"Light-Speed Kick!"
A dazzling golden light flared along Jiang Lin's left leg. Facing the Pirate Empress, he didn't dare hold back—not even for a moment. He knew that in front of her, the slightest hesitation could mean losing his life.
"Mero Mero Mellow!"
The Empress raised her head proudly, and in response to Jiang Lin's incoming kick, she unleashed a flurry of glowing red hearts.
"Not good!"
Realizing he couldn't take that head-on, Jiang Lin had no choice but to give up his attack, quickly shifting away with the "Yata Mirror" to evade.
"Damn it—without Haki, I'm at too much of a disadvantage. Couldn't this system have given me something extra to work with?"
He muttered in frustration, breathing heavily as he looked warily at the woman before him.
"Oh… Is my beauty not enough to move your heart? Why are you dodging so quickly?"
Boa Hancock arched her chest forward, her crimson tongue lightly licking the back of her hand. That fragile, almost pleading look made Jiang Lin's face burn red, forcing him to turn his eyes away.
"Don't look! Don't look! That's part of her attack!"
Even one glance at the Empress nearly broke his composure. Without Haki, without any method to counter petrification, he knew a single slip would mean instant death.
"You're surprisingly self-controlled… unlike those disgusting Marines who make me sick just to look at them."
Hancock smiled faintly, then crossed her arms into the shape of a heart, releasing another burst of "Mero Mero Mellow" toward Jiang Lin.
"Won't work on me!"
Using the "Yata Mirror," Jiang Lin darted from point to point, constantly monitoring the system's countdown. By now, over forty seconds had passed. If he could endure twenty more seconds, he would successfully copy the Empress's Devil Fruit.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Countless hearts rained down, exploding along his movement path. Members of the Kuja Pirates watching nearby shrieked and staggered back in fright.
"Snake Princess is under attack! Hurry and support her!"
When the townsfolk saw their Empress fighting, they immediately cast aside their tasks and charged out carrying weapons.
"Return to the city—all of you!"
Hancock lifted her chin arrogantly, pointing one slender finger toward the walls, commanding her people back with a single shout.
"There it is! Lady Snake Princess's supreme disdain for all living things!"
The Kuja warriors trembled with joy at the sight, many offering up their "peach blossoms" in devotion. The citizens, too, dropping their weapons, stayed within the walls, enraptured as they watched their Empress fight.
"I thought you'd be strong… but now I see you're not as powerful as I imagined."
Her cold voice rang out, followed by a sudden invisible shockwave surging in all directions—straight toward Jiang Lin.
"Not good! Conqueror's Haki!"
His instincts screamed. He attempted to trigger the "Yata Mirror," but the moment he moved, the crushing force of will slammed into him. His eyes widened, consciousness slipping away.
"Just one more second…! Only one more second!"
He glared at the system interface, heart burning with unwillingness. If only the final second could tick away before the Empress's Haki consumed him…
"One minute completed. Love-Love Fruit successfully copied."
"Detected: Host now possesses two Devil Fruit cards. Unlocking new functions: Devil Fruit Fusion, Devil Fruit Awakening, Devil Fruit Development, System Shop."
At the very brink of collapse, the system's prompts finally appeared. But it was too late. His eyelids fell shut.
"Take him away! I will execute him publicly!"
With a flick of her robe, the Empress turned and strode back to her throne atop Salome.
"Into the city!"
Her ship was welcomed back by triumphant horns as the Kuja Pirates' vessel sailed slowly through the massive gates of Amazon Lily.
"Ugh… where… am I?"
Groggy, Jiang Lin forced open his eyes. His head pounded as though struck by a heavy hammer.
"Yo! Partner!"
A familiar cheerful voice came from his side.
"Lu… Luffy?"
"What is this…?"
Jiang Lin's eyes snapped fully open. All around him, on towering platforms, scantily clad women gazed down, whispering curiously among themselves.
"Are they… treating us like monkeys in a show?"
Jiang Lin sneered bitterly, then turned his eyes toward Luffy. Both of them were bound tightly in place by small black snakes.
"Come to think of it… I did manage to copy the Empress's fruit before blacking out. And the system unlocked all those new functions…"
He focused his mind, opening the system interface to study carefully.
The true power of the Infinite Devil Fruit Copy System only revealed itself once he held two fruits.
Fusion: Combine multiple Devil Fruit cards to enhance abilities. For example, merging the Love-Love Fruit with the Glint-Glint Fruit would strengthen the latter—and vice versa.
Awakening/Development: Unlock the deeper potential of his Devil Fruits.
System Shop: A marketplace of rare items—but for now, all of them were far out of his reach.
"Ahhh! Snake Princess!"
A shrill cry rang out, snapping Jiang Lin out of his thoughts.
"The Empress?"
He lifted his head toward the platform above. There sat three women—the one in the center, flanked by two towering sisters, was the same Boa Hancock who had just defeated him.
"Now then… I shall ask you both. For what purpose have you men come to this island?"
The Empress sat proudly upon Salome, eyes cold and arrogant as she addressed the captives below.
"I told you already—I don't know! I was flying through the air, and suddenly ended up here!"
Luffy blurted out innocently, staring up at her.
"We were sent here by Bartholomew Kuma's ability," Jiang Lin answered calmly, eyes locked on Hancock, his body tensed and ready for battle.
"Don't lie. Two men… No matter what excuse you give, you won't leave here alive. Death is inevitable.
Her words were icy, and as they fell, one of the women beside her suddenly went pale.