Hancock POV
Hancock stared in surprise as a soft golden glow spread across Sandersonia body. It began at her shoulders and slowly travelled downwards, covering her from head to toe.
Before Hancock could ask what he was doing, Jack approached her and palmed his hand above her shoulder, not touching her skin.
The same golden light surrounded her, Hancock body immediately tensed.
She disliked being touched by men, even when no harm was intended. The mere thought of it often brought back memories she had spent years trying to bury. Yet Jack did not touch her skin. His hand remained a short distance away, and there was no greed or desire in his eyes as he concentrated on controlling his power.
Warmth sank into Hancock body.
It was unlike the unbearable heat of the branding iron. This warmth was gentle, spreading through her muscles and easing pains she had grown so accustomed to that she had almost forgotten they existed.
Her shoulders felt lighter. The weariness in her body disappeared and even her breathing became easier.
Then she felt something strange on her back. The place where the Celestial Dragons had branded her began to itch. Hancock clenched her fists, expecting the familiar burning pain to return, but it never came. Instead, the itching lasted only a few seconds before vanishing completely.
The golden light faded. Hancock raised a hand to her shoulder and slowly moved it. She felt healthier than before, as though years of exhaustion had been washed out of her body. More importantly, the constant discomfort around the mark on her back was gone.
Even the place where those men had did to her, had gone, the pain already gone.
For years, the scar had remained sensitive. Even the gentle touch of fabric against it sometimes reminded her of what had happened.
Now she could not feel it at all. Before Hancock could question him, Jack waved his hand. A curtain appeared around her and her sisters, blocking them from everyone else.
Hancock' eyes narrowed and her hand moved instinctively towards Jack direction.
Hancock paused, Marigold reached behind herself and touched her back. Her expression changed at once.
"Sister," she whispered. "I think Jack wants us to check the location of the scars."
"You may be right," Sandersonia said, her voice trembling.
Hancock looked at the curtain surrounding them. It did not appear to be made of cloth. No wind moved it, and no shadows could be seen through it. She could still hear the people outside, but she could not see them.
Hancock carefully removed the garment covering her back and turned around.
"Look."
Marigold and Sandersonia fell silent.
Their wide eyes were enough to make Hancock heart pound.
"What is it?" Hancock demanded. "Tell me."
Sandersonia lifted a shaking hand towards her sister's back, but she stopped before touching the skin.
"It is gone," she said.
Hancock froze.
"What did you say?"
"The mark," Marigold whispered. Tears gathered in her eyes. "It is completely gone."
Hancock wanted to believe them, but she could not. For more than a decade, she had dreamed of tearing that mark from her skin. She had imagined cutting it away, burning it, or replacing it with another scar. Yet no matter what she considered, the mark remained proof that the Celestial Dragons had once owned her.
It was the one chain she had never managed to break.
"Are you certain?" Hancock asked.
Neither sister answered immediately.
Sandersonia covered her mouth, but a sob still escaped her. Marigold nodded repeatedly as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"There isn't even a scar left," Marigold said. "Your skin is completely smooth."
Hancock hurried towards Sandersonia.
"Turn around."
Sandersonia obeyed and removed the garment covering her back. Hancock stared at the place where the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon should have been.
There was nothing there, there is no scar or tattoo behind her back
Hancock ran her fingers gently across her sister back. Sandersonia flinched out of habit, but Hancock found only smooth, healthy skin beneath her fingertips.
Even the scars left by whips and years of abuse had disappeared.
"Marigold," Hancock said. "Your back same as me."
Marigold quickly turned around.
Her scars had vanished as well.
For a few seconds, none of them spoke.
Hancock remembered the unbearable heat of the branding iron. She remembered the laughter of the Celestial Dragons as she screamed. She remembered being forced to eat the Mero Mero no Mi for their entertainment. She remembered promising herself that she would never allow anyone to see the mark on her back.
The memories remained, but their physical proof was gone.
A tear fell from Hancock eye.
She raised a hand to wipe it away, only to notice that her fingers were trembling. That single tear was followed by another, and soon she could no longer stop them.
"Our scars have truly been removed," Sandersonia said, openly weeping.
Marigold pulled both her sisters into an embrace.
"He really freed us from them."
Hancock closed her eyes.
