After all, Hancock was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Naturally, Vice Admiral Gion (Momousagi) was well-informed about her—especially the so-called Kuja Pirates from Amazon Lily.
They were different from ordinary pirates. Yes, they did plunder—but they never targeted civilians. Instead, they focused exclusively on merchant ships. And even when they did rob, they never killed.
They'd take what they needed and leave, rather than massacring the crew like typical pirates.
Of course, none of that was the reason Gion had just cursed Hancock as a madwoman.
The real reason… was the way Amazon Lily functioned as a nation.
It was an island often referred to as the "Nation of Women"—a place entirely inhabited by females. Not a single man lived there.
Which naturally raised a major question:
Did that mean… they all reproduced asexually?
Obviously not.
They were still human, still needed male and female partners to produce the next generation.
So without any men, how did they continue their population?
The answer was simple: Every time the Kuja Pirates sailed out, they brought along a group of Amazonians.
After plundering, they'd handpick a group of strong, healthy men from the enemy crew—and then have some... "deep discussions" about life.
It was precisely this practice that made Gion call Hancock a lunatic.
And to think, Hancock wasn't just a participant—she was the empress of Amazon Lily!
---
"Vice Admiral, shall we begin the bombardment?"
"Mm. Wait until they get closer before firing."
"Understood. Closer range improves accuracy. You don't want to waste shells on them, right?"
Hearing that, a nearby major immediately thought he understood her intentions.
However...
"Idiot. I'm not worried about wasting ammo—I'm worried you'll miss completely and blow their damn ship to pieces!"
"Ah…"
"Ah what? Notify all ships: aim carefully. It's fine if you miss a little, but do not sink the ship!"
Gion snapped irritably.
The officers nearby looked a bit dazed, but quickly hurried off to relay her orders.
After they left, Gion looked toward the pirate ship charging their way and muttered:
"You said we needed a solution for the fact that Jun Lin's filled with tens of thousands of men... Well…"
"This Amazon Lily has around 100,000 citizens—and they're all women!"
"That should be enough to solve your 'problem,' right?"
Yes—once she confirmed the other side was indeed Hancock, Gion suddenly remembered what Luo Lan had said at the meeting not long ago.
How convenient.
Amazon Lily and Jun Lin… they were a match made in heaven!
One side has nothing but men—save a few exceptions.
The other has only women—literally not a single man.
If these two factions didn't complement each other, what even made sense anymore?
To think... I, Gion, would one day find myself engaging in the bold act of seizing women in broad daylight…
She licked her lips with the tip of her tongue, a twisted smile tugging at her mouth.
---
Both sides moved quickly.
The Kuja Pirates, especially—thanks to their two sea serpents pulling the ship at nearly 40 knots.
In under five minutes, the distance between the two sides had closed to less than two kilometers.
Then—
BOOM.
Ten battleships unleashed dozens of main cannons in a coordinated volley.
From three directions, shells hurtled toward the Kuja Pirate ship.
To avoid actually hitting them, each ship deliberately aimed wide—keeping the impact zones at least a hundred meters away.
Still…
A few seconds later, the water exploded from the impacts—and the thunderous blasts terrified the two sea serpents.
They screeched to a halt.
Several unprepared Kuja warriors were thrown overboard into the sea.
For a moment, everyone onboard was stunned.
The ship was intact. No one was injured.
But wasn't that volley… a little too powerful?
If even one of those shells had hit, the ship would've been obliterated.
All eyes turned to Hancock.
"Sister… let's retreat!"
"Yeah! We don't know why Jun Lin's blocking us, but forcing our way through is definitely a bad idea!"
Sandersonia and Marigold were visibly shaken, pleading with Hancock.
They were terrified that, on impulse, she'd press forward—only to lead them straight into annihilation.
"Retreat?" Hancock replied coldly.
"Look around you. Do you really think we can retreat now?"
Her demeanor had changed. Even her expression had grown serious.
The two sisters looked around—and felt their hearts sink.
The ships that had originally been on their flanks had now circled around to their left and right rear, completing a triangle formation with the forward fleet.
They were surrounded.
No matter which direction they fled, they'd be caught in a pincer attack.
Retreating… was no longer an option.
"You get it now?" Hancock said.
"Retreat is impossible. Our only path is forward—break through the front lines!"
She pointed toward the fleet just two kilometers ahead.
Sandersonia and Marigold fell silent.
She was right—breaking forward meant they'd avoid the crossfire. And with the serpents' speed, they might even escape once the front line was breached.
But… could they really break through?
There was only one fleet—but could they actually defeat it?
Sister, face the truth: it's impossible.
Didn't you notice? That last volley… they intentionally missed.
Still, they dared not say it aloud.
They knew Hancock too well. Arguing would only provoke her.
In the end, they had no choice but to follow.
Moments later, Hancock gave the order.
The sea serpents steadied themselves—then surged forward once more.
Naturally, this provoked a second barrage.
This time, the shells landed even closer.
A few hit just thirty meters from the ship.
Even without a direct hit, the shockwaves tore several gashes into the hull.
If not for the serpents holding the ship up, it might've sunk right then and there.
Worse still—the near-misses injured the serpents themselves.
They let out agonized shrieks and came to a halt once more.
The situation was becoming dire.
---
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