In Shandora City, Upper Yard, God's Island.
"Tell me. Who am I to you!?"
When Hancock smiled with that deadly smile, the atmosphere suddenly became very serious.
Sephiroth knew if he answered incorrectly, he would surely be "stabbed" that day.
So, he immediately wrapped his arms around Hancock's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace. His lips instantly met Hancock's red lips, making a distinct "Chu~!" sound, before he smiled and said:
"Does this kind of question need to be answered with words…?"
Smack!
Sephiroth quickly released Kozuki Hiyori's arm, patted her firm butt lightly, and commanded in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
"Quickly call her Elder Sister Hancock!"
Hearing this, a fleeting look of gloom crossed Kozuki Hiyori's eyes. Sephiroth's actions clearly showed that Hancock was above everything else in his heart, forcing her to comply.
She lowered her head. "Hiyori greets Elder Sister!"
Seeing that, Yamato tilted her head, a confused expression appearing for a moment. She glanced at Sephiroth, then Hancock, and followed Hiyori.
"Yamato also greets Elder Sister!"
"Hmm! Two good little sisters."
Hancock nodded slightly, her face looking bright with a crescent-moon-like, squinting smile.
Phew! I finally got away! This Kozuki Hiyori is so stubborn! I must ask Black Maria to increase her training and make her obedient. Sephiroth secretly resolved.
"Anyway, where are you going?" Yamato asked the question again.
"I'm going to the shipyard to check the Ark of the Stars—the ship that took six years to build," Sephiroth explained.
Hearing that, Yamato's eyes sparkled. "The Ark of the Stars!? I want to see it too!"
"Me too!" Kozuki Hiyori hurriedly raised her hand.
So, the group of six continued their journey toward the outskirts of Upper Yard, where the shipyard was located.
After a while, they arrived in front of the two steel gates of the shipyard. At Sephiroth's command, the members of God's team guarding the gate contacted the workers inside and turned the mechanism.
Accompanied by a "Boom!" sound, the two 100-meter-high steel doors slowly opened.
Behind the gate, a colossal ship, one hundred and fifty meters long, immediately drew the attention of the six people.
The ship had a keel made of Adam Wood, making it incredibly tough—ordinary explosions or collisions wouldn't damage it. Lightning-powered propellers were installed in the hull and stern.
The most astonishing aspect was its internal machinery, which was mostly made of gold.
The total cost of this giant ship, excluding labor, reached over 300 Billion Berries! Even with the extraordinary financial resources of the Umbrella Corporation, it took six years and nearly depleted most of the gold collected from Shandora to complete it.
Sephiroth was actually forced to use gold as the primary conductor. He couldn't find a better inert metal. If copper, aluminum, or silver were used, oxidation due to the air would cause system damage to this Ark of the Stars. It was no mistake that Enel in the original plot used gold for the construction of his spaceship.
Standing below the ship's bow, Yamato looked up. "Wow! This ship is incredible! But, why doesn't it have any oars or sails?"
"Because this ship is powered by the thunder and lightning energy released by Marigold (referring to Marigold/Marigorud) so it doesn't need sails or oars."
Sephiroth explained while inviting the five women to board and tour the Ark of the Stars.
Inside, under Sephiroth's arrangement, sufficient food, water, and complete furnishings had been prepared.
Finally, Sephiroth brought the group to the control room, where a large golden chair and a golden helmet with wires were located.
"In addition to being equipped with devices to quickly create Thunder Clouds to strengthen Marigold's attack power and range, this ship also increases Marigold's Kenbunshoku Haki range by amplifying her brain waves. This detection device is ten times stronger. For this device alone, I specially established two research laboratories…"
"Amplified tenfold…? My current Kenbunshoku Haki range is about forty kilometers. If I wear this helmet, can it reach four hundred kilometers?"
Hearing that, Marigold widened her mouth slightly, her eyes sparkling. Her Goro Goro no Mi, a Logia-type ability, allowed her to control thunder and lightning with precision through her Kenbunshoku Haki perception for long-range attacks. If her range reached four hundred kilometers… that was unimaginable!
Marigold immediately walked to the golden chair, sat down, and put on the golden helmet.
