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"Kill Crocodile… and destroy Enies Lobby?!"
Hancock's beautiful eyes flickered. She let out a soft, chilly sound from the side.
One was a Shichibukai officially recognized by the Navy.
The other was one of the three institutions under the direct authority of the World Government.
Logan was obviously picking a fight with both the Marines and the World Government. Quite the guts on this guy.
"Hahaha… that's not even the most interesting part, my lady," Sandersonia said, quick to chime in. "Big sis, in the Logan Pirates, aside from their captain Logan, every other crew member is a gorgeous woman."
Hancock's breathtaking face instantly froze over. Her voice turned cold."Another filthy man."
She leaned her cheek lazily against her hand, shooting a sidelong glance at the newspaper beside her. She couldn't help but sneer."I just don't understand why those girls would follow a disgusting man so loyally."
"If I ever get the chance, I'd really like to see what this Logan is capable of."
Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged smiles."If Logan ever saw you, big sis, he'd definitely be groveling at your feet."
Hancock immediately lifted her chin, pride filling her voice."Obviously. I am breathtakingly beautiful."
The narcissistic declaration echoed through the palace, and the warriors of Amazon Lily instantly had hearts in their eyes, cheering and swooning.
Such was the charm of Pirate Empress Boa Hancock.
"Hancock, you're really that confident in yourself?"
A calm—yet oddly out-of-place—voice suddenly rang through the grand hall.
"Who?!"Sandersonia, Marigold, and the rest of the snake-warriors instantly tensed.
A man's voice? On Amazon Lily, where men were forbidden?
Who dared cause trouble here?
The next second, Logan's figure appeared in the hall without warning.
All eyes locked onto him at once.
"How dare you trespass on Amazon Lily!"Several warriors drew their bows, aiming straight at him.
Protecting Amazon Lily and guarding the Empress was their sacred duty.
No one was allowed to disturb her.
"Wait!!"
"Stop!!!"
Sandersonia and Marigold shouted almost at the same time, halting the others.
Their expressions tightened with unease as they hurried toward Hancock, whispering a few quick words into her ear.
"Oh?"Hancock let out a light sound of surprise. Interest flashed across her face as she looked Logan up and down."So you're Logan?"
Speak of the devil, and he appears.
While she studied him, Logan was also examining her.
He'd seen countless beautiful women, but even he had to admit—Hancock was stunning.
No worse than any beauty in his own crew.
Watching the anime didn't do her justice. Many thought Hancock's looks were exaggerated.
But in truth, the three great beauties of the One Piece world—Boa Hancock, Kozuki Hiyori, and Shirahoshi—were canon.
Feeling Logan's openly heated stare, Hancock's expression cooled. She felt offended.
"Logan, you broke into Amazon Lily. You should know the price for that."
To her, even killing Crocodile meant nothing.
The island's taboo never changed for anyone.
Hancock slowly stood, looking down at Logan with lofty arrogance."I will turn you into stone and use your statue as a warning to all men who dare break Amazon Lily's laws."
With that, she leaned backward into her iconic pose, showing off her magnificent figure.
Logan's eyes did not budge from the view in front of him. Any threat she'd made was already forgotten.
"Bastard! You weren't listening to a word big sis said!!"
"How dare you stare at her like that!"
Sandersonia and Marigold were furious. Logan's gaze had never once left Hancock's chest.
It was an unforgivable insult.
"Logan, pay for your insolence!"
Hancock's eyes sharpened. With a flick of her fingers, she formed two pink hearts—Sweet-Sweet Fruit energy gathering.
She aimed directly at him.
"Hold it!"
Just as she was about to fire, Logan raised his hand.
"Hm?"Hancock frowned slightly, though she was secretly pleased.
Now he was scared, begging for mercy?
Too late.
Any man who offended her turned to stone.
"Hancock, don't rush. I didn't come empty-handed. I even brought you a gift."
"When you see him, you're definitely going to—"
"Enough. I have no interest in whatever you call a 'gift.' And don't think you can get my forgiveness that easily."
