Seeing Meiser appear beside her, Hancock's pupils contracted, her face filled with disbelief.
This guy actually intended to attack her?
In that brief moment of hesitation, she lost her chance to dodge and could only use Armament Haki to protect her vital spots.
The next instant, Meiser manipulated the summoned Susanoo to deliver a powerful punch straight at Hancock!
"Boom!!"
The massive skeletal fist struck Hancock, sending her flying through the window and crashing into the forest behind.
"Crash!!"
Looking at the shattered window, Meiser fell silent for a moment before saying, "Sorry about that, Shakky... This woman was just too infuriating. If I didn't teach her a lesson, I wouldn't be able to swallow my anger."
After beating her half to death, he'd make her undo the petrification effect.
Glancing at the controlled Enishida and others, Meiser coldly ordered, "Keep an eye on Granny Nyon's stone statue."
"Yes!"
"Whoosh—"
In the next moment, Meiser vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
Shortly after, Sandersonia and Marigold rushed in.
"What happened?"
"What's going on here?"
Surveying the scene, Marigold frowned. "Where's Big Sister? And why is Granny Nyon turned to stone?"
They had only returned a little late—how could things have escalated so quickly?
"Hey, Enishida! Answer me!"
But Enishida remained expressionless, staring blankly at Marigold without responding.
Marigold: "???"
What was this? Why was no one speaking, as if they were being controlled?
Marigold didn't suspect betrayal—after all, those who served under Big Sister were the most loyal.
"A man came in earlier with Granny Nyon," one woman reported. "I don't know what happened, but... it might be related to that man."
After all... that man was nowhere to be seen now.
Marigold fell silent, exchanging a glance with Sandersonia before their gazes settled on the broken window.
"Big Sister... could she have gone after that man?"
"Possibly."
Sandersonia added, "Enishida and the others seem strange—maybe they're under some kind of control."
"Let's find Big Sister first."
"Right!"
Though they didn't understand the situation, locating Big Sister would solve everything.
In the forest behind the mountain, Hancock clutched her forehead, her expression grim.
She hadn't expected this man to actually attack her.
"What a... cold and ruthless man," Hancock murmured.
That he could resist her charm was truly unexpected.
Brushing off her clothes, Hancock stood up and began surveying her surroundings.
"This is... the forest behind the mountain?"
Although the house she lived in was at the highest point in the city, being sent flying this far in one go was still beyond her expectations.
Recalling the skeletal frame that had appeared around the man earlier, Hancock frowned. "What was that just now?"
The pale golden skeleton, its color resembling the sand in an hourglass... Was it some kind of Devil Fruit ability?
"Though I don't understand what's going on... as long as I defeat that man, I'll be able to figure it out," Hancock muttered.
Having made up her mind, she quickly ran back in the direction she had come from.
But after only a short distance, she spotted the very man who had sent her flying.
"You caught up already..."
Standing on a tree branch with his arms crossed, Meiser looked down at Hancock and said, "You flew over here, so naturally, I had to come find you."
This was part of Kuja Island's primeval forest—fighting here wouldn't harm anyone else.
At the end of the day, he didn't actually want to destroy the city.
After all... the one with the problem was this Hancock!
"What kind of ability was that?" Hancock demanded, frowning.
"Guess~" Meiser grinned. "If you guess right, I'll tell you."
"Hmph, how childish."
If he didn't want to say, then fine—why make her guess? Was he treating her like a child?
Clearly, he just didn't want to tell her.
"Alright, let's continue the fight," Meiser said. "I'll keep beating you until you willingly undo Granny Nyon's petrification."
Hancock furrowed her brows at him. Was this really why he was fighting her?
What exactly was his relationship with Granny Nyon?
Whatever. At this point, there was no way to settle things without a fight.
With that thought, Hancock flicked her hair back and declared, "Then let's see you try."
"As one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, I have never feared any man!"
The moment her words fell, Hancock vanished from sight.
"Oh?"
Watching as Hancock charged toward him at incredible speed, a flicker of surprise crossed Meiser's eyes.
"Such speed...
