Calm Belt – Just Outside Amazon Lily
The Calm Belt lives up to its name — a still ocean, serene, eternal. But beneath the glassy water, Sea Kings twist and coil. Giants in silence. Predators with teeth longer than ships.
Perfect.
I've always liked quiet things that hide danger.
The same could be said of the island ahead.
Amazon Lily.
A kingdom of women. Isolated, proud, and ruled by a woman who would turn lesser men to stone with a glance.
They call her Boa Hancock.
They whisper her name in Reverie halls with a mix of disgust and desire.
But I see her for what she truly is.
A broken girl with the perfect mask.
And I know exactly how to peel it off.
Port of Amazon Lily
"My lord," Raisa said as the ship docked. "They'll be watching."
"Let them," I said calmly, adjusting my cloak. "I've given them nothing but the truth."
Mireille, behind me, carried the chest — a gift wrapped in the seal of House Rosward, though I hadn't used that name since the day I left Mariejois.
This was a diplomatic visit.
A sanctioned stop.
On paper.
In truth, I wanted to see her.
Boa Hancock.
And break her.
Throne Hall – Kuja Palace
The throne room was carved from stone and strength. No gold. No lavish Celestial pretensions. Just carved bones, battle spears, and painted murals of war.
She sat upon her seat like a lioness over her pride.
Barefoot. Adorned in violet. Hair like a silk river falling over her shoulder. And eyes that cut.
"Speak," she said.
Her tone was cold enough to freeze breath.
I bowed — just slightly. Not deeply.
A calculated gesture.
"My name is Lucien," I said. "A wandering noble."
"You came from Mariejois," she said, venom in her voice.
"I came through Mariejois," I replied. "I left it behind long ago."
She narrowed her eyes. "We do not welcome men."
"I'm not asking for welcome," I said softly. "I came to offer… a gift."
Mireille stepped forward and opened the chest.
Inside: a fruit. Pale red with golden veins. A rare Zoan-type — one I liberated from a pirate vessel off the coast of West Blue.
It was the bait.
Hancock didn't blink. "And what do you want in return?"
"Nothing," I lied. "But I'm curious. What does a woman who commands an island of warriors fear most?"
Her silence was sharp.
I could feel the tension in the room rise.
I could feel the past stirring behind her eyes.
She hates the World Nobles. She hates what they did to her.
And now one of their own stands in her throne room, smiling like the serpent she learned to fear.
I expected her to strike.
She didn't.
She said, "Leave the fruit. Take your ship. And go."
But I smiled wider. "You could turn me to stone, you know. Why not do it?"
She hesitated.
And in that silence, I won the first move.
Because hesitation is born of conflict.
And conflict means doubt.
That Night – Guest Quarters
She didn't throw me into the sea.
She gave me a room.
And that was enough.
I sat by the window, watching torchlight dance through the trees. The Kuja people guarded the perimeter. Some curious. Some furious.
But Hancock? She didn't sleep.
She was watching.
I could feel her Haki brushing the edge of my senses. Tentative. Almost… searching.
Good.
Let her watch.
Let her try to understand me.
She'll fail.
And one day, when she needs an ally against the world that hurt her — I'll be the only hand extended.
Not because I'm kind.
But because I'm the only one who sees the cracks beneath her crown.
The Next Morning – Training Grounds
I watched the younger Kuja warriors train. They moved like predators — sharp and sure, all muscle and intent.
Raisa and Mireille stood beside me. The other women glared, sneered, even spat.
But no one acted.
They were waiting for the order from their Empress.
Hancock never gave it.
Instead, she appeared on the edge of the field, arms crossed.
I approached her, hands behind my back.
"I see they hate me."
"They should."
"Then why am I still here?"
She didn't answer.
I tilted my head.
"You hate them, don't you?"
She blinked. "Who?"
"The Celestial Dragons. The chains. The brand."
Her hand twitched.
I leaned closer, voice soft. "I know what they did to you. I know what that mark on your back means."
A pause. A breath. Her Haki surged — pressure crushing, thunder in the mind.
But I stood there, calm.
Unmoved.
"You speak too freely," she said.
"And you hide too well," I replied.
She turned away, cloak billowing behind her like the final note of a song unfinished.
But she didn't deny it.
And that was all I needed.
Later – Leaving
We departed that evening.
The ship left no wake in the still waters, but I felt her eyes on my back until the island vanished from view.
"Will she be a problem?" Mireille asked.
I smiled.
"No," I said. "She'll be mine."