The sun blazed overhead.
A Seastone-powered warship slowly sailed into Crescent Bay, docked, dropped anchor, and lowered the gangplank.
"So we finally made it," Karl sighed.
He turned to Nelson and Ain behind him and said, "Nelson, the follow-up maintenance of the ship is yours. Once everything's done, take some time to rest."
Nelson snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute.
"Yes, sir!"
"Ain, wait here for a bit."
"Alright."
With that, Karl headed straight for Hancock's private cabin, preparing to escort her to Marine Headquarters.
Knock knock knock.
"Hancock, darling? Are you ready yet?"
"Wait a moment, my dear!"
Inside the room, Hancock made one final check to ensure she looked absolutely perfect. Then she turned to the giant snake beside her.
"Salome, do I look good?"
How could Salome dare disagree? It nodded vigorously. Only then did Hancock step out, satisfied, letting Salome follow her.
As the door opened, Hancock emerged in her signature outfit. Karl smiled warmly.
"You look beautiful today."
A faint blush crept across Hancock's face—Karl's praise clearly pleased her.
"As long as you like it, my dear."
"Alright, let's go. But remember—once we're off the ship, don't call me darling. Call me Rear Admiral Karl. And I'll address you as Hancock-san. Got it?"
Hancock's expression immediately turned a little sullen.
"Okaaay… I understand~"
Truth be told, she'd much rather let the whole world know that Karl was the man she loved—that the two of them were a pair. Unfortunately, Karl seemed to have his concerns.
"Let's go."
Thus, Karl walked beside Hancock like a bodyguard, escorting her down the gangplank. Ain followed a short distance behind.
A patrolling Marine froze when he spotted Hancock.
"Huh?! Th-that's—one of the Seven Warlords! Boa Hancock! So all the Warlords really are coming?"
Another Marine's eyes turned into hearts.
"Yeah! The first to arrive was the Warlord 'Tyrant' Bartholomew Kuma, and now her. She's unbelievably beautiful!"
"World's most beautiful woman indeed!"
Meanwhile, Karl and Ain—right beside her—were completely ignored.
There was nothing to be done. Hancock's charm was simply that unreasonable.
Which was exactly why Karl had deliberately kept her out of sight for most of the return trip to Marineford.
As they drew closer to the headquarters building, the crowd only grew larger, making Hancock look like she was walking a red carpet.
"My god, she's gorgeous!"
"Yeah! Don't you think she looks really good with Rear Admiral Karl?"
"The world's most handsome man and the world's most beautiful woman—if they got together… eek, I'm excited just thinking about it!"
Hancock seemed to hear that remark. She glanced at Karl with tender affection.
Karl, meanwhile, stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice a thing.
Finally, they reached the headquarters building. The gawking spectators thinned out, replaced by Marines on duty.
"Hello. You must be Warlord Boa Hancock," an elderly woman said calmly.
"I am Tsuru, the Marine Chief of Staff. You may call me Adviser Tsuru. Welcome to Marineford."
Though her words said "welcome," there was no warmth in her expression or tone.
Which was only natural. Many high-ranking Marines openly disliked the Seven Warlords system. To them, Warlords were still pirates at heart.
Expecting a friendly attitude was unrealistic.
Hancock wasn't foolish—she immediately picked up on the chill in Tsuru's tone. Though irritated, she now better understood why Karl had insisted on acting formally.
"When does the Seven Warlords meeting begin?" Hancock asked coolly.
"Surely I'm not expected to stand here and wait all day."
"Rest assured," Tsuru replied flatly. "Marine Headquarters will not neglect guests who've traveled from afar."
She then took out a document and handed it to Karl.
"This is Miss Hancock's VIP guest room. You may escort her there."
"Miss Hancock, since you arrived early, please wait patiently. The meeting will begin once all Warlords have arrived."
Hancock gave a restrained nod, expressionless, then pointed at Karl.
"During this waiting period, I want him to serve me."
Tsuru frowned. "That's not possible. The VIP room will have attendants. Karl is a Rear Admiral of Headquarters—he has no such obligation."
"I don't care," Hancock retorted bluntly.
"I only recognize him. If anyone else dares enter my room, the consequences will be on them."
Even Tsuru felt a headache coming on at this level of unreasonable behavior. She shot Karl a look, silently telling him to handle it himself.
Karl immediately understood.
"I can agree to your request," he said coldly, "but remember this—don't overstep. There are things I absolutely won't do."
Watching the two of them dramatically "act out" their roles, Ain let out a quiet snort.
Tch. Playing things up this much, huh?
Since Karl had already agreed, Tsuru said nothing more. She only leaned closer and whispered,
"Sorry to trouble you. Once you've settled her in, report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
"Understood. I'll be there shortly."
Karl escorted Hancock all the way to the VIP suite. The moment the door closed behind them, Hancock dropped the act entirely and jumped straight into Karl's arms.
"Darling, stay here with me today, okay?"
"No problem," Karl replied gently. "But I need to report to Sengoku first. Stay here and wait for me, alright?"
Hancock nodded obediently, closed her eyes, tilted her head up, and puckered her lips.
Karl chuckled, wrapped an arm around her slender waist…
Ten minutes later, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Karl, you're here! Sit, sit."
Once Karl was seated, Sengoku clasped his hands together and smiled.
"You've done very well. Hancock is notoriously difficult to deal with, yet you brought her here so quickly."
"I truly didn't misjudge you."
Karl nodded solemnly.
No kidding.
She's incredibly clingy. If Hancock weren't still mentally unprepared, he'd probably have walked in here holding his waist.
"I also heard from Tsuru," Sengoku continued. "These next few days will be rough on you."
Karl immediately patted his chest. "Rest assured, Fleet Admiral. I guarantee she'll stay calm until the meeting ends."
Sengoku nodded in satisfaction. "Once the meeting is over, escort her back to Amazon Lily. After that, you can rest."
"You've spent the past few months constantly hunting pirates without a proper break. A little relaxation is necessary."
"How about this—when it's over, I'll approve a one-month vacation for you. Anywhere you want to go, except the New World. How does that sound?"
Karl's heart skipped a beat.
A vacation?!
A whole month?!
If it were Garp, he'd probably be blowing snot bubbles in excitement.
But Karl?
Karl felt his chest tighten in pain.
Why?
Because vacation time does NOT count as slacking hours.
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