"Retrieve!" Ryuuto thought, and a pair of diamond rings, one large and one small, materialized in his hand.
The bands were forged from a special metal that shimmered with a lustrous sheen. The men's ring was about four millimeters wide, set with an Eternity Diamond that sparkled dazzlingly from every angle. The women's band was more delicate, less than two millimeters wide, but its Eternity Diamond was even larger, protruding gracefully from the setting.
"Hancock, this is my gift to you," Ryuuto said, presenting the eternal diamond rings.
"Ryuuto, what is this?" Hancock's gaze was completely captivated by the brilliant, glittering rings.
"This is the legendary diamond that represents eternity. Two people who wear these rings will be together forever and ever," Ryuuto explained, taking her delicate hand as he held up the women's ring.
Hancock shifted closer to him, narrowing the distance between them until their breaths mingled in the scant space. Her heart fluttered like a trapped bird, and she felt an overwhelming sense of joy. This gift spoke directly to her soul; it was Ryuuto's token of their love! More than that, it carried a beautiful promise for their future. Hancock felt light-headed, as if she might faint from sheer happiness.
"Ryuuto, I love this gift so much!" Hancock said softly, her eyes locked on his. Her gaze was a swirling pool of passion.
"Let me put it on for you."
As he spoke, Ryuuto gently took her smooth hand and slid the diamond ring onto her ring finger.
"Alright," Hancock whispered, nodding as she watched his focused expression. In that moment, her world contained only Ryuuto.
"Go on, take a look," Ryuuto urged, placing her hand before her once the ring was set.
"Mmm, it's beautiful!"
Hancock waved her hand through the air, watching the dazzling diamond refract the light into a brilliant kaleidoscope of colors. She was absolutely enchanted.
"Ryuuto, put yours on too! I want to see how they look on us together," she said after a moment of admiration. She took his left hand and slid the men's ring onto his finger.
Then, it was Hancock's turn to admire them as a pair. She held their hands together, then pressed his hand against her cheek, her eyes tracing the lines of the ring against her skin.
Their eyes met, and the mood was set.
A single desk lamp cast a warm, yellow glow, bathing the room in an intimate and alluring light. Ryuuto and Hancock lay nestled together against a bed of soft furs.
"Ryuuto, I don't think I can ever leave you," Hancock murmured, playfully draping one of her long, pale legs over his.
"Then all my advice was for nothing!" Ryuuto teased, gently pinching her cheek.
"I'm just kidding. I plan to head back to Amazon Lily tomorrow," she said mischievously, her long legs restlessly caressing him. With Ryuuto's gift, she felt more certain than ever of his feelings for her. She believed they would meet again soon. For now, she would return to her duties. As the Empress of Amazon Lily and the captain of the Kuja Pirates, she had her own responsibilities.
The lamp on the desk was suddenly knocked over, clattering to the floor below...
Meanwhile, on deck, Buggy and Foxy were in the middle of a fishing competition.
"Hahahaha! I caught another one!" Buggy roared with laughter, heaving a tuna several meters long onto the deck. A pile of fish, both large and small, already lay beside him. Buggy's luck was truly something else. For just one day, Nami hadn't siphoned off his good fortune, and as a result, he was trouncing the perpetually unlucky Foxy.
"Amazing, Captain Buggy!" his crewmen cheered, raising their weapons in excitement.
"You can do it, Captain Foxy!" Foxy's crew shouted encouragement from their side, with Porche being the most enthusiastic.
Nami lounged on a deck chair, looking bored. In her hand, two gleaming gold Lucky Coins danced between her fingers. This was the result of draining Buggy's luck over the past few days; she now possessed two of them. Her gaze was distant, her thoughts wandering far away.
"Noro Noro Beam!" Seeing that he was about to lose, Foxy threw the rules out the window and started cheating. As the saying goes, talk is cheap. Under the effect of the slowing beam, he didn't even need to bait his hook; he simply cast it toward the fish beneath the surface.
"Got one! Fefefefefe!" Foxy yelled, feeling the pull on his line. He let out a triumphant laugh, his spirits finally lifted. Planting his feet against the patched-up ship railing, he strained and hauled a massive shark, easily ten meters long, onto the deck.
"Fefefefefe! Look at this big one, Buggy!" Foxy crowed, showing off his catch.
"You bastard! You cheated!" Buggy yelled, his face red with anger as he pointed an accusing finger at Foxy.
A wave of boisterous laughter and shouting filled the deck. Seeing Foxy's blatant cheating, Buggy decided to abandon the rules as well. He scanned the sea, and whenever he spotted a slow-moving fish, he used his powers to fly into the air and drop his hook right into its mouth. A catch is a catch, after all. For a time, both captains used their unique abilities to their fullest.
Far below, in the ship's brig, Blackbeard Teach and Rob Lucci were imprisoned. Their hair was a mess, their bodies were covered in wounds, and they were chained to an iron bar on the hull, breathing faintly. The look on their faces was identical: a defeated, dejected expression that reeked of failure. The dead silence of the brig was a stark contrast to the lively chaos on deck.
Clamped on each of their wrists was a pair of Seastone cuffs, repurposed from a captured Marine vessel. The Seastone drained their strength, leaving them utterly weak. Of course, it was only because of the Seastone that they had been freed from their petrification. Otherwise, they would have been left on deck as statues, serving as silent props for Buggy's and the others' amusement.
The night's contest had finally come to an end in Ryuuto's room.
Ryuuto picked up the fallen lamp and placed it back on the bedside table. The dim, yellow light illuminated the bed, where Hancock was now sleeping soundly. A contented smile played on her lips. Her beauty was timeless, radiant even in sleep.
Ryuuto watched her for a while before quietly closing the door and heading out.
"Nami is definitely going to be angry," he thought to himself as he walked.