"Nobles… huh…"
The burly man frowned deeply, sinking into thought.
Anyone who could afford a warship of that size was definitely not some minor noble. The power backing them was likely terrifying.
Though they lived by trafficking people and licking blood off blades, they still understood the unspoken rules of the underworld—some people could be touched, others were untouchable. Lay a hand on the wrong one, and you'd be courting death.
The lookout sensed his boss's hesitation and grew anxious, practically hopping in place. He was already blinded by visions of the immense wealth that ship might hold.
"Boss! What's there to hesitate about?! Sabaody Archipelago is right ahead! Haven't we already checked? This auction is going to have Celestial Dragon–level buyers! With the goods we already have, plus a whole ship full of top-grade merchandise from over there, we'll make a killing—enough to live worry-free for the rest of our lives!"
"Once we pull this off and reach Sabaody, that chaotic hellhole, we can just disappear into any back alley. Who's going to find us? Even if they want revenge later, once they hear the merchandise was bought by Celestial Dragons, they wouldn't dare fart too loudly!"
It had to be said—the argument was fatally tempting, and logically sound.
The trafficker's boss's eyes flickered. He turned his head and glanced toward the depths of the ship.
That was where their prized haul was locked away—the elite merchandise they had worked so hard to capture: warriors of the Kuja tribe from Amazon Lily.
A combat race exclusive to the Calm Belt, as rare as mermaids. Exactly the sort of thing those degenerate Celestial Dragons loved most.
And if they added the ship behind them to the deal…
The wildfire of greed ignited instantly, burning away what little reason he had left.
He stared hard at the massive ship drawing closer, murderous light flashing in his eyes, then swung his arm sharply, signaling his men to grab their weapons and get ready.
However—
in the very next second, his eyes bulged wide, nearly popping out of their sockets, his face frozen in sheer disbelief and terror.
Through the spyglass, the refined man who looked like a genteel butler suddenly leapt high into the air on the deck.
Then—
Shhhk!
A pair of enormous white wings burst open from his back.
Like a hunting eagle, he dove straight toward them at terrifying speed.
And even worse—
behind those white wings, a blinding white bolt of lightning, impossible to look at directly, roared forward almost simultaneously…
Boa Hancock.
Not long ago, she and her two younger sisters—Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold—had secretly snuck out of Amazon Lily aboard a Kuja Pirates ship, hiding it from their people.
Their thoughts had been simple: to prove that they had the strength and the right to sail the seas.
They never dreamed that the ocean's cruelty and filth would so far exceed their naive imagination.
Without even experiencing a proper battle, not long after leaving the Calm Belt, the three sisters were ambushed in their sleep, captured, and bound—kidnapped straight off their ship.
This was the most infamous slaver vessel in the world.
Though they had always been sheltered like flowers in a greenhouse, the sisters understood all too well what kind of fate awaited them.
In these past days, Hancock had personally witnessed the "terror of men" the elders of Amazon Lily spoke of.
In this dark, damp slave hold, there had originally been several other innocent women imprisoned alongside them.
But after being dragged out by those beasts, then thrown back in—bloodied, clothes in tatters—the most despairing change wasn't their wounds.
It was their eyes.
The light that once flickered with life was gone, replaced by a dead, ashen emptiness.
This nightmare played out day after day.
Then, one by one, the women disappeared—until only the three sisters remained.
Because the trafficker boss regarded them as "premium goods," hoping to sell them for a high price, they had temporarily escaped the fate of violation.
But from the dying whispers of the other women, they learned that once taken to a place called Sabaody, hell was inevitable.
Just as the traffickers joked with cruel grins, they would be auctioned off like livestock, bought by perverts, forced into lives worse than death.
They might even be selected by the legendary Celestial Dragons and branded with the mark of eternal humiliation—the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon.
Just imagining it, hearing those filthy words, made Hancock want to break down and sob.
But she was the eldest.
Seeing her two sisters trembling beside her, she bit down hard on her lip, forcing herself to stand tall, pulling them tightly into her arms, trying to give them at least some final shred of comfort.
Yet aside from these hollow reassurances, she realized she could do nothing.
Their legs were shackled in heavy iron restraints. Their skills were useless. Escape was impossible.
Like her sisters, Hancock was left only with endless resentment, regret, and bone-deep terror.
—BOOOOM!!!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the ship.
The entire vessel began to shake violently, as if struck by a tsunami.
