"I refuse. Absolutely refuse."
Elder Nyon slammed her staff on the floor.
"There is no way I will agree to relocating the entire tribe."
Boa Hancock frowned slightly.
"I am the Empress of Amazon Lily. Since when do I need your approval?"
Her two younger sisters quickly joined in.
Boa Sandersonia said,
"Elder Nyon, Sister is doing this for Amazon Lily."
Boa Marigold added,
"If we relocate, we won't have to depend on the Warlord title anymore. Our people won't risk becoming an ordinary pirate nation again."
Elder Nyon fell silent.
They were right.
She had once advised Hancock to accept the Shichibukai position to protect the island.
But relocation?
That was different.
The Kuja had lived on Amazon Lily for generations. It was their ancestral land. Every Empress had sworn to defend it.
She had sworn.
Hancock had sworn.
To abandon it felt like breaking that oath.
Hancock sighed softly.
"I once had the same concern."
"But Karl said something that changed my mind."
"Amazon Lily is not a place."
"It is its people."
"As long as the Kuja exist, anywhere can be Amazon Lily."
"Why confine ourselves to one island?"
Elder Nyon froze.
That sentence struck deep.
After a long silence, she sighed.
"You're hopelessly bewitched by that Marine…"
"But you are the Empress."
"As long as you do not regret it."
Hancock smiled confidently.
"When you see our new homeland, you will understand."
At that moment—
"Snake Princess! Today's newspaper!"
Marguerite ran in excitedly.
Hancock immediately grabbed it.
"What? Karl already killed Enel?"
"Didn't he say he would 'fatten him up' first?"
But her attention quickly shifted—
To Karl's photograph.
From any angle—
He was handsome.
"Ufufu… my beloved is perfect…"
Elder Nyon tried to peek but couldn't reach even Hancock's thigh.
Marigold lifted her up to read.
Unlike Hancock—
Elder Nyon quickly sensed something off.
The entire paper was praising Karl.
Yesterday it focused on Enel's terror.
Today—
All glorification.
This felt familiar.
Forty-three years ago—
The last time the newspapers praised a Marine like this—
It was Monkey D. Garp.
Her pupils shrank.
No way…
Was Karl about to become the next Marine Hero?
She turned—
Hancock was still staring dreamily at the paper.
Elder Nyon shook her head.
A woman in love was beyond reason.
But perhaps…
Hancock had chosen well.
Marineford
Karl walked beside Ain—
Well, almost beside. She was clinging rather close.
Behind them followed a bespectacled Tashigi, staring dreamily at Karl's twin swords.
Tashigi could barely hide her fascination.
"Vice Admiral Karl!"
A young cadet ran up, holding paper and pen.
"Can I have your autograph?"
Karl crouched and ruffled his hair.
"What would you like me to write?"
The boy beamed.
"Please write that I'll become a Marine as strong as you one day!"
Karl signed with a laugh.
As they walked away, the boy clenched his fists.
He would train.
He would fight beside Vice Admiral Karl one day.
Ain teased softly,
"You have quite a fanbase now."
Karl draped an arm over her shoulder.
"And you?"
"Are you my fan?"
Ain snorted.
"I'm not."
"But Tashigi definitely is."
Karl glanced back.
Tashigi immediately froze—
Face red—
Like a startled rabbit.
Karl laughed.
"I think she's more interested in my swords."
Since Ain began leading independently, their time together had lessened.
But she had matured greatly.
Her aura now resembled that of Gion—steady, confident, commanding.
Yet with him—
She remained soft.
A familiar voice interrupted.
"Karl. Ain. Long time no see."
Karl blinked.
"Smoker?"
He almost didn't recognize him.
Neat suit.
Tie.
Hair slicked back.
He looked like a business executive.
Smoker laughed.
"What? I've changed that much?"
"You have," Karl admitted.
Smoker exhaled.
"I resigned as head of the Clean Government Commission."
Karl was surprised.
"You what?"
"I stepped down voluntarily. I trained a successor."
"Why?"
Smoker looked at Karl quietly.
"Because of you."
"You're about to become a Marine Hero."
"And I…"
"I was stagnating."
After seeing Karl's achievement, Smoker went directly to Sengoku.
He requested reassignment.
Now—
He was a Rear Admiral again.
Returning to sea duty.
Karl smiled.
"Perhaps that's for the best."
"With the Commission in place, you don't need to worry about internal corruption."
Smoker nodded.
He missed the sea.
Missed the battles.
Missed the essence of being a Marine.
And now—
He would sail again.
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