Fisher Tiger had freed them from their prison, and she would remain grateful to him for the rest of her life. Yet even after returning to Amazon Lily, the mark had followed them. It had forced them to lie to their own people and keep everyone at a distance.
Now, after so many years, Jack had removed it without demanding anything in return.
"Jack really did help us," Marigold whispered.
Something unfamiliar stirred inside Hancock chest.
She had seen men desire her, worship her and throw away their dignity for the chance to please her. Their attention had always disgusted her. Even those who claimed to love her beauty only cared about what they saw on the surface and the best thing, most of them had been turned to the stone.
Jack was different, he had seen their fear and understood it without forcing them to explain. He had even created the curtain before telling them what he had done, protecting their secret from his own companions.
For some reason, Hancock felt excited when she thought about him. Her heartbeat quickened, but there was no disgust accompanying it.
Instead, there was warmth.
Hancock placed a hand against her chest.
'What is this feeling?'
She had never experienced anything like it. It was irritating, confusing and strangely pleasant at the same time.
She quickly turned her face away before her sisters could notice the faint redness appearing on her cheeks.
"That is enough," Hancock said. "Put your clothes back on."
They adjusted their garments while Hancock did the same. Once they were ready, Hancock approached the strange curtain.
She tried to grab it, but her hand passed straight through.
The curtain rippled before dissolving into countless specks of light. Jack and the others appeared before them once again.
Jack was leaning against the wall while the other strawhat had started to eat, they didn't know how they got the food but infront of them had a lot of meat.
"You ate the bigger piece!" Luffy complained.
"I'm a doctor! I need more energy!" Chopper replied.
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"Yes, it does!"
Hancock blinked at them.
They had not even attempted to peek.
Jack turned around only after the illusion had completely vanished. His eyes briefly met hers before he looked towards her sisters, silently checking whether his power had worked.
Hancock stepped forward.
"Jack."
The argument between Luffy and Chopper stopped.
Hancock lowered her head slightly. The action shocked Sandersonia and Marigold. Even the nearby Kuja warriors stared at their empress in disbelief.
"Thank you for what you have done for us," Hancock said. "I will never forget it."
Jack looked uncomfortable with the sudden formality.
"It was a small thing compared to what you did for Sabo," he replied. "You protected him when you didn't have to."
"Jack is right," Luffy added, grinning. "You saved Sabo, so we owe you too."
"Yup!" Chopper raised one hoof. "Sabo was badly hurt. If you hadn't helped him, treating his injuries would have been much harder."
Ace remained silent, but the gratitude in his expression was unmistakable.
Hancock looked at Jack once more. He was acting as if removing the marks had been an ordinary favour, but he could not possibly understand what it meant to them.
"You call it a small thing because you do not know what those marks meant to us," Hancock said. "They were not ordinary scars."
The air around them grew heavy, Marigold and Sandersonia instinctively lowered their heads.
Hancock lifted her chin, though her hands tightened at her sides.
"Those marks were placed upon us by the Celestial Dragons," she continued. "They were proof that we once belonged to them. Even after escaping, we could never truly free ourselves from the past. Every time we looked at our backs, we remembered that place."
Jack expression hardened.
"I know what the marks represent," he said.
Hancock's eyes widened.
There was no pity on his face, only anger.
"And as for the Celestial Dragons," Jack continued, "I intend to destroy them."
"Destroy them?" Sandersonia repeated.
Marigold stared at Jack as though she had misheard him.
"You speak of the Celestial Dragons," Hancock said. "They have the Marines and the World Government protecting them, do you truly feel no fear?"
Jack met her gaze without hesitation.
"No."
"They are Celestial Dragons!" Marigold exclaimed. "Even speaking against them can bring an admiral!"
Jack shrugged.
"Our captain wants to become the Pirate King, do you really think the World Government and the Celestial Dragons will stand aside and let him take the throne?"
Hancock turned towards Luffy, the young pirate captain picked his nose while staring back at them.
Then he grinned. "Shishishishi! Jack is right."
Hancock stared at Luffy before turning back to Jack.
Jack looked at Hancock again. "I didn't remove your scars because I pitied you," he said. "And you don't owe me anything, those marks never belonged on your bodies in the first place."
Hancock heart skipped a beat. Once again, that unfamiliar warmth spread through her chest.
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