Granny Nyon gazed tenderly at the three little ones weeping uncontrollably, thinking to herself: 'Let it all out... After this ordeal, perhaps the three of you can finally be free from the nightmares in your hearts.'
This way... they might finally be able to sleep peacefully.
Meanwhile, Meiser watched Hancock's tearful outburst with confusion. "She's...?"
All he had done was kill a Celestial Dragon—why was she reacting so intensely?
Wait...
A startling thought crossed Meiser's mind—could it be that she had once been captured by the Celestial Dragons too?!
If that were the case, it would explain her overwhelming reaction.
"Hancock, tell him," Granny Nyon exhaled deeply. "He... can be trusted."
This man was not only of good character but had also slain one of the lofty Celestial Dragons!
So... revealing the truth to him wouldn't be an issue.
Once Hancock laid everything bare, perhaps the weight in her heart could finally be lifted.
This way, after Meiser removed the mark on their backs, they could truly leave their past behind.
"This... this one..."
Hearing Granny Nyon's words, Hancock wiped the tears from her face, struggling to steady her emotions.
Then, she turned to Meiser and said, "Very well. This one shall tell you the secret of this mark."
Meiser opened his mouth slightly. Truthfully, whether she told him or not didn't matter—after all, he wasn't particularly interested in others' secrets.
His main purpose in coming here was to obtain the Eternal Log Pose.
But seeing Hancock's pitiful state, he swallowed his words.
No matter what, saying something like that now would be inappropriate.
Though his mental state was erratic at times, it didn't mean he lacked social awareness.
When Meiser remained silent in acquiescence, Hancock turned around, revealing the mark on her back for him to see clearly.
"A hoof mark...?" Meiser frowned. "What does it signify?"
"It's the Hoof of the Celestial Dragon..." Hancock bit her lip. "The brand of the Celestial Dragons!!"
"A brand?"
"Yes..."
"It is... a mark branded upon those kept as pets by the World Nobles... an inerasable proof of slavery for life..."
As she spoke, Hancock's body began trembling violently, her right hand unconsciously gripping her left arm so tightly that it drew blood!
Yet she seemed completely unaware, as if... she couldn't feel the pain at all.
Or perhaps... she was using the physical pain to dull the agony in her heart.
Then, trembling, she recounted the nightmare of her past.
"This one and my sisters... were once slaves of the Celestial Dragons..."
"Slaves of the Celestial Dragons..."
Watching the anguish on the three sisters' faces, Meiser opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
Judging by their reactions... they had likely endured hell itself!
'So this is why they don't want others to see their backs,' Meiser murmured to himself.
Now Meiser could understand why they cared so much about that mark. If this were exposed, it might even draw the World Government's encirclement and suppression. At that time... the entire Kuja Island could suffer disaster.
"Nineteen years ago, the three of us went to sea with the Nine Serpent Pirates to experience... the pirate's life," Hancock said with her head lowered. "But we had bad luck and were kidnapped from the ship by human traffickers."
"After that, we were taken to Sabaody Archipelago, sold, and ultimately became slaves of the Celestial Dragons..."
"What followed was a nightmare-like memory."
"During those tragic experiences, there wasn't a shred of hope to be found. Every day we thought about how to end our lives..."
As if recalling the past, Hancock's face turned pale. Meanwhile, Sandersonia clutched her head and screamed, lying on the ground wailing in agony as if she had completely broken down!!
"Sister Sandersonia!!"
Marigold looked at Sandersonia, struggling to say something comforting, but... with tears streaming down her face, she couldn't bring herself to speak. Because at this moment, she too was in deep pain.
"Don't force yourself," Meiser glanced at Sandersonia before turning to Hancock. "For you, those memories..."
"Meiser," Hancock interrupted him. "Memories will always resurface."
Meiser was taken aback by her interruption. Even in such pain... she still wanted to speak? Seeing that Meiser remained silent, Hancock continued recounting the past.
"Back then, we thought we might spend our entire lives in that hell."
"Until... four years later, an earth-shattering event occurred!"
"A man climbed the Red Line with his bare hands and reached Mary Geoise," Hancock said. "To save his Fish-Man brethren, he single-handedly stormed the Celestial Dragons' stronghold and successfully liberated a great number of slaves!"
At this point, Hancock paused briefly before continuing, "The Fish-Man race deeply despises humans, but this man paid no heed to such things—he freed thousands of people from all races."
"Thanks to that, we were able to escape."
"And this Fish-man... was named Fisher Tiger!"
Had it not been for that man back then, they would never have had the chance to flee the Celestial Dragons' stronghold. After all... that was the World Government's territory!
"To think such a hero existed," Meiser said. "I'd really like to meet him."
A man daring enough to single-handedly storm the Celestial Dragons' stronghold... such a man deserved his utmost respect!
'Hancock said he went to Mary Geoise to save his Fish-Man brethren...' Meiser thought to himself. 'Does that mean he's currently on Fish-Man Island?'
