Chapter 339 - 178

Chapter 178: Hancock and Yamato!!The gentle night, like the finest silk, slowly draped itself over Amazon Lily.The night breeze swept past, bringing the slight saltiness of the tide and the subtle fragrance of exotic night-blooming flowers from the jungle.Silence had not fallen; instead, a different kind of vitality was vigorously awakening.The female warriors who had finished their daily training were not yet asleep; they gathered in small groups,either splashing and playing by the open-air hot springs, their clear laughter startling a few night birds;or sitting around the plaza bonfire, cleaning and maintaining their bows, arrows, and serpentine weapons, the cold gleam of metal and the dancing firelight illuminating their heroic and beautiful faces;Furthermore, skilled dancers improvised on open ground using light and shadow as a curtain, their movements as agile as a cheetah's yet as graceful as a snake's slither, drawing rounds of applause from the onlookers.————————The Snake Princess Palace, located at the highest point of Kuja City, was dimly lit, casting a warm, ambiguous yellow glow over the beautiful yet somewhat empty furnishings within.Luffy felt like he was sitting on pins and needles; the easygoing mood that usually allowed him to feast disappeared without a trace.Beside him sat the owner of this palace and the entire island, the Empress Boa Hancock.She wore her signature dark purple qipao, which flawlessly outlined her breathtaking figure,resting her head on her hand in a posture that was languid yet possessed natural authority.Her beautiful, sparkling magenta eyes were fixed intently on Luffy. In their gaze, the usual soul-stealing "Infatuation Aura" was absent,replaced by a more genuine concentration and an inexplicable... pressure that made Luffy even more uneasy.The table was laden with rich dishes, mostly sea beast meat and island delicacies, their aroma filling the air.For Luffy, as long as it was edible and delicious, he accepted it all; he was easy to feed.However, the near-instinctive warning from his top-tier Observation Haki was silently screaming in his mind, telling him that this was definitely not as simple as "just eating together."A subtle tension permeated the air, seemingly originating from the stunning Empress across from him.Just as Luffy was wondering whether he should attack a plate of meat first or say something to break the strange atmosphere—"Luffy, come on, try this!"A clear, energetic, and perhaps overly loud voice rang out,Yamato precisely picked up the piece of grilled sea beast ribs that looked the most "unique."She placed the "sincerely offered" rib segment into Luffy's bowl with a "smack," the force causing the bowl to shake slightly.Then, she leaned forward slightly, her eyes, like burning rubies, fixed on Luffy without blinking.Hancock's slender, jade-like hand, which had been languidly supporting her chin, imperceptibly lowered.Her graceful neck turned toward Yamato, and her magenta eyes gave a slight side-glance.Immediately, she extended the hand renowned as the "Most Beautiful in the World," adopting a posture of impeccable elegance,and personally picked up a bowl of carefully simmered, creamy white fresh fish soup from in front of her."Luffy,"Her voice was softer and more deliberately slowed than usual, the final syllable slightly rising, carrying an unmistakable emphasis,"Try the soup that your concubine personally simmered. It is very fresh."She gently pushed the soup bowl toward Luffy, her movements fluid and smooth, a stark contrast to Yamato's straightforward "plop" moment earlier.The conflict... had begun!!Cold sweat nearly beaded on Luffy's forehead.Subconsciously, he sought a buffer, his gaze involuntarily darting toward the "instigator," Yamato, on his left.She was wearing a white kimono and kneeling on the cushion.The deliberate formality she maintained actually revealed a kind of uninhibited charm.Her long, silvery-white hair, like moonlight, was tied up high in a ponytail, looking fresh and neat.The soft fabric of her dress spread out. When she leaned forward slightly out of anticipation,the slightly full and rounded curve of her hips unintentionally pressed more clearly against her ankles, which were covered by pure white Tabi socks.That unintentional curve, brimming with vitality and health, held an attraction that made it hard to look away in the current tense and delicate atmosphere.Luffy's gaze had barely rested on that energetic curve for less than a second—"VWOOM—!"The Observation Haki alarm in his mind suddenly blared, its intensity skyrocketing!A cold, sharp, almost tangible gaze suddenly pierced him from the right!"Ahem, well, was this rib made by you?"Luffy glanced at the "burnt chunk" in his bowl and forced out a topic, trying to break the deadlock."Mm-hmm! I made it!!"The kneeling girl immediately lifted her head, her silver long hair swaying,and her crimson eyes sparkled with undisguised anticipation that was almost overflowing,"Hurry and try it!!""Then I'm digging in!!"Under the girl's unwavering gaze, Luffy closed his eyes and shoved the entire piece of meat into his mouth.Hmm, it was inedible, as expected, but that was nothing to him.After all, he was a man who could calmly eat a Devil Fruit!!"