"Stop!!!"
A voice echoed from afar.
Then, a shadowy figure appeared before Roya, blocking the current Empress of Amazon Lily.
"Granny Gloriosa?"
The current Empress stared in disbelief at Gloriosa before her.
Gloriosa was the former Empress of Amazon Lily, three generations prior. Though she had abdicated, her influence far surpassed that of the current Empress.
Only the future Hancock could overshadow Gloriosa.
Gloriosa looked at the Empress and said, "You must not attack this man!"
Roya observed the scene quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly beneath his cloak.
The current Empress protested, "But Granny Gloriosa, this person is a man!!! Amazon Lily forbids any man from setting foot on this land!"
Gloriosa replied, "He saved the people of our island!"
The Empress insisted, "Even so, according to our ancestral laws, no man may leave here alive!"
Hearing the Empress's resolute words, Hancock tugged nervously at Roya's sleeve.
Gloriosa then declared, "What if I told you this man has slain the legendary Deep Sea Serpent of Amazon Lily? By our ancestral laws, whoever kills the Deep Sea Serpent must be treated with utmost respect as an honored guest, regardless of gender!"
As Gloriosa's words settled, all the warriors of Amazon Lily, including the Empress, were struck with shock.
"How is this possible? That terrifying serpentine Sea King was actually slain by this man?!"
"That's unbelievable! That was a Sea King several kilometers long!"
"Amazing! Our ancestors' vengeance is finally avenged!"
...
The surrounding warriors were utterly astonished, but upon hearing the news, they were overjoyed.
The Empress pressed Gloriosa for confirmation, "The Deep Sea Serpent was truly slain by this person?!!"
The Deep Sea Serpent had long been the nightmare of Amazon Lily's past Empresses.
Since its founding, Amazon Lily had been a nation of pirates, requiring voyages to gather resources.
But every voyage carried risks—chief among them, the Deep Sea Serpent.
Many Empresses had never returned because of this monstrous Sea King.
With its unnaturally long lifespan, the creature's power and size had only grown over time, leaving the island's inhabitants powerless to stop it!Thus, the sixth emperor of Amazon Lily left behind a rule: anyone who slays a Deep Sea Serpent must be treated with utmost respect and honored as a distinguished guest, regardless of gender!
From then on, this rule was passed down and became a sacred tradition.
After hearing Gloriosa's words, Roya turned to Hancock beside him and said, "Hancock, did you only know that the Deep Sea Serpent is a legendary creature of Amazon Lily but not this tradition?"
Hearing Roya's words, Hancock shyly nodded.
Had she known, she would have mentioned it immediately.
And none of what happened earlier would have occurred.
After receiving Gloriosa's confirmation, the current empress of Amazon Lily approached Roya and said, "We apologize for our earlier rudeness. Please join us for a banquet at the palace!"
Hearing her words, Roya shook his head and replied calmly, "As I said before, I merely returned them to this island. If you wish to thank me, treat them well."
Gloriosa then took over, saying, "Rest assured, we will devote all the island's resources to nurturing them properly!"
Amazon Lily revered strength above all.
Gloriosa had witnessed Hancock's abilities earlier. With proper training, she even believed Hancock could become the most powerful empress in the island's history!
Of course, what Gloriosa valued most was the relationship between Hancock and Roya.
She had traveled the seas extensively, and recently, all the news she heard revolved around this mysterious man.
So she made a point to investigate him.
But the deeper she dug, the more she realized Roya seemed to have appeared out of nowhere—his origins shrouded in mystery.
That was why Gloriosa assured Roya in person that the island would dedicate all its resources to help Hancock grow stronger!
Roya was satisfied with Gloriosa's response.
"Hancock, even if I'm not here, you must train hard to master your abilities, understand?"
Hancock nodded vigorously, then looked at Roya and declared, "Roya, if I become empress, I will make you my queen!"
Seeing Hancock's earnest expression, Roya burst into laughter.
It was the first time since arriving in this world that he had laughed so heartily!
"You're the one who should be queen!"
After saying this, Roya paused. Did that mean he was suggesting Hancock should become his queen?
Realizing this, he flicked Hancock lightly on the forehead.
"You really are mischievous," Roya added. "Hancock, let's meet again on the high seas in the future!"
With that, Roya turned and walked toward the warship.
The night breeze rustled through the trees, whispering softly.
Under the starry sky, the moon cast shimmering reflections on the sea.
Watching Roya's retreating figure, Hancock could no longer hold back her tears.
"Roya, c-can I come find you in the future?!"
Hearing her words, Roya stopped in his tracks and replied, "Mm, of course you can."Although Roya's voice was soft, in Hancock's heart, it carried a weight that was heavy indeed.
"Roya, you must wait for me, for the day I come to find you!!!"
When Hancock uttered these words, her voice was already tinged with a sob.
Roya didn't say anything more, merely waving his hand as his Talisman ability activated, returning him to the warship.
Because he knew—if he lingered any longer, Hancock would only grow more reluctant to part.
Watching Roya disappear before her eyes, Hancock steeled her resolve in her heart: she would train her abilities relentlessly, striving to achieve the awakened state of her fruit that Roya had spoken of as soon as possible!
——
A day had passed since leaving Amazon Lily.
Roya had already sailed out of the Calm Belt.
Inside his cabin on the warship, Roya retrieved the fruit he had obtained earlier from his system space—the Illusion-Illusion Fruit!
This fruit could create phantoms, which possessed a certain level of combat strength and could be used for disguise, battle, or group fights—a fruit versatile in every aspect!
And now, Roya decided to consume it...