She cut him off coldly.
Logan didn't get angry. He simply looked at her strangely.
As expected of the Pirate Empress—arrogant and headstrong.
Though, really, it was just a kind of armor.
A bit in need of discipline, though.
Logan decided that once he tamed this proud rose, he'd start by spanking her until she couldn't sit.
Then make her kneel for two hours.
With that thought, he vanished from the hall. Before anyone could react, he appeared again.
This time carrying a wriggling sack.
"Ah!!"
The sack hit the floor. Out rolled Saint Charlos—limbs broken, collarbones pierced—screaming like a slaughtered pig.
Everyone jumped at the sudden sight.
"Another man?!"
Hancock's irritation flared again. She lifted her hands, ready to fire another Sweet Sweet attack and turn both intruders to stone.
"Hancock! Look closely at who he is!"
Logan's voice cracked like thunder beside her ear. Hancock's hands froze.
Her eyes snapped toward the fallen man—
—and she stopped breathing.
The fat figure crawled out of the sack. The mask on his head was gone, but his clothing was unmistakable.
All thoughts in Hancock's mind shattered. Her hands dropped to her sides.
"He… he's—"
Even without the mask, the outfit alone dragged her into the memories she never wanted to relive. Her whole body trembled.
"A Celestial Dragon… he's a Celestial Dragon!!"
All of Hancock's earlier arrogance and disdain vanished—replaced by raw, uncontrollable fear.
This outfit was her eternal nightmare. A shadow she could never escape.
"How… how can this be?!"
Sandersonia and Marigold paled just as quickly. The moment they recognized the man, they reacted exactly like Hancock.
Fear from the depths of the soul.
Even though Logan expected this, he still sighed inwardly.
The three sisters' past truly was tragic.
Kidnapped as children by slavers, sold to the Celestial Dragons, humiliated as toys.
Even the Devil Fruit Hancock ate was just part of their "games."
Though Fisher Tiger eventually saved them, the memories were carved into their bones.
And the brand on their backs—the hoof of the Celestial Dragons—mocked them every moment of their lives.
"You all leave."
Hancock finally managed to steady herself a little. She waved away all the warriors, leaving only her sisters.
Once the hall was empty, she stared at Charlos, who kept screaming in agony.
She had never heard a more beautiful sound.
After savoring it for a moment, she raised her head toward Logan again. Her expression had softened greatly.
"Logan… do you even know who he is?!"
"I brought him here myself. What do you think?" Logan smiled back.
Brought… him?
Hancock froze.
Could you even use that phrase for a Celestial Dragon?
Or… did Logan think that after killing Crocodile and destroying Enies Lobby, he was strong enough to ignore even the Celestial Dragons?
Hancock stared at him, suddenly losing control."Logan, do you know what the words 'Celestial Dragon' mean?!"
Logan smiled gently and pointed at Charlos."Hancock, Celestial Dragons are no different from ordinary people. Look—he screams too."
"He can kneel like a dog in front of me, begging for mercy. Right? Saint Charlos?"
As if to prove Logan's words, the instant he finished speaking, Charlos frantically crawled forward—
—and kneeled before him.
He slammed his head against the floor like he was pounding garlic. "Let me go! I'm a Celestial Dragon! As long as you release me, I can give you anything you want!"
"What happened just now—I can let it all slide too!!"
Saint Charlos pleaded in a panic, his voice stripped of any dignity.
A devil. The man in front of him was a devil.
Logan didn't care about his Celestial Dragon status at all and tortured him into this pathetic state.
Fine. He'd endure for now. Once he got back to the Holy Land, he'd make sure Sengoku sent someone to kill this bastard.
"Big Sis… is he… is he really a Celestial Dragon?!"
The two sisters stared in disbelief, their voices trembling.
"Why don't you come take a closer look?" Logan said with a smile, glancing at Hancock.
Hancock froze for a moment, then slowly walked toward the center of the hall on her long, elegant legs. She stopped just a meter away from Saint Charlos.