Inside the cell, Sandersonia and Marigold clutched Hancock's arms tightly from either side, their nails digging into her flesh, their bodies shaking like leaves.
"What happened?! Sister! Did we reach land?!"
"Sister, I'm scared! I don't want to be a slave! W–waaah…"
For girls who had sailed before, this kind of shaking wasn't unfamiliar—it felt like a collision, or docking.
"No… don't be afraid… If it were docking, it wouldn't be this violent…"
Hancock herself was swaying, barely keeping her balance, yet she still forced out words of comfort through clenched teeth.
"M–Maybe… maybe the Kuja Pirates have come to save us!"
The instant those words left her mouth, shrill, agonized screams erupted outside the cell—sounds more horrific than pigs being slaughtered.
The source of those screams was all too familiar.
Clearly—fighting had broken out.
That violent impact earlier had been the opening clash, and judging from the wails now echoing through the ship, the slavers were being utterly crushed.
Sandersonia and Marigold's dull, lifeless eyes lit up instantly, believing their sister's words—convinced their people had come.
—BZZZT!!
A piercing, high-frequency crackle of electricity tore through the air.
Through the sliver of light at the cell door, they glimpsed an impossibly brilliant blue-white flash.
Then came a rapid succession of crack crack crack—and the screams outside cut off abruptly, like ducks having their necks wrung.
The world fell silent.
"No… that's not one of our tribe's techniques…"
The tiny flame of hope in Hancock's chest was instantly extinguished.
She knew her people fought with Haki and martial arts. None wielded such terrifying lightning. And from start to finish, she hadn't heard a single familiar shout.
This ship had been targeted by another group of monsters.
Sure enough, only seconds later—
BANG!
The iron door of their cell was kicked open like rotting wood.
A man in a perfectly tailored black suit and top hat appeared at the entrance, ghostlike.
In his hand, dangling like trash, was a massive man covered in blood—so mangled he was barely recognizable.
The three sisters recognized him instantly.
The trafficker boss.
The one who had tormented them these past days.
Dead.
Which meant that this man had eliminated every slaver on the ship in such a short time?!
"So this is the place. Tsk tsk—these must be the combat tribe from Amazon Lily the Admiral mentioned."
Though Lafitte phrased it as a question, his tone carried absolute certainty.
Casually tossing the slaver's corpse aside like a dirty rag, he tapped his redwood cane lightly against the shackles on the girls' ankles.
Crack.Crack.
With a few crisp sounds, the solid iron chains snapped apart.
The sisters were free.
Yet the pressure they felt only intensified. None of them dared to move.
Lafitte stepped aside elegantly, clearing the doorway, his usual inscrutable smile on his face.
"Perfect timing. Our Admiral Tenma happens to be very interested in the people abducted on this ship. So, ladies—if you would kindly come with me."
"Oh, and a friendly reminder—please don't attempt to resist. Otherwise, I'll have to use slightly more… forceful methods. That wouldn't be very dignified."
He said please, yet his tone brooked no refusal—the absolute authority of the strong over the weak.
Hancock looked at the trafficker's corpse on the floor, bit her lip hard, took her sisters' hands, and steeled herself as she walked out.
We were already facing the worst fate imaginable—slavery, she told herself. No matter how bad this gets, death is the limit. Maybe… just maybe… there's still a chance.
With a heart full of dread, she stepped out of the cell.
Emerging from the dark hold, the long-lost sunlight stabbed into her eyes. This was the first time in over a week that they'd seen the sky.
Once her eyes adjusted, Hancock looked out onto the deck—and her heart skipped a beat.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
Just as she had feared, the once-ferocious traffickers lay scattered everywhere.
White smoke still rose from their bodies, a nauseating stench of burnt flesh filling the air. They had clearly been charred instantly by extreme heat and lightning.
At the center of the deck stood a girl wreathed in dazzling electricity, her hair standing on end, glowing blue-white.
She looked about the same age as Hancock, casually dusting off her hands with a bored expression.
At that sight, the last trace of resistance in Hancock's heart vanished.
She knew her limits.
If that lightning girl could annihilate the entire crew alone, killing the three of them would be easier than crushing ants.
Not to mention the unfathomable man in formal wear standing behind them.
Sure enough, even freed from their chains, they were still fish on the chopping block.
Just as Hancock spiraled into despair—
A massive shadow suddenly fell over them.
With the sun behind it, the light on the deck was swallowed up as it approached.
