"Is it true...? It's gone?" Hancock asked in disbelief, her eyes still fixed on Luffy.
"Yeah. Nothing there," he replied with his usual simplicity.
"Are you sure...? There's really nothing left?" The surprise in her voice faded, replaced by a growing glimmer of relief—and secretly, of joy.
"Wait a sec!" Luffy suddenly leaned forward, squinting. "Maybe I didn't check properly. Better look again, just to be safe!"
That was a direct request from the Empress herself. Not even a celestial being from the New World would dare argue.
The Healing Fruit truly was miraculous.
Scars that had lingered for a decade vanished as if they had never existed. The skin on the Empress's back was now smooth, clear, and flawless—like that of a newborn.
"Kind of makes you want to touch it just to see if it's real…" Luffy thought, scratching his chin. But he quickly shook his head. "Nah, that'd be weird. Really weird."
Then, an unexpected sound made him pause. A sob? Luffy raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
"Are you... crying?"
Hancock was sitting on the floor, silent tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. It was an almost surreal sight—the proudest and most feared woman in Amazon Lily, now so vulnerable.
Instinctively, Luffy let out a soft laugh—not mocking, more surprised, almost affectionate.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, scratching his head.
"I... I was arrogant. I treated you poorly," she said, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. When she looked up again, she wore a rare, sweet, and genuine smile.
As if the world itself conspired in her favor, the light drizzle suddenly ceased. Sunlight broke through the thick canopy, illuminating Hancock like a flower blooming in the wind.
Luffy's eyes widened.
(Can she control the weather with her mood?) he wondered, half-joking, half-serious.
Hancock, as if reading his mind, spoke softly:
"This island goes through 48 seasons a year. One per week. The weather changes all the time."
As she explained, she began dressing in the clothes she'd set aside moments earlier.
"Got it," Luffy nodded.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take one more look? There might be a tiny spot left..."
She stopped getting dressed and turned to him with a slightly amused smile.
"Are you really immune to my Mero Mero Mellow...?" she murmured.
She remembered clearly: on the warship, even the officers had been petrified by her charming rays. But Luffy... Luffy was different.
"No need," she said at last.
"I'll use a mirror later. The fruit you gave me... it's incredible. And I'm truly sorry, Monkey D. Luffy."
"Just call me Luffy," he replied, sitting cross-legged with an easy smile.
"Luffy... from now on, you're my guest of honor. You have permission to walk freely through Amazon Lily."
As she said that, her voice faltered for a second. She wasn't used to humility. It was difficult—but necessary.
Luffy noticed.
"You're wondering if I have more of those fruits, right? Want to give one to your sisters?"
She hesitated but nodded, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Yes."
"Unfortunately, I don't have any more with me right now," Luffy answered sincerely.
The glimmer dimmed slightly, but she forced a grateful smile.
"I understand. It was selfish of me to ask for more. I've already received so much."
She stood, her expression calm.
"Luffy, I don't know why you came to this island full of beasts... but all I did was show you the way. Compared to what you gave me, that's nothing. Please, allow me to escort you back to Amazon Lily. I want to repay your kindness."
This was a different Hancock, without the arrogance of before. Her voice was firm but warm.
Luffy, on the other hand, still seemed indifferent.
"Hmm... Are there any other islands nearby?"
"Close by?" She thought for a moment.
"Within a 500-kilometer radius, no. None."
"Huh..." Luffy made a face.
"Boring."
He leapt to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Alright, let's head back then. I bet your kingdom's in chaos without you. After all, you're the Empress."
"Yes... and you may call me Hancock," she said, almost bashfully, but smiling.
Luffy couldn't help but laugh.
"Hold on tight! We're flying back. It'll be faster!"
Before she could protest, he scooped her up with ease and leapt into the sky, disappearing among the trees like a bolt of lightning.
Meanwhile, three kilometers from Amazon Lily, a warship was anchored.
On the calm sea surface, the Kuja Pirates' ship resurfaced. On deck, dozens of warriors stared down Vice Admiral Momonga, ready to defend their Empress with claws, teeth... and arrows.
Momonga smiled bitterly.
"It wasn't me... I don't know anything about this."
"Hmph!" Marigold crossed her arms, eyes full of disdain.
"We can't trust a single word from a man."
"Luffy, the Warlord... wasn't it you who brought him here?"
