Naruto spun through the air as he was sent flying.
He finally experienced what it felt like for those he had beaten up in the past.
Not far away, Lucci, who had already arrived and witnessed the scene, was also taken aback.
'Is this what true power looks like?'
If being instantly defeated by Naruto before had left him unable to gauge the gap due to the overwhelming difference, then after witnessing the battle between Katakuri and Hancock, the arrogance he had felt after mastering Haki instantly vanished.
Not to mention Hancock-
Even Katakuri's fist was something he doubted he could withstand.
As for Stussy, she found a chair and sat down with great interest, watching Naruto fly out like a rag doll, the smile on her face growing even more captivating.
It seemed she was quite amused by Naruto getting beaten up.
Though the lipstick case in her hand, nearly cracked from her grip, suggested otherwise.
Seeing Naruto kicked flying straight through the Whole Cake Chateau, Katakuri felt a surge of anger.
Seizing the moment right after Hancock's attack, he plunged both hands into the ground.
"Flowing Mochi!"
The ground rapidly morphed into soft, sticky mochi paste.
Hancock was still basking in the feeling of finally 'getting her revenge'.
By the time she noticed, the ground beneath her feet had already begun to soften.
Now that her feet were trapped in the mochi, moving became difficult.
But this was hardly a problem for her.
With a casual wave, a pink light arrow shot out, and the mochi-transformed ground petrified once again.
Then, with a slight exertion of force, she shattered it.
Seeing this, Katakuri didn't hesitate. He manipulated the mochi again, forming over a dozen 'donuts' in mid-air.
Identical mochi arms extended from the donuts.
"Mochi Singing Result!"
Over a dozen fists were about to rain down on the Pirate Empress like hail. Hancock, equally unwilling to back down, coiled Haki around her once more, ready to deliver another kick to Katakuri.
"Wait, wait, wait! It's all a misunderstanding. We're all on the same side, same side."
Naruto, who had been kicked flying, had somehow returned to the scene and, like nothing had happened, reached out to stop both sides.
-It would have been more convincing if he didn't have a massive black eye.
Hearing Naruto's words, both sides finally stopped.
Katakuri, seeing Naruto's 'pitiful state', wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.
He remembered clearly.
Even when Naruto tanked his mother's [Ikoku Sovereignty] with his body, he hadn't sustained such obvious injuries.
His defense should be on par with Mom, who's called the [Steel Balloon].
Hancock, on the other hand, didn't overthink it.
Seeing Naruto with his black eye flashing her a familiar smile, she finally couldn't maintain her stern expression and let out a soft laugh.
Then, before anyone could react, she rushed toward Naruto.
Katakuri foresaw this and wanted to open his mouth to warn him, but he quickly gave up.
Because Hancock, rushing up to Naruto, threw herself into his arms like a bird returning to its forest, burying her face tightly against his chest.
The fingers clutching his clothes trembled slightly from the force.
The Pirate Empress, who had always presented herself as strong and domineering, ignored everyone else's gazes at this moment and completely exposed her vulnerability.
"...You big liar."
Feeling Hancock against his chest and hearing her muffled voice, even Naruto was at a loss for words and could only offer an awkward smile.
The [Great Hero] Uzumaki Naruto considered himself to have lived with a clear conscience towards others, but there were still a few things he had done that weren't exactly honorable.
One of them was sneaking away from Hancock's side.
It was understandable, though. At that time, Naruto was still focused on finding a way home and certainly couldn't stay on Amazon Lily to be the empress's 'wife'.
And now, although he had fulfilled his dream of returning home, he shouldered the responsibility of avenging his parents.
Naruto's hands hovered in the air, unsure what to do. After a moment's hesitation, he finally placed them on Hancock's back and gave her a gentle pat.
Because he could feel a small patch on his chest where his clothes were already damp.
"Don't cry, your subordinates are watching," Naruto whispered in Hancock's ear.
Hancock lifted her head, revealing a face glistening with tears.
The Pirate Empress's beauty was already enough to shame the moon and flowers, but now, with the lingering tears on her face, it added another layer of charm.
It's safe to say that ninety-nine percent of the men on these seas would automatically trigger the petrification effect of the [Mero Mero Mellow] upon seeing this.