"As expected of a Warlord!"
The next instant—
BOOM!!
Hancock raised her long leg and kicked straight through a tree several meters wide, snapping it effortlessly.
"Not bad strength either..."
Meiser, having leapt from the tree, glanced at the shattered trunk. "And that's without Haki Infusion..."
If she had infused her attack with Haki, the force would have been even more terrifying.
Then, he turned, crossing his arms and wrapping them in Haki.
The next moment—
CLANG!!
Hancock's Haki-infused left foot slammed straight into Meiser's forearms.
"Haki?"
A flash of surprise crossed Hancock's eyes. She hadn't expected this unknown brat to have mastered Haki as well.
Could it be... this guy was from the New World?
"Hah, Haki isn't something exclusive to you people," Meiser sneered.
"Fair enough."
"But... even if you've mastered Haki, you're still no match for me!"
As her words faded, Hancock retracted her left foot and propelled herself into the air, delivering a fierce kick to Meiser's kidney with her right foot.
"Perfume Femur!"
"Bam!"
"Crack, crack, crack..."
The struck area rapidly petrified at a visible pace, with the effect threatening to spread to other parts of his body. However, the petrification halted after turning half of Meiser's body to stone.
"Petrification?"
Meiser rolled his right eye, glancing at his left side—now entirely stone. This puzzled him. He was certain he'd harbored no lustful thoughts toward this woman, so why... had he still been petrified?
Could it be... that her Devil Fruit Ability had two activation methods?
Long-range required the target to feel attraction, while close combat didn't? Physical contact alone could petrify?
Viewed this way, her Devil Fruit Ability was truly formidable. He wondered where she'd obtained such a fruit.
"Tell me about your ability and release Enishida and the others. If you do... this empress might grant you a swift end," Hancock said coldly.
Had she not wanted to save her subordinates, that kick would've petrified more than just half his body.
As for why she hadn't killed him outright...
Hancock feared his Devil Fruit Ability might mirror her own—where even death wouldn't lift the control.
"Heh, so you do care about your subordinates?" Meiser mocked. "Didn't you just say they'd willingly sacrifice themselves for you?"
This time, Hancock didn't respond. She simply stared at him, her expression clear: Will you comply or not?
"Tch, a tsundere empress, huh..." Meiser scoffed. Then, his body twisted before vanishing from Hancock's sight.
Kitsugu Mitamasahiko—continuously active!
Hancock: !!!
Her eyes widened in disbelief at his disappearance.
"Where is he?"
How could he escape after being petrified by her ability?
Just then, her Observation Haki detected him. She whipped her head to the side, spotting the man leaning against a tree.
"You're unharmed?!" Hancock gasped. "How was the petrification undone?"
His body had reverted to its original state, as if... her attack had been an illusion. Yet she distinctly remembered petrifying half of him.
So what... was happening?
Hancock was stunned. In all her years, this was the first time someone had broken free from her petrification.
Her worldview trembled.
"Because I'm invincible," Meiser said.
"Impossible!"
"There's no such thing as an absolutely invincible ability!" Hancock retorted.
Every Devil Fruit Ability had flaws!
Take her Love-Love Fruit—without her celestial beauty, its power would be severely diminished.
And this is the drawback of this Devil Fruit.
So... she didn't believe there existed a Devil Fruit ability without any flaws in this world.
"Believe it or not, that's up to you." Meiser shook his head. "Alright, let's continue."
Now was the perfect time to hone his skills.
Whether it was increasing the intensity of his Haki or improving his proficiency with the Mangekyō Sharingan, both would benefit him.
After all... he was about to participate in a war of that level at Marine Headquarters!
With this thought, his eyes widened as he shouted, "Susanoo!"
"Whoosh—"
In the next moment, pale golden Chakra enveloped Meiser, forming skeletal ribs and arms that tightly encased him.
Ugh.
As soon as Susanoo was activated, that indescribable pain once again wracked Meiser's entire body.
However, having released Susanoo twice before, the pain was slightly more bearable than the first time.
Tch, if even the first stage hurts this much, what would it feel like to strengthen it further? Meiser muttered inwardly.
