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Code: CBA84
Ending: 10/08/25
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A heavy silence filled the room.
Kuina, watching the scene unfold, burst into full-blown laughter, clutching her stomach.
Hancock sat there, stunned, her arms still midair where Luffy had been just moments ago.
Her expression darkened.
"…He ran away," She muttered.
Kuina wiped away a tear of laughter, her shoulders shaking. "Yep. You actually made Luffy run away."
Hancock's eye twitched.
But then, as she replayed the scene in her head, she smirked.
A soft, mischievous glint appeared in her violet eyes.
"Fufufu…" She chuckled, her fingers trailing along her collarbone. "It's fine… He'll never escape me for long."
Kuina snorted, shaking her head. "You're relentless."
Hancock flipped her hair, her confidence fully restored. "A woman must pursue her love with passion and determination."
Kuina raised an eyebrow. "You mean obsession?"
Hancock's smirk deepened. "Call it what you will. In the end, Luffy will be mine."
Kuina sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well, at least this is entertaining…"
----
Luffy exhaled in relief as he stepped onto the deck, feeling as if he had just escaped certain doom. His shoulder still felt phantom pressure from Hancock's grip, and his instincts told him that if he had stayed even a second longer, he might have ended up trapped in her embrace forever.
He spotted Zoro standing nearby, arms crossed, casually waiting.
With a grateful sigh, Luffy walked up and patted Zoro's shoulder as if he had just saved his life.
Zoro blinked, tilting his head. "Hah? What was that for?"
Luffy didn't say anything—he just pointed toward the cabin's entrance.
Zoro followed his gaze.
Inside, Kuina and Hancock were both staring at the door, Hancock's eyes burning with an unreadable intensity.
Zoro's body tensed immediately.
"Oh…" He muttered, now fully understanding the reason for Luffy's gratitude.
Hancock had the look of a predator who had just been robbed of her prey.
And Luffy had used him as an escape route.
Zoro's survival instincts kicked in.
"Oi, I just remembered—I gotta go train. Right now."
Without another word, he turned and disappeared down the deck, his movements quick and precise, as if he were dodging an incoming attack.
Luffy couldn't help but grin at Zoro's reaction.
After that, the journey continued smoothly.
There were no storms, no sudden attacks, and best of all, no further incidents of Hancock attempting to claim Luffy as hers on the ship.
Kuina spent her time sparring against other Marines aboard, while Zoro found a quiet corner to nap, preparing himself for the upcoming battle he had been longing for.
As for Hancock… she remained relatively calm, occasionally stealing long, lingering glances at Luffy whenever he wasn't paying attention.
And Luffy?
He spent most of his time pretending not to notice.
As the ship approached Marineford, the massive fortress came into view.
The moment the vessel docked, Luffy took the lead, stepping onto the harbor with his usual carefree demeanor.
Hancock followed closely behind him.
And the reaction was instantaneous.
Every single Marine in the vicinity froze in place, their eyes widening as they caught sight of her ethereal beauty.
Gasps and whispers spread like wildfire.
"G-Goddess…"
"She's so beautiful!"
"My heart… I can't breathe…!"
Some of them collapsed on the spot, clutching their chests as if they had been mortally wounded.
Others simply stood frozen, mouths hanging open, their faces turning an unhealthy shade of red.
Luffy could literally hear their hearts pounding.
'Damn, these guys have it bad…' He thought, shaking his head.
It wasn't surprising.
Hancock's charm was legendary.
Only a handful of people in the world could resist her allure.
And most of those people happened to be either strong-willed warriors… or just too dense to care.
As Luffy continued walking, he turned toward Hancock.
"Alright, Hancock. I'm heading off now. Got some things to take care of."
Hancock's expression darkened slightly.
"You're leaving already…?"
Luffy nodded. "Yeah. If I stay too long, Sengoku or Grandpa might try to rope me into something annoying."
Hancock pouted slightly, looking like she wanted to protest. But after a moment, she simply sighed and nodded.
"Very well… but next time, you won't escape so easily," She murmured, her fingers trailing along his arm in a slow, deliberate motion before she finally let go.
Luffy laughed nervously and walked away quickly before she could change her mind.
As he made his way down the port, Zoro and Kuina fell into step beside him.
"Oi, Captain," Zoro said. "We're staying behind for a bit."
Luffy glanced at him. "Yeah?"
Zoro nodded. "We're challenging Mihawk again."
Kuina smirked. "Last time, we weren't strong enough. But this time, we're gonna push him harder."
Luffy grinned. "Heh… well, don't die."
Zoro snorted. "That's our line."
Kuina chuckled. "Good luck with whatever you're planning."
Luffy raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"
Zoro and Kuina exchanged a knowing look.
"You always are," They said in unison.
Luffy laughed. "Fair enough."
And with that, they parted ways.
Just as Luffy was about to head toward Sabaody Archipelago to kill some time, he overheard a group of sailors whispering nearby.
"Did you hear? Commander Hina is heading back to West Blue today."
Luffy's steps halted instantly.
'West Blue…?'
His head snapped toward them.
"Who's going to the West Blue?" He asked.
The sailors jumped in surprise, turning to see Luffy staring at them intently.
"U-Uh, Commander Hina," One of them stammered. "She was here for some special training, but now she's heading back to West Blue."
Luffy's mind raced.
Hina…
He had only interacted with her a few times.
The first real meeting was when she had visited Zephyr and had thanked him for dealing with Edward Weevil. Before that, they had only met in passing when Luffy first arrived at Marineford with Garp.
And then there was the time Zephyr had asked Luffy to spar with some of his former students.
Hina had been one of them.
Luffy remembered how she had watched him closely, studying his movements as if she were analyzing a puzzle she couldn't quite solve.
A small smile formed on his lips.
'This could be interesting.'
Without wasting another second, Luffy vanished, using Soru to move at blinding speed.
By the time he reappeared, he was standing on the deck of the ship Hina was about to depart on.
The sailors on board jumped in shock, some yelling and reaching for their weapons.
And in the middle of it all, Hina stood at the center of the deck, her arms crossed, her sharp, calculating gaze locking onto him.
"Luffy?"
Luffy grinned, with his signature smile. "Yo, Hina."
Hina raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
Luffy smirked. "Well… I thought I'd tag along."
Hina narrowed her eyes.
"And why, exactly, do you want to come to the West Blue with me?"
Luffy's grin widened. "Let's just say… I'm in the mood for a little adventure."
Hina stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a knowing smirk.
"Is that so?"
Luffy nodded his head.
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