Chapter 46 — Warlords and the Price of a Broken Heart
News of Kaido's defeat spread throughout the sea. Civilians, pirates, and Marines—everyone was left stunned. An Emperor of the sea had fallen, and the balance that had existed for years was beginning to shake violently.
Sengoku had already held a meeting with the remaining Vice Admirals. In the end, Admiral Sakazuki, who was stationed in the New World, was given direct orders to keep the pirates in check and prevent the situation from descending into complete chaos.
Sakazuki, upon receiving the order, used this opportunity to vent his anger over the Warlords project. That day, many famous pirates were wiped out as the Mad Dog rampaged through the New World, leaving destruction and terrified pirates behind him.
Many crazed pirates quickly cooled down after hearing the reports. "Damn! That mad dog of the Government!" one pirate cursed as his crew hurriedly changed course, unwilling to encounter Sakazuki.
"That bastard is a madman!" another pirate shouted in frustration. "He isn't even giving anyone a chance to escape!" The pirates were forced to quiet down because Sakazuki was raging like a mad dog, biting at every pirate he encountered.
The rampage only worsened when Morgans fueled the flames and officially declared the Oni Samurai, the STORM KING, as the Fourth Emperor of the Sea. With Kaido's life and death still unknown, the balance of power had changed overnight.
As days passed, Doberman was the first one to find his target. "You lot stay here. I will go and talk," he said as he ordered his subordinates to remain behind.
"But, Vice Admiral Doberman—" one of the soldiers immediately protested. "Let us accompany you, Vice Admiral!" Several Marines raised their voices at once, clearly unwilling to let their commander walk into danger alone.
Doberman raised his hand. "No need. You guys will only be liabilities if I take you there. That guy is a pirate. He definitely isn't going to just listen to what we have to say."
"And that guy is a famous rookie, just like the Oni Samurai. He has fought Edward Newgate and a monster as strong as the Dark King Rayleigh and came out alive. He is no weakling."
The soldiers saluted and replied in firm voices, though there was a clear hint of fear behind their expressions. "Bu-but that is even more reason to take us! That guy is strong. Your life might be in danger!"
"Daggagaggagaga! No need to worry about me. I'm not going to die so easily," Doberman said before turning away and leaving the ship behind.
After a while, he arrived at a bar. The entire place was empty, with only one man sitting inside. He had a cigar in his mouth and a wine glass in one hand, looking completely relaxed despite the Marine presence.
The man slowly turned toward Doberman. "What do you want?" he asked in a rough tone, his cold eyes staring directly at him. The scar on his face only made him look more intimidating.
Doberman looked directly at the man before him. "Sand Crocodile. I'm Vice Admiral Doberman. I'm here on the Fleet Admiral's orders."
"You think I care?" Crocodile asked coldly. "Since you have been searching for me all over the sea, you better have a good reason for coming here. Otherwise, die."
Fwoooosh!
Sand suddenly rushed toward Doberman. The Vice Admiral immediately drew the katana at his waist and dashed forward using Soru.
Whoosh!
Crocodile stood up and thrust his golden hook forward at the same time. A metallic sound echoed through the empty bar as the katana and hook collided violently.
CLANGGG!
Doberman and Crocodile stared directly at each other, their killing intent filling the entire bar. Neither of them moved for several seconds.
Doberman was really itching to kill this bastard here and now. As a member of the Hawk faction, who believed in Absolute Justice like Sakazuki, he was extremely pissed about the Warlords project.
"If you think you are my opponent, you are mistaken," Crocodile sneered, his cold eyes narrowing as more sand began swirling around him.
"A filthy pirate. If not for the orders from higher above, you would already be dead meat," Doberman sneered back, his grip tightening around his katana.
BOOM!
Both jumped back at the same time. The fight erupted immediately as they began attacking each other, neither willing to back down first.
SHHHK! FWOOSH!
Sand slashes cut through the bar, destroying tables and walls as Doberman moved through the attacks using Soru. Their meeting had barely begun, yet the atmosphere had already turned into a battlefield.
Far away from them, on a deserted island, Kuzan's warship was docked near the shore. Kuzan jumped down from the deck and began walking away from his ship.
The usual lazy look in his eyes was completely gone. Instead, his expression had become sharper, and there was a seriousness in his eyes that had not been there before.
The blow of losing just after becoming an Admiral had been a wake-up call for him. There were always people stronger out on the open sea. Just because he was now an Admiral did not mean he was the strongest.
