Hancock descended the stairs with stiff, mechanical steps, her heart pounding so violently it threatened to burst from her chest. She paused on the final step, taking a deep breath—
"This concubine... this concubine merely came to fetch water!" she announced loudly, her voice noticeably higher than usual.
Rhett, with his back to her, casually swirled his wine glass. "Eh-heh."
Hancock stiffly approached the teapot.
Hancock shuffled awkwardly toward the teapot, her fingers barely grazing the handle when—
"Ah!"
The original plan was to "accidentally" drop the teapot to draw attention, but whether from sheer nervousness—
Her left foot tripped over her right, sending her tumbling forward. The teapot flew from her grasp, steaming black tea arcing through the air like liquid gold.
Yet in the next instant—
"Snap!"
A crimson mist simultaneously caught both the teapot and little Hancock. The pot floated back to its place while she was gently righted, her forehead coming to rest precisely against Rhett's chest.
Rhett looked down at the girl frozen like a wooden doll in his arms, thoroughly amused.
Let's be clear—Rhett harbored no untoward thoughts. She was a child of twelve or thirteen.
Given Rhett's... seasoned age and the Dragon Kingdom's famously strict and efficient legal system regarding such matters, well... you understand.
Hancock's brain completely short-circuited.
"Lord Rhett—"
His steady heartbeat pulsed through his shirt, infuriatingly calm. (No detailed descriptions here—our nation has very reasonable laws, don't get any ideas.)
"I... this concubine..." Her mouth opened, only to realize her hands were death-gripping his collar. Worse yet—
"Thud!"
Under the collective gaze of everyone present, the future Pirate Empress' eyes rolled back as she fainted outright in Rhett's arms, literal steam rising from her head—the Empress had evolved into a Steaming Maiden.
After settling the three girls in their rooms...
Some time later...
Roars erupted from Rhett's chamber.
"Bastard! What do you mean 'I'll play outside awhile longer'?!"
Tesoro picked at his ear. "We're retrieving you to handle these matters. Weren't you the one who said we should expand operations while the world's in chaos? Last time we worked together, you vanished the next day. Don't tell me you forgot, Captain."
Rhett was rendered speechless. While an excellent captain who could exhibit remarkable calm or madness when needed...
What sane person could stare at documents 24/7 without headaches? Rhett didn't need micromanagement—just knowing who could handle which tasks while maintaining overall control.
Three days at a desk?
He'd rather spar with Garp for—
Er... umm...
With Aokiji for three days.
Enel's shrieks came through the Den Den Mushi: "CAPTAIN SAVE ME! TESORO'S WORKING ME LIKE A BEAST! (Tesoro) Don't snatch—BAM! (Enel) AHH!"
After the commotion, Stella's gentle voice inquired, "You've worked hard, Captain. When do you plan to return?"
"Ahem, just remembered urgent business! Carry on without me." Rhett hung up abruptly.
Suddenly, returning didn't seem quite so pressing.
After a night's rest...
Ginny had contacted Dragon's group and came to find Rhett.
"Rhett-sama," she asked respectfully, though her quirky speech patterns remained, "Dragon-san wishes to meet you. He says he's found his answer."
Rhett's eyes sparkled with gossip. "Did Kuma say anything?"
This was, after all, one of the most tragic romances in the pirate world, rivaling even Tesoro's.
Ginny's eyes dimmed momentarily before brightening. "He asked how I was doing. I could tell he was truly worried—that's our Kuma-boy."
Rhett leaned closer. "Need help? You know about Tesoro and Stella, right? Without me, they'd never have gotten together."
Author: Ptooey! They were already smitten—what's that got to do with you?
Rhett yanked the author's mouth shut. "Snow leopard, silence! Without me they'd never have united. I'm not lying."
As a Revolutionary Army officer, Ginny knew full well about the Golden Emperor's marital bliss—just not Rhett's involvement.
She bowed deeply. "Then I entrust this to you, Rhett-sama."
Learning Rhett had saved her brought relief—Dragon often spoke of meeting an extraordinary mentor, his admiration practically carved on his face.
Ginny thought: Maybe Rhett-sama really can help... Ahhh, how embarrassing!
Rayleigh entered, asking Rhett, "I plan to return the girls to Amazon Lily soon. At their growth stage, their bodies are severely depleted—they need proper recovery. I can drop you off on the way."
"Uh, I'll accompany you to Amazon Lily. Safer with two."
Rayleigh shot him a look that screamed: We've known each other since you were three.
"Hahaha, whatever—I'm coming for fun." Rhett abandoned all pretense.
While the girls recuperated, Rhett would wait for Dragon...
Waiting proved tedious. (Morphing into a bored fish——)
Rhett lay sprawled like salted cod.
"Rhett-sama!" Hancock sprinted over, small fists clenched. "Please teach us how to become strong!"
Rhett—having long removed his mask—had been shaping mini Sea Kings from blood mist to entertain a News Coo (building rapport since he'd killed many of its brethren—best not provoke a newspaper boycott).
Turning, he asked, "Isn't the Kuja's Haki heritage sufficient?"
"No!" Hancock stepped forward, eyes blazing with determination. "We want to be strong like Rhett-nii."
Sandersonia and Marigold immediately flanked her, six eyes burning into Rhett.
Dropping his playful demeanor, Rhett snapped his fingers—blood mist condensed into three tiny stools.
"Lesson one: The nature of Haki."
The sisters sat obediently.
"Haki isn't a tool—it's the extension of willpower and stamina."
He continued, "Observation is the perception of the soul, Armament the armor of strength, Conqueror's..."
Pausing deliberately, he watched Hancock's eyes ignite.
"...Conqueror's is the proof of kings."
Just as they leaned in for more, Rhett flopped onto his side. "Lesson over. Go practice with Rayleigh—he taught me everything. Time for my nap. Goodnight, kids."
With that, he ignored them completely. Teaching them wasn't the issue—but when replenishing their vitality with blood mist, he'd discovered their bodies were severely depleted. He couldn't risk large-scale life-force infusion.
For fine-tuning... better leave that to Rayleigh.