Outside Kuja Castle
Originally, as the bath time was approaching, the residents of Amazon Lily were preparing to attend to the Empress. However, a massive, chilling ice wall suddenly rose from the ground, completely sealing them off from Kuja Castle.
The sudden spectacle left everyone dumbfounded.
They rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"Wait, am I seeing things? Where did this water wall come from?"
"What the hell is going on?"
"Are we under attack?"
Kuja Pirates' sniper, Longdan, stood at the front gate, her expression relatively calm. With a cigarette in her mouth and a rocket launcher in hand, she quickly walked up to the ice wall, reaching out to touch it. The bone-chilling cold from the surface confirmed that this towering structure, dozens of meters high, was no illusion.
"Go get some tools! We need to figure out what's happening inside Kuja Castle as soon as possible!"
The Empress, Snake Princess, was still inside!
Meanwhile, seeing the ice wall blocking her path, Elder Nyon nearly jumped in frustration.
If she had been merely worried about what might happen between Sanders and Hancock before—this scene made it abundantly clear:
What she didn't want to happen was already happening.
The most beautiful flower of Amazon Lily was being plucked by an outsider.
No matter how isolated Amazon Lily was, even Elder Nyon knew that Sanders possessed multiple Devil Fruit abilities.
This kind of power—the ability to freeze everything—was something she had seen him use before.
The fact that he had sealed them out meant only one thing:
He didn't want anyone interrupting him.
"That bastard! That damn bastard Sanders!"
"The Snake Princess is being too reckless!"
Elder Nyon stomped on her snake-headed staff, cursing furiously.
Seeing this, Sandersonia and Marigold hurriedly stepped in to stop her.
No matter how friendly Sanders had been to them, he was still a top-tier powerhouse known across the seas.
Unlike them, Elder Nyon had no relationship with him.
If she enraged him, things would get really complicated.
"Grandmother, right now, the most important thing is calming down the residents of Amazon Lily," Sandersonia reminded her.
The freezing of Kuja Castle had undoubtedly been noticed by everyone on the island.
Chances were, they were already trying to find a way inside.
Right now, stopping them had to be their top priority.
Hearing this, Elder Nyon halted her cursing.
"No one can know a man has entered Amazon Lily."
"The ancestral law must never be broken!"
"You two, go stop the residents from entering Kuja Castle immediately!"
Even now, she clung to the old traditions.
The thought of Sanders not only setting foot on Amazon Lily but also being inside Kuja Castle with their Empress...
Her heart could hardly take it.
She knew there was no way to drive Sanders away now—the rules had already been broken.
But the fewer people who knew, the better.
"I won't be going with you. Just make sure no one finds out."
Elder Nyon spoke once more.
In her youth, she had left Amazon Lily due to love sickness. Upon returning, many viewed her as a traitor, and she was shunned by some, forced to live in the outskirts. If she were to show up now, it would only invite resentment from certain residents.
"But how do we calm the people down?" Sandersonia frowned in distress.
Kuja Castle, the residence of Amazon Lily's Empress, was located at the highest point in the village. The massive ice formation sealing it off had surely been seen by everyone on the island.
"Aren't you two good at making up stories?"
"Just come up with another one."
Elder Nyon furrowed her brows.
"Sister, let's say this is a result of her treatment to remove the curse," Marigold suggested.
"Didn't Sanders say he could remove the mark on our backs?"
"Once it's gone, Sister won't have to clear out the entire castle just to bathe anymore."
"We can use this chance to reinforce the lie we told before."
If the mark was removed, they wouldn't have to hide themselves so much during bath time anymore. There would be no more concerns about their past as slaves being exposed.
Sandersonia's eyes lit up.
"Alright, let's go with that!"
"Make sure to clean off the blood on you first," Elder Nyon reminded them.
After slaughtering the Celestial Dragons, the two sisters were covered in blood. If anyone saw them like this, it would raise too many questions.
Once they had cleaned up and settled on their excuse, the sisters rushed toward Kuja Castle's gates.
After all, aside from the Kuja Pirates, the rest of the islanders knew nothing about Devil Fruits. And the Kuja Pirates could be trusted to keep a secret.
"Did they find a way to cure the curse? That's wonderful!"
The residents started chattering amongst themselves.
They had complete faith in Sandersonia and Marigold's words, simply because of their reverence for Hancock.
To the people of Amazon Lily, whatever their Empress did was always right.
"When will she be cured?"
Among the murmuring crowd, Longdan quietly asked Sandersonia.
"...I'm not sure," Sandersonia mumbled hesitantly.
She didn't even know exactly what was happening inside Kuja Castle between her sister and Sanders.
Elder Nyon had her suspicions, but who could say how long such things would take?
Longdan nodded and didn't press further. Instead, she turned to instruct the Kuja Pirates to maintain their guard and disperse the gathering residents, telling them to resume their daily routines.
Inside the Tenshu Pavilion
With a deep, restrained groan, Sanders concluded the battle.
Even with his power halved, he had still managed to defeat Hancock in the latter half of their struggle.
