Off to the side, Hina observed him through her glasses, her arms firmly crossed beneath her chest. Her brows were furrowed, a clear sign of disapproval at noticing Tiberion had no intention of jumping onto a platform.
"Tiberion, Hina hopes you didn't travel all the way to the capital of Arabasta just to stand around watching," she inquired, lacing her voice with provocation. "Or did the princess's beauty awaken your instincts, and you'd rather conserve your strength to claim her in private?"
They couldn't understand what they were seeing!
Tiberion, eyes gleaming with indifference, glanced at those standing atop the platforms.
"I'm not interested in fighting weaklings," he said without a hint of emotion.
!
At that moment, Hina's heart pounded so hard she could barely hear the world around her.
Was she dreaming?
"…R-Really?" she murmured. "Is it really you…?"
"I heard the princess of this kingdom is quite beautiful," he went on, forcing himself to project confidence. "Tell me, you… hormone-ridden man, will you be able to contain your beastly urges when she's standing right in front of you?"
Though she would've preferred to stay out of this, the reminder that, for now, there were only a handful of women confronting a beast that made them "suffer" more and more each day pushed her not to remain silent.
Tiberion couldn't be considered human!
Despite his human appearance, he was nothing more than a creature of unending lust that devoured them day after day without pause. And yet, within that savagery, there lingered a flicker of tenderness so unexpected it was dangerous—because had that faint, almost affectionate glimmer in his gestures not existed, neither Shirahoshi, nor Hancock, and certainly not Hina herself, would have survived until now.
"..."
Without uttering another word, Tiberion turned on his heels and began making his way through the crowd toward the palace of Alubarna; with each step, the onlookers, unable to hold his gaze, instinctively parted before him.
"W-wait for me, husband!"
Shirahoshi followed after him, determined not to be separated from him. But she had to move carefully, not wanting to hurt anyone.
Hina, still rooted in place, slid her fingers along the edge of her glasses, lowered them, and watched as Tiberion's broad back grew smaller in the distance.
'What the hell did he mean by not fighting weaklings?'
'Is he planning to skip all the ceremony, grab the princess, and just leave…?'
'...That's so Tiberion.'
Hina thought quickly and couldn't stop herself from following him, needing to see what he would do.
As she assessed the situation, her gaze fell on Shirahoshi, moving awkwardly through the crowd. It reminded her just how precarious their positions were, caught in the predatory orbit of Tiberion—and a sharp pang of responsibility compelled her to act.
Without another word, she began following them from a cautious distance.
"..."
Hancock remained still for several seconds, eyes fixed on Tiberion's retreating figure as it grew smaller with each step, until his silhouette began to blur into the distance. And in that suspended moment, the deep blue of her eyes seemed to melt into a spellbound gleam, turning into two pounding hearts.
The blush climbed up her cheeks with such intensity that even she couldn't hide it, and before the overwhelming emotion shattered her composure, she raised both hands to her face, trying to contain the flood of images that suddenly surged through her mind…
For a few seconds, she remained like that. And when she finally opened her eyes, the hot air of Alubarna brought her back to reality, grounding her in the moment and reminding her of what she had to do.
She exhaled deeply, letting the breeze brush the stray lock from her forehead. Then she straightened her posture and, with unwavering resolve, made a decision: if Tiberion wasn't going to dirty his hands with this competition, then she would claim victory in his name.
And so, under the murmuring anticipation of thousands, Hancock stepped onto one of the platforms.
"Can someone explain what the hell is going on?"
"Why did that woman go up? Is she actually entering the competition?"
"Hey, I recognize her! She arrived with Tiberion Hanma—they say she's his partner!"
"I can confirm that—plenty of people heard her boasting, and she wasn't exactly whispering."
"You've got to be kidding… she's planning to win in his place while he doesn't even lift a finger? That'd be a slap in the face for everyone hoping to impress the princess."
"It might happen!"
"Damn that Tiberion Hanma's luck!"
Everyone who understood the situation was gripped by a seething, unbearable envy.
"..."
Sanji wasn't prepared for what his eyes were about to witness.
From the far side of the platform, a figure emerged from among the crowd, wrapped in desert-toned garments.
That light, open tunic exposed long, luscious legs that looked crafted to shatter any man's will. The belt cinched a waist almost unnaturally narrow, and every sway of her hips seemed to make the world itself hold its breath. Beneath the sheer fabric, the folds of her top barely contained breasts that defied gravity, and though her face was mostly veiled… her eyes—those eyes—two deep blue oceans pierced straight through him with a single arrogant, disdainful glance.
!
This exceeded any fantasy he'd ever conjured during his long days at sea. The sheer excitement burst the capillaries in his nose, and a thin crimson stream trickled from his nostrils.
Trembling, one hand clutched his nose to stop the bleeding as he stepped forward, as if destiny itself were dragging him. His legs trembled, but his heart pushed him onward.
Even though she stood half a head taller than him, he didn't flinch. With solemn grace, he bowed, flipping his blond bangs back, and his voice adopted a more refined tone:
"Mademoiselle of the sand, believe me—never in my wildest dreams did I imagine such perfection could exist on the face of the sea… and yet here you are, outshining even the sun of the desert itself." He placed his free hand over his chest. "Please, tell me—what might this humble cook do to ease your burdens or fulfill your desires?"
"Disappear," Hancock snapped coldly. "Because I will be the one to claim the princess."
Ever since giving herself to Tiberion, any man who lost composure in front of her beauty had become utterly repulsive to her. In her eyes, there was devotion only for Tiberion; the rest were nothing but noise and dead weight.
Sanji, still pinching his nose to stop the bleeding, grew even more excited just from the fact that such a beauty had responded to him.
"Not even the finest oyster sauce could compare to the grace of your movements, mademoiselle."
"Allow this humble chef to introduce himself: Sanji, servant of ladies and protector of every feminine heartbeat. Is there a desire, a thirst, a culinary craving, or a whim of the heart I might fulfill to ease your weariness...?"
"You've spoken enough, repulsive man," Hancock declared coldly, and without allowing the romantic air to linger another second, she unleashed a spinning kick—her long leg coated in a subtle layer of Haki—and struck Sanji square in the torso.
Boom
The kick launched him far past the edge of the platform, his silhouette tracing an arc through the air before crashing down onto the sand.
Sanji lost consciousness instantly, but a look of pure ecstasy was etched across his face—so much so that anyone watching would've sworn he had reached paradise.
"For god's sake, that pervert never learns!"
"You're wrong, my friend—if I were to receive such a caress from that leg, even if it broke half my ribs, I'd sign up in a heartbeat. Glory always comes with a little pain!"
"Listen closely before envy clouds your brain: that woman belongs to Tiberion Hanma…"
"Eeeeh?!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of his head as Sanji's silhouette landed far outside the arena. "How the heck did he get thrown out of the ring that fast?! He promised he'd guard the platform for Vivi!"
He scratched the back of his head, trying to piece together what had just happened. But remembering that thinking never fixed anything, he shook his head to clear the distraction and sat down on top of the opponent in front of him.
Meanwhile, with a single flutter of her lashes, Hancock released a glowing pink aura that expanded over all the platforms—cutting through every consciousness present, and as soon as it touched the marrow of desire, it turned it into devotion.
Within seconds, all the competitors who had been climbing the platforms—or already standing on them—stopped. Their eyes now clouded with a glossy gleam, they waited silently for her next command...
However, Luffy and Zoro remained completely immune to her beauty, untouched by her spell.
"What's going on here?" Luffy mumbled, scratching his cheek as he glanced around at the motionless competitors. "Did everyone give up all of a sudden?"
Zoro, for his part, kept his eyes locked on Hancock. He slid his hand toward the bandana tied around his arm and began to wrap it around his head, an unsettlingly familiar feeling rising within him as he stared at the veiled woman… though he couldn't quite recall where he had seen her before.
"If you wish to try, you may attack me all at once. The result will not change."
Hancock looked down on them with disdain. She made it abundantly clear: the immunity of Luffy and Zoro to her charm was, at best, a curious detail—never a concern. So long as Tiberion desired her, nothing else mattered.
"Eh? Why do you care about Princess Vivi if you're a woman too?" Luffy asked with utter confusion. Wasn't it obvious she was a woman?
"Think before you speak, captain," Zoro growled, loosening the knot of his bandana. "That woman is dangerous. She's not someone you want to—"
Swish
His words were cut short the moment Hancock vanished from the spot where everyone had seen her just a second earlier.
"Hmph, you'd better worry about yourself."
A blink later, Hancock appeared in Zoro's ring, kicking up a swirl of dust around her sandals as her leg arced upward.
!
Zoro tried to lift his swords, but her boot struck his torso with the force of a hammer. The entire platform trembled, and he shot across it like a projectile, sliding toward the edge until he stopped just short of falling.
"Hmph, surprisingly, you've got a bit of brute strength," she conceded, shaking her head.
"But guys like you, who haven't even mastered Haki, will keep swinging sharp toys. Nothing more."
Haki?
Those words stung Zoro's pride. He clenched his jaw, sensing something peculiar in them—but the stabbing pain under his ribs forced him to focus on the ache. Even so, he forced himself to stand, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
But the very moment he regained his balance, Hancock reappeared at his left flank.
Although Zoro's mind still struggled to register what had happened, his body moved on its own.
He dropped into a crouch until his knees nearly touched the floor, shifted his torso forward, angled both katanas toward the ground, and pressed his palms firmly on the hilts.
"Nitoryu Iai…"
Without leaving even the smallest gap between movements, he slid the blades back—and with one fierce surge of his heart, unleashed them with brutal power.
"…Rashomon!"
The twin slash tore toward Hancock's Achilles tendons, and for a moment—an elongated heartbeat—it looked like it would connect. However, in that flash of force, Hancock launched a kick, disregarding the attack entirely, and sent Zoro flying dozens of meters backward.
"..."
Luffy, still standing in the center of his own ring, stared open-mouthed as Zoro crashed outside the platform.
"So Zoro's a weakling… he couldn't even cut through those ugly sandals!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hancock spun on her heel and locked eyes with the boy in the Straw Hat.
"Now it's your turn!"
And she began striding toward Luffy's ring.
"..."
Finally realizing this wasn't just any opponent, Luffy raised his right arm, stretched his rubbery skin, and launched a probing punch. The strike, however, lacked the fierce intent that usually backed his best attacks—and with a subtle tilt of her head, Hancock let it pass just inches from her cheek. The fist recoiled harmlessly back into Luffy's body.
"Astonishing…" she murmured, clicking her tongue in disdain. "With such fragility, it's no wonder Tiberion-sama never bothers to look your way."
Upon seeing her dodge his attack so effortlessly, Luffy furrowed his brow, clenched both fists, and began to shout:
"Gomu Gomu…!"
The first Rubber Pistol shot forward, followed by a flurry of strikes that multiplied into a frenzied cadence—soon evolving into the Gatling. Within seconds, the space in front of Hancock was filled with a storm of blurred fists that appeared and vanished with astonishing speed.
Unfortunately, from Hancock's perspective… those barrages were far too slow.
Perhaps because she'd already grown used to the intense "battles" alongside Tiberion, fights like these now felt unbearably boring.
Instead of backing away, Hancock bent her knee and launched herself forward, breaking through the curtain of punches, twisting her shoulders just enough to let the fists slip past her. It took less than a second for her to close the distance and come face to face with Luffy—and without missing a beat, she swung her right leg, now coated in Haki.
Boom
Her leg drove into Luffy's abdomen and sent him flying through the air.
"Anyone else wishes to challenge me? This is your chance!"
Hancock stood tall, gazing down at everyone with chilling indifference.
A wave of hesitation rippled through the crowd; no one below dared to step forward.
"Good. Then let my victory be announced," Hancock commanded, turning her head toward a tall woman with slender limbs and curly blue hair. Her black outfit, a mesh of straps, exposed her abdomen and a deep neckline that stood out against her pale skin.
It was none other than "Paula."
"Paula" was an alias—her real name was Zala. She was Daz Bones' partner and a user of the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit: the Toge Toge no Mi.
Zala was well aware that the figure before her was none other than the Snake Empress, Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and, according to the organization's internal files, extremely dangerous. She swallowed hard before speaking respectfully.
"Um… Lady Empress, I'm terribly sorry, but the competition's rules state that participation is limited to male contestants, so—"
But she couldn't finish.
Her throat tightened the instant Hancock began to speak.
________
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