Escorted by a Technician 02 who introduced herself as Lilith, Hancock was led into a sealed room. Guided by the technician, she entered the washroom, shed her clothes, and slipped into a loose bathrobe. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. That flawless back bore a brand. A brand representing deep shame.
The Hoof of the Dragon.
Seeing that mark, Hancock's body stiffened, and she quickly averted her gaze. Rigid, she finished changing and proceeded to the treatment room.
Lilith watched her with a professional smile. "Now, please lie face down and expose your back."
The moment she said those words, Hancock froze as if the shadows of her past had been pierced. She glared, fury blazing in her dark eyes, ready to snap back.
"Please trust our professionalism. We will absolutely not expose our clients secrets," Lilith said smoothly, cutting her off. "Also, the Boss specifically instructed me never to reveal your secret. I understand your concerns. Oh, by the way, do you know who my Boss is? His name is Dante. You should know him!"
Hancock flinched.
At the mention of that name, she swallowed the bitter retort on her tongue and fixed Lilith with an irritated glare. "He better not be deceiving me. Otherwise, even if I die, I will never let him off."
"As long as you spare me, wait, no." Lilith shifted her tone, slipping back into her bright, professional smile. "Please trust my skills. Of course, if there are any problems, please take them up with my Boss." Her eyes flicked toward the massage bed. "May we begin?"
Left with no choice, Hancock gritted her teeth and sat on the edge of the bed. A conflicted blend of hope and humiliation washed over her. She desperately hoped Dante had spoken the truth, yet she felt entirely degraded, as if he were forcing her to strip, even though he wasn't actually in the room.
Ultimately, under Lilith's gaze, Hancock compromised and let the robe fall. Feeling those eyes on her bare skin, she asked coldly, "Have you seen enough?"
Her voice trembled slightly. "You are the first person to see my secret in all these years. I hope you can truly keep it. Otherwise, I will definitely kill you and your captain."
"Huh? Is that so? Then how did the Boss know? Sure enough... he knows a lot of secrets. So, where exactly did he find out?"
The moment Lilith finished speaking, the atmosphere turned painfully awkward. Sensing the shift, Lilith gave a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Shut up!"
"Um... could you please lie face down?"
After a moment of tense silence, Hancock lay down. The graceful contours of her spine drew a genuine word of praise from Lilith. She was truly worthy of being the universally acknowledged Most Beautiful Woman of the World.
Lilith's tone turned cheerful. "Please relax. We've come this far, what is there to be nervous about? Our Boss might not have the best reputation, but his credibility is solid. Please trust him, and trust my professionalism too."
She opened a sleek box beside the bed. "I've lit a special incense. It will help you relax."
"Next, I'll use our propriety secret medicine to remove that brand for you. It was developed specifically for your skin, and it absolutely won't leave a single trace behind. Don't worry, you just need a good sleep. Once you wake up, you just have to pay the bill."
At Lilith's words, Hancock frowned. She did feel drowsy. "I thought it was fr-"
She never finished. Her eyes snapped shut. Feeling the comfortable support against her back, she drifted into a deep sleep.
"Finally asleep? She truly lives up to being a Warlord. Good thing I increase the dose, otherwise, I really couldn't have handled her." Lilith nodded in satisfaction as she looked down at the unconscious pirate.
She sighed, wiping her brow. "Getting her to take off her clothes was no easy feat. She must really be worried about Boss threatening her. So next..."
Lilith rubbed her chin, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She pulled out her specialized Den Den Mushi and dialed. Instantly, a small projection popped out from the snail's eyes. Before the person on the screen could speak, she giggled.
"Boss, she's asleep, and she's taken off her clothes. Want a look? Don't worry, I'll erase this memory segment as soon as I get back. I guarantee it won't be uploaded to the Vegapunk Network, as long as you increase my funding!"
'What the hell was this clone doing?'
In his office, Dante scowled at the small screen showing Lilith. Truly the evil side of Vegapunk. "Sure, I-"
He sensed Robin's amused gaze beside him and abruptly shifted his tone, declaring righteously, "How do you expect me to look at that? Are you insulting your Boss? Do you have any professional integrity? Get to work! Or I'll dock your pay, no, slow down the work. And delete this segment, do not upload it to the Vegapunk Network."
He hung up without hesitation. Glancing at Robin, he spoke with righteous indignation. "This scientist is just spouting nonsense. That old codger Vegapunk must be a dirty old man himself, otherwise, how could he create such a clone? Ignore her, let's keep working."
"Yes, Boss." Robin hummed, clearly entertained.
On the other end, Lilith didn't mind the disconnected call at all. She shrugged playfully. "I was just joking, and he actually threatens to dock my funding. Even though I represent evil, I have professional ethics. It's just..."
Rubbing her chin with a serious expression, she mused, "Where does the Boss know so many secrets from? He even knows about this? It really makes me curious."
She shook her head, pushing aside the chaotic thoughts, and looked down at Hancock. The woman's eyes were shut tight, her brows furrowed even in sleep.
"Better get to work!" She was still waiting for that funding increase, after all.
Reconstruction had barely begun to restore Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's Office, Sengoku stared at the intelligence report on the East Blue and frowned deeply.
"New Pirate Regulations?"
Legalize pirates? Even with the extremely strict requirements and regulations detailed in the report, how was this any different from the Shichibukai system at its core?
What was Dante trying to pull?
"Different?" Sakazuki sneered from his seat. "The only difference is that the World Government only recruits powerful trash, while that man is ready to recruit all the trash."
He curled his lip in utter disdain.
"Does he really think a single document will make those pirates fall in line? Even if they can control the East Blue, do they think they can control the Grand Line and the New World? I thought breaking away from Marine HQ meant he was planning something big, but this is it? Seems I overestimated that traitor. Sure, he's talented, but he's just a mere Marine with a narrow field of vision to match."
Did Dante really think this would make the pirates listen? Ridiculous.
"Doesn't this let us breathe a little easier, though?" Sengoku put away the intelligence sent back by Captain Smoker and sighed heavily. "It's enough that the kid is staying put in the East Blue and not causing chaos. After all, his forces are formidable."
Sengoku mentally listed the threats. Zephyr, with his right arm fully restored. Enel, a Logia user with strong proficiency. Warlord Bartholomew Kuma. The prodigy swordsman Dante Ashford, who could clash with Rayleigh. And the officers under them, Ghost Instructor Kuro, former Donquixote Family officer Viola. Those were only the ones on the surface. No one knew what else that young man, who had hidden his true power for over ten years, might still be concealing.
But even now, it was undeniable: a terrifying group had gathered around him.
And Kuro... Sengoku recognized his distinct ability. He never thought that child's power would end up in the hands of a pirate. Which led him to start reminiscing a ghost from the past, but he quickly recovered his composure.
Resignation edged his tone. "Before we knew it, his forces swelled to this extent. I'm just relieved they're staying put. If they started acting like Mock, we'd have an even bigger headache right now."
He sighed again, deeply regretful. "A pity. He was a fine recruit for the Marines."
Hearing Sengoku's words, Sakazuki fell silent. Even the magma user had to admit it. Dante's strength was plain for all to see. If he had stayed at Marine HQ, perhaps their combat forces wouldn't be so strained right now. Adding a fighter with Admiral-level strength would have been a qualitative leap for their justice.
"It doesn't matter. A missed opportunity is just that," Sakazuki finally rumbled. "Since that kid defected, it's only a matter of time before we deal with them."
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