If so, then once he reached Fish-Man Island, he absolutely had to meet him.
"That's impossible now."
"Huh?"
Meiser, whose train of thought had been interrupted, paused briefly before asking in confusion, "Why?"
"Because Fisher Tiger is already dead."
"Already... dead...?"
Hearing Hancock say this, Meiser's expression grew complicated.
If that was the case, then the World Government must have launched a frenzied retaliation afterward.
"Yes. After that incident, this man gathered his Fish-Man brethren and established the Sun Pirates on the high seas to resist potential pursuit," Hancock explained. "Later, they faced the World Government's relentless retaliation."
"In the end, this man died."
She didn't know exactly what had happened then, nor what forces the World Government had deployed to encircle them.
The only thing she knew was that the Sun Pirates had encountered an unstoppable enemy, and ultimately... Fisher Tiger fell in battle.
And this information, she had only learned from the newspapers.
Thinking of this, Hancock sighed quietly.
"I see..." Meiser said with a complicated expression. "No matter what, this Fisher Tiger was a commendable hero."
It's just a shame the man's life wasn't very long.
With that thought, Meiser sighed.
Suppressing this reflection, Meiser continued, "The Sun Pirates... Speaking of which, one of my friends has a sun mark on his forehead."
Meiser recalled Hachi's appearance. When the guy had made Octopus Dumplings for them, there hadn't been anything stuck to his forehead.
So he had clearly seen the mark on Hachi's head and had been curious about it at the time, wondering if it was some Fish-Man race tradition, like a tattoo or something.
Now that he thought about it... that might have been the Pirate Flag's emblem.
"Is he of the Fish-Man race?"
"Yes, he is," Meiser nodded. "He's an octopus Fish-man."
After a pause, Meiser added, "Was he... once a slave?"
"That's not necessarily the case," Sandersonia, now calmer, said while lying on the ground and looking at Meiser. "That mark was branded specifically to blur the line between slaves and ordinary people."
"Whether he was a slave or not... we don't know."
"But at the very least, we can confirm he was a member of the Sun Pirates."
They had no way of knowing if there was a Celestial Dragon's mark beneath the Sun Pirates' emblem.
"I see..." Meiser murmured. "I had no idea Hachi had such a past..."
Come to think of it, Rayleigh had mentioned something about Hachi later joining the Sun Pirates.
"Your friend must be from one of the Fish-Man Pirates," Granny Nyon interjected.
"Fish-Man Pirates?"
Meiser gave Granny Nyon a puzzled look. How had this shifted to the Fish-Man Pirates?
"Yes. After Fisher Tiger's death, the Sun Pirates split into several Fish-Man Pirates," Granny Nyon explained. "Your friend must be from one of them."
Listening to Granny Nyon's words, Meiser fell into deep thought.
Fish-Man Pirates, huh...
Thinking carefully, Arlong, who wreaked havoc in Nami's hometown in the East Blue, was the captain of the Fish-Man Pirates, wasn't he?
Which means, in the past, they were also members of the Sun Pirates...
To think that former subordinates of Fisher Tiger would do such things... This was probably the reason for the Sun Pirates' split.
Fish-men who utterly despise humans...
Well, no point dwelling on that guy. He's already been dealt with by the Marines anyway.
Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, Meiser said, "I've got the general idea. Next, I'll help you... all of you remove those marks on your backs."
Though the number of people in the agreement had increased from one to three... To Meiser, it made little difference.
"Mmm."
"Thank you..." Hancock said. "This way, we won't have to keep deceiving this country with the curse story anymore."
"Curse?"
Meiser was taken aback. What strange thing was this now?
"Yes, the curse..." Sandersonia sighed. "Because of these marks on our backs, we can't let anyone see them."
"So, elder sister came up with a solution."
"What solution?"
"Making up a story." Sandersonia explained. "The three of us sisters slew the monster Gorgon at sea, but as it died, it cursed us, leaving eyes on our backs. Anyone who sees them will turn to stone."
It was precisely because of this fabricated tale that the three sisters had been able to live peacefully in this country until now.
"Turn to stone..."
Meiser immediately looked at Hancock—her Devil Fruit Ability was petrification.
In other words... she'd used this power to make the lie believable.
"Correct, petrification." Hancock said self-deprecatingly. "The irony is, this power came from the Celestial Dragons."
"Back then, for their amusement, they forced us to eat the Love-Love Fruit and Snake-Snake Fruit..."
"And it's precisely this power that allowed us to deceive this country and keep our secret."
As she spoke, Hancock's body began trembling again, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
"If people discover these marks, we won't be able to stay in this country anymore."
"So... even if it means deceiving an entire nation, we don't want anyone to know about our past!!!"
By the end, Hancock was hugging her knees and sobbing, tears falling without restraint.