In front of her, the dull thud of his forehead hitting the floor, his pitiful begging, his agonized wailing—three sounds blended together, hitting her senses all at once.
"The Celestial Dragons you think of as untouchable—they feel pain, they feel fear, and their blood is red just like anyone else's. You don't have to be afraid of them." Logan's gentle voice drifted into her ear again.
Hancock blinked and shifted her gaze away from Charlos, looking back at Logan.
She didn't know why, but suddenly… Logan didn't seem as annoying as he did earlier.
Watching him torment Charlos like this… she even found him a little cute.
"Hancock, I know the three of you have a past you'd rather forget. You can't change what happened, but you can still have a new future."
"You… you know about my past?!"
Hancock's beautiful eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.
She'd never told anyone. She'd even gone out of her way to hide it.
Even most warriors on the island didn't know her history. So how did Logan find out?
But after a moment, she relaxed. Her expression turned complicated as she bit her lip lightly, her voice soft. "Since you know about us… do you… do you look down on me because of it?"
With her deepest secret exposed, all of Hancock's pride and masks crumbled completely in front of Logan.
Logan smiled faintly and pointed at the kneeling, groveling Charlos. "If I looked down on you, I wouldn't have brought him here."
A simple sentence, but it hit Hancock's heart like a hammer.
Getting the answer she'd secretly hoped for made her feel dazed.
A little dizzy, she instinctively reached out and steadied herself on Logan's shoulder, raising her head to quietly look at him.
Had Logan really captured a Celestial Dragon… for her sake?
Was there even such a man in the world?
Overwhelmed by a wave of happiness, Hancock's breath quickened.
Her eyes, clear as spring water, rippled as she looked at Logan.
Uh…
Logan paused.
He knew this trick worked on Hancock, but he didn't expect it to work this well.
The Celestial Dragon Gambit—never fails.
He cast a pitying glance at Saint Charlos.
Charlos had no value left now.
Time to wait for the next transmigrator.
He'd kill the guy to vent a little and win Hancock's heart at the same time. Two birds with one stone.
"Ahem." Seeing Hancock's gaze grow hazy, Logan quickly cleared his throat. He was eager, sure—but not that eager.
Diverting the topic, he said, "Hancock, aside from the Celestial Dragon issue, there's something else. If I'm not mistaken, you three sisters have the Celestial Dragon hoof mark branded on your backs, right?"
"Yes." Hancock nodded, her eyes gradually clearing up.
At this point, there was nothing left to hide.
Then she suddenly realized something. Her voice trembled again. "Logan… do you have a way to remove the marks?!"
The moment she said it, Sandersonia and Marigold's eyes lit up at the same time.
Meeting their hopeful gazes, Logan nodded slightly.
"Logan, you can really do it?!" Hancock grabbed his arm, visibly tense.
As the Empress of Amazon Lily, she hadn't lost her composure like this in a long time.
But right now, she couldn't help it at all.
"I can remove the marks on your backs," Logan said confidently.
With the healing power of the Regeneration Fruit, erasing a tiny brand was nothing.
"Come with me to my room right now and remove mine first," Hancock said, dragging Logan toward the exit without waiting.
"Before that, we should deal with Saint Charlos. You don't want him screaming in here forever, do you?" Logan stopped her and glanced at Charlos again.
By now, Charlos was already terrified out of his mind, endlessly banging his head on the floor.
"Big Sis, what do we do with him?!" Sandersonia and Marigold stepped forward, murderous intent in their eyes.
"Saint Charlos…" Hancock clenched her teeth, staring coldly at him.
"Don't let him die too quickly. Put him through every torture we have on Amazon Lily."
With that, Hancock eagerly pulled Logan out of the hall.
Once the two left, Sandersonia and Marigold grinned savagely. Their long hair twisted and writhed, turning into massive serpents slithering toward Charlos.
"Stay away from me!!!" Charlos screamed—then passed out from fear.
"....."