Boa Hancock ignored Momonga. She directed her subordinates to loot all the supplies from the Marine ships.
The Kuja Pirates' goal was to plunder passing pirate ships.
World Government and Marine ships were also within their plunder range.
Momonga's group had come to them. There was no reason not to take their things.
Boa Hancock watched it all coldly, then, like a queen, surrounded by her sisters and subordinates, returned to her own ship.
The ship sailed toward Amazon Lily.
The island would welcome back its empress.
Momonga, looking at the stone statues all over his deck and the departing Kuja Pirates, his face turning blue, could only utter a final threat:
"Two days! Two days at most! If you don't respond by then, Boa Hancock, the agreement is broken! You have been warned!"
Amazon Lily.
The Kuja Pirates were the heroes of this country. They were welcomed by the citizens lining the streets.
Hancock returned to her palace.
There, she found something that should not be there.
"What is that?" Boa Hancock looked at a clay figurine that somewhat resembled her, her brow slightly furrowed.
"The children prepared it for you. A clay figurine."
Boa Hancock waved her hand dismissively. "My beauty cannot be copied!"
The figurine fell.
The women guards exchanged glances.
"Is it not acceptable?"
"Snake Princess, everything you do is forgiven!"
In an instant, the women warriors shouted with fanaticism.
That was Hancock's status in this country. Everything she did was forgiven.
Hancock leaned languidly on her throne, rubbing her brow, and asked the attendant standing by, Cinquefoil, "Where are the Protector?"
The Protectorate Warriors were an important reserve force for the Kuja Pirates.
She hadn't seen them at the welcoming party.
Cinquefoil's eyes flickered. As attendant, she vaguely knew about Marguerite bringing a man to the island.
She also knew of the Snake Princess's extreme hatred of men.
If the Snake Princess found out there was a man on the island, it would be a big problem. So she chose to hide it.
"They are still on patrol. A male and female monkey have broken in!" Cinquefoil said.
Hancock's brow furrowed.
Monkeys?
A male and female?
Just then, a voice came.
"Snake Princess!"
Boa Hancock narrowed her eyes, dangerous light flickering in them. She saw Nyon, leaning on her snake-head cane.
"How did you get in?"
"Hmph. There's nowhere this old woman can't go."
"Cinquefoil. Throw her out!"
"Wait! Snake Princess!"
Nyon shouted hastily. "I have something important to tell you!"
Hancock looked Nyon over.
Nyon was sweating. She knew this ill-tempered woman too well.
But in Nyon's eyes, Hancock's bad temper was more like that of a little girl who hadn't grown up, a defense mechanism born from the things she had experienced in the past.
"Where are your guardians?"
Nyon: "..."
Nyon wiped her sweat. "Forgive my rudeness, Snake Princess."
Hancock nodded, satisfied.
"Speak quickly. I am generously giving you some time."
Nyon quickly asked, "The Navy fleet is outside the sea. They came to get you, didn't they?"
"And if they did?" Hancock replied lazily. "It's an invitation to war."
"Why not go?"
Nyon urged eagerly. "If you go to war, you can keep your agreement! With your strength, you definitely won't die!"
Boa Hancock suddenly covered her chest with her hand. Her beautiful face showed a fragile, frightened expression like that of a small animal. In a cutesy tone, she said, "But I'm so scared."
The contrast charm shown in that instant captivated even Nyon for a moment.
Oh, Snake Princess's damnable charm—killing all, men, women, young, and old.
She thought it was as cute as a little dog!
Nyon immediately slapped her face, snapping out of it.
Now was not the time for this!
Nyon said urgently:
"Snake Princess, wake up! Our country is currently protected only because of your Warlord title!
In the past, we relied on the strong defense of the Calm Belt to resist outside enemies. But now, the Navy, with their new shipbuilding technology, can already reach here. Kuja is no longer safe.
Because you are a Warlord, they turn a blind eye! If you lose your title and become an ordinary pirate nation, do you know how much coveting and attack you will attract? That will be a tragedy!"
Hancock gestured for Cinquefoil to pour her a glass of wine. She squinted one eye, looked at Nyon through the glass,
"You're just scared."
"This old woman's fate is irrelevant!"
Nyon stomped her cane excitedly. "The key is you! And the future of this country!"
As she spoke, she pulled a crystal ball from her robe.
Cinquefoil, beside her, was shocked. "That's the legendary Nyon divination with 200% accuracy?!"
Watching Nyon playing tricks, mumbling over the crystal ball, Hancock's expression gradually couldn't hold.
Sure enough, before long, she saw Nyon secretly use her finger to write two characters inside the crystal ball.
Go!
Then she showed it to her.
You old hag, who do you think you're fooling?
"Enough!"
Boa Hancock abruptly stood up. "Throw her out! Right now!"
The women guards hurried over to persuade Nyon.
"This is a matter of life and death for Kuja!" Nyon struggled.
"Annoying! You old hag."