"Exactly!" Sandersonia said, her voice dripping with accusation.
"This was all planned, wasn't it? The moment our sister refused the summons, you were ready to capture her by force!"
Both of them were furious, faces tense, bodies primed for battle.
"Return the Empress immediately!" Marigold shouted.
"Or we'll sink this warship!"
The air was on the verge of exploding.
On one side, all the Kuja warriors—except their captain.
On the other... only Vice Admiral Momonga.
He was drenched in sweat.
"Luffy, what did you do...?"
He'd expected some trouble, but not that the Empress would simply vanish into the skies with a pirate.
"This is a disaster! All the Warlords are nuts... none of them follow rules!"
He furrowed his brow in concern.
"I need to contact someone right away. If this situation drags on for a few more days... who knows. The way Luffy was looking at her on the way here, I wouldn't be surprised if... she's pregnant!"
The thought made him shudder.
"This isn't going to end well! I need to come up with a solution, now..."
Just then, the sound of a Den Den Mushi echoed across the deck.
Purupurupuru... purupuru... klik.
Sandersonia answered quickly. Upon recognizing the voice on the other end, her body froze.
"Return to Amazon Lily."
It was the firm, majestic voice of the Empress.
"Elder Sister!!"
In an instant, all tension evaporated. The Kuja warriors looked at each other with joy and relief. In the blink of an eye, they forgot about the Vice Admiral and boarded their ship, beaming.
Momonga let out a heavy sigh.
"Finally..."
He looked up at the sky and muttered:
"What was all that...? Lord Garp... your grandson sure knows how to stir up trouble!"
Amazon Lily
In the dining hall, Luffy sat in a seat of honor, surrounded by trays filled with extravagant dishes. Servants came and went, bringing food and wine without pause.
In front of him, a short elderly lady stood on a chair just to meet his gaze at eye level.
"I'm Elder Nyon. Now tell me, Monkey D. Luffy... why did you kidnap Princess Snake!?"
If it were for love, she could understand. A man crossing oceans for his beloved—that was almost poetic. But to kidnap her, return her safely, and leave hailed as a hero?
Even stranger was how Hancock—once cold and arrogant—now insisted they treat Luffy with full honors.
Luffy answered with disarming seriousness:
"Actually, Boa Hancock is pregnant, so I brought her back to take care of our baby."
The words landed like a bomb.
Elder Nyon's eyes widened.
The servants froze mid-motion, some nearly dropping their trays.
"What!? Princess Snake is pregnant!?"
"What wonderful news! We'll have a little snake princess in a few months!"
"We must tell everyone right away!"
Luffy was silent for a moment, frowning.
"...Huh? Why are you all so happy...? Shouldn't you be mad?"
"What's so great about this!?" Elder Nyon exploded, slamming her cane on the floor.
She sighed deeply, scolding the servants:
"Pregnancy doesn't happen that easily! Some people try hundreds of times and still can't do it!"
She turned to Luffy, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Monkey D. Luffy, if you really have such miraculous powers... I think we should keep you on this island. You'd be a valuable contribution to our future!"
Luffy's eyes widened in panic.
"...You too!? What is wrong with this island!?"
He tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but inside, he was already searching for an escape route.
In the hot water, surrounded by steam and silence, Boa Hancock had her back turned to Marigold and Sandersonia.
Her wet hair clung to her now-smooth, spotless back.
She lifted her dark hair with both hands and turned to her sisters, anxiously:
"Are you sure...? Not a single trace left? Luffy said there might still be a little bit..."
"There's nothing!" Sandersonia answered, eyes wide.
"It's completely gone!"
"That Celestial Dragon mark disappeared as if it had never existed!" Marigold added, still in shock.
Boa Hancock was silent for a moment, then tears welled in her eyes.
She quickly wiped them away, regaining her composure.
"Luffy is my benefactor. You must call him 'Sir Luffy' and treat him with the utmost respect."
Her sisters exchanged puzzled looks.
"They've known each other for less than three hours..." Sandersonia murmured, smiling awkwardly.
"And our sister's already completely changed her tune..." Marigold added, shaking her head.
Sandersonia sighed and said:
"Sir Luffy is in the dining hall right now."
"What kind of aphrodisiac did that man give our sister!?" Marigold whispered.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."