...How is it?" Yamato asked cautiously, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of her clothing.Luffy grinned, revealing a small section of blackened teeth, and gave a thumbs-up:"Super... super chewy! It's a taste I've never experienced before!!""Yamato, the food you make... has a lot of 'impact'! Hahaha!!"At the same time, Luffy's peripheral vision caught sight of the quiet, clear fish soup on his right.The soup was creamy white, a few shreds of green scallions floated gently on the surface, and pieces of fish were faintly visible. It looked... surprisingly normal.Almost the exact moment his gaze shifted to the fish soup, he clearly felt the heavy pressure and scorching gaze that had been enveloping him—vanish.It was replaced by a more subtle, tighter silence, as if all sound had been absorbed, leaving only the drumming of his heartbeat.Luffy didn't even need to turn his head to picture Hancock's appearance at this moment:She must be tightly clutching her skirt, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip, her stunning blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on the soup spoon in his hand,her breathing extremely shallow, afraid of missing even the slightest reaction from him.He reached out and picked up the bowl of fish soup that looked much safer.The bowl was warm, and the fresh, fragrant scent wafted into his nostrils, a sharp contrast to the previous burnt smell.He picked up the spoon, scooped a shallow spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to his mouth.The instant the warm liquid touched his tongue—Luffy's eyes suddenly widened, and the lines of his face, which had been slightly tense from the previous "ordeal,"instantly relaxed, even flashing with brightness.Fresh! Utterly fresh!This was completely different from the other form of "surprise" he had anticipated."The taste..." He put down the spoon, turned to look at Hancock, who was so nervous she was nearly petrified, and broke into a sincere, surprised smile free of any shadow,"It's delicious!"He couldn't help but scoop another spoonful, showing his appreciation through action."I didn't expect this fish soup to be so good!" he added, his tone filled with pure joy.To be honest, after experiencing Yamato's "creative cuisine,"he had certainly prepared himself mentally for a second round of "taste challenge,"even secretly summoning the courage to sample what felt like a "new type of Devil Fruit."The surprise brought by this unexpectedly delicious bowl of fish soup was instantly magnified, like a beam of sunlight suddenly breaking through a cloudy sky.Hancock's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a lovely blush spread visibly from her neck to her cheeks; even the tips of her ears were tinted crimson.She quickly lowered her head, trying to use her hanging black hair to conceal her involuntarily lifted lips and the shimmering moisture in her eyes,but the joy that was nearly overflowing could no longer be hidden."I, I just made it casually..."Her voice, faint as a mosquito's buzz, carried irrepressible excitement,"If you like it, Luffy... th-that's good."Luffy's hand holding the spoon paused slightly; his rubber brain rarely crashed for a moment.To be honest, before picking up this bowl of fish soup, he had already run several emergency simulations for the "aftermath"... ah, no,for the "subsequent response plan."After all, he was somewhat aware of his involuntary yet unusually abundant romantic fortune.Yamato was easy to handle; her simple mind, stuffed with "adventure," "Luffy," and "nakama," probably hadn't even reached the complex level of "rivals" or "vying for affection."But Hancock... this was the Empress, who ruled Amazon Lily and was revered as the "World's Most Beautiful Woman."Luffy knew better than anyone the fiery, undeniable love she held for him.By common sense, a situation like his, where outstanding women appeared one after another,was absolutely a prelude to the opening of a "Shura Battlefield."Luffy had even mentally rehearsed possible "ordeal" scenarios:For instance, Hancock tearfully asking, "What exactly is wrong with your concubine?"or creating a suffocating low pressure using Conqueror's Haki and the Mero Mero no Mi,or perhaps engaging in a "duel" with Yamato, full of eye contact and verbal sparring that he couldn't understand at all... He was prepared to frantically stuff meat into his mouthwhile mentally preparing to use all-purpose lines like "We're nakama!" and "Let's go on an adventure together!" to try and extinguish the flames.But what happened?The expected thunder, lightning, and stormy weather did not materialize.He simply drank a mouthful of fish soup and sincerely praised it as "delicious."And then... it was, it was over?He saw that Hancock not only instantly shed all her sharpness and oppressive aura but also lowered her head, displaying a shy, joyful, and captivating look with shimmering eyes.Not only was the atmosphere completely devoid of tension, but it inexplicably became... somewhat cozy, even bubbling with pink hearts?Luffy looked at the fresh, warm fish soup in his hand, then secretly glanced at the stunning Empress beside him, whose mood was clearly sunny and bright,and then peeked at Yamato across the table, who was still beaming brightly, seemingly completely oblivious to any undercurrents.His rubber brain was completely thrown into confusion.'Eh—?!''This is completely different from what they write in storybooks!!''The script shouldn't be like this, right?! Did I misunderstand? Or could it be...'He scratched his cheek, a more absurd thought popping into his head,'Is drinking the fish soup actually some kind of... mysterious clearance ritual?'Luffy blinked, feeling deep confusion for the first time regarding something other than food, along with a subtle, post-disaster sense of relief.Forget it, if he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it! As long as there was no fighting, it was a good thing!He immediately tossed this doubt to the back of his mind,adhering to the golden rule of "if there's good food, enjoy it happily,"he picked up the bowl and gulped down the rest of the delicious fish soup.