The three sisters turned back instinctively, their pupils shaking violently.
A steel behemoth—several times larger than the ship beneath their feet—was slowly closing in, radiating overwhelming pressure.
Before they could recover from the shock, Lafitte spread his great white wings once more.
Grabbing one sister in each hand like chicks in an eagle's talons, he beat his wings and carried all three of them straight toward the approaching giant ship.
Lafitte moved with gentlemanly grace, lightly tapping his cane as he set the Boa sisters down smoothly on the deck, then stepping aside in silence.
The moment her feet touched down, Hancock instinctively spread her arms, pulling her trembling sisters tightly into her embrace, her wary eyes darting around this unfamiliar place like those of a startled deer.
What she saw were beautiful attendants, several children playing freely—and at the center of the massive ship stood a black-haired man, clearly the one everyone deferred to.
Even the white-haired girl who had unleashed that terrifying lightning now stood quietly at his side, affection evident in her posture.
So… this is the Admiral Tenma they mentioned? Hancock thought.
She gathered her courage and studied him.
There was no repulsive malice about him, nothing like the traffickers' vicious stench.
Despite Amazon Lily's teachings that men are savage and crude, Hancock found—against all expectations—that this man didn't feel dangerous.
Perhaps it was the warm, harmonious atmosphere around her.
Perhaps after enduring hell, her heart desperately wanted to grasp this lone lifeline.
Tenma looked at the three girls before him—ragged, yet unable to hide their natural beauty—and thought to himself, As expected… the rumors don't exaggerate.
He stepped forward, bent slightly to lower himself to their level, and spoke gently:
"Three poor little ones kidnapped by slavers… would you tell me your names?"
Still nervous, Hancock nonetheless inhaled deeply and answered as the eldest:
"My name is Boa Hancock. These are my younger sisters—Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold."
A warm, kind smile spread across Tenma's face, perfectly concealing the calculating glint in his eyes.
"Lovely girls. You can relax now—we're not vermin who make a living off filthy deeds on the sea."
At those words, the sisters' taut nerves finally loosened. Long-suppressed fear seemed to drain away all at once.
His gentle attitude, combined with the fact that he had saved them, caused Tenma's image in Hancock's heart to instantly grow tall and heroic.
More than that—she desperately wanted to seize this chance to escape her nightmare forever.
She raised her head, eyes filled with hope.
"We're from Amazon Lily… Could we ask you to take us home?"
Behind her, her sisters hurriedly joined in, voices trembling with desperation.
"Please help us! We'll never forget this kindness for the rest of our lives!"
The girls on the ship looked on with sympathy. Many of them had endured similar suffering—this scene struck painfully close to home.
Yet not a single one dared to speak up.
Even Maria Fang, usually overflowing with maternal instincts, remained silent.
This was the unspoken rule among Tenma's followers: personal feelings aside, his will was absolute.
Tenma's lips curved slightly as he replied:
"Since you say it's a debt for a lifetime, then I'll grant your request."
In truth, even if they hadn't asked, he had already planned to visit Amazon Lily—for the sake of a grand ambition of his own.
Sandersonia and Marigold, unaware of his true intentions, burst into tears of joy.
"Really?! Thank you so much, Benefactor Tenma!"
Hancock bowed deeply, using the most solemn etiquette she knew.
"Thank you… truly, for saving our lives."
Tenma nodded faintly, then turned toward a tall woman nearby.
"Maria Fang."
Maria Fang stepped forward at once.
"Have the geisha take them to clean up first. They've been locked up for so long—they must be uncomfortable. Give them a proper wash."
At those words, Hancock's face instantly flushed bright red.
Only then did she realize—she hadn't bathed in over a week. She must smell terrible. Standing before her benefactor in such a state made her want to crawl into a hole.
Lowering her head shyly, she followed Maria Fang obediently into the ship, afraid that lingering even a second longer might invite disgust.
Watching Hancock's bashful retreating figure, Tenma couldn't help but chuckle.
Who could possibly connect this timid little girl with the future Pirate Empress who would hold her head high and look down upon the world?
He had originally planned to go to Sabaody to ask about the Boa sisters—but who would've thought luck would smile on him so brightly? He'd intercepted them halfway.
With that, he could head straight for Amazon Lily.
He was certainly interested in the future "most beautiful woman in the world," Boa Hancock—
but just as tempting to him was that warrior nation where every citizen was a soldier.
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