Boa Hancock (POV)
Hancock watched him without speaking as the man finished devouring the Sea King. The massive corpse vanished piece by piece beneath controlled motion, power expressed without waste or spectacle.
When he rose again on that strange cloud and drifted farther from the ship, clearly waiting for more prey, she finally turned her gaze away.
"Send two warriors," she ordered calmly. "Keep watch on him from a distance. As long as he does not approach Amazon Lily, he is free to act."
The Kuja bowed immediately, carrying out the command without question. No one dared challenge her decision, not after what they had witnessed.
Hancock lingered at the railing for several moments longer, her eyes following Ren's distant silhouette as it hovered against the vast blue.
Amusing.
Interesting.
She turned away at last, leaving the deck with a faint smile she did not bother to hide.
---
Ren (POV)
I stayed on the cloud, letting it drift lazily as I scanned the water below. The Calm Belt lived up to its reputation—silent on the surface, violent underneath.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Hancock giving orders, her posture relaxed yet absolute. When she glanced in my direction and smiled before leaving, my heart skipped in a way I didn't appreciate.
"Damn," I muttered. "I know she's dangerous… but Hancock smiling is lethal."
I inhaled slowly, forcing my heartbeat to calm. Emotional instability in a place like this was just another way to die.
Unbeknownst to me, far behind the walls of Amazon Lily, Hancock paused mid-step. Her Kenbunshoku caught the stray thought with effortless clarity.
The smile she had tried to suppress returned—stronger this time.
---
The wait did not last long.
Within the hour, the sea erupted again as another Sea King surfaced, followed by another, and another. The Calm Belt was generous to those foolish enough to challenge it.
This time, I did not cook them.
I struck decisively, knocking each beast unconscious with a single blow before activating Devour immediately. Black mist swallowed flesh, bone, and blood without resistance.
The difference was immediate.
The green energy flooding into my inner space was denser, richer, far more potent than before. Cooking them had burned away vitality—this preserved it whole.
After several kills, I began storing one intact Sea King while devouring the rest. The internal space expanded subtly, accommodating more mass without strain.
By the time the sun began to dip, I had eliminated over twenty Sea Kings. The sea around me felt… quieter.
I returned to the ship without ceremony, dismissing the cloud and stepping onto the deck as if returning from a routine walk.
The Kuja warriors stationed nearby watched in rigid silence, their expressions carefully neutral despite the awe they clearly felt.
I ignored them and moved to the open space near the mast, extending my staff instinctively.
Training came naturally.
My body moved on reflex, guided by something older than thought. Each swing was precise, each strike balanced between speed and control.
Instead of fatigue, strength poured through me. The green energy circulated continuously, reinforcing muscle, bone, and breath.
Minutes turned into hours. The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the deck as my movements only grew sharper.
When I finally stopped, my body hummed with restrained power. Sweat soaked my clothes, but my breathing remained steady.
By rough estimate…
I clenched my fist slowly. I'm about as strong as Luffy was when he arrived on Amazon Lily.
The realization made me pause. That growth shouldn't have been possible in mere hours.
Then understanding settled in.
It wasn't just the energy. The Mythical Zoan was accelerating adaptation, compounding growth on a body that had been half-dead only a day ago.
That explosive phase was already fading, replaced by something slower—but stable.
If I train like this for two months…
A quiet laugh escaped me. "That's ridiculous."
Time-skip Luffy levels of strength. With no drawback.
No wonder the system disappeared after handing me the starter pack.
I retreated to my room at last and bathed thoroughly, washing away sweat and salt as exhaustion finally brushed against me. It was welcome. Earned.
---
Boa Hancock (POV)
The palace doors slammed open.
"How could you?"
The shrill voice echoed through the hall as an elderly woman stormed forward, snake-shaped staff striking the marble with each furious step.
"How could an Empress bring a man into Kuja waters? Have you forgotten the laws?"
Hancock stopped. Slowly turned.
She had intended to abandon the mask—intended to rule openly, honestly, now that the past no longer chained her.
The world, it seemed, had other ideas.
Before she could speak, the woman continued. "What? Has a cat taken your tongue? Do you not understand the disgrace—"
The kick was precise.
The old woman flew cleanly out of the palace doors, landing unceremoniously in the courtyard beyond.
Silence followed.
Hancock exhaled sharply. "Take her away," she ordered her sisters, voice cold. "Explain the situation. Slowly."
She turned and left without another word, irritation simmering beneath the surface. Some masks, it seemed, could not yet be discarded.
---
Later, alone in her chambers, Hancock stood beneath the warm spray of water. She closed her eyes, half-expecting pain to return.
Nothing did.
Her back remained smooth. Untouched. Free.
The reality still felt fragile, like a dream that might shatter if acknowledged too directly.
After drying, she sat quietly, fingers tapping against her arm as a thought took shape.
Sandersonia.
Marigold.
They deserved freedom too.
She hesitated only briefly before deciding. She would ask him. And she knew—without logic, without proof—that he would not refuse.
The realization startled her.
Not the trust.
But the name that formed naturally in her mind.
Ren.
Not "that man."
Not "the outsider."
She sighed softly, lips curving in reluctant amusement as she lay down to rest.
"well" she murmured to the empty room. "Looks like you are also dengerous for my heart."
And for the first time in many years, Boa Hancock fell asleep without fear of waking to chains.
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