"Sister..."
The threat in Olga's words was implicit, and naturally, they looked at the sister they relied on daily.
Actually, in Amazon Lily, the extreme aversion to men only began after Hancock returned and became the new Amazon Lily Empress.
Before this, while Nine Snakes was a male-restricted zone, the women of Nine Snakes didn't harbor such aversion to men.
Even though it is the Women's Kingdom, without the Mother and Child River, they still relied on men for reproduction, leading to warriors often going out, falling in love, and returning to Nine Snakes while pregnant.
This was Amazon Lily's sole source of population, and this has always been the custom, with a significant difference in worldview between those who had ventured out and those who hadn't. At least those who had ventured out had some understanding of men.
"Can we call to report our situation?"
"You can, but don't talk about unnecessary things."
"In that case... I have no problem."
Staying out for three years wasn't a big deal for her. Some warriors had told her love stories, and she felt like she was already encountering one.
Under Olga's supervision, they made the call to report their safety.
Yet, at the next moment, something shifted in Hancock's heart.
"Big sister, we're about to reach Fishman Island; should we go in this time?"
"No, let's head straight back to Ghost Island. It's safer that way."
Although it was their first time out at sea, they understood that 'big sister' referred to females, not just the three of them; even Victarion was startled by this appellation.
Then Olga's appearance distorted momentarily before reverting to her usual form, significantly reducing in height. The slow growth caused by pure gold was something beyond her control.
Victarion joined temporarily. If the three sisters were silently taken back for three years, they'd eventually have to interact with her. There was no need to hide anymore.
"A... woman?!"
"What's wrong with a woman? Boy, pay attention, Sister Olga is a Great Pirate with a bounty of 480 million Belly; your 50 million is nothing in comparison."
These underlings often liked to show off their boss's wanted poster, believing it more effective in intimidating others.
Seeing the wanted poster, not only was Victarion not scared, but he was also excited as if it was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
As for Hancock, her budding heart was shattered but not entirely broken.
Coming from Amazon Lily, it was her first time leaving in 12 years. A special situation exists in Amazon Lily: without men, some women have very close relationships, and to the eyes of Nine Snakes' people, it's seen as normal.
To many, women should be with women.
"Um... may I ask if you have a girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
In such circumstances, Olga encountered a very bizarre question.
As Olga passed beyond Fishman Island, entering the New World, Kuzan's warship arrived late.
Despite wasting considerable time before setting out, they navigated through the Navy-occupied reverse current and arrived swiftly, as Shampodi Islands isn't too far from the Navy Headquarters.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, Vice Admiral Kuzan? Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
"Yeah~ I heard you, stop rushing."
Impatiently rubbing his ear, Kuzan couldn't change his character, even under Sengoku's urging, and wore an eye mask as soon as he boarded the ship.
Before the Ohara incident, he wouldn't have been like this; he would complete orders directly. Back then, interruptions while sleeping made him seriously grumpy, but now it seemed to matter little.
Burning justice had turned into lazy justice; he had zero enthusiasm for matters that maintained the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' interests.
"What's the situation on the island?"
"According to the Shampodi Garrison report, after robbing the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, the perpetrator engaged in a fierce battle with the garrison before fleeing. However, at the scene, they only found shattered puppets."
"So, the Heavenly Celestial Dragons are unharmed, and the perpetrator has already escaped, right?"
"Uh... that's correct."
"Turn around, let's head back."
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, if that's the case..."
"Ah la la, you're right; in that case... let's target the illegal zone and clean up some dangerous elements here."
That day, because Kuzan needed to report back, the pirates gathered in the illegal zone were targeted. The Shampodi Islands ended up with quite a few ice sculptures, though the robbery perpetrator wasn't among them.
...
At the Shampodi Islands hospital, all patients were driven out because the Heavenly Celestial Dragon believed they were unworthy of sharing the same hospital. Inside his bubble helmet, he was on oxygen and describing the assailant's appearance.
"Saint Habibo, is this what they looked like?"
"Close enough; capture him for me! I want his entire family turned into slaves! Let them experience every bit of pain..."
After those few words, he went back to inhaling oxygen; according to doctors, he was close to dying of brain hypoxia.
...
"Death Drama... Purilite?"
"Yes, Vice Admiral Kuzan, according to our comparison, the assailant of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons is indeed this person. Moreover, based on the Navy's descriptions at the time, the person's abilities match Purilite's abilities."
"This guy... how many years has it been since he's disappeared?"
"Well... based on intelligence department investigations, it's been over 10 years, and regarding more of his information... we don't have enough clearance."
"Not enough?"
With his Admiral Candidate status unable to investigate, that left only one possibility: World Government concealment, meaning the guy had secrets.
This matter was just as well for Kuzan; he didn't want to deal with this mess, so taking the pirates frozen into ice sculptures, Kuzan directly sailed back to the Navy Headquarters.
While Kuzan continued to slack off, someone else got unlucky.
...
In Mary Geoise, Spandine once again faced his superior's furious berating.
"You worthless fool! If you hadn't lost that guy's Life Card, would we be this passive now?! The pure gold issue isn't resolved, this guy even dared to rob the Heavenly Celestial Dragons; tell me what to do next?!"
"Well... sir, I believe this is an opportunity. After being silent for so many years, suddenly acting so recklessly indicates he likely has bigger intentions."
When it came to making excuses to superiors, Spandine's wit never failed. After his persuasion, the CP Mechanism intensified its resources in investigating Purilite.
However, the moment he hung up, the newly appointed CP5 officer Spandam was assaulted by his father...