole thing reeked of sensationalism, the kind of paper that lived for scandal and idle chatter.
I borrowed the issue and skimmed.
Sure enough, the list was packed with famous, beautiful female pirates. Most were names I recognized, if not faces.
Unsurprisingly, Hancock was number one.
The Pirate Empress—renowned as the world's most beautiful woman—had won by a landslide, her vote count towering over everyone else's.
Amazing. She swept every category: pirates, Marines, and the general public. Even the Marines acknowledged her popularity and beauty. That was… honestly impressive.
When I congratulated her, Hancock only gave me a cool, dismissive, "Of course."
But I caught it—the faint upward curve of her lips, the tiny flash of satisfaction she tried to hide.
Still, the runners-up weren't exactly ordinary either.
Whitey Bay, the "Ice Witch." Charlotte Smoothie, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders. Mabiana, the "Valkyrie of the Seabed" from the Fish-Man Pirates. The "Chef of the Winter Sky," Frozen Beauty. Black Maria of the Beasts Pirates' Tobi Roppo. Miss Blume, the "Ghost of the Foggy Sea"…
A lineup of women who had both beauty and terrifying strength.
And, to my surprise… my name was on the list, too.
Seventh place.
Not bad.
Wait. People are actually calling me beautiful?
…I've always been reasonably confident in my looks, sure, but I've never spent much time thinking about it. Most of my life has been swallowed by writing.
I've always been more worried about words—how they'd look on a page, how they'd be received, what they'd do to someone's heart once they were printed and set loose.
Still… I'm a woman. Being called beautiful isn't exactly unpleasant.
As for people I knew, Baccarat ranked eleventh, and Stella came in sixth.
So I couldn't surpass that bewitching beauty after all.
Though… wait. Stella's being counted as a pirate?
"Since she serves Tesoro, and he's a pirate, they're probably lumping her in," I said. "But seriously—this photo looks recent. Stella hasn't aged a day in the last ten years."
Hancock stared at Stella's picture, genuine puzzlement on her face. Even she seemed taken aback by Stella's unchanging beauty.
Hancock and I have aged, at least a little. Not "old," exactly—more like our edges have softened into a mature allure. We've shifted from girls into women.
But Stella… Stella still sits perfectly between the two, balancing cuteness and beauty in a way that feels unfair. No matter how many times I see her, it's always striking.
Tesoro really did hit the jackpot, marrying someone so beautiful—and so kind. He's living the dream.
"What about you, Sue?" Elder Nyon asked, peering at me. "No romantic prospects at all, Nyo?"
"Hm. When you're always traveling, you don't exactly meet people," I said. "So… same as ever. No one on the horizon. Right now, my work is basically my girlfriend."
"Sue," Sandersonia said flatly, "you were saying the same thing ten years ago."
"And she'll be saying it ten years from now too," Marigold added, equally unimpressed.
So what?
It's not like I have some burning desire for romance right now.
And if we're being honest, the three of you don't seem interested in love either. If anything, you all look completely indifferent to it.
"We are warriors of Kuja," Hancock declared, chin lifted. "We are bound by sacred laws: we avoid all contact with men and never let our guard down. There is no issue here. Sue, if you have no desire for such things, there is no need to associate with men at all. You already have friends like Tesoro, Rayleigh, and… that bird. Morgans, was it?"
The bird… right. Morgans.
Hancock hasn't changed at all. And it isn't just Kuja law. Her hatred of men is rooted in what she endured as a slave.
The only exceptions, from what I've heard, are her benefactor Fisher Tiger and Tesoro, our mutual acquaintance. Beyond them, she refuses to even let men enter her sight, let alone approach her.
"I'm not telling you to rush into anything," Elder Nyon said, waving a hand. "But that day might come sooner than you think, Nyo. Love can strike in an instant. They say in the East Blue, 'Love is always a hurricane!'"
"Hmph. Utter nonsense," Hancock snapped. "The day this empress falls for a barbaric creature like a man will never come—not in a million lifetimes. I have no need to entertain such foolish thoughts."
"Well," Sandersonia said with a faint frown, "I don't hate men as fiercely as Hancock does, but I still can't imagine myself… being with someone."
Honestly, neither can I.
Me, falling in love with a man and growing close to him… that future doesn't feel like it exists. Even when I try to picture it, there's no longing, no pull.
Maybe I really will be single forever.
And at least for now, I don't find that frightening.
…A few years from now, if the world follows the original story, Hancock will fall head over heels in love.
But will that happen here too?
How far will the butterfly effect of my existence reach?
We drifted into that kind of conversation—girl talk, idle teasing, comfortable warmth.
We were nearly done eating when dessert arrived: cheesecake.
And that was when Hancock, as if remembering something, asked casually, "By the way, Sue… are you still continuing that 'Tour of the Four Blues' you've been on? It's been almost six years now, hasn't it? From your stories, it sounds like you've visited most of the islands already."
"Hm. You might be right," I admitted. "But I'm still exploring the East Blue, so I'll probably keep going a little longer. People call it the weakest sea, in terms of pirates and Marines, but… it has more interesting places than you'd expect. I want to see it properly. I'll probably wrap it up in another year or so. After that…"
"After that?" Hancock prompted.
