"You woman! You're so ugly, yet you keep throwing those hearts at me. Isn't that just disgusting?!"
At that moment, without Hancock even lifting a finger, everyone present was petrified—not by her powers, but by the sheer audacity of the statement.
Ugly? Disgusting?
Was he actually talking about Hancock?
'Good lord, Jabra,' Sean complained internally. 'Not only is your taste absolutely bizarre, but you've got a terrifying amount of nerve.'
At the bow of the ship, Hancock completely snapped. Her entire body began to tremble.
She was shaking with rage.
Being called ugly was one thing, but to be called 'disgusting'?
The man was clearly blind.
A fierce fire ignited in her eyes. As for Sean, Rayleigh, Shakky, and Lucci, she ignored them entirely. She lunged straight at Jabra, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.
"Perfume Femur!"
"Try dodging this!"
"I'll turn you to stone and then smash you to pieces!"
"Geo-Perfume Femur!"
"How dare you call me ugly!"
"How dare you call me disgusting!"
"Slave Arrow!"
Hancock was fighting with a vengeance, cycling through her techniques in rapid succession. Unlike the Love-Love Beam, these moves did not require the target to be attracted to her to induce petrification.
The only way to block them was through Armament Haki.
While Jabra had awakened Observation Haki, he had yet to master Armament Haki, meaning he couldn't effectively block the strikes. He was forced to rely on his Observation Haki combined with the Six Powers to dodge constantly. For a while, he managed to avoid being hit. After all, he was not the same Jabra from the original story.
However, Sean, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly frowned.
Hancock's attacks didn't distinguish between living beings and inanimate objects. Anything she touched—wood, steel, cloth—turned to stone. It was essentially "touch it and it petrifies."
Because of Jabra's frantic dodging, one of the 280mm triple main guns at the bow took a stray kick from Hancock. One of the barrels petrified instantly. As the fight continued, the barrel was caught in the crossfire again.
The result was predictable; the barrel shattered into a pile of rubble.
The deck, the hull, and various other pieces of equipment fared no better. The warship was becoming a disaster zone.
Sean felt his heart bleed.
'I have money—plenty of it—but that doesn't mean I want you two treating my ship like a playground!'
If these two kept fighting, the entire warship would be scrap metal.
"Enough!!"
Sean let out a thunderous roar, and his Reiatsu erupted instantaneously.
Although he had consciously suppressed the intensity, Rayleigh, standing right beside him, still felt an immense pressure.
Hancock, who was in the middle of pursuing Jabra, stumbled. The sudden surge of terrifying spiritual pressure threw her off balance, nearly sending her crashing to the deck.
Recovering herself and realizing what had happened, Hancock refused to be intimidated. She immediately unleashed her Conqueror's Haki to clash with Sean's Reiatsu. For a moment, the two forces reached a stalemate.
What she didn't know was that Sean had released less than fifty percent of his Reiatsu. He hadn't even released his Zanpakutō, let alone used Bankai.
For a Shinigami, achieving Shikai and Bankai provides more than just special abilities; it drastically amplifies their Reiatsu. A Shikai typically increases spiritual pressure by two to three times, while Bankai can amplify it by ten to fifteen times.
In some cases involving exceptionally powerful Zanpakutō, the multiplier is even higher. For instance, according to the system, Sean's Hekireki was the strongest lightning-type Zanpakutō. Much like Old Man Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka, its Shikai and Bankai would amplify his Reiatsu far beyond that of an average Zanpakutō.
Consequently, the pressure Sean was currently emitting was not even close to ten percent of his absolute limit.
Seeing Hancock struggle against him, Sean grew interested and began to gradually increase the pressure.
Fifty percent...
Hancock held her ground.
Sixty percent...
Hancock gritted her teeth and endured.
Seventy percent...
Hancock's knees began to buckle.
One more increment!
Finally, even Hancock could no longer withstand it. She dropped to one knee, using her right hand to prop herself up as she struggled to maintain her posture.
Rayleigh was staring in disbelief.
