The air froze, and Hancock's pretty face instantly flushed, like a ripe apple that made one want to take a bite.
She never expected this man to be so bold, making such an outrageous request upon their first meeting!
She was the Empress!
"You… you…" Hancock trembled with anger, her beautiful eyes wide.
Cheng Xiaoyu looked at Hancock's pouting expression and chuckled inwardly; this woman was truly adorable.
"Just kidding, it's fine if you don't want to," Cheng Xiaoyu said with a smile.
However, the next second, Hancock did something that even she found shocking.
She stood on her tiptoes and actively kissed Cheng Xiaoyu.
Cheng Xiaoyu was 198 cm tall, and Hancock was 191 cm; with a slight nod, the height was just right.
This sudden kiss stunned Cheng Xiaoyu.
He had only intended to tease this arrogant Empress, but he never expected her to be so proactive.
"Interception successful!"
Cheng Xiaoyu then took the initiative, deepening the kiss.
This sudden intimate contact left Hancock's mind blank.
She felt a dizzy spell, as if she were floating on clouds.
The man's aura was domineering and dangerous, yet it carried an intoxicating allure.
Subsequently, Cheng Xiaoyu picked up Hancock and walked towards the cabin.
"What… what do you want to do?" the Empress asked shyly.
"Of course, do… what we love to do…" Cheng Xiaoyu revealed a mysterious smile.
Inside the cabin, there were only the two of them.
Cheng Xiaoyu enveloped the entire cabin with Shadow, so people outside could neither see nor hear what was happening inside.
This was undoubtedly a small Shadow Domain.
But at this moment, Cheng Xiaoyu seemed to suddenly remember something and slightly raised his eyelids.
His gaze swept over her, cutting through her heart like a blade.
Hancock instantly felt a prickling sensation on her back and quickly averted her gaze, only to hear Cheng Xiaoyu chuckle softly.
"Hancock, are you afraid of me?" Cheng Xiaoyu's tone carried a hint of teasing.
Hancock immediately lifted her head, straightened her back, and used her usual arrogant posture to mask her panic.
"You're talking nonsense… This concubine is the Empress of Nine Serpent Island, how could I be afraid…"
Cheng Xiaoyu did not press further but slowly stood up, looking down at her.
For some reason, his eyes deepened, like a hunter spotting his prey.
Under his gaze, Hancock felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, as if in his domain, she had nowhere to escape.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her directly in front of him.
His strength wasn't great, but it was enough to make Hancock lose her balance and fall into his chest.
"Hey! What are you doing!" Hancock suppressed the panic in her heart, but her voice was clearly not as firm as usual.
Cheng Xiaoyu said nothing, merely gently grasping her shoulders and turning her around.
Hancock was startled, then felt her back being watched.
A surge of shame and panic immediately welled up in her heart; she wanted to struggle but couldn't break free.
"Cheng Xiaoyu! Let go of this concubine, or else—"
"Quiet," Cheng Xiaoyu paused, his cold voice piercing her resistance like an arrow.
Hancock couldn't help but freeze, all words caught in her throat.
Cheng Xiaoyu's gaze fell on her back—the glaring mark of the Hoof of the Celestial Dragon, a painful reminder of her past humiliation and suffering.
This mark, symbolizing her enslavement by the Celestial Dragons, was a past Hancock could not erase.
Cheng Xiaoyu's eyes darkened slightly, and he slowly raised his hand, Shadow emerging from his palm.
Like a nimble little Shadow snake, it slowly moved to Hancock's back.
"You…"
Hancock couldn't help but tremble; she felt a strange coolness and a slight pain, accompanied by a majestic power lingering behind her.
Why? The Hoof of the Celestial Dragon mark on her back was her greatest weakness!
Why did she lower her guard the moment she saw this man, even letting him see her unbearable past?
At this moment, Hancock was already at a loss, her mind a chaotic mess…
"Don't move."
Cheng Xiaoyu's voice softened a bit, a tone she had never heard before, like a kind of stern comfort.
The black Shadow rotated on her back, as if stubbornly contending with that ugly mark.
A strange force field reverberated in the air, as if even time was stretched out.
Hancock closed her eyes, and for some reason, tears streamed down her cheeks against her will.
Cheng Xiaoyu's gaze remained unwavering.
He didn't even bother with lengthy explanations; he only knew that ugly mark shouldn't exist.
Such a beautiful back, such a proud woman, should not be defiled by such humiliation.
The Shadow slowly receded, and Hancock felt a sudden lightness, as if the invisible heavy burden on her had been completely lifted.
She stiffly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Cheng Xiaoyu.
"I…" She opened her mouth, but her voice was choked in her throat.
"It's done, it's gone."
Hancock's trembling hands reached for her back; on her smooth skin, the shameful mark of the past had completely vanished.
"…You…" Her tears gushed out like a broken dam.
At this moment, Hancock could no longer maintain her composure, no longer play the role of the proud and indifferent Empress.
She leaned on Cheng Xiaoyu's shoulder, crying like a little girl, her voice mixed with grievance, gratitude, and relief.
This was all thanks to the development of Cheng Xiaoyu's fruit ability.
From the first day Cheng Xiaoyu ate the Shadow Fruit, he never stopped developing its abilities; when he had nothing to do, he would always try some new techniques.
Over time, his control over the Shadow Fruit's abilities became increasingly precise, even down to the nanometer level!
That's why today, he used Shadow to penetrate the Empress's back skin through her pores and then completely devoured that disgusting mark.
Cheng Xiaoyu gently patted Hancock's back, letting her cry.
He knew that the disappearance of this mark not only erased the scar on her body but also healed the wounds in her heart.
After a long while, Hancock's emotions gradually calmed down.
She looked up at Cheng Xiaoyu, her eyes filled with gratitude and love.
"Thank you, Cheng Xiaoyu, but I… I don't know how to repay you?" the Empress said softly.
"Fool, why thank me? One night is enough…"
Cheng Xiaoyu blurted it out without a moment's hesitation!
Hancock broke into a smile through her tears and actively kissed him.
… (Ten thousand words omitted here, please imagine for yourself.)
Next, Cheng Xiaoyu stayed on Nine Serpent Island.
It was the most carefree time he had since coming to the Pirate World a few days ago.
He spent day and night discussing the true meaning of life with the Empress…
Until, he was completely exhausted…
He discovered that although Hancock appeared arrogant and indifferent on the surface, she was still a very gentle and kind little girl at heart.
However, peaceful life is always short-lived.
That day, the news of Ace's impending public execution made headlines in the newspapers.