The remaining small fraction were either Okamas like Emporio Ivankov or fanatics like Mihawk, who were deeply immersed in their own pursuits.
Naruto was naturally not among them.
You could call Naruto emotionally insensitive, but he still understood what love felt like.
"Brat, I didn't expect you to be quite the charmer." Kurama, who had been spectating the entire time, suddenly spoke in Naruto's mind, his tone full of teasing.
"Shut up."
Naruto had no mind to banter with this darn fox right now.
Knowing he was in the wrong, he could only manage an awkward yet polite smile.
His usually silver tongue was now stammering and speechless.
In his Observation Haki, Hancock's pure emotions were practically 'blindingly' bright.
The pink emotion representing 'love' and the white emotion representing 'longing' were intertwined…
'Hm? What's this?'
At that moment, emotions representing 'jealousy' and 'resentment' suddenly mixed into Naruto's perception. Though they flashed by in an instant, he still noticed them.
Following the direction of those emotions, he turned his gaze and saw Stussy, who is not far away, smiling sweetly.
"Hello again, Naruto."
The gritted tone in Stussy's tone when she finally said his name was palpable even without Observation Haki.
Hearing this, Hancock also turned her head and saw Stussy, who had confronted her earlier.
She was very perceptive and immediately detected that there seemed to be an unspeakable relationship between the two.
'This was getting awkward.'
Katakuri looked left and right.
On one side was the Pirate Empress who had just displayed formidable strength; on the other was his mother's 'bestie', the Queen of the Pleasure District in the underworld.
'Hiss… Naruto, you actually…' Even if he hadn't felt love, he still understands from seeing his married siblings. For the first time, Katakuri felt a strange emotion stirring in his heart.
At this moment, he wasn't so concerned about what happened before anymore… he just wanted to see how Naruto would handle the current situation.
He didn't even know what this emotion was.
If a modern person were here, they could tell him: this is humanity's innate craving for 'drama'.
Under Stussy's gaze, Hancock first felt instinctively displeased, but then she saw the hands still wrapped around her waist, and a triumphant expression immediately appeared on her face.
She even shot Stussy a provocative look from an angle Naruto couldn't see.
A vein instantly throbbed at Stussy's temple.
She maintained her smile, stood up, walked over to Naruto, and greeted him in as calm a tone as possible.
"You haven't introduced me yet. You and this Pirate Empress are-"
Behind her, the four CP9 agents also saw Naruto again.
Their previous encounter had been somewhat unpleasant, so the looks they gave Naruto weren't exactly friendly.
Even though they knew they probably still weren't Naruto's match, they chose to stand behind Stussy to support their superior.
As the saying goes, you might lose the battle, but not the war.
"Ah… Hancock? She's my-"
"fiancée!"
Hancock broke free from Naruto's embrace, raised her chin proudly, and looked down at the woman before her, the noble bearing of a ruler on full display.
'I finally understand why I disliked this woman so much.'
'So she's a love rival!'
'No, she's not even a love rival.'
'After all, it was me Naruto was holding just now! It was me Naruto made a promise to!'
"Oh? Is that so?"
The look Stussy gave Naruto was extremely dangerous… the displeasure in her deep blue eyes was practically overflowing.
"Ahaha... well… this-"
Naruto couldn't quite find the words to respond.
Because, well, Hancock wasn't exactly lying.
That's right, the two of them had indeed made something like a 'marriage promise'.
It happened after Naruto brought Hancock and the others back to Amazon Lily.
At the time, to ensure they could protect themselves against future dangers, Naruto started training the three sisters using the brutal methods taught by Roger.
The two younger sisters quickly dropped out due to the unbearable pressure, switching to training Gloriosa, who had returned to Amazon Lily.
But Hancock gritted her teeth and refused to give up.
If Naruto had managed to endure such training back in the day thanks to his belief in returning home and a certain Tailed Beast's Chakra supply-
Then what Hancock relied on was purely her own indomitable will and innate physical prowess.
Compared to the young Naruto, the sixteen-year-old Hancock, who had already experienced the various 'gladiatorial fights' arranged by the Celestial Dragons, was on a completely different level.
During the grueling training, she never gave up. During sparring matches, she got back up again and again.
It was for herself, and to protect her sisters and Amazon Lily.
It was during that time that Hancock issued her 'challenge declaration' to Naruto.