As she activated her Kenbunshoku Haki, assisted by her Devil Fruit ability, her perception immediately expanded. God's Island, Angel Island, Birka, even Jaya Island in the Blue Sea below, the fish, and the Sea Kings swimming in the deep sea… the breath of all creatures far beyond her previous perception range was now clearly imprinted in Marigold's mind. She could even decipher the content of conversations of people hundreds of kilometers away by analyzing radio waves.
A moment later, Marigold took off the helmet, sighed with relief, and smiled. "It will take a few days to fully adapt to this suddenly expanded range of perception."
"Take your time! We'll have plenty of time to adapt when we go to the Moon," Sephiroth said with a smile.
His words shocked Yamato. "The Moon!? Sephiroth, you plan to use this ship to go to the Moon!?"
"Yes! Of course. I plan to use this Ark of the Stars to search for the ancient ruins of the Moon Tribe…"
"I want to go to the Moon too!"
Yamato naturally grabbed Sephiroth's arm, rested it on her chest, and rubbed it.
"Uh!? Alright! To go to the Moon, I will take you…"
Seeing this scene, Kozuki Hiyori also did the same thing, hugging Sephiroth's other arm and acting spoiled. "I want to come too!"
"No! You can't come! There are Cosmic Pirates in the universe. You don't have the strength to defend yourself, I won't take you on an adventure. Besides, the further away from this planet, the lower the oxygen content. With your strength, you could suffocate before reaching the Moon!"
Sephiroth firmly rejected Kozuki Hiyori's request.
Even on Sky Island where the oxygen was thin, Kozuki Hiyori couldn't move too intensely. Especially in space! Sephiroth and the Three Boa Sisters, with their high-level Seimei Kikan training, could breathe through their pores to increase oxygen intake.
Yamato? After freeing herself from the Seastone shackles, with her physical talent, mastering Rokushiki (Six Styles) and Seimei Kikan was no problem.
On Angel Island, a Villa on the Hilltop, Living Room.
Monet, wearing a black maid uniform, swept dust from the floor with a broom. On the sofa, Black Maria was half-reclining, holding a cigarette in one hand and documents in the other, occasionally exhaling smoke.
Sugar knelt on a purple mat, flipping through a book with a straight back, memorizing knowledge. Because of the Hobi Hobi no Mi, a Paramecia type she ate, her body stopped growing at the age of eight. In order not to be useless to Sephiroth, she chose to study hard.
Swoosh!
A thin red thread flashed in the void, and a Dimensional Door opened.
Sephiroth came out with Yamato, the Three Boa Sisters, and Kozuki Hiyori.
Hancock first glanced at the three women in the living room, then immediately headed to the single sofa and sat down. She folded her arms and legs, looking at Sephiroth with a challenging gaze, telling him to act.
Hancock's meaning was clear: she wanted Sephiroth to explicitly declare her identity in front of the other women.
Sephiroth cleared his throat, his tone slightly helpless.
"Maria, this is Hancock. Call her Elder Sister."
Hearing that, a flash of apprehension crossed Black Maria's eyes. She decided inwardly after seeing Sephiroth and Hancock's expressions: This woman holds a very important place in Sephiroth's heart. When facing her, I must be submissive.
Black Maria immediately rose from the sofa, put down her cigarette, and knelt down with a "Puff!" sound. Her hands took the teapot and teacup, poured black tea, and offered it to Hancock.
"Elder Sister, please drink tea," she said softly while slightly bowing her head.
"Hmm!"
A trace of surprise flashed in Hancock's eyes, but she remained calm. She nodded, took the teacup, and took a sip.
It seems this woman is very understanding. In that case, I don't need to make things difficult for her, Hancock murmured inwardly.
Seeing this scene, Sephiroth's tense heart finally relaxed. Sure enough, only Black Maria knows her limits! She's much better than Kozuki Hiyori.
After Yamato packed her bags and Sephiroth gave work instructions regarding Sky Island to Black Maria, he returned to the Ark of the Stars with the Three Boa Sisters and Yamato.
After Marigold finished charging the giant ship, the shipyard workers opened the factory building roof accompanied by the roar of the engines.
The propellers on both sides of the Ark of the Stars' hull began to spin rapidly, making the giant ship float into the sky, flying away from Sky Island.