"For now, I'll head back to the Grand Line," I said. "I haven't really thought beyond that. I suppose I'll just keep adventuring and writing, like always."
Truthfully, beyond my lifelong obsession with writing, I don't have any grand, concrete goal driving this journey.
I pick destinations on a whim, savor them, and then either move on or settle down to write, depending on my mood. That's been my life these past few years.
It might sound repetitive, but I'm genuinely fulfilled.
I have no reason to change it. If anything, I'll probably broaden the scale—different seas, bigger risks.
I've gotten stronger on this journey. Maybe it's time I seriously start including the New World in my range of movement.
"Hm…"
As I spoke, Hancock's expression turned thoughtful, like she'd fallen into deeper consideration.
When I finished, she stayed quiet for a moment, eyes lowered, lost in her own thoughts.
Then she lifted her gaze and spoke carefully.
"Listen, Sue. There is something I have wanted to discuss with you today. Something I wished to consult you about… or perhaps propose."
"Hancock asking me for advice?" I blinked. "That's rare. What is it?"
"To be blunt…" Hancock said, her voice steady. "Sue, would you consider becoming one of my subordinates?"
…Huh?
"Uh," I managed, "what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said." She didn't hesitate. "There are various ways it could be arranged. I asked you before, but… would you join the Kuja Pirates? Or even if not as part of the crew, would you become my personal subordinate—operating under my umbrella as an individual?"
She spoke smoothly, as if she'd prepared these words in advance.
Even hearing them, it took a second for my mind to catch up.
So I asked her to clarify—to explain her intentions plainly.
"The reasons are threefold," she said. "First… I simply believe it would be enjoyable to sail as pirates with you. Marie and Sonia are always with me, yes, but having someone I can speak with openly—without pretense, someone who sees the real me—would be truly refreshing."
Oh.
She really feels that way?
That… makes me genuinely happy.
Even earlier at the table, though she carried herself with regal poise, there was warmth too—ease, comfort.
To think Hancock sees me as someone she can relax around… it's an honor.
"The second reason," she continued, "is that Sue's abilities are invaluable to the Kuja Pirates. Not merely her combat power—her extensive travels, and her vast knowledge of the world. Amazon Lily is isolated. We inevitably lack awareness of global affairs."
That makes sense.
On this island, the only ways to learn about the outside world are expeditions—and whatever newspapers you can obtain, whether purchased or stolen.
The Calm Belt keeps invaders out.
But it also keeps necessities out.
That's why Kuja must venture into the world—functioning almost like mercenaries—to take what they need.
"And the third reason…" Hancock's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone sharpening with authority. "It goes without saying at this point, but I hold a seat among the Shichibukai—the Seven Warlords of the Sea. As Warlords, and as pirates under our command, we receive a pardon tied to that position. Our piracy is tolerated. We are shielded from pursuit by the Marines. Sue, you have complained before about how bothersome it is to be hunted by Marines and bounty hunters, haven't you? I thought this might solve that."
Ah. I see.
Being under Hancock's protection—under a Warlord's umbrella—would keep the World Government and Marines off my back, at least for now.
As for bounty hunters… I wasn't entirely sure whether a Warlord's immunity extended to everyone under their command.
Still.
Under Hancock's command, huh?
I doubted she would actually treat me like a disposable subordinate—ordering me around like a pawn. Even now, as she made the offer, her demeanor remained earnest, and there was that familiar warmth she only showed me.
If I joined, I suspected she'd still treat me like a friend.
Of course, in front of the crew, I'd have to observe basic formalities. She'd be the captain. I'd follow orders, at least in principle.
And truthfully, I've known Hancock for a long time. I enjoy her company. I have no hesitation about adventuring and fighting alongside her.
It sounds fun.
But I also couldn't forget how I'd felt more than twenty years ago, when Shakuyaku—then captain of the Kuja Pirates—invited me to join.
Even then, I realized something simple: I'm not driven by the desire to be a pirate, and I don't actually enjoy "pirate work."
I don't want to do what the Kuja do—raiding merchant ships, preying on countries they aren't allied with.
If I'm honest, I really don't want to do any of that at all.
I've never even thought of myself as a pirate. I never intended to become one.
I'd explained all of this to Hancock before.
So for her to bring it up again now…
Does that mean she truly recognizes my worth?
That she values me that much?
Yeah.
That makes me happy—really, genuinely happy.
But still… becoming a full-fledged pirate…
I was caught in that knot of thoughts when Hancock abruptly cut in, as if she'd anticipated my hesitation.
"I understand what you are thinking, Sue," she said, calm but firm. "You have shared these doubts with me before. You do not truly wish to be a pirate. And that is partly why you seem to despise acting as one."
"Yeah," I admitted quietly.
"But even knowing that…" Hancock's gaze stayed unwavering. "Since I have made you say it aloud, I will be honest with you."
"I want you. As a pirate… and as a friend."
Wow.
She really doesn't hold back.
And I can't deny it—her sincerity makes me happy.
Hancock paused, as if choosing her next words carefully, then continued with quiet intensity.
"So here is my proposal."
"A proposal?" I repeated. "What is it?"
"Sue, you—"
"Would you agree to a one-on-one duel with me?"
To be continued...