No wonder that guy Uchiha Itachi died so young. With a body being abused like this, living a long life would be a miracle.
But it didn't matter—he had cheats, so he didn't need to worry about his body.
Meanwhile, Hancock immediately exclaimed upon seeing the transformation on Meiser, "That's it!"
She recognized it at a glance—this was the very thing that had punched her flying earlier!
So this thing was called Susanoo?
But... what exactly was Susanoo?
"Correct, this is the ability that sent you flying earlier." Suppressing the discomfort in his body, Meiser smirked.
"Hancock, you—"
"Who gave you permission to address me so familiarly!" Hancock glared. "Call me Serpent Princess!"
Meiser: "..."
Even at a time like this, this woman was still putting on airs?
Truly... hopeless!
"Woman..."
"You're not my emperor!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Meiser charged toward Hancock with Susanoo.
The moment he closed in, he manipulated Susanoo's arm and swung it at Hancock!
Watching this, Hancock recalled the moment she had been sent flying before.
Back then, she had been too shocked to react in time.
But this time...
"This princess won't be sent flying by that thing again!" Hancock shouted.
"Hum—"
Armament Haki swiftly wrapped around her long leg before she delivered a fierce kick toward the incoming Susanoo.
"Clang!!"
"Boom!!"
The moment their attacks collided, an overwhelmingly powerful shockwave erupted.
"Boom!!"
Small trees were instantly shattered by the shockwave, while rocks were sent flying.
"As expected of one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Spare me the flattery." Hancock retorted. "This princess is far from showing her full strength."
With that, she swiftly withdrew her leg.
Seizing the opportunity, Meiser ruthlessly followed up with a punch!
"Armament - Super Strength Fist!"
"Wha—?!"
Hancock barely had time to cross her arms in front of her, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Not only can this guy control that skeletal frame to attack, but his main body can also attack simultaneously?"
Isn't this just too unfair?
It's practically like having four arms!
At that moment, Hancock noticed Meiser's Susanoo beginning to crumble, which made her pause. "Is this... a backlash from his ability?"
With that thought, Hancock swiftly slid backward, stopping only after putting some distance between them.
Ignoring Hancock's gaze, Meiser looked up at the gradually dissipating Susanoo and frowned.
"Is it because of insufficient mastery...?"
Uchiha Madara could use Ninjutsu while maintaining his Susanoo, proving it was a viable path.
The reason Meiser couldn't do the same was likely due to lack of proficiency.
Thinking about it, his Susanoo was still in its earliest stage—he hadn't even summoned the upper half of the skeletal frame yet. It made sense he couldn't achieve that level.
With that realization, Meiser calmed down.
Then, he activated the Pupil Technique in his left eye.
"Takemikazuchichinahiko!"
"Clang!!"
In the next instant, Meiser's own time rapidly reversed, restoring all his conditions until he returned to peak state!
"Hmm..." Clenching his fist, Meiser muttered, "This feeling of full Chakra really is the best."
After a light chuckle, he turned his attention back to Hancock and activated his Pupil Technique again.
"Susanoo!"
"Boom!!"
The pale golden skeletal frame and arms reappeared, shielding Meiser within.
"This guy..." Hancock frowned. Why did it feel like his aura had suddenly grown stronger?
Was it an illusion?
No... absolutely not. Something must have happened to him that she wasn't aware of!
Glancing at Meiser's eyes, Hancock thought to herself, 'Is it... because of those eyes?'
Come to think of it, when she first saw him, his eyes hadn't looked like this.
The change had only occurred when she used Sweet Perfume.
But Hancock still couldn't figure out what kind of Devil Fruit Ability this was.
Shaking her head to dismiss her thoughts, she began amassing her momentum, infusing Haki into her long legs.
"Whatever that thing is, I refuse to believe it can't be shattered!"
With those words, Hancock charged toward Meiser.
As she moved, her aura surged to its peak!
The moment she closed in, Hancock leaped into the air and delivered a powerful kick aimed at Meiser's skeletal frame.
"Grand - Perfume Femur!!!"
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