Rude…?
Orin was slightly surprised to hear that tone.
It had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to him like that.
But thinking about the Empress's personality…
"How impolite of you, Hancock."
Orin's tone was calm—no trace of aggression—yet it carried an inexplicable pressure, especially for Hancock.
...
Inside the misty bathhouse,
Boa Hancock's long hair cascaded down as she washed her flawless, slender, snow-white body. As the Empress of Amazon Lily, she had always shown the world a lofty and untouchable image.
Whatever I do will always be forgiven, because I am simply too beautiful!!!
Those words weren't without reason—she truly was one of the top beauties of this world.
She had every right to her arrogance.
But this same Empress, who would normally tilt her head back over ninety degrees to strike the perfect pose of disdain, at the sound of that man's voice, trembled uncontrollably and fell backward into the water. Her smooth hair scattered in all directions with the frantic motion, yet she didn't even bother to fix it.
Staring at the transponder snail on the edge of the pool, whose expression remained calm and detached, Hancock's pupils quivered wildly. Her delicate face instantly turned pale.
"Are you listening?"
Orin didn't hear a reply, so he called again.
"…O… Orin-sama…"
That voice—though Hancock had only heard it a few times—was one she could never forget.
That nightmare-like figure!!!
Without even taking the time to dress, Hancock scrambled out of the bath, trembling as she knelt before the transponder snail. She cupped it reverently in both hands—the snail that symbolized absolute, irresistible authority.
And now, on Orin's side, the snail's features finally morphed to show Hancock's face.
To Orin's mild surprise, she didn't look anything like the proud, defiant woman he remembered. Hancock seemed completely different—especially those trembling eyes and silent lips.
Orin didn't know what was wrong with her, but he assumed it had to do with her having once been a slave in the Holy Land.
After all, the Hancock from the original story did have a psychological shadow toward the Celestial Dragons—at least until Luffy broke through her trauma.
"I heard you escaped from the Holy Land~"
Orin's tone was casual, just making small talk. But to his surprise, Hancock's expression changed drastically the moment she heard it.
"No… I… I didn't mean to…"
Who could have imagined it?
The Empress who appeared so regal and untouchable in the eyes of her people—now, at Orin's single sentence, thought she was being interrogated. Naked, she shrank into a trembling ball on the ground.
If Orin had used a visual transponder snail, he might have seen… quite a sight.
Seeing her obviously abnormal reaction, Orin was momentarily dumbfounded.
She was a slave for only a few years, wasn't she?
He hadn't done anything excessive… so why was she so terrified?
If it weren't for her calling him "rude" and referring to herself in the third person earlier, he might have doubted whether this was even the real Hancock.
Watching those frightened, trembling eyes and her stammered words, Orin lost the patience to press her further.
If this were in person, it'd be another story—after all, she was "the world's most beautiful woman." He wouldn't mind teasing her a bit.
But over a transponder snail? Forget it.
"Well… whatever master-and-servant relationship we once had, that's all in the past now,"
Orin said, though Hancock's terrified expression didn't change at all. With a sigh, he decided not to bother correcting her.
"But since you've joined the Shichibukai, when the others take action in the future, you'll need to contribute as well. Any objections?"
"…None."
Hancock didn't dare refuse. From her earliest memories, she'd been taught that Orin-sama's greatness was absolute and that disobedience was impossible. Even if Orin had chosen to kill her right then, she would only tremble in fear, unable to resist.
"Then that's that."
Orin wasn't the kind of man who lost his head over every beautiful woman he met. He could have anything he wanted now.
When he returned and saw Hancock in person—then he could have his fun.
...
After settling everything, Orin ended the call and turned toward Vegapunk, who was still busy tinkering.
"Ten years. That's how long I'm giving you to research the project I mentioned. For someone with the world's greatest brain, that shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Orin glanced at the special device that contained the power of time and casually addressed Vegapunk.
Vegapunk stuck out his tongue as he scribbled notes, replying without even looking up:
"It should be fine… as long as the funding keeps coming."
But after a pause, he added:
"However, if you're going to be away for a long time, it's likely the World Government will send someone to inspect. If they discover this thing…"
The thought of the World Government's agents made Vegapunk uneasy.
After all, he knew exactly how explosive the combination of the name Joy Boy and the Nika Fruit would be to them.
Without Orin's protection, he wouldn't have even dared to think in that direction—because such a thing would absolutely never be permitted.
"The World Government, huh?"
Orin frowned, thinking it over. It was indeed a potential problem.
So, he left Vegapunk a transponder snail.
"This connects to all of the Shichibukai. If I'm not around, they can help you. Just say it's for assisting your research on the [Shichibukai Seraphim Project]—you can summon them anytime."
"And before I go, I'll inform the Elders that your delay in other tasks is because you're working for me. I'm sure they'll give you some leeway."
Yes, there had been times when he'd refused to give the World Government respect.
But Orin refusing the World Government ≠ the World Government daring to refuse Orin.
That was the Orin's Inequality.
Orin could lose anything—territory, reputation, whatever. But the World Government couldn't afford to.
If the Elders ever lost control over part of the seas, Imu could simply erase them on a whim.
After all, they were replaceable. The Elders were nothing more than Imu's lackeys.
"Then there shouldn't be any problem…"
The project to study the Dark Sun God officially began. Of course, it wouldn't be conducted here on Egghead Island, which was under World Government surveillance. Vegapunk nodded.
With Orin's wealth and power, he could easily build a high-tech laboratory from scratch.
"Then…"
"Bon voyage."