Hancock walked up to Nyon and used her signature, extremely contemptuous of the reclined posture. Her finger nearly touched Nyon's nose. "You, the former, former, former empress who ignored Kuja's safety and went out to sea privately, are a traitor to Kuja! You have no right to tell me what to do!"
With that, she grabbed Nyon by the hair and dragged her out.
Nyon's face was ashen.
This woman still wouldn't listen!
Just before being thrown out, Hancock paused slightly, her tone softening a little. "I do slightly admire your passion for the country."
Hope flickered in Nyon's eyes. "Snake Princess, you'll go?"
Hancock turned her head and gave her a particularly nasty smile. "Just kidding."
Then, mercilessly, she threw Nyon out of the palace.
"How can you treat an old person like that?"
Beside them, a young woman warrior muttered instinctively.
Hancock immediately turned her head and made an innocent, aggrieved, perfect expression at them, saying softly, "I didn't mean to."
Instantly, all discontent vanished. The women warriors' eyes again turned into hearts.
"Snake Princess said so. Then, we forgive her!"
"Everyone makes mistakes!"
"Nyon got the Snake Princess's hands dirty first!"
Boa Hancock turned away, satisfied. "I will now bathe."
Her subordinates immediately began making extensive preparations.
Whenever Empress Hancock bathed, she would set up a strict protective formation, prohibiting anyone from entering the palace and even its surrounding areas.
In theory, only her two sisters could see Hancock bathe.
Unfortunately, just then, Luffy and Perona, who had been chased by the Protector, Marguerite and Kikyo, were nearby.
"Where are we even going?!"
Perona, floating in the air, couldn't help shouting.
The number of pursuers behind them was growing. Arrows sometimes flew by.
She watched Luffy nimbly dodge through the complex palace corridors and rooftops.
Was he playing?
"I'm going to find Snake Princess. I want to borrow a ship from her."
Luffy, easily dodging attacks, said. "This isn't the New World. It's easy to get back to the Sabaody Archipelago."
"Borrow a ship? Do you even know where Snake Princess is?!"
Perona thought Luffy was crazy.
"Yeah. I can already feel that person's strong presence. That direction!"
Luffy looked toward the highest roof and said, "As expected of a Warlord. Very noticeable!"
Perona had serious doubts about this "borrowing a ship."
That was a Warlord of the Sea.
This was nothing more than walking right into the trap.
But Luffy was the captain. So they ran all the way to the roof of the keep.
They had dodged and weaved and had, for now, lost the royal guards. They hadn't been found.
Perona, just breathing a sigh of relief, thinking they were safe for the moment, about to complain, saw Luffy take a few steps on the roof and suddenly fall through.
The roof didn't seem very strong.
"Hey!"
Why did she feel like she worried more here than on Thriller Bark?
"Luffy!"
Perona screamed, quickly floating to the edge of the hole and looking down.
Below was a large, steamy bath.
"I'm fine."
Luffy adjusted his position in mid-air and landed lightly, only getting a little wet from the splashing bathwater.
Pretty shaky.
Luffy turned his head. His gaze fixed on the center of the bath.
The rising steam was dissipating. A flawless female nude, back to him, came into view.
Her long, wet, black hair hung down her back. Water droplets ran down her elegant spine.
But Luffy's attention was drawn to a dark, hoof-shaped brand tattoo in the center of her back.
His expression froze slightly.
"This mark... I've seen it somewhere before?"
Just then, the woman in the bath seemed to sense something behind her. She spun around.
Their eyes met.
Time seemed to freeze.
"Sorry, sorry. Did I disturb you?" Luffy felt a little awkward.
Why did he always find himself in these situations?
Sanji: "..."
A man?
Boa Hancock's face, which always maintained aloofness and perfection, showed a crack.
A secret, involving her life and dignity, had been seen!
Almost instinctively, she crouched down, hiding her body in the water, only her head visible. Her voice carried a barely noticeable tremble:
"You saw?"
Luffy nodded and honestly admitted it.
He couldn't say he hadn't seen when he had.
He wasn't blind. At this angle, it was too clear. No hiding it.
Pure, flawless... everything was white.
In the bath, the steam had not yet completely dissipated. The air was thick with awkwardness and the sudden rise of killing intent.
"Sister!"
Just as Luffy turned his head, urgent footsteps and shouts came from the bath entrance.
Hearing the commotion inside, Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold rushed in.
They saw Hancock in the bath and Luffy, wet and standing below the hole in the roof. Their faces changed.
A man?
"Why is there a man in the kingdom?!"
Sandersonia exclaimed in shock. Her movements were not slow. She quickly grabbed a spare, ornate robe, leaped into the pool, and carefully draped it over Hancock, covering most of her exposed body.
Marigold immediately stood in front of Hancock, glaring at Luffy. "Who are you?"
"Monkey D. Luffy. I'm..."
"He saw. My back."
Hancock interrupted.
The moment she had the robe on, she regained some composure. But the shame and fear of her secret being exposed made her body stiff.