'Just as Shanks said... this kid's Conqueror's Haki... no, it's not Conqueror's Haki, but something else similar. It's absurdly powerful.'
No wonder Shanks had been pushed to his limits. Most importantly, looking at Sean's expression, he was far from his limit.
However, one thing confused Rayleigh.
He felt the pressure heavily, yet the others seemed completely calm. Even the little princess from Alabasta didn't seem affected at all.
'Could it be...'
'Is he deliberately avoiding everyone else while releasing this energy... except for me?'
The thought left Rayleigh feeling miserable.
'Is this blatant discrimination? This is definitely discrimination!! He's bullying the old man!'
If Sean knew what Rayleigh was thinking, he would have complained right back.
He avoided Shakky and Vivi because he was a gentleman. He avoided Lucci and the others because they were his subordinates. As for Rayleigh, the old geezer wasn't a girl nor a subordinate—why waste the effort to precisely manipulate his Reiatsu to avoid him?
Besides, the old man could handle it, couldn't he?
"Hancock, do you wish to continue?"
"If you do, then let me be your opponent."
Maintaining the release of his Reiatsu, Sean walked slowly toward the kneeling Hancock.
It wasn't that Hancock had lost her ability to fight. She was willful, but she wasn't stupid. If she forced a fight in this state, her combat effectiveness would be suppressed by at least thirty to forty percent.
"You are... that Marine Vice Admiral named Sean?"
"You only just noticed?"
"Hmph. Why should I bother looking at the faces of you men?"
There it was—her pride exploding.
To translate: the reason she hadn't noticed him was that "stinky men" weren't worthy of her gaze. And if she hadn't looked at his face, she naturally wouldn't know who he was.
Perfectly logical. Very Hancock.
Sean gave a wry smile. This woman's personality was truly something.
"Then how do you recognize me now?"
"A certain old woman has been nagging in my ear lately, saying that a Vice Admiral named Sean Campbell has appeared in the Marines, and that he is not even twenty years old. I assume that must be you?"
"So that's how it is... Grandma Nyon... Shakky, she must have been the Empress of the generation before last, right?"
Nodding, Sean looked toward Shakky.
Hancock froze upon hearing this.
Grandma Nyon was the predecessor, and Shakky was the Empress before her?
How was that possible?
Grandma Nyon was an Empress of Amazon Lily, but if Sean was correct, then Shakky had also been the Empress? And she was the ruler from two generations ago?
Stunned, Hancock turned a shocked gaze toward Shakky.
"Alright, little Hancock. Since Sean already let the cat out of the bag, I won't hide it. I was indeed once the Empress of Amazon Lily."
"If I count correctly, I was two generations before you."
With a wry smile, Shakky laid her cards on the table.
"If you were the Empress two generations ago, then why are you standing there with those Marines?"
"I can answer that!"
Before Shakky could speak, Sean cut in.
"Because Shakky and I made a deal. As part of that agreement, I will protect Amazon Lily from the intrusion of any power—even the World Government!"
"As for what Shakky gave in return, all you need to know is that she paid a very high price."
"And there was one additional condition to the entire trade: I am permitted to recruit soldiers on Amazon Lily to build a female army!"
Hancock was momentarily speechless, her mind struggling to process the information.
The fact that Shakky was a former Empress was shocking enough. Now Sean was telling her that he had struck a deal with Shakky, and the price Sean paid was...
Protecting Amazon Lily from any and all threats? Including the World Government?
But she was the current Empress! Why on earth were these two making deals about her island behind her back?
"Since you were the Empress two generations ago, that means you, just like Grandma Nyon, are someone who abandoned your responsibilities and obligations!"
"Who gave you the right to make decisions for Amazon Lily in my stead?"
"I do not recognize your deal!"
How old was Shakky now? In her early sixties. And she was the Empress from two generations ago.
Between the time Hancock had reigned and the tenure of the Empress before her, it meant that Shakky had abandoned the throne while she was still very young.
Just as she thought... just like Grandma Nyon, she was a selfish person who had cast aside her duties.
Hancock's temper flared instantly.
