Boa Hancock's eyes narrowed, their gleam as cold as steel forged in the deepest trenches of the sea.
The wind off the waters of Amazon Lily carried the heady scent of wild blossoms, yet the space between her and the intruder felt like an invisible battlefield.
"You!!" Her voice cracked like a whip, slicing through the air. "Where did you come from? Do you not know this island despises men?"
It wasn't merely a threat—it was law. A truth running in the blood of every woman born on Amazon Lily. To them, men were not just unwelcome guests. They were a danger to be erased.
Noir, hands casually tucked into his pockets, didn't so much as blink.
"Happened to swim… and ended up here. I know I've stepped onto your private ground. I'll leave at once."
"Oh?" Hancock tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips curling. "For a man, you have… manners."
"Kufufu…" Noir dipped his head, his chuckle light but tinged with something unreadable. "I'm an honorable man. I respect anyone worthy of respect… and I know where the line is drawn."
For the briefest moment, Hancock's lips truly smiled—but it was the smile of a freshly whetted blade.
"That's good. But here on Amazon Lily… words are no shield. You still must die for setting foot on this land."
At that, the Kuja warriors behind her drew their bows in unison. Strings pulled tight, sunlight flashing off arrowheads as black as obsidian, their edges glinting with the force of Busoshoku Haki.
The strings thrummed—twang!—and death rained down. Arrows stabbed into the earth where Noir had stood moments earlier, kicking up dust and shards of dirt like small explosions.
But Noir was gone.
In a single bound, he landed lightly on the bough of a towering tree, his step almost soundless.
"Kufufu… isn't this a little much?" he called from above, his voice echoing through the canopy. "If you'll allow it, I'll be on my way… blind and mute both. No one will know I was ever here."
Hancock gave no reply. She merely gestured sharply, and another volley of arrows flew. Noir darted between branches like a shadow refusing to be caught, never loosing a counterattack. His movements made one thing clear—he had no intention of starting a war.
The taut air broke when a raspy yet steady voice called from deeper within the jungle.
"Hebi-hime, what is all this noise?"
Hancock clicked her tongue in annoyance. From the shade emerged an elderly woman—short, her white hair like cotton, her step firm despite her age. She carried a weathered wooden staff carved with the pattern of a serpent.
"You're in the way, old woman. Leave," Hancock ordered, her tone more decree than request.
But the woman—Gloriosa, former Empress of Amazon Lily—ignored her. Her eyes locked on Noir, pupils narrowing as if trying to recognize something behind that calm face.
Then, like lightning striking, her eyes went wide. Her breath caught. Her hand trembled as she pointed straight at him.
"You… why is a dangerous criminal like you here… Genshu Noir!"
The words hit the clearing like a stone dropped into still water—sending ripples through every soul present. Even the jungle's insects seemed to fall silent.
Noir's face stayed calm, but his eyes narrowed a fraction. His gaze lingered on Gloriosa, weighing how deeply she might know his truth.
Hancock's sharp voice cut the stillness. "What do you mean, old woman? I've never seen him before. Why act as if you know him?"
Gloriosa did not blink. "Of course no one knew his face… until hours ago. Genshu Noir—this man—is wanted by the Navy across the entire world. For one reason—" She paused, her gaze sharpening to a point. "He dared… to harm a Celestial Dragon."
That name—Celestial Dragon—fell like a length of iron chain.
The Kuja warriors' breaths hitched. Some gripped their bows tighter—not from aggression, but from instinctive survival.
Even Hancock, famed for fearing nothing, felt a flicker of cold down her spine. Her eyes drilled into Noir. "You… are you insane?"
Noir lifted his shoulders in an almost bored shrug. "No. I was taking a ship… happened to find a Celestial Dragon aboard. He annoyed me, so… I gave him a little trauma."
Some of the warriors swallowed hard. The way he said it, it sounded as harmless as spilling a cup of tea.
Gloriosa leaned forward, her voice sharp as a spearpoint. "Boy, do you understand the risk? The Navy will hunt you with everything they have."
"Kufufu…" Noir glanced skyward, letting sunlight slip across his lashes. "I've lived on the edge of death for as long as I can remember. Can the Navy's threats catch me? Unfortunately… I'm not afraid of the world."
Hancock rolled her eyes faintly. "I can't tell if you're brave or a fool. But one thing is certain—you must leave this island at once. We won't suffer the consequences of your recklessness."
Gloriosa nodded. "Go. Now."
Noir looked at them for a moment, then inclined his head in understanding. He took one step back, then another—his figure starting to fade into the forest's shadows.
But before he could vanish—
"Hebi-hime-sama~~~!!" A Kuja warrior came stumbling out of the trees, breath ragged, her face drained of all color. "A-Admiral… Aokiji… is here!!!"
Time seemed to stop. Breath caught in every throat.
The air beneath the canopy turned cold—far too cold for the climate of Amazon Lily. A thin mist began to creep along the ground, curling around their ankles like the fingers of ice.
Noir tilted his head, lips curling into a faint smile. "Kufufu… looks like my plan to 'leave quietly' just got erased."