These words were like thunder in Sandersonia's and Marigold's ears.
The color drained from their faces, replaced by terror and fury.
They knew better than anyone what that brand meant to their sister, to the three of them.
It was an unerasable past. A scar they had to bury under pride and lies. A secret that could overturn everything they had built on Amazon Lily!
"In that case, you can only die." Sandersonia and Marigold both assumed attacking stances.
They were full of confusion. How had this man crossed the Calm Belt and the kingdom's defenses to sneak into the deepest bath?
"Misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding!"
Luffy quickly waved his hands, his body, as if prescient, slightly shifted, perfectly dodging their attacks.
He looked at Hancock, protected by her sisters, and tried to explain, "You're Snake Princess, right? I came to talk to you about something. I didn't know you were bathing."
It was purely an accident.
Who knew she'd be bathing in the middle of the day?
Kenbunshoku Haki didn't have x-ray vision.
"Address me as Snake Princess!" Hancock snapped.
Now, she cared more than ever about the title that signed status and distance.
Shame and a sense of being offended mixed. She stood up abruptly. Though covered by the robe, her proud curves and breathtaking beauty still had a deadly impact.
She made a heart with her hands in front of her chest. Pink light gathered within. "Take what you saw with you into the grave! Mero Mero Mellow!"
The pink, heart-shaped light shot at Luffy!
"What is that?"
Luffy frowned. His Kenbunshoku Haki gave him a warning. He pushed off, his figure blurring, instantly moved aside, narrowly dodging the light.
He looked at where the light had passed. The air seemed to slightly distort. "A Devil Fruit ability?"
"Hmph!"
One miss. Hancock's gaze grew colder. Her movements were ghost-like. In an instant, she closed the distance with Luffy.
Perhaps extreme anger made her lose her usual composure, or perhaps she was too eager to silence him. As she charged Luffy, the robe she was wearing spread open slightly from the sudden movement.
The freshly draped robe couldn't cover everything. The breathtakingly pale curve of her chest was suddenly more exposed.
Luffy's movements instinctively paused.
Hancock inwardly sneered.
She had only ever needed her face to captivate people. This was the first time she had used her body to her advantage against a man.
Sure enough, there was no man in the world who could completely ignore her beauty!
His earlier dodging was just luck. This close up, faced with such a beautiful sight, he would eventually show weakness.
"Mero Mero Mellow!"
Without hesitation, she again aimed her petrifying light at Luffy.
But just as the light was about to hit Luffy, he abruptly reached out and pushed Perona, who had just poked her head through the hole, aside. "Hey, don't fly in!"
Hancock's expression froze. She instantly understood.
So the reason Luffy's movement had stopped just now wasn't because of her beautiful body, but because her attack path might have hit this pink-haired girl who had just popped her head in?
In that situation, this man's priority was to protect his companion?
A companion or a lover?
It didn't matter!
Hancock suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. Once hit by her Mero Mero Mellow, she would turn into... turn into stone?
"Hey, what's going on?"
Pushed aside, Perona steadied herself, floating in the air, looking fluttered at the standoff below.
"Just a little misunderstanding. Trust your captain. I can handle it."
Luffy shook the water off his hands and assured Perona confidently.
"Stupid captain! Is this something to be calm about?!"
Perona was so angry she nearly fell from the air.
The woman was bathing, and Luffy had fallen into her bath. Of course, she wouldn't calm down.
"Who says? Look."
Luffy pointed ahead.
Perona looked. The three Hancock sisters weren't attacking again. They were just staring at Luffy, their faces full of shock and confusion.
"See? Nothing can't be resolved calmly."
Luffy, seeing this, smiled even brighter.
"Impressive. As expected of a Warlord."
Perona couldn't help but admire Hancock for keeping her cool in this situation.
She put herself in those shoes. If Luffy had suddenly burst in while she was bathing...
She gasped, gritting her teeth.
Hadn't this happened not too long ago?
While that situation was passive on her part and she was the active one, in a way,did that make her comparable to a Warlord?
After a storm of thoughts, Perona finally saw Hancock's face clearly. That peerlessly beautiful face made her momentarily lose focus. She couldn't help but blush and mutter,
"Isn't this woman too pretty?"
"Mero Mero Mellow!"
Hancock, silent for a few seconds, seeming unable to accept reality, stubbornly tried again. She raised her hand, and another pink light shot at Luffy.
Luffy quickly dodged, while also lifting Perona, who had floated over, to keep her out of the light's range.
"Are you okay?" Perona exclaimed.
"I noticed earlier. That... wind... does nothing to me." Luffy explained to Perona. "But I don't know about you."
"Is it some kind of ritual?"
Perona, held up by Luffy, watched Hancock's repeated attempts.
"Yeah, right?"
Luffy tilted his head, a picture of innocent confusion.
Even the three Hancock sisters, who were stubbornly refusing to believe, unconsciously tilted their heads with him, as if question marks were appearing above them.
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!
patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!