Huff, huff—!
Hancock leaned on her knees, her face flushed, panting heavily. Her body was drenched in sweat—the battle had drained much of her stamina.
Not far away, Monet stood frozen, her graceful figure turned entirely to stone. Her delicate face still held a hint of surprise.
Clap, clap, clap—!
"What a splendid battle," Kaguya said as she slowly walked over, clapping. She approached Monet, touched her cold cheek, then turned to Hancock and said, "This girl was too proud, which led to her careless defeat. But a bit of a wake-up call isn't bad. In fact, I should thank you."
Hancock stared warily at Kaguya. Her voice was firm: "Now will you tell me where Artoria is? If not, don't blame me for being rude."
"Rude?" Kaguya turned to her, intrigued. "And what would that look like?"
Coldly, Hancock said, "I've turned her to stone. Without my help, she'll remain that way forever."
"Oh really?" Kaguya responded with an ambiguous smile.
Under Kaguya's unflinching gaze, Hancock began to feel uneasy. She kept her head high, eyes locked on Kaguya's, but her palms had started to sweat.
"Alright, let's go with that," Kaguya said. "So, what do you want in return?"
Hancock exhaled in relief and stared fiercely at Kaguya. "What did you do to Artoria? Where is she now?"
"Ah, you mean her?" Kaguya replied casually. "I killed her."
Killed her?
Hancock's eyes widened. "What did you say?!"
"Didn't hear it clearly? I'll say it again." Kaguya enunciated slowly, "I killed her. Now you understand, right?"
Hancock clenched her fists and lowered her head, her expression hidden. Her voice was low and trembling: "You're saying… you killed her?"
"That's right. Is there a problem with that?" Kaguya twirled her hair nonchalantly.
The room fell into a chilling silence. A strange coldness crept over Kaguya's back. Was it because of all the snow Monet had left?
Come to think of it, that careless girl had really made a mess of the room. She might have to sleep elsewhere tonight.
Also, wasn't a catfight between women supposed to involve hair-pulling and face-scratching?
"You dared to kill the one I loved most," Hancock lifted her head, her eyes burning with hatred as she bared her teeth. "Unforgivable!"
She stomped, cracking the floor, and with her lithe figure she shot toward Kaguya like an arrow, leaping high and delivering a spinning kick!
Bang—!
Kaguya raised a slender arm and effortlessly blocked the kick. "If this is all you've got, you can't beat me."
Her fair, smooth arm showed no signs of petrification. Hancock's eyes sharpened.
Her petrification didn't work on Kaguya!
How is that possible?
Using the recoil, Hancock pushed off and flipped back. She touched her lips, a pink heart forming. Drawing her fingers like a bowstring, she released a flurry of heart-shaped arrows into the air toward Kaguya like a pink storm.
"Slave Arrow!"
Seeing the barrage approaching, Kaguya shrugged. "I told you already—this kind of attack doesn't work on me. Stop wasting your energy."
Amid the storm of arrows, Kaguya strolled forward as if taking a walk in a garden. Not a single arrow touched her. She moved with uncanny precision, as though she could foresee every trajectory, dodging each one at the last possible moment with minimal movement.
Hancock's pupils contracted sharply.
How is this possible?!
These arrows were densely packed, like a torrential storm. Anyone foolish enough to enter them would be riddled like a sieve. Even she wouldn't be able to escape unscathed from such an onslaught.
Suddenly, Kaguya vanished before her eyes, as if she had evaporated.
Realizing something was wrong, Hancock spun around—but it was too late. An arm slid around her waist and pulled her tightly into an embrace.
"Let go of me, you bastard!"
Hancock's face flushed with fury, eyes blazing with fire. Her body twisted like a fish out of water, struggling with all her might. She swung her elbow backward in a heavy strike.
But before it could land, Kaguya caught it easily with one hand.
"Such a fiery temper. I wonder if you'll still be this spirited in a little while."
With a few rapid taps of her fingers on Hancock's body, Hancock's arms suddenly went limp.
What's going on?!
Hancock's expression changed. She suddenly realized her body was no longer responding—completely limp, unable to muster any strength. Even her fingers wouldn't move!
"What did you do to me?!" she demanded in anger and shock.
"I simply made sure you can't resist anymore," Kaguya replied with a wicked grin. "Don't worry. There's still much for you to do."
Seeing the sinister smile on Kaguya's face, a deep sense of dread settled over Hancock.
Kaguya held the helpless Hancock in her arms. Looking at the ruined room, she frowned slightly. She raised her finger and traced a line through the air, summoning a black portal, and stepped through with Hancock.
Inside was another room—elegantly styled and serene. It had a fresh atmosphere, complete with tasteful furnishings, paintings, chandeliers, and most prominently, a large bed that took up nearly a third of the spacious room.
Kaguya turned her head and asked, "So, do you like it here?"
"What are you planning to do?" Hancock asked through clenched teeth, her eyes burning.
Kaguya tossed her onto the bed, her gaze sweeping over Hancock's alluring, curvaceous figure. With a smirk, she said, "No need to rush. You'll know soon enough."
She reached for the buttons of Hancock's collar—
...
...
"I didn't expect you to go this far. Truly surprising," Kaguya said with a wicked smile, her slender finger hooking Hancock's chin.
Hancock lowered her head without replying, but her lips pressed into a tight line.
"What's wrong? Admitting defeat already?" Kaguya's finger traced her pale neck down along her delicate collarbone. The corner of her mouth lifted. "Looks like you're not as tough as you seemed."
With a sharp rip, Hancock's deep-V outfit was torn into two pieces. Kaguya tossed the fabric aside, letting it fall to the ground.
Threads of moonlight streamed through the half-open window, shining down on Hancock. Her snow-white skin glowed in the clear light, so luminous it was hard to tell where the moonlight ended and her body began.
Hancock trembled at the excessive gesture. She instinctively pressed her legs together, but made no other move.
"Giving up so easily," Kaguya sneered. "You're just like all those women who say no but mean yes." She pressed harder with her fingers—
Hancock bit her lip hard, leaving a deep tooth mark. Her body trembled slightly, but she remained silent.
"Don't think silence means I can't do anything to you. The real fun is just beginning," Kaguya whispered in her ear.
Hancock shivered.
...
The moon in the sky was clear as flowing water, stars twinkling like fireflies. The night was quiet and still, broken only by the occasional strange sounds...
Soft as a flute, the voice wavered like song, as if full of restrained emotion—sorrow, longing, and desire. The night itself took on a faintly flushed hue.
In many ways, possessing power and beauty are alike. Both offer the thrill of unchecked freedom—the ability to hold someone's fate in your hands and command them at will. To sleep with a beauty, to rule the world—this is the essence of power.
And what Kaguya was doing now was just that. Like playing with a doll, she toyed with Hancock. The pleasure of indulgence was indescribable.
But just when Kaguya was at her most enthusiastic, Hancock suddenly looked up, her bright eyes shining in the darkness. She softly said, "You're Artoria, aren't you?"
Kaguya froze instantly, her excitement draining away.
Days later, Kaguya still couldn't understand how Hancock had figured it out. What had given her away? No matter how much she pondered, she couldn't find an answer.
After all, in this world, there was no such thing as transformation magic. Only Bon Clay's Clone-Clone Fruit could do such a thing, and Kaguya clearly wasn't a user of that power.
So how had she been recognized?
Kaguya was utterly baffled.
But since the truth was out, she couldn't pretend anymore. That would be far too shameless.
After Kaguya explained everything, Hancock gained a clear understanding of the situation. She came to terms with Kaguya's actions and expressed her understanding. The two sides exchanged views—physically.
And then—
The next day, the red slap mark on Kaguya's cheek still hadn't faded.
It seemed Hancock was truly angry about Kaguya's outrageous prank. She sulked in her room all day, refusing to come out. Even when Kaguya went to find her in person, Hancock's tone remained cold and stiff.
Then again, anyone would probably be furious after something like that.
Just then, the crisp voice of the system rang out.
[Congratulations! Task completion has reached 98%, and you successfully forced Hancock. As a reward for your great achievement, you've been granted a Grand Gift Pack!]
A gift pack?
Kaguya was stunned. That was a thing?
And… a reward for sex? What kind of twisted logic is this?
Back during the Summit War, she had single-handedly crushed the entire Navy Headquarters. But in the end, she didn't kill every last marine—not because of mercy, nor old ties—but because she had already acquired what she wanted.
That was the Devil Fruits.
One of Kaguya's conditions was that the Navy hand over all their Devil Fruits in exchange for the lives of their soldiers.
At the time, no matter how unwilling Sengoku was, he understood that the Navy's fate had already been sealed. All three admirals were defeated, the vice admirals severely injured, and even he and Garp were forced into retreat against the rampaging Kaido. Continuing the fight would only lead to utter destruction.
He wasn't just thinking of himself. Were it only about his own pride, he'd rather die than surrender.
But there were still over a hundred thousand Navy soldiers to consider—the future of the Navy. None of them stood a chance against Kaguya. Fighting would only mean senseless sacrifice.
So, Sengoku agreed to Kaguya's terms and handed over all the Devil Fruits from Navy Headquarters. It was an expected outcome.
Even so, Kaguya was shocked by how many they had—dozens of fruits, enough to fill an entire room. As expected from the Navy's central base, their centuries of accumulation far outmatched the fleeting power of pirate crews.
After absorbing these Devil Fruits, Kaguya's task completion jumped significantly. She was now close to finishing it. And whether it was her imagination or not, she felt a strange energy stirring inside her—but whenever she tried to examine it, it seemed to lie dormant.
Maybe she was just too full?
That was Kaguya's best guess.
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