Using the power of the Rooster Talisman, Roya floated silently downward without making a sound.
Finally, upon reaching the basement, the space opened up before him.
The basement was quite large, with flickering candlelight and dozens of slender iron pillars standing tall, forming prison cages.
Inside one of the cages was a young girl, relentlessly pounding the chains binding two captives with her small fists.
Her fists were already covered in blood, yet her eyes burned with unwavering determination.
"Sister, you must escape!"
"As long as you can get away, we'll be happy!"
"Yes, sister! Being your little sisters is the greatest fortune of our lives!"
"Don't worry about us anymore—run, sister!"Hearing her younger sisters say such words, the elder sister clenched her small fists even tighter.
"I will never give up on you, even if it means death, I will save you! I swear on the name of Boa Hancock!"
One of the traditions of Amazon Lily is that once you swear by your own name, you must fulfill that oath. If you fail to do so, you will be cursed by the island.
Whether this was true or not, Roya didn't know, but it confirmed the identities of the three sisters before him.
He feigned a cough, the abrupt sound echoing in the underground chamber, startling the sisters.
Hancock immediately turned around, adopting a combat stance as she warily eyed Roya. However, her posture was clearly untrained, making it look rather comical.
"Who are you?!" Hancock demanded, her heart pounding as she stared at the cloaked man before her. Her instincts screamed that this man was extremely dangerous!
Roya didn't answer. Instead, he slowly advanced toward Hancock and the others. Each step reverberated through the underground prison, as if his footsteps were plucking at the strings of Hancock's heart.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead unnoticed. Frowning, Hancock warned, "Stop right there! Come any closer, and I won't hold back!"
But her feeble intimidation had no effect on Roya—if anything, he found it endearing.
When he finally stood before her, Roya looked down at Hancock from his superior height.
Her two younger sisters, still bound in chains, grew frantic at the sight. "Sister, run! Don't worry about us!" they cried. "Just escape on your own!" "We don't need your help—get out of here now!" "If you want to hurt someone, take it out on us!"
Just as they were immersed in their sisterly devotion, Roya unleashed a surge of his Spirit Pressure. The terrifying force, akin to Conqueror's Haki, silenced the two instantly, even though he had only released a fraction of it.
Hancock was stunned. What kind of power is this? How can it be so overwhelming?!
As he gazed at her, Roya's voice drifted into the ears of the three sisters. "You must know that Holy Land Mary Geoise is in chaos right now. Why didn't you take the chance to escape? Even if it meant abandoning your sisters, wouldn't survival alone be enough?"
This was the brutal reality Roya had witnessed on his way here. Had Fisher Tiger not been willing to sacrifice his life to protect her, Roya wouldn't have bothered saving her either.
A good deed for a good fish, as they say.
Hancock frowned at his words, replying with unwavering resolve, "Because they're my sisters. We were captured together, and if we escape, we escape together. I would never leave them behind in this hell!"
In your eyes, is this place truly hell?
Roya's eyes were shrouded in the darkness of his hood, making it impossible for Hancock to discern his expression.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Then, slowly, Roya drew Flowing Blade Like Raging Fire. The hum of the blade resonated through the prison.
Hancock's pupils contracted sharply. "What are you doing?! I won't let you hurt my sisters!" she screamed.
But her reaction was too slow. Without even glancing her way, Roya swung his sword down without hesitation.
"NOOOO!!!" Hancock's shriek echoed through the underground chamber.But with just a "snap," the seastone chains were instantly severed into two pieces under Roya's slash.
Hancock stared blankly at the scene before her, tears already welling up in her eyes.
She had been terrified just moments ago, thinking Roya wanted to—!!!
Fortunately, Roya had only cut the seastone chains.
The moment they were freed, the two of them immediately moved to Hancock's side.
However, by this point, the wariness of the Hancock sisters had lessened somewhat.
Then, Roya slowly crouched down and, with a force Hancock couldn't resist, lifted her clothes.
"W-what are you doing?"
Hancock's voice trembled slightly, filled with panic. On her back was something she loathed more than anything.
Hidden beneath his cloak, Roya's eyes flashed with a gray hue, his disgust toward the Celestial Dragons growing even stronger.
Gently tracing the scar on Hancock's back, Roya said softly, "It must have hurt a lot."
His voice was so tender that warmth blossomed in Hancock's heart, like a gentle stream flowing through her.
"It doesn't hurt anymore... Please, don't look."
Hancock, with her back turned to Roya, clenched her small fists tightly, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
The mark on her back was the one she despised the most!
If possible, she wanted to keep this secret buried in her heart forever!
Yet now, it had been exposed to Roya's gaze—how could she not feel ashamed?
"Do you want a different mark?"
"W-what?"
Hancock didn't immediately understand what Roya meant.
"This mark doesn't suit you at all. It's too ugly. How about I replace it for you? What kind of design would you like? Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Hancock froze, unsure of what she was feeling. It was as if a little deer was frantically darting around in her chest.
For the first time, she thought this man before her was... incredibly gentle.
"I... I don't know."
"In that case, I'll cover this brand with a phoenix. It's one of the symbols from my homeland—representing strength, pride, purity, and the meaning of rebirth from ashes!"
Hearing Roya's words, Hancock nodded vigorously. If possible, she too wanted another mark to erase the one on her back.
Flowing Blade Like Raging Fire exhaled flames, and under Roya's control, a Phoenix Nirvana pattern was swiftly sketched in the air, hovering before them.
As Roya carefully adjusted the temperature, the design instantly "consumed" the Celestial Dragon's hoof mark on Hancock's back, transforming into a pattern tailor-made for her.
Hancock's sisters, witnessing this, couldn't help but exclaim, "So... so beautiful."
...