Hancock's conviction was somewhat collapsed.
She stopped her useless attacks. Her beautiful face was full of frustration and disbelief. She demanded, "Why weren't you petrified? Even though you saw me bathing, you weren't even a little moved?"
This completely subverts her understanding!
Beside her, Marigold immediately retorted, "There's no way such an absurd thing is possible! Elder Sister's naked beauty captivates everyone, men, women, young, and old!"
Sandersonia tried to find a reasonable explanation. "Perhaps his fear of death simply overcomes his wicked thoughts?"
But seeing the still-bright smile on Luffy's face, even she couldn't convince herself with that excuse.
Who smiles so recklessly in the face of death?
"Am I not beautiful in your eyes?"
Hancock nearly ground out this question.
It was the first time she had deeply doubted her own charm.
"No, you're very pretty." Luffy answered Honestly.
Having spent time with Nami, Vivi, and Robin, he was no longer the clueless blockhead about matters between men and women.
He had desires. His sense of beauty was intact.
Pretty was pretty.
Desire was desire.
But right now, his entire body was in constant pain, like countless small knives cutting into him. Most of his energy was spent withstanding that pain.
The fact that he could have a normal conversation and react at all was a testament to his incredible willpower. He had no extra mental energy left for "wicked thoughts."
Hearing this, Hancock couldn't help but bite her finger. Her delicate red lips were bruised by her teeth.
She herself was not the problem. This man's sexual orientation seemed normal as well.
Then where was the problem?
Whose problem was it?
Luffy interrupted Hancock's random thoughts, getting straight to the point. "Are you the Warlord of the Sea, Snake Princess?"
"Address me as Snake Princess!"
Hancock shot him with a cold look, stubbornly correcting him.
"Fine, fine. Snake Princess."
Luffy acquiesced. When in Rome... "Can I get a ride on your ship?"
He made his request directly.
Hancock recalled how Perona had addressed Luffy. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you a pirate?"
"Yes." Luffy admitted readily.
"How did you invade my country?" Hancock pressed.
This was her biggest doubt.
Luffy laughed nervously, trying to play it off. "That's a long story."
Was he supposed to say that he'd been slapped here by Kuma, another Warlord like her?
That had nothing to do with invading, right?
"Never mind. I don't care."
Hancock looked at him deeply, then raised her hand to flick her wet, black hair. The movement was still naturally alluring.
"If you want to come on my ship, let me see your worth."
"My what?"
Luffy didn't understand.
Hancock didn't answer directly. Instead, she gave her two sisters a meaningful look.
Sandersonia and Marigold understood.
"Take this man to the arena."
Hancock's voice carried. "Notify all the citizens!"
She turned away, no longer looking at Luffy, and headed toward the changing room under her sisters' guard.
Seeing this, Perona quickly floated to Luffy's ear and whispered, "Hey, Luffy, I think that woman has bad intentions. Could it be a trap?"
"If it comes to it, we'll just steal their ship." Luffy grinned. "We can apologize to Marguerite later."
Perona's eyes widened. "Hey! Is that really okay? We're going to steal their ship?!"
Luffy looked at her, very confused. "Have you forgotten? We're pirates."
Wasn't stealing each other's ships common among pirates?
Stealing from ordinary people, Luffy might feel a bit hesitant.
But from other pirates? That was different.
Perona blinked, then slapped her forehead. "Ah, that's true!"
Having spent so long on Thriller Bark, she had almost forgotten that plundering was one of a pirate's main jobs.
It wasn't her job, after all. She just scared people.
Soon, Luffy and Perona were led to Amazon Lily's large circular arena.
Looking up, they saw that the surrounding circular seats were filled with the island's women warriors, who had come after hearing the news. They were so dense, the end was almost invisible.
The deafening wave of sound hit them, full of hostility and judgment.
"Execute the intruder!"
"Men out of Kuja!"
"Long live Snake Princess!"
"What's going on?"
Perona had never experienced anything like this. Her face turned pale with fear. She wanted to curl into a ball and hide behind Luffy.
It looked like they were about to be publicly executed!
That woman really did have bad intentions!
"This is simple. The way to show your worth is obvious."
Luffy looked around. Instead, he relaxed and stretched his limbs. A knowing look came over his face. "Just fight, right?"
For him, speaking with his fists was much simpler and more direct than scheming.
Just then, Boa Hancock, properly dressed, appeared on the highest throne.
She had changed into her qipao-style combat outfit, once again the image of the haughty, cold Pirate Empress.
Hancock leaned languidly on her throne, looking down at Luffy below. She asked, "What was your purpose in coming to this island? How did you get in?"
The natural barrier of the Calm Belt and Kuja's strict defenses made it impossible for her to believe that Luffy had just happened to stumble in.
Luffy shrugged and told the truth. "What if I said we flew in?"
It really was Kuma's ability.
"Don't try to fool me with such nonsense!"
When told, you don't believe. When not told, you're in a hurry.
Seeing Luffy like this, Hancock was furious.
She rested her chin on her hand and asked coldly, "What is your real purpose?"
"I already told you! Give me a ship!"
Luffy couldn't help complaining. "Is your bad memory natural?"
He thought this woman's memory was definitely faulty.
Seeing Luffy directly insulted the Empress, the women warriors in the audience were stunned.
Th-This man, how dare he!
The arena exploded!
The women warriors in the audience were outraged.
How could a man be so disrespectful to their supreme Empress?
"Outrageous! Despicable man!"
"How dare you insult Snake Princess!"
"Men really are all pathogen-carrying viruses!"
The condemnation came like a tsunami.
Among the crowd, Marguerite, the protector of the country, was struggling.
Her brief time with them had made her feel that Luffy and Perona were not bad people. They seemed more like castaways who had accidentally ended up on Amazon Lily.
If they weren't malicious intruders, did they deserve to die?
Seeing the situation grow increasingly tense, Marguerite gritted her teeth. She stood up and shouted to Hancock on the high platform, "Wait, Snake Princess! Could you listen to what they have to say?"
Instantly, the noisy arena fell into a strange silence.
All eyes were on Marguerite.
Gathering her courage, Marguerite quickly walked to the center of the arena, stood beside Luffy, and looked up at Hancock. "These two don't seem like liars, Snake Princess. Perhaps they..."
"You're a protector of the country?"
Hancock interrupted flatly, looking at Marguerite. "How do you know this man's name?"
Marguerite took a deep breath and gave her name.
"I am Marguerite, a protector of the country."
She lowered her head, her voice apologetic. "I am sorry. It was I who allowed this man into the country."
Hancock's expression immediately darkened. "You know that a man entering this country is punishable by death?"
"I know, but..."
Marguerite tried to explain.
She had initially thought they were from the village.
Helping people was her duty.
She had never seen a man before. How was she supposed to know what a man looked like?
Hancock slowly stood up from her throne and walked down to stand before Marguerite.
A seemingly gentle smile appeared on her face. "I like honest people. But..."
Before she finished speaking, her finger touched her lips again. "Mero Mero Mellow!"
The pink light instantly hit Marguerite, who was right in front of her!
Under the latter's shocked gaze, her body quickly petrified from her feet up. In the blink of an eye, she had turned into a stone statue, her surprised expression frozen.
"Marguerite!"
The smile vanished from Luffy's face.
He was grateful for her goodwill and kindness. It was a matter of principle.
He owed Marguerite a lot.
What Hancock had done was unforgivable.
His aura suddenly dropped. An invisible storm seemed to gather around him. The temperature of the entire arena seemed to drop a few degrees.
"Hey! What did you do to my friend?"
Hancock clearly felt this pressure. Her eyes narrowed. Her heart tightened, but she maintained her cold facade. "She committed a capital offense in this country. Harboring an invader makes her doubly guilty."
"You're being completely unreasonable!"
Luffy's eyes were now completely cold as he looked directly at Hancock.
This look!
Hancock's heart shook. She had never been looked at like that.
"Reasonable?"
Hancock forced herself to remain haughty, her voice rising. "In this country, I am the law! Who do you think you're talking to? In this nation of warriors, only the strong are beautiful. And I am the most beautiful!"
Her rule over this island could not be shaken by anyone.
Words were useless.
"Perona, Marguerite is yours."
Luffy took a deep breath. "Don't let her body get damaged."
A fight was unavoidable.
"Hey! Don't go too far! We still need the ship!" Perona shouted anxiously.
She held Marguerite's stone statue, worried.
Luffy nodded and said nothing. He just walked toward Hancock, one step at a time.
With each step, his aura condenses.
"You do not yet have the right to fight me."
Hancock tried to maintain control. "Defeat Bacura first."
But before she could finish, that black panther, Bacura, had just stepped onto the stage and met Luffy's gaze.
Me? Fight him?
Bacura trembled and bowed down in submission.
Couldn't fight him at all.
Watching this scene, Hancock clenched her hands.
This man. This tangible courage!
"You're really starting to piss me off."
Luffy stopped a few meters from Hancock and stared at her.
Why?
Why did a man exist who wouldn't fall under my spell? Who would even look at me like this?
Such a man cannot exist!
Hancock's murderous intent boiled again.
"Insolent man!"
"How dare you show disrespect to the Snake Princess!"
"Kill him!"
The crowd erupted once more in furious shouts, the deafening roar nearly shaking the entire arena.
Luffy frowned slightly, casting a cold glance over the raging audience. In the next instant, an overwhelming burst of Conqueror's Haki exploded from him.
"How annoying."
