Hanafuda was stunned at first.
He had considered that this woman might be hiding some strength—after all, she was a cadre of the Revolutionary Army. Otherwise, how could she stay so calm after being imprisoned?
But he didn't expect…
That she would be such a troublesome opponent.
That move just now—anyone with sharp eyes could see it was a derivative technique of Rokushiki.
Which meant that the woman in front of him… wasn't a Revolutionary Army member at all, but a Marine!
"You're a Marine! Damn it!"
Hanafuda reacted instantly. The long-handled scythe in his hands swung toward Hancock in a flash.
What looked like a lightning-fast strike to others was, to Hancock, nothing impressive.
A bit of skill, yes—but in her eyes, far from enough.
She tilted her head slightly, and the blade missed by a hair.
"Hey, I'll give you a chance. Run away now, and I guarantee I won't chase you," Hancock said as she gently combed her hair. Her long black hair flowed in the wind, enchanting…
And extremely dangerous.
"Don't joke with me!"
Hanafuda roared. The bit of lust clouding his head earlier had already vanished completely.
That movement she used to dodge his slash just now… absolutely not simple!
So he immediately activated his fruit ability and transformed.
Lizard Fruit · Ancient Model · Komodo Form.
In an instant, tough gray scales grew all over Hanafuda's body, and his head transformed into that of a lizard.
Only… far sturdier than a regular lizard.
More like a dragon!
This was one of the reasons Kaido recruited Hanafuda. In some sense, Hanafuda's team…
Could fit almost perfectly into the Beasts Pirates.
And as Hanafuda released a sky-shaking roar mid-transformation, two pirates who looked quite strong burst out of the cabin.
The two also roared and transformed.
Crocodile Fruit · Ancient Model · Saltwater Crocodile Form.
Dragon-Dragon Fruit · Ancient Model · Velociraptor Form.
Three Ancient Zoans in one pirate crew—quite rare.
As the three pirates formed a triangle around Hancock, Weevil suddenly grew restless.
He once again tried to break free from the Seastone-reinforced shackles—heavy restraints forged together with metal, with chains driven through his collarbone and scapula.
"Hey! What stupid thing are you doing now, you big idiot!" Hancock glared at Weevil, both angry and exasperated.
"Didn't I already tell you to stop trying to break those chains by yourself?"
"I can't! You're Michael's person—so you're my friend! Pops said that for a friend you should go through fire and blades! How can I let you face three enemies alone?!"
The big idiot Weevil kept pulling on the chains silently, expressionless—flesh tearing again as the chain tore against his wounds.
Everyone around felt phantom pain just watching it.
Hancock jumped up sharply and slapped the back of Weevil's neck with a heavy blow.
"You stop that right now!"
"Just stay put in there. After I kill these three useless weaklings, I'll take you and run!"
She shook her hand afterwards.
What the hell was that idiot made of?
So damn tough!
But the complaining lasted only a moment.
When Hancock turned around again, her expression had already gone cold.
No wonder she was personally chosen by Michael—now the strongest member of the SWORD Secret Special Force, the ace of all aces.
The Empress—Boa Hancock.
"Hey, I'm not interested in playing probing games with you."
"If you manage to survive this move, then you can keep living."
"If not… well, that would be unfortunate."
As she finished speaking, Hancock's hair began to rise despite there being no wind, black lightning crackling around her.
She revealed a cruel smile and leapt high.
At the peak of her jump, she twisted mid-air, hanging upside down, and kicked.
But this kick carried the kingly might of her Conqueror's Haki Infusion!
"You should die now, because…"
"I am simply too beautiful."
A ridiculous technique formed from her own understanding combined with Garp's full teachings of the Fist series—now wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, and unleashed downward in a massive shockwave!
In an instant!
The sea split!
The sudden explosion triggered a massive tsunami, and it also drew Kaido and the others' attention.
Everyone looked up at Hancock, who was carrying Weevil while walking through the air with Geppo.
"Oh dear, I might have gone a bit overboard."
"Weevil, hold your breath—I'm starting!"
And the direction she fled toward…
Was precisely Wano Country.
...
Wano Country, along the coastline.
Michael and Rosinante stood side by side.
"I'm still worried about Hancock… this is her first undercover mission!"
"I told you, Rosinante—your personality is great as a friend, but when you're the Commander-in-Chief of the SWORD Secret Special Force, you can't be like this…" Michael glanced at the uneasy Rosinante.
"I know you don't want anyone in SWORD to face danger, but our job is literally the most dangerous in the world. You can't shove everyone under your wings forever…"
"But…"
"No buts, Rosinante. We crawled through blades and bullets—don't embarrass yourself!" Michael patted Rosinante's lower back.
"Besides, how long has it been since you last assessed Hancock's abilities?"
"Uh…" Rosinante scratched his cheek awkwardly. "About… three years?"
"Three years! A full three years! Do you think someone like Hancock wouldn't improve at all in three years?" Michael pointed to his overly handsome face.
"In all of SWORD, if we're talking pure talent, Hancock is second only to me. Even Enel and Hawk Eyes—those two monsters—are still surpassed by her in talent."
"On top of that, after going through my hellish training, she even inherited Garp's teachings…"
"So when I say Hancock is currently the strongest person in SWORD, I'm not exaggerating at all."
Michael finished speaking and looked into the distance with a relaxed smile.
A Pirate Empress who never experienced trauma, who never had mental scars.
Hancock who was never enslaved as a child, but instead was raised and trained intensively by Michael and Garp…
This world's Boa Hancock would bloom perfectly.
How far would that bloom extend? Even Michael didn't know.
At the very least…
In Michael's view, the current Hancock already had the qualifications to compete with BIG MOM for the title of strongest woman in the pirate world.
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg