"Lord Foxy..."
Porche looked on with some disappointment as Foxy became a shadow of his former self. The Foxy of the past was dashing and full of vigor; the Foxy of today was meek and subservient.
At thirty-eight, Foxy was reduced to a mere lackey.
Alvida and Mohji were also stunned. They never expected Foxy to be the one to yield to Ryuuto's intimidating power before even Buggy did.
Richie, without a care in the world, was just leisurely playing with the tuft on his tail.
Lounging on the sofa, Hancock had been observing the scene. The mention of a Devil Fruit piqued her interest, and she shifted her gaze toward them.
This small movement was immediately noticed by the crowd of grunts gathered around her. They all put on exaggerated expressions, hearts popping in their eyes as they shouted:
"Goddess, look at me! Please look at me!"
"Every single movement is so flawless and beautiful!"
"More beautiful than the moonlight!"
The incessant chattering grated on Hancock's ears, filling her with an unprovoked and inexplicable annoyance.
Click... clack...
Hancock rose to her feet. As her slender legs, clad in high heels, moved across the deck, an invisible wave of power emanated from her body.
Her long, black hair cascaded silently down her back. With every step, her pristine white thighs were fleetingly visible beneath the slit of her dress.
Hancock's beauty was an absolute, irresistible force.
In the short path she walked, every one of the grunts was turned into a stone statue.
"What!" Buggy, ever observant, was the first to witness the scene, and his face instantly turned pale. He suddenly understood where the other statue on the deck had come from.
"Don't look! Don't look!"
Hearing the footsteps approach, Buggy squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head frantically.
Cabaji, Mohji, and Alvida were equally shocked. They followed Buggy's lead and shut their eyes, terrified of being petrified on the spot.
Foxy and Porche also averted their gazes, not daring to look at Hancock any longer.
"So terrifying! Their power is far greater than I imagined!"
"Good thing I was smart. As long as I act obedient, I'll be fine!" Foxy's thoughts raced.
"Finally, the world is quiet," Hancock sighed, slowly walking over to Ryuuto's side. She glanced at Nami, who was standing beside him.
Nami was currently grinning like a fool.
Hancock had found the source of her irritation.
"Ryuuto, I want a present too!"
Hancock stared intently at Ryuuto for a couple of seconds before a blush crept onto her cheeks. She spoke with a hint of shyness.
"Oh? Hancock, you're actually asking for something yourself!" Ryuuto was quite surprised.
It seemed that whenever Nami was around, the proud Hancock couldn't maintain her usual composure and would easily become more assertive, as if she were competing for his affection.
Looking at that flawless face, how could Ryuuto even think of refusing? Besides, he knew what a starkly different personality lay hidden behind that facade, an experience he found utterly intoxicating.
"So, what should I give Hancock?"
For a moment, Ryuuto was at a loss.
"I've got it!"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck, and an idea appeared in his mind.
"Hancock, I know what to give you, but I'll have to give it to you a little later!" Ryuuto said earnestly, looking directly into her eyes.
"Then I shall await your gift!"
A joyful smile finally bloomed on Hancock's face, making her entire being seem to shine.
Nami, still basking in the glow of her massive luck boost, saw nothing wrong with Hancock's behavior.
Standing nearby, Foxy felt incredibly awkward. Fortunately, Buggy's shriek soon drew everyone's attention.
"Ahhh! What is this stuff!"
Buggy wiped his face, feeling the wet, smelly substance, and screamed. He looked up into the sky.
A pigeon wearing a tie was flying silently overhead.
"You bastard! How dare you attack me!"
Fury surged through Buggy. He immediately flew into the air, intending to catch the pigeon and turn it into soup.
Everyone turned to watch Buggy.
Ryuuto found the pigeon strangely familiar; after all, a pigeon with a red tie wasn't a common sight. "That looks like Lucci's pigeon, doesn't it?" he murmured.
"Lucci?" Nami heard him and shot him a questioning look.
"We'll probably be meeting him soon enough," Ryuuto said, looking between the two women and stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Up in the air, the pigeon, Hattori, flapped its wings, dodging Buggy's pursuit and climbing higher. It even glanced back at Buggy and cooed, "Coo, coo, coo! You're all too weak!"
"What? That pigeon can talk!" Nami exclaimed in surprise.
"You bastard! You dare insult the great Captain Buggy!" Buggy grew even angrier, rocketing higher in his attempt to snatch Hattori from the sky.
"Richie, how come you can't talk?" Alvida looked from the sky to the carefree lion, who was still grooming himself, and suddenly asked while shouldering her iron mace.
"Huh?" Richie froze, his movements halting as he stared blankly.
He was probably thinking, *Are you for real?*
Seeing that everyone's attention was now on Buggy, Foxy finally found a spot to sit down. The pressure of standing next to Ryuuto and Hancock had been immense.
"Futile!" With one last taunt, Hattori flew away.
In the end, Buggy failed to catch the pigeon.
Meanwhile, Hattori didn't fly for long before a three-masted Marine warship appeared ahead.
The ship's figurehead was a giant golden seagull clutching a globe and holding a scale in its beak. The hull was painted pure white, and its sails bore the word "MARINE" in dark blue or red.
The warship was a hundred meters long, with numerous cannons lining its sides.
"Pirate ship spotted ahead!"
Hattori flapped its wings and landed gently on the shoulder of a bearded man wearing a white top hat and a white coat. It then spoke.
This was Rob Lucci.
"What are clueless pirates doing in this area?" Lucci wondered aloud as he preened Hattori's feathers.
He had just completed a secret mission for Spandam and was returning to Enies Lobby on a Marine warship. These waters were under the jurisdiction of the G-2 Base; logically, there shouldn't be any pirates here.
The thought crossed Lucci's mind. But since he had run into them, he might as well help deal with these detestable pirates.
"Lord Lucci!"
Just as Lucci was pondering this, a Marine soldier ran up to him.
"It's a call from Director Spandam!"
Ring, ring, ring...
The soldier handed Lucci a Den Den Mushi that had a half-mask on it, resembling the director of CP9, Spandam.
"Lucci, you've got my Devil Fruit, right?" The instant Lucci picked up the receiver, Spandam's impatient voice came through the Den Den Mushi.