Hachinosu Port.
A commotion erupted at the docks. It wasn't an attack; it was a mass seduction.
A woman had stepped off a ship. She had wavy, reddish-pink hair, exquisite features, and a tall, athletic figure that demanded attention. A large snake was coiled lazily around her shoulders.
Countless pirates, usually bloodthirsty animals, were reduced to devoted admirers instantly.
"Oh my~ You're all so cute~"
Gloriosa, the Empress of Amazon Lily, winked alluringly.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
A large group of pirates clutched their chests and fell backward, their eyes replaced by cartoon hearts.
"Can anyone tell me where the Rocks Pirates are? I want to join them."
"I know! I know!!"
"Follow me, Goddess!!"
Scores of pirates eagerly volunteered, paving a human road for her. With her beauty as her vanguard, she strolled smoothly to the base of the Skull Mountain.
Skull Mountain Base.
Inside, Rocks scowled. The noise outside was irritating him.
ZZZT!
He released a burst of Conqueror's Haki.
Black and red lightning tore through the air, crushing the wills of the noisy rabble outside. The cheering stopped instantly as hundreds of pirates fainted, foam at their mouths.
"What's all this chattering about?! Has the Navy come to die?!"
Rocks stormed out of the skull mouth, his executives trailing behind him. They all stopped dead in their tracks.
Standing amidst the unconscious bodies was the Snake Princess.
"Pirate Empress... Gloriosa?!"
Gloriosa smiled charmingly, flipping her hair. "What? Am I not welcome? I've come to join the legends!"
Rocks' sharp gaze swept over Gloriosa's curvaceous figure. He looked behind her, searching the horizon. His eyes held a hint of expectation.
"Why are you alone? Isn't Shakky coming?"
Gloriosa's beautiful smile stiffened. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Why is everyone's mouth always full of Shakky?!"
"Wahahahahaha! Because she's just too beautiful!!"
Rocks laughed, showing absolutely no regard for Gloriosa's feelings. "Shakky is the real prize!"
Behind him, the male members of the Rocks Pirates (except for York) collectively sighed in disappointment.
"Yeah... if only it were Shakky who had come~~"
CRACK!
The collective sigh was the last straw. Gloriosa stomped her high heel into the ground, shattering the rock. She released her own wave of Conqueror's Haki.
A captivating but heavy shockwave swept through the area, blowing back the dust.
"Rocks! I'll only say this once! I'm here to join! If you don't want me, I'm leaving right now!"
"Wahahaha! Relax! Joining is no problem!"
Rocks grinned, his mood shifting from disappointment to amusement. He glanced at York, who was standing quietly at the edge of the group.
"Hey! York! Test our prospective new member. See if she can overcome your ability!"
"If she can, she's in!"
"If she can't... hehe, she's yours to do with as you please!"
York smiled at the command and stepped out of the formation.
"Captain, you said it yourself. Attacking her now won't violate the 'No Infighting' rule, right?"
"Wahahaha! She's not a crewmate yet! She's fair game!"
Gloriosa looked at the handsome young man approaching her. Her eyes narrowed.
"It's you, isn't it? The 'Fallen Succubus', Atlas D. York."
Fallen Succubus. The nickname the newspapers gave him after the Temple incident.
"I didn't expect you to be as young as the reports said. What a cute little guy~"
Gloriosa's serious expression melted into confidence. In her eyes, York was just a boy.
She winked at him.
"My dear brother~ Go easy on your big sister, okay?"
York said nothing.
Boom!
He vanished, reappearing less than half a meter in front of her.
He drew his katana. No fancy techniques. No flowing water style. Just raw, explosive power.
"Cannon Slash!"
CLANG!
It was like a cannonball exploding at point-blank range.
Gloriosa crossed her arms, Haki coating her skin just in time. The impact sent her skidding backward ten meters, her body hunched over from the force.
"What a fierce little brother~~"
Gloriosa straightened up, shaking her numbed arms. Her expression was serious now. That strike proved his strength wasn't just in his "wicked" fruit.
Behind York, the Rocks Pirates gasped.
"This kid... when did he learn that?!"
"That's Rocks' sword technique! The brute force style!"
"Rocks! When did you teach him?!"
Everyone turned to the Captain. Rocks just laughed. "Wahahaha! Didn't you see me teaching him every day for the last six months?"
The crew looked confused, but Kaido's eyes widened.
"You mean... when you were 'disciplining' him? When you were smashing him across the island?"
"What?!"
"That was training?!"
The crew couldn't believe it. But Rocks just grinned, offering no explanation. He hadn't actually expected the kid to learn it, but he wouldn't admit that.
York didn't wait for applause.
He lunged forward, preparing a second slash. But Gloriosa was faster.
She pivoted on one foot, her long leg snapping out like a whip.
York raised his sword, using Emission (Ryuo) to create an invisible shield.
However, Gloriosa was wearing a high-slit Kuja sarong. As she kicked, the fabric parted, revealing her long, flawless leg right in front of his face.
For a split second, York was distracted.
Bam!
The kick slipped past his guard and slammed into his shoulder.
"Oh my~ Boy-chan, you're a big boy for your age~"
Gloriosa landed gracefully on one leg, posing to showcase her figure.
York stumbled back, dusting off his shoulder.
"I didn't expect the Amazon Lily style to rely on flashing the opponent."
"Beauty is a weapon," Gloriosa said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just like Haki."
York sheathed his sword and tossed it aside.
"Against an opponent of your caliber, half-baked swordsmanship won't work."
He clenched his fists. His body began to glow with a soft, white radiance.
"Watch out, Empress. I'm getting serious."
Whoosh!
Before he finished speaking, a high heel snapped towards his eyes.
York ducked under the lethal kick. He drove a fist towards her exposed midriff.
Gloriosa displayed the terrifying flexibility of the Kuja. She twisted her waist at an impossible angle to dodge, then used the momentum to spin into a sweeping roundhouse kick aimed at the back of York's head.
York spun, crossing his arms to block.
BANG!
A shockwave of air erupted.
York held his ground, but his eyes narrowed. He looked at Gloriosa's calf where it connected with his arm.
No Armament Haki?
Charlotte Linlin, watching from the sidelines, grinned wickedly. "Gloriosa got careless. She's going to lose!"
Hearing this, Gloriosa instinctively tried to retract her leg.
Too late.
York opened his hands.
"Holy Bind."
Several glowing tentacles of light shot out from his palms at point-blank range.
They grazed Gloriosa's calf as she pulled away.
They failed to fully wrap around her, but the contact was made.
Gloriosa leaped back to create distance. She landed in a crouch... but her face was flushed a deep, unnatural pink. Her breath hitched.
"What a nasty little brother you are~" she panted, her legs trembling slightly. "Your Devil Fruit ability... is just too wicked!"
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