Two months later.
In the familiar training grounds aboard the Thriller Bark…
"X-BURNER!!"
A scorching torrent of heat erupted, engulfing a zombie "Empress" in midair. Flames burst outward in all directions, carrying a terrifying intensity that instantly reduced the zombie, trapped in the rigid blaze, to nothing but ash.
Moria's Doppelman soared upward effortlessly, as if out of habit, and neatly caught the remnants of the disintegrating "Empress" before they could fly off.
Luffy descended slowly through the air, steady flames pushing beneath his feet as he landed smoothly back on the ground.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating a Zombie General. You've gained 75,800 EXP and 150,000 gold coins.]
Luffy sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at the 2.5 million coins piled in his inventory.
Had it been the old him, that amount would've had him jumping for joy.
But now? Even with a fortune like this, bigger than anything he'd ever seen, Luffy couldn't feel excited at all.
He had once thought that with Hancock's shadow in hand and an abundance of corpses, he could enjoy a stress-free, endless grind for EXP and wealth.
But reality had a way of letting you down.
It was hard to say whether the problem was Moria's underdeveloped Devil Fruit powers… or simply Hancock's formidable willpower. Either way, her shadow behaved unlike any other.
Hogback's usual mass-produced zombies simply couldn't hold Hancock's shadow.
No matter how many times Moria sealed her shadow into a corpse, it would slip right back out, unwilling, incompatible.
Only corpses of exceptional strength could properly absorb and contain Hancock's shadow.
But such high-quality corpses were exceedingly rare.
And time was ticking. Ace's departure to sea was drawing near.
Luffy had originally planned that after this last outing, he'd take a well-deserved break, relax for a while, and wait for the world's tensions to reach a more interesting boiling point. He wanted to meet some of the major figures from the original storyline.
His idea had been simple: use Hancock's shadow to rack up gold and gear himself up for what lay ahead.
But in the end… that plan had fallen flat.
In two months, they'd traveled across two islands and managed to find only a dozen corpses capable of hosting Hancock's shadow.
That alone showed just how "picky" her shadow was.
"Guess I should be grateful for what I got."
Luffy let his aura fade. His pupils returned to their normal black and white, and he reverted to his usual, relaxed self.
"Luffy-san, that was the last zombie," Moria reported as he walked up, still holding Hancock's shadow, struggling wildly in his grasp.
Luffy nodded. He'd known this was the final one.
After a moment of silent thought, he let out a breath and said helplessly, "Go ahead and return the shadow to Hancock."
After all, Hancock and Robin had become friends by now.
Sure, Hancock still acted cold and aloof, like she couldn't care less, and definitely didn't behave like a prisoner, but Luffy no longer saw her as an enemy. As long as she stuck with Robin and didn't cause trouble, he had no problem letting her do as she pleased.
Since he no longer needed her shadow, it was better to give it back sooner rather than later.
Robin had already brought it up several times. But back then, the shadow had still been useful to him, so he'd simply told her, "After training, I'll return it."
"…Ah?"
Moria froze for a second in disbelief. Shadows like this were once-in-a-century treasures. Hancock's shadow alone was already stronger than him!
But thinking of the bond between Hancock and Robin, and then the even more subtle connection between Luffy and Robin, Moria's face turned complicated.
In the end, he sighed and obediently released his grip.
As the grip of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit disappeared, Hancock's shadow immediately shot into the sky like a stream of dark light, arcing over the ship and vanishing toward the castle at the center of the island.
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Inside the castle…
Robin and Hancock were enjoying afternoon tea when Robin suddenly paused mid-sentence, her expression flickering briefly in surprise.
Then she smiled and glanced toward Hancock's feet, her gaze soft.
Hancock, who had been listening to her, tilted her head in confusion and followed Robin's gaze downward.
There, hugging tightly to her feet… was a shadow.
She moved her hand, and the shadow mimicked the gesture. She lifted a leg, and the shadow did the same.
It had been two months since Hancock had last seen her shadow. She stared in surprise, clearly not used to having it back so suddenly.
Robin smiled gently and said, "It seems Luffy has decided… to let you return to Amazon Lily. That's wonderful news, Hancock."
To Robin, this was the best possible outcome. One was the man she cared about, Luffy, and the other was now a true friend, Hancock.
For the past two months, she had been caught between them.
Luffy, fortunately, had been considerate. He valued her thoughts, and always made sure to listen.
But Hancock… was a different story.
For reasons Robin still didn't fully understand, Hancock held a deep hostility toward Luffy. More intense than what she felt toward even Brook or Moria.
Robin had always assumed it was because Luffy had defeated her, and that this defeat had been too bitter to accept.
That's why, long ago, Robin had subtly suggested to Luffy that he return Hancock's shadow, hoping it might ease the tension between them.
It hadn't been urgent back then, since the shadow was still useful. But now, with Luffy giving it back, it meant he was finally willing to take a step back.
And with that… Robin now had a chance to mend things between the two.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"…Huh? I–I'm going back?"
Hancock's expression twisted slightly. She'd only just shaken off her daze when Robin's words hit her, leaving her visibly unsettled.
Yes, she had to go back. Sandersonia and Marigold were waiting for her. She was the Empress of Amazon Lily, she couldn't stay trapped here forever.
But still…
At this moment, she didn't want to leave.
Because…
Hancock lifted her eyes and looked at Robin with a gaze full of unspoken emotion. After a long pause, like she'd finally made up her mind, she said:
"Robin… Come join my pirate crew!"
Robin's hand froze in midair, holding her teacup. After a moment, she gently set it down and looked Hancock in the eye.
Her voice was firm.
"That's impossible, Hancock. I hope you won't bring it up again."
"…I see." Hancock's heart twisted at Robin's sudden seriousness. But she couldn't let it go. "Then, Robin… why are you a pirate?"
"Me?" Robin blinked… and suddenly smiled.
She drifted back to memories, the first time she met Luffy, the storms they'd weathered, the seas they'd crossed together…
"…It's been so long already, hasn't it?" she murmured softly to herself.
"What?"
"Nothing." Robin smiled, then answered clearly:
"I became a pirate… because Luffy asked me to join him. That's all the reason I need."
As she spoke, her eyes shimmered faintly with traces of purple light. The Vongola Ring on her finger flickered with tiny flames, symbolizing her unwavering resolve.
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