He looked ahead silently as the cold wind moved through his hair. "Arara... becoming an Admiral really doesn't mean I can relax, huh?"
Inside the Calm Belt, on Amazon Lily, the Empress Castle stood peacefully beneath the bright sky. Sandersonia and Marigold rushed toward the Empress's chambers with hurried expressions.
Inside, Boa Hancock sat on her bed. All around her room were bounty posters of the Oni Samurai, carefully placed everywhere.
"Kai-sama..." she muttered infatuatedly as she rolled around on the bed, her cheeks turning red. Her long black hair spread messily across the bed as she hugged one of the bounty posters.
Her slender legs moved slightly as she continued staring at the poster. One hand tightly clutched the bounty poster while the other was pressed against her chest.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Her heart was beating like a war drum. From beneath her qipao, her chest rose and fell with every breath. The sight was mesmerizing enough to leave anyone stunned.
"When will I meet you again, Kai?" Hancock muttered longingly, her eyes remaining fixed on the poster.
"Will you remember me? Will you propose to me? Will we get married? What about kids? How many should we have?" Her cheeks turned crimson as she covered her face, her imagination running completely wild.
Just then, the doors of her room opened.
BANG!
Sandersonia and Marigold walked inside. "Sis—"
They stopped in the middle of their sentence.
Hancock immediately snapped out of her daydreaming and looked toward her sisters. Her expression instantly changed, and she quickly tried to regain her dignity.
"You better have a reason for barging into my room like this, Sonia and Mari," she said angrily.
Sonia and Mari gulped. In their rush, they had completely forgotten that Hancock's room was an absolutely forbidden zone for everyone.
If not for them being her sisters, they definitely would have been petrified for a few weeks already.
Mari immediately snapped out of her fear. "Sis, it's about Kai-sama!"
The moment she said that, Hancock's irritation vanished. Her eyes immediately lit up.
"Kai?" she asked, suddenly sitting upright.
Sonia nodded rapidly like a chicken. "Yes, Sister! The war between Kai-sama and Kaido has ended, and Kai is the winner. He has even been crowned the Fourth Emperor, while Kaido's life and death remain unknown!"
Hancock immediately snatched the newspaper from her hands and began reading it.
The more she read, the happier she became. A beautiful smile slowly appeared on her face.
"As expected of the man this Empress has chosen. Kai is the best!"
Sonia and Mari smiled as they looked at their sister. Their feelings were complicated. On one hand, Kai was their savior and now an Emperor. He was definitely someone worthy of their sister.
But Shakky had already mentioned that Kai had someone he liked, or at least someone he was very close to. Didn't that mean their sister's heart could eventually be broken?
If that happened, Hancock might not even survive because of the legendary Love Sickness. And it wouldn't even be Kai's fault.
Hancock's cheeks turned red as she smiled while looking at the image. A sense of pride and sadness appeared in her heart at the same time.
Pride, because Kai had become an Emperor, one of the strongest people on the sea. Sadness, because she hadn't been with him when he was fighting that war.
Her fingers slowly tightened around the newspaper.
"Will Kai even remember me?" she asked herself quietly.
The moment those words entered her mind, a soul-crushing pain welled up inside her heart.
Thump!
Her body suddenly weakened, and Hancock fell to her knees.
"Sister!" Sandersonia and Marigold cried out in shock as Hancock fell to the ground, clutching her chest.
Her breathing became uneven as painful thoughts continued flooding her mind. The fear that Kai might forget her, that she might never see him again, began crushing her heart.
"Kai-sama..." Hancock whispered weakly, her fingers tightening against her chest as her eyes trembled.
(Note - the pacing is going to be slowed down. Now the story will focus more on kingdom devlopment, CREWS buliding, slice of life. And all )
{HAREM [FL]
1. Yamato
2. Toki
3. Hancock
4. Robin ?
5. Nami ?
6. Uta ?
7. Karina?
8. Shirahoshi (adult ofc ) ? }
★ Harem is gonna be just 6 FL large.
★The first 3 are fixed the remaining three depends on you guys.
★ And pls do comment I'm not asking for too much just a casual review on chapter, any suggestions, opinion or mistakes.
★ comments motivate me to keep writing. Seeing that people genuinely read my fic makes writing and trying to improve my writing feels worth it.
★ The reason updates are inconsistent bcz of my job and lack of time. So hope you guys understand.
★ Writing is just a hobby not my job so i gotta do job to earn .