Or you could call it a 'marriage proposal declaration'… it amounted to the same thing.
"Just wait, I will definitely do it!"
Back then, thinking it was just to motivate the young girl, Naruto made a promise in a joking tone.
If she could knock him down during sparring, even just once, he would agree to one thing she asked…
No matter how difficult it was.
"Good! Then I want you to stay on Amazon Lily! Be my 'Queen'!"
Later, Hancock actually did it.
Although Naruto had gone easy on her, she did succeed in 'knocking him down'.
Immediately after, she eagerly issued an order as the Empress of Amazon Lily to prepare for the marriage.
This serious attitude left Naruto flustered.
But since he had given his word, he didn't intend to go back on it.
What ultimately made Naruto choose to leave without saying goodbye was actually another reason.
Due to Amazon Lily's tradition, any man setting foot on the island must be executed. If not for the great favor Naruto had done for Hancock and the others, he wouldn't even have been allowed to step on the island.
Hancock's intention not only to let Naruto stay but also to make him her 'Queen' and share her power made the older, conservative faction on the island completely unable to sit still.
Even with Gloriosa mediating, the arguments between the two sides couldn't be stopped, and rumors even began to circulate that shook Hancock's status as Empress.
They said she would abandon Amazon Lily like the previous Empress, even to the point of not leaving her name behind.
Seeing things had reached this point, Naruto didn't hesitate any longer. He decisively chose to leave without a word one night, leaving only a farewell letter.
That was the history between the two.
Seeing Naruto hemming and hawing, Stussy was genuinely getting a bit anxious now.
"But how come I heard that this is your engagement ceremony to Linlin's daughter?"
Although she already knew the protagonist had changed, Stussy still brought up the previous matter as an attack strategy.
'You little girl, don't think you can steal my man from me!'
If it weren't for her identity, Stussy would have long since torn down the veil between them. She wouldn't have let Hancock stand there declaring victory.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Hancock finally remembered why she had been so angry earlier.
She immediately turned her face to look at Naruto.
Though she didn't speak, the pressure was immense.
"That! You've got it wrong. This time, it's Big Mom and Orochimaru's wedding."
As he spoke, he looked toward Orochimaru, who had just emerged from the mirror not far away, and quickly pointed in that direction.
"Look, that's the one!"
But these words did little to ease Hancock's jealousy. She still looked at Naruto with tearful, aggrieved eyes.
To be honest, Naruto was someone who responded better to softness than hardness.
If you threw a tantrum, he might firmly refuse and never compromise.
But when faced with someone like Hancock, who was clearly in the right and looked at him with such a pitiful expression, he truly didn't know what to do.
A Shuraba, truly a Shuraba. (T/N: Shuraba or Shura Field is usually the scene where a difficult situation happening in Love-Triangle.)
Just then!
Suddenly, a burst of orderly footsteps suddenly came from the side.
It was the elite Marines disguised as thugs!
They removed their simple disguises, and each drew their weapons.
The leaders also took off their hats, sunglasses, fake mustaches, and other things, revealing their true identities.
"Uzumaki Naruto, we are here to arrest you on charges of 'attacking the Holy Land' and 'killing Celestial Dragons'."
Tsuru read out the arrest warrant meticulously, and the three 'thugs' beside her stepped forward, ready to make a move.
"Sorry, kid, for interrupting your... fun, but I am a Marine, after all."
Garp cracked his knuckles, with an apologetic smile on his face.
But looking at his face, Naruto just wanted to say one thing.
'No need to apologize, your timing is perfect!'
Seeing this, Hancock could no longer stay seated. She directly stepped in front of Naruto.
"Boa Hancock, you are a [Warlord of the Sea] recognized by the World Government."
Momousagi looked at the Pirate Empress ahead and spoke righteously.
"The title of Warlord means nothing to me."
"Take it back if you want! Today, as long as I am here, no one will lay a finger on this man."
Kizaru exchanged a glance with Naruto.
Looking at the bruises still on Naruto's face, the complain, 'Isn't it only you who's been 'laying hands' on this man?' got stuck in his throat.
The appearance of Garp and the others had completely alerted Big Mom.
"Marines!"
A terrifying Conqueror's Haki pressure erupted from the Whole Cake Chateau, sweeping over everyone present.