Shakky sighed softly.
In truth, the reign of every Empress of Amazon Lily tended to be quite short. This was because almost every generation of their rulers suffered from that specific "Love Sickness."
Once they fell in love with someone, they were left with two choices: wait for death, or abandon their duties, leave Amazon Lily, and pursue that man.
Consequently, short reigns were inevitable. It always came down to those two options.
Either die, or leave.
Regardless of the choice, their time as Empress came to an end. In fact, there had been several generations where the Empress reigned for less than three years.
The only variable that determined the length of an Empress's reign was one key point...
When would the Empress fall in love with a man?
If it happened early, the reign was short; if it happened late, the reign lasted longer. It was as simple as that.
Furthermore, almost every generation—much like Hancock—deeply despised their predecessors, believing they had abandoned their responsibilities for some "stinking man." It was something they found absolutely incomprehensible and unforgivable.
And yet, the result was always the same. The vast majority eventually made that very same choice. As for the small minority who didn't... they all perished when their Love Sickness flared up.
Thus, the changing of Emperors in Amazon Lily was like a flowing stream. Anyone who could hold the throne for over ten years was considered an exceptional rarity.
"Little Hancock, do you know why the Emperors of Amazon Lily either die young or abandon the throne and run away?" Shakky asked, stepping closer with a soft sigh.
Hancock paused. She had never thought about it in those terms, but now that Shakky mentioned it... it was true. Every generation of Emperors either died early or fled.
Why was that? Was the island cursed?
"Because we in Amazon Lily suffer from a strange ailment called Love Sickness."
"What's even stranger is that this disease is like a curse; it only manifests in the Empress of each generation. Once the Empress falls in love with a man, the agony of longing for someone she cannot see gradually weakens her, until she is eventually crushed by her own yearning and dies of the illness."
"Therefore, there are only two paths left."
"First, abandon the throne and leave Amazon Lily to find the man she loves."
"Second, stay on the island, suffer the torture of Love Sickness, and eventually die."
"In that sense, leaving and dying are no different. No matter which choice is made, the Empress can no longer remain in power."
'There's such a thing? Why have I never heard of this?'
Hancock was stunned for a moment. However, she quickly recovered her composure.
Even if such a strange disease existed, wasn't the root of the problem still that they fell for those stinking men? If they simply stopped falling in love with men, all of this could be avoided!
So, in the end, it was still their fault!
"I'm telling you, Shakky, she's clearly not convinced. Why don't we just knock her out, take her back, and let me give her some 'corrective education' for a while?"
"Is your 'corrective education' actually professional?"
"Well... that depends on the situation. If necessary, the 'unprofessional' kind of corrective education can be considered!"
Hearing this, Shakky rolled her eyes. She knew this kid was up to no good.
Seeing Shakky's look of disdain, Sean simply shrugged, as if to say he couldn't help it. However, in the next moment, something occurred to him.
It seemed... there was a way.
Hancock had a massive weakness, didn't she? And he just happened to have a way to solve it.
A slight smirk played on his lips. Sean knelt on one knee, looking up at the girl who was slightly taller than him.
"Hancock, the deal remains the same, but how about I add a little something extra?"
"Stinking man, don't even think about laying a finger on Amazon Lily! No matter what price you offer, I will not agree!"
"No, no, no. I think you will," Sean said confidently.
Hancock looked at him with utter contempt. But Sean's next sentence completely shattered her defenses.
"For example, I can help you and your two sisters erase the marks on your backs—and I can do it without leaving a single scar. How does that sound?"
"You wouldn't want yourself and your sisters to carry those marks for the rest of your lives, would you?"
"I'll give you one minute. If you still don't agree, I'll just have to take you back and give you that 'unprofessional' corrective education."
"Think carefully!"
Having said that, Sean stood back up and beckoned to Vivi.
"Master?"
"Help me keep time—start a one-minute countdown!"
"Yes, Master!"
...
"60..."
"59..."
"58..."
As she listened to Vivi's countdown, Hancock's eyes were clouded with conflict.
Should she... agree, or... refuse?