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Aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship, Boa Hancock stood apart in an elegant, form-fitting cheongsam.
Her crew, however, was a different story—a collection of women dressed in what could only be described as rags.
Life in the Calm Belt must be a struggle—they couldn't even afford a full set of clothes, forced to make do with just enough to cover the essentials.
Hearing Jin's words, they erupted in indignation.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Just because the Snake Princess won't trade with you, you're going to resort to violence?"
"You won't make us yield!"
"The warriors of Amazon Lily will never compromise!" they shouted, their voices unified.
Hancock's pet snake, Salome, reared up, hissing in concert.
The two Yuda sea serpents at the prow fixed their gazes on him, their four eyes cold and menacing.
The air crackled with tension.
Boa Hancock.
The current Empress of Amazon Lily.
A pirate who, after her very first voyage, was invited to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The most beautiful woman in the world.
These titles and more adorned her, creating an almost divine aura.
But right now, Hancock was in a foul mood.
Her brow furrowed, her gaze turning to ice.
The man across from her was handsome, his presence commanding. His eyes, in particular, were deep and sharp.
"A fight?" she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Are you truly foolish enough to challenge me?"
"You insolent and boorish king," she spat, her anger palpable. "How dare you remain unmoved in the face of my beauty?"
Her expression filled with disgust. She tilted her head back, pointing a slender finger at Jin, the very picture of condescending arrogance. "Fall before my beauty!"
"OH, SNAKE PRINCESS!"
"AMAZING!"
"SHE TOLD HIM!"
The Kuja pirates' eyes turned to hearts, their cheers reaching a fever pitch of loyal fanaticism.
Jin was speechless.
It was... a kind of chuunibyou.
"Hey, now," he said, a dismissive smirk on his face. "What 'Empress'? You're just a spoiled little girl, spouting arrogant nonsense."
"Watch your mouth when speaking to the Snake Princess!"
"Whatever the Snake Princess does, she will be forgiven!"
"That's right... because the Snake Princess is divinely beautiful!" the crew roared in support, a chorus of irrational fangirls.
"Let the foulness of your lust-filled heart turn your body to stone!" Hancock commanded, her black hair whipping around her. She brought her slender hands forward, weaving them into the shape of a heart.
For many Devil Fruit users, the hands were the key.
She aimed the heart at Jin.
A powerful aura erupted from her, her coat of justice billowing behind her as her hair flew wildly.
"Slave Arrow!"
From her heart-shaped hands, a beam of pink, heart-shaped light shot forth.
The beam rapidly expanded, blanketing the area—and enveloping Jin.
The Paramecia Love-Love Fruit.
It petrified anyone who felt lust or attraction toward her. Man, woman, or beast—if they were captivated by her beauty, they would be turned to stone.
But it was useless against those who felt no such attraction.
The problem was, Hancock was a stunning beauty. And with the power of her fruit amplifying her natural charm, it was almost impossible for anyone she met, male or female, to resist her. It made her ability seem completely broken.
There were four ways to counter it.
First, one could be like Luffy—completely devoid of lust, and therefore immune to her charms. But people like that were a rarity. After all, not everyone had a rubber brain. Vice Admiral Momonga had resorted to stabbing his own hand to distract himself with pain.
Second, one could possess Haki powerful enough to resist the petrification. But that would require Haki on the level of a Yonko—a Whitebeard, a Kaido, a Shanks. And Hancock was smart enough not to pick a fight with someone like that. Besides, even without her fruit, her mastery of all three types of Haki made her one of the strongest of the Warlords.
Third, the Dark-Dark Fruit could nullify the abilities of any Devil Fruit user it touched. But you had to touch them first. When Blackbeard had captured Hancock, he had kept his hand around her throat the entire time, terrified she would escape if he let go. However, with enough mastery, Hancock could forcibly petrify inanimate objects like cannonballs and trees, which had no emotions at all.
And fourth, Seastone. But with enough training, even that weakness could be partially overcome.
Therefore, the only true counters were will and Haki.
A will and a Haki that could overcome all else.
'What about a barrier?' Jin thought. Let's try it.
He made a quick hand sign, and a translucent barrier materialized in front of him.
But the light pierced right through it. A normal barrier was useless.
In an instant, Jin was turned to stone.
"Hmph. And here I thought you were strong," Hancock sneered. "How disappointing."
"The Snake Princess is amazing!"
"There are levels even among the Warlords."
"He picked the wrong opponent. The Snake Princess isn't some second-rate like Hanafuda."
The crew erupted in cheers.
"That ship must be full of supplies!"
"Hey, but he's the king of a member nation. Is it really okay to rob him?"
"Who's going to know, out here in the middle of the ocean?"
"Besides, he's the one who delivered his ship and his supplies right to us. Maybe it's a gift for the Snake Princess."
As they chattered excitedly...
CRACK...
A strange sound echoed through the air.
"What was that?"
"Look...!"
Hancock's beautiful eyes narrowed. The stone surface of Jin's petrified form was beginning to crack.
Wisps of a visible, tangible aura began to seep through the cracks, causing more to appear.
Hancock's pupils contracted. "Haki?"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Haki erupted from Jin's body, shattering the stone shell and unleashing a powerful aura.
His entire body was hardened with Armament Haki, the excess energy radiating from him like black flames, forming a defensive layer of pure "ki" that seemed to fill the very air around him.
Jin cracked his neck and rolled his wrists, an unparalleled strength coursing through his body.
He looked at Hancock.
A formless pressure, a powerful wind, washed over her, whipping her hair across her face.
'Impossible...' Hancock thought, her mind reeling.
'This man... how can he possess such powerful Haki at his age? Enough to completely nullify the Love-Love Fruit's petrification?'
Her crew was stunned into silence, their mouths agape.
He was strong.
Dangerously strong.
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