Now, Hancock lay in Sanders' arms, her body drenched in sweat, strands of hair clinging to her flushed cheeks. Her eyes were hazy with warmth, and her slender fingers traced over the firm muscles of Sanders' chest.
Chuckling softly, Sanders patted Hancock before lifting her into his arms and carrying her toward the bath to wash up.
Outside, unaware of the full details, the Kuja Pirates still refrained from questioning further. Their admiration for their Empress kept them from prying too much.
At the castle gates, the Kuja Pirates were preparing to break through the ice barrier.
"Stop!"
Hearing Sandersonia's voice, Longdan and the others immediately halted, surprised to see the two sisters outside.
"Sandersonia, weren't you inside Kuja Castle? Why are you here? What happened? How is the Snake Princess?"
Longdan's mind raced.
This level of ice power… Only Marine Admiral Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit came to mind—or the man who had recently defeated a Yonko and claimed the title of the world's strongest: the Thunder God, Sanders.
"Our sister is fine," Sandersonia replied.
"She is undergoing treatment for the curse. Once it's removed, she'll be perfectly fine."
Longdan's eyes flickered, but she said nothing.
The other Kuja Pirates exchanged glances, full of doubt, but since a large crowd of villagers was present, they also remained silent.
Hearing Sandersonia's words, the other residents finally relaxed.
"Oh, so the Snake Princess is just receiving treatment. That's a relief."
"I hope she recovers soon… That way, I can serve her during bath time again!"
"The people outside Kuja Castle must be getting anxious by now."
Wrapping Hancock in a towel, Sanders chuckled.
"Let them wait."
"No matter what I do, they will always forgive me!"
Hancock furrowed her elegant brows, her demeanor once again shifting back to that of the proud Pirate Empress. The sight made Sanders' heart stir, a sudden heat rising within him. He quickly used his ice powers to cool himself down, barely managing to steady his mind.
"They're just worried about you," he said.
"By the way, your sisters told everyone you're in here getting treated for the curse. Make sure you don't slip up."
Sanders reminded her with a smirk. His powerful Observation Haki had allowed him to hear Sandersonia's excuse loud and clear.
"I don't need to explain myself to them," Hancock responded arrogantly, maintaining the haughty persona she had cultivated to uphold her image as Empress.
And in a way… they were treating a "curse."
The only difference was that the aftereffects of the treatment were a little unconventional.
"They are still your subordinates and your people," Sanders said.
"Also, for now, don't let anyone know I'm here."
"Amazon Lily has strict laws about allowing men on the island, doesn't it? If word gets out that I'm here, it could threaten your rule."
Sanders personally didn't care about the so-called "no men" rule.
What he did care about was not bringing disaster to Amazon Lily.
After all, he was now the World Government's greatest enemy. If they found out that Hancock was his woman, they might decide to strike at the island—something he absolutely did not want to happen.
Hancock didn't care about the ban either. She still wore her usual "I can do whatever I want, and they will still forgive me" expression.
But when she heard Sanders' concern, she felt deeply moved.
"Sanders… are you worried about me?"
"Of course."
Gently cupping Hancock's cheek, Sanders spoke in a soft voice:
"You've finally left your past behind. You don't need to live in fear anymore. You don't have to wear a mask."
"I will always be here for you."
Hancock's eyes turned red at his words, memories of her past terror flashing through her mind.
"Thank you, Sanders… I am truly… so happy!"
She pressed her lips against Sanders' cheek.
Then, standing up, she gracefully walked over to where her clothes were, dressed herself, and returned to him, hooking her arms around his neck.
"Stay here for now. I'll take care of things and come back to you."
Sanders smiled and nodded.
With a mere thought, the ice sealing Kuja Castle vanished.
Outside, the frozen landscape shattered into icy fragments, which, under the warm sunlight, quickly began to melt.
Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged glances before rushing into the castle.
Inside the palace…
Hancock was already seated on her throne, wearing her qipao, her expression cold as she gazed at the approaching figures.
"Elder Sister, are you alright?"
Sandersonia scanned the room before softly asking.
"I'm fine. The curse has been lifted," Hancock replied flatly.
"I'll help you two get rid of yours soon."
Sandersonia and Marigold's faces lit up with joy.
The burden that had haunted them for years was finally about to be lifted.
Once their marks were gone, they could truly sever ties with their past.
They would never have to fear their secret being exposed again.
Hearing this, Longdan and the other Kuja Pirates were overjoyed as well.
They didn't understand much about this so-called "curse," but if it could be cured, then that was all that mattered.
As for Hancock's personal attendants… they were absolutely thrilled.
They could finally serve the Snake Princess during her baths again!
The mere thought of her breathtaking beauty and enchanting figure made their eyes sparkle with pink hearts.
"From now on, no one is allowed to enter the Tenshu Pavilion without my order!"
Hancock declared.
Sanders had been considerate enough to worry about her rule—she would not let his concern go to waste.
Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged looks. They knew what this meant—Sanders was still inside.
Just then…
Elder Nyon rushed in hurriedly.
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T/N:
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