The constant vigilance was terrifying... She didn't even dare sleep deeply, terrified someone might see the marks on her back.
Because... if they were seen, it would mean her life was over.
And that existence had lasted over ten years!!
At this thought, Hancock cried even harder.
"Elder sister..."
Tearful Marigold and Sandersonia watched Hancock, until finally all three sisters broke down weeping together.
No one knew how much suffering they had endured over the years.
"Trapped by this nightmare for over a decade..." Meiser thought to himself.
It made sense. Even if they had fabricated such lies, they couldn't be certain whether someone might secretly come to investigate.
So they had to remain vigilant at all times.
But living like this was extremely painful—just like... how it had been for him back then.
Back in the day, he too had feared others discovering he was a hybrid of the Uchiha Clan and the Senju, never daring to reveal his Sharingan lest that old bastard Danzo took notice.
That feeling... was truly awful.
Now, he could finally understand the emotions of these three women.
After the three women gradually calmed down, Granny Nyon stepped forward with a smile and said, "It's been so long since I've seen the Serpent Princess show her truest emotions."
"I thought the Serpent Princess had turned completely cold as ice."
Hearing this, Hancock's face flushed red. Why bring this up now?
Did she have no regard for her dignity?
At this thought, Hancock immediately stood up, glaring at Granny Nyon in embarrassment and annoyance. "Shut up, you traitor who betrayed our country!"
"You're the one who should shut up!" Granny Nyon stepped onto her Serpent Cane, rising to Hancock's eye level, and glared back. "Little girl, have you forgotten how you returned to Kuja Island back then?"
"If it weren't for me living overseas at the time, how could you three desperate girls have ever made it back to Kuja Island?"
"And now you dare say such things to me?"
Hancock: "..."
Staring at Granny Nyon's furious expression, Hancock felt a pang of awkwardness, but bowing her head was out of the question.
So she turned away with a huff. "Hmph, flaunting such a petty favor."
Granny Nyon: "???"
"What did you say?"
Granny Nyon immediately lost her temper, hopping up to grab Hancock while shouting, "I've cared for you all like a mother all these years, and now you call it a petty favor?"
"Serpent Princess, you ungrateful brat!!"
"Hey, Sandersonia, Marigold, let go of me!" Granny Nyon glanced at the two girls holding her back. "I need to teach this brat a lesson."
"Granny Nyon, please don't take Sister's words to heart," Sandersonia said helplessly.
Sister had always been like this—it wasn't anything new.
Marigold also felt awkward. Sister really was...
"Hmph, this little brat."
Granny Nyon snorted but stopped struggling, allowing the two girls to hold her.
Ignoring the commotion behind her, Hancock returned to her previous spot.
Then, without turning around, she murmured, "Mei... Meiser..."
"Huh?"
"Do you... look down on me for having once been a slave?"
As she spoke, Hancock's face was filled with anxiety, her body trembling uncontrollably.
If she didn't hear the answer she wanted... what would she do?
Hearing this, Granny Nyon also glanced at Meiser's back, curious about how he would respond.
"Don't worry, I won't look at you differently or think less of you."
After saying this, Meiser paused briefly before continuing, "After all... this isn't your fault."
"Ultimately, this is the Celestial Dragons' problem—those bastards deserve to die!!"
As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Meiser's eyes.
If given the chance, he wouldn't mind killing a few more Celestial Dragons.
That scum... their deaths wouldn't be worth regretting!
"Is that... so..."
Hearing this answer, Hancock's trembling stopped, and color gradually returned to her face.
No... it should be said she became even more flushed, like a bashful maiden.
"Whew—"
Granny Nyon let out a long sigh of relief. This boy... truly hadn't disappointed her.
After this incident, perhaps these three girls could finally lay down the burden in their hearts.
Thinking this, Granny Nyon smiled.
"Alright, don't dwell on this matter too much," Meiser said with a laugh. "I'll help remove the marks on your backs. Once they're gone, you won't have to live in fear anymore."
"Thank you!!"
Sandersonia and Marigold covered their faces, weeping. "Thank you..."
Once the marks were gone, maybe they could finally sleep peacefully.
"No need to thank me," Meiser replied with a smile.
Just then, Meiser noticed Hancock turning her head away—and her expression seemed... off. She looked almost like... a shy young girl.
Meiser: ???
Wait, wasn't this the same cold and aloof queen from earlier?
This contrast was a bit too extreme, wasn't it?
"You wanted the Eternal Log Pose to Marine Headquarters, right?" Hancock wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "This humble one will fetch it for you now."
Without hesitation, she turned and walked toward a nearby cabinet, rummaging through it.
A moment later, Hancock pulled out a small box.
After retrieving the Eternal Log Pose inside, she approached Meiser.
"Here~" Hancock said, her eyes smiling as she looked at him. "This is the Eternal Log Pose to Marine Headquarters!"
"With this, you'll be able to find your way there!"