"Lies! This is the Calm Belt—infested with giant Sea Kings! Ordinary people can't reach this place. You must be up to something! Kill them!"
Before she could attack, a voice called out, "Wait!!"
An elderly woman hobbled forward.
"Elder Nyon?"
Boa Hancock frowned in disgust. "Old woman, was it you who let these filthy men in?!"
"It was this old one. I only did so for the safety of our nation."
"Our land forbids men. For them to set foot here is already a capital crime. And you—bringing them into the sacred city—are equally guilty. Once these men are dead, I'll deal with you too! Kill them!"
Suddenly—
All the warriors closest to Akemi collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Hancock's eyes widened. "What's going on?! What did you do?!"
Akemi smiled and spread his hands. "Nothing much. Just put them to sleep."
She noticed his eyes—now crimson, with three tomoe swirling within. The moment she saw them, even she felt her heart tremble.
What terrifying eyes…
Elder Nyon's heart skipped a beat as well. She had been right to stop the others. If they'd fought yesterday, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Now, can we talk calmly?"
"What do you want to say, man?"
Hancock restrained herself. There were too many civilians nearby, and his positioning threatened them. She couldn't act recklessly.
"Our Uchiha clan wishes to form an alliance with Amazon Lily."
One of the Kuja warriors stepped up. "Alliance? With some strangers we've never heard of? Who do you think you are to speak to Lady Empress like that?!"
"The Pirate Empress, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, hailed as the World's Most Beautiful Woman… I'd heard the tales, but seeing you in person truly lives up to the name."
Akemi said with a grin, openly admiring Hancock from head to toe.
Her lip curled in disdain. Typical man—ensnared by her beauty already.
"How dare you speak such words before Lady Empress! Think your little strength gives you the right to act wild here?!" shouted a Kuja pirate.
Hancock raised a hand to silence her crew, eyes fixed on Akemi. "Then let us hear it. What kind of cooperation do you propose?"
"I know of a place filled with gold—enough to form a mountain. We can work together to bring it back. You'll get half. In return, I only ask that you allow my clan a small section of land to settle in."
"Impossible."
Hancock rejected it outright.
"Amazon Lily will never allow the presence of men. It's a tradition upheld for centuries."
"Don't be so quick to refuse. We're talking about enough gold to build an entire mountain." Akemi's tone was tempting.
"A… mountain?"
"A mountain of gold?!"
Many of the Kuja pirates' eyes gleamed with greed. Even though they were women, they were still pirates—and no pirate could resist such treasure.
Hancock smirked proudly. "If I capture you, I can learn the gold's location myself."
"Oh my, you really are a clever one. But that won't do. That would cause too many casualties. How about we make a bet instead?"
"A bet?" Hancock's eyes lit up with interest at the word.
Akemi glanced around and said, "I've heard this place is the Nation of Warriors—Amazon Lily. So why don't we have a fair three-on-three duel? If you win, I'll tell you where the gold is hidden, and my entire clan will be at your disposal."
"You sure know quite a lot!"
"If we win, then things go according to the terms I mentioned earlier. How about it?"
"Interesting. Since you're so eager to die, I'll accept," Hancock said coldly. In her eyes, these men were just struggling before death. She didn't mind watching them squirm a little longer—it would make a good show.
Once these three were defeated, she would wipe out their entire clan.
Soon, nearly everyone headed to the coliseum—a massive circular arena where the island's warriors usually held combat tournaments. The outermost ring was surrounded by a deep trench filled with sharp blades; anyone falling in would die instantly.
"I heard there are men here!"
"Men?! Those people are men?!"
"I thought men were supposed to be violent and scary! They look pretty gentle!"
"Don't be fooled by their looks. My mom said men are liars, and the more beautiful they are, the better they lie!"
…
At a section of the viewing platform, the Uchiha clan sat together, observing.
"So Akemi plans to settle this with a duel," said one of them. "That's a good idea—it'll reduce casualties and show them our strength."
From yesterday's clash, they already knew that though this country was full of women, their combat power was nothing to scoff at.
And since they far outnumbered the Uchiha, a full conflict would cost them dearly.
If everything could be resolved through a formal duel, that would be ideal. Even if the Amazons went back on their word, they would still hesitate to provoke the Uchiha's might.
"Snake Princess, are you really sending that thing into the first match?"
Akemi stood in the center of the arena, facing a giant black panther over four meters tall and nearly seven meters long.
The panther stared at him, drooling, as though it saw a delicious meal.
Sitting high above on her throne, Hancock crossed one leg over the other and said arrogantly, "Of course not. That black panther's name is Bacura. It's a man-eating beast raised by our royal line for generations—our executioner. After it's done, not even bones remain."
"Though I accepted your wager, not just anyone can fight me. If you want to duel, prove your strength first."
"You said it yourself—this is the Nation of Warriors, where only the strong are beautiful. If you can't pass this trial, then fight to your death. We'll be sure to send you off properly."
Akemi smiled helplessly. "You really are a clever girl."
"He called the Snake Princess a clever girl!"
"Kill him! Bacura!!"
"A weak, arrogant man!!"
All the women in the audience screamed in outrage. The Snake Princess wasn't just their ruler—she was their idol. And to fanatics, any insult toward their idol was unforgivable.
"Bacura!!" Hancock commanded.
"Grrrrraaaaaahhhh!!"
The massive panther roared and charged straight at Akemi, jaws wide open to crush him whole.
Akemi slowly raised his hand. "Stop."
The moment before it could bite him, Bacura froze mid-charge and came to a screeching halt.
"Shut your mouth."
Snap!
The beast's jaws closed shut.
"Sit."
Bacura plopped down obediently on the ground.
"Give me your paw."
The panther placed its right paw into Akemi's open hand.
"Spin."
The panther began spinning in circles like a dog performing tricks.
"…"
The entire audience was dumbfounded—everyone except the Uchiha.
"Bacura!! What are you doing?!"
"Why are you obeying that man like a pet dog?!"
"How did he do that?!"
The Amazon warriors shouted in confusion and disbelief.
"Hahaha! That's so fun! Akemi-nii is amazing!"
Five-year-old Uchiha Sasuke clapped excitedly. Still living in a warm, happy household, he was innocent and cheerful—nothing like the cold boy he would become later. He admired Akemi deeply, the strongest of