Kahn did not rush Hancock for an answer.
Thirty years is no small number.
A human life is only a handful of decades.
If one lives to ninety, thirty years is a third of a lifetime.
Shorter-lived, it's half.
With no bond between them, selling herself to a stranger for thirty years was little different from slavery—save that slaves have no rights and their masters may beat or kill them at whim.
Hancock was silent only a moment. Then, recalling the beatings of these past days and imagining what the buyer who won them might do—crueler torments, humiliation, even murder—the stains on her delicate, lovely face seemed to pale.
Afraid that vision would become reality, she nodded hard. "Sir, I accept!"
Her two sisters' trembling bodies eased, joy flickering in their eyes. If they hadn't been beaten into fear of speaking before strangers, they would have urged their sister to agree already. They had been terrified too long. If not for her constant comfort after each beating, they might have ended up like Koala.
As long as there was no more beating, anything was fine.
"Good. I'll get you out now."
Kahn had been reading Hancock's heart and knew she truly meant to trade thirty years for freedom, not feign it and flee once free. He smiled, satisfied.
A faint blue glow rose over his skin; his short hair lifted without wind.
Telekinesis wrapped him head to toe. He became as a god who could command all things.
He lifted his hand. The cage bars bent as if gripped by invisible giants.
Stepping inside, he sat the younger two beside Hancock and touched the bomb collar at her throat.
Even through the cold metal he felt her slight tremor.
"Easy," he said with a smile. "I don't need a key."
Snap—boom.
As if to answer him, the collar cracked. The charge within primed to detonate on the spot.
In the same instant, a blue telekinetic veil wrapped the collar, tore it from Hancock's neck, and whisked it up to the ceiling ten-odd meters above.
When the veil vanished, the explosion thundered.
The raging blast wind howled—and struck a larger telekinetic barrier that smothered it.
Snap—boom, boom!
Kahn stripped the collars from Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold next. Three blasts in a row—enough to draw every thug's attention in Grove 1.
"Don't struggle. I'll use my fruit to get us out."
He cradled the sisters in telekinesis and flew through the gaping hole in the ceiling.
In moments they were clear of the auction house.
Only after more than ten minutes did those felled by Conqueror's Haki begin to rouse, alerted by the watch Den Den Mushi.
By then Kahn had rendezvoused with Robin.
Robin already knew the plan. Seeing him return with the three girls, she did not ask if these were the Kuja warriors he sought. Instead she played along and asked why he'd brought three little girls.
Kahn told her the terms he had struck with Hancock.
Observation Haki requires calm to use. After days of fear Hancock could not muster it, and so could not sense their emotions. She never realized Kahn and Robin were acting from start to finish.
"The explosions will have drawn a crowd. Let's head back to the hotel," Kahn said before Robin could introduce herself.
He lifted them all with telekinesis and sped toward the hotel streets, weaving through the dark with perfect awareness and avoiding every soul until they reached the sixth zone.
"Introduce yourselves."
Back in the suite he sent the sisters to bathe.
When they emerged in spare maid outfits from Robin's wardrobe, Kahn smiled. "I'm Cross Kahn. This is my personal maid, Nico Robin. And you?"
"I am Boa Hancock," the eldest said. "My sisters: on the left, Boa Sandersonia—call her Sonia; on the right, Boa Marigold—call her Mary."
"I've got it."
Kahn nodded. "From now, for the next thirty years, you'll be maids like Robin."
"Robin is your superior. Call me Master."
"I understand, M… Master," Hancock answered timidly.
"No need to be so tense. I'm not a slaver. If I meant to treat you as slaves, I wouldn't have removed the bomb collars."
"With my strength, even if I did mean you harm, you couldn't resist anyway. Isn't that so?"
"Stay close to Robin and learn. Once your minds have steadied, I'll teach you powerful combat arts and help raise your strength."
"Only by broadening your horizons and growing strong will you avoid ever falling into this again."
Hancock looked at his gentle smile and seemed to feel the sincerity in it. Her rigid posture slowly eased.
The stains washed away and baby fat fading, her delicate face managed a fragile smile as she repeated, from the heart, "I understand, Master."
Kahn and Robin shared a look—wordless agreement—as they took in Hancock's forced smile and the way Sonia and Mary still clutched her arms.
"I'll leave them to you, Robin," Kahn said.
"Leave it to me, Master."
Robin nodded. She knew what he meant.
The Boa sisters' hearts were shadowed too deeply. Freedom alone would not banish it.
This was when a senior like Robin had to step in.