The moment he spoke, the deafening noise from the audience stopped.
As if cut down by an invisible sickle, thousands upon thousands of women warriors rolled their eyes and fell like wheat, instantly unconscious.
Of the vast circular audience, only a handful could still stand—just a few Kuja Pirates executives and Hancock's two sisters.
The arena was in dead silence.
That was Conqueror's Haki?
The ability that only one in millions possessed!
The Kuja executives broke out in a cold sweat.
"No, no way."
Sandersonia's voice was dry. She couldn't believe the scene before her. "Why does he have that power?"
"The same Conqueror's Haki as Elder Sister?!"
Marigold was also shocked.
They had never seen anyone other than their sister possess this ability, hailed as the mark of a king!
This man had the imperial qualifications to stand above others!
And the scope and intensity of his Haki seemed even more terrifying than their sister's.
Behind Hancock, her large snake, Salome, was also trembling under the residual effects of the Haki, its head buried.
Hancock herself bit her lower lip so hard she tasted a hint of iron.
What was this?
Wasn't this guy just some ordinary brat?
Why did he have such strong Conqueror's Haki?
That courage, that imperial coercion, as if standing at the pinnacle of all living things—it even made her feel a slight tremor.
"This man is no ordinary pirate!"
Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
Without hesitation, they instantly transformed into their Zoan, Hebi Hebi no Mi forms.
Their bodies partially snakified. Their auras surged. They coated themselves with Busoshoku Haki and attacked Luffy from both sides!
"Devil Fruit users, huh?"
Luffy glanced at them, his eyes still calm. "But you're not my target."
Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly blurred, as if melting into the air.
Gear Second Plus!
The next moment, Sandersonia and Marigold felt their vision blur. It felt like a giant hammer had hit their chests. Pain shot through them. Their concentrated power instantly dissipated.
They hadn't even seen how Luffy had moved. Their bodies flew backward uncontrollably and crashed heavily into the arena wall, kicking up dust.
They struggled a few times, temporarily unable to get up!
Even though they were both skilled in Haki and Devil Fruit abilities, facing Luffy in his fully powered-up state of speed and strength, they couldn't even last one exchange.
"That just leaves you."
Luffy didn't even glance at the two sisters he had sent flying. His gaze was always locked on Hancock, still on the platform.
"You come down yourself. Or I invite you down."
Luffy looked at Hancock. "Turn Marguerite back. And give me a ship. You have two choices."
He was still giving Marguerite a little face. Otherwise, he would have just acted.
"Luffy, you idiot!"
Perona, floating in the air holding Marguerite's stone statue, covered her face.
She had told him not to make a big scene. And now he had beaten up the country's elite warriors and the Empress's sisters. This wasn't asking to borrow a ship anymore. He was crashing the party!
But watching that figure below, facing the Pirate Empress alone as if he were the one ruling this arena, Perona felt her heartbeat quicken involuntarily.
Such a cool captain!
Even before the radiant Pirate Empress, she couldn't take her eyes off Luffy.
Hancock slowly rose from her throne and walked down the steps to stand at eye level with Luffy. "I will not forgive you."
Her beautiful face was covered in frost. "Do you know who I am?"
Luffy narrowed his eyes, his tone dismissive. "Just a Warlord of the Sea."
The Warlords of the Sea really didn't mean much to him.
After all, he was now a great pirate who could go toe-to-toe with Admirals.
He had dealt with many Warlords.
Any Warlord who hadn't dealt with him should be asking themselves why.
If she chose to fight like a pirate, she should be prepared.
Especially this arrogant woman. So what if she was beautiful? Did that mean she wouldn't get hit?
She wasn't a crewmate. Luffy didn't have a habit of being the slightest bit chivalrous.
Hancock's chest heaved at his dismissive attitude. It was magnificent.
She had never seen a man like this!
Ignoring her charm. Challenging her authority. Now, belittling her status!
SHING!
A red arrow, like a viper striking, silently shot toward Luffy's heart!
Hancock had touched her lips with her finger, created a small, peach-shaped heart, and shot it like a bullet.
Pistol Kiss!
Luffy slightly tilted his head. The red arrow flew past his ear and struck the ground behind him, instantly petrifying that small area.
"You're a Devil Fruit user too?" Luffy asked.
"Address me as Snake Princess before you ask a question." Hancock stubbornly corrected.
Kiss after kiss was shot, all dodged by Luffy.
His body was dodging from all kinds of incredible angles.
Hancock stared at Luffy. "Stretching ability. Paramecia?"
"Yeah,"
Luffy didn't deny it. "But your ability seems far more dangerous."
His gaze swept over the petrified ground. He clearly understood Hancock's ability.
This was probably Hancock's ability.
There were many strange Devil Fruits on the sea.
But Haki reigned supreme!
***
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