Boa Hancock (POV)
It took time for the storm inside her to settle. When it finally did, Hancock washed her face with cool water, steadying her breath until her reflection no longer trembled.
She looked… alive. Stronger. As if something long coiled inside her had finally loosened. Even her Haoshoku responded more clearly, heavier, more assured.
She left her chambers and stopped a short distance from the room where the man was kept, choosing to observe rather than announce herself.
Through the window, Ren sat upright, his attention fixed on the door as if he expected interruption at any moment. He was cleaner now, but still dressed in worn, unfamiliar clothes—Kuja had nothing meant for men.
His black hair was tied back simply, unadorned. His eyes—clear, azure—were calm, watchful, and devoid of hunger that had nothing to do with food.
Hancock stepped inside.
Ren looked up immediately, posture straightening. "You're back," he said. "So… it worked, right?"
She didn't answer at once, merely watched him. He took her silence as confirmation and exhaled lightly, relief flickering across his face.
"Good," he continued. "Then if possible, could you leave me on a nearby island? Anywhere's fine, really."
Hancock's gaze sharpened. "That is all?" she asked.
Ren blinked, clearly confused. "All?"
"You cured something priceless," she said evenly. "Most men would ask for far more than safe passage."
He shrugged. "You didn't kill me, and you fed me. That's already more kindness than I expected." After a pause, he added, "As for money, I can handle that myself."
Hancock tilted her head. "You would steal?"
"I'd prefer 'redistribute,'" Ren replied. "There are plenty of weak pirates who won't be missed."
Silence filled the room, thicker this time. Hancock studied him carefully, measuring not his words but the absence of desperation behind them.
"Most men would beg," she said. "Others would demand treasure, protection, even my hand."
Ren snorted quietly. "That sounds like a fast way to die."
Her lips curved, faint but genuine. "You truly are a strange man," Hancock said. "And strangely amusing."
She turned, her tone shifting back to authority. "You will be put ashore at the nearest island during our next patrol. Until then, we are within the Calm Belt—there is no land."
Ren grimaced slightly. "Yeah. I'd rather not swim that."
"You will remain on this ship," she continued. "Food and water will be provided. But understand this clearly—men are forbidden on Amazon Lily."
She met his eyes directly. "If you set foot on that island, I will kill you."
Ren raised both hands without hesitation. "Fair. I don't have a death wish." After a brief pause, he gestured around the room. "I can leave this room, though?"
Hancock considered him for a moment. "You may move freely on the ship," she said. "As long as you do not approach the island or cause trouble."
Ren nodded once. "That works for me."
She turned to leave, stopping only briefly at the doorway. This man had asked for nothing—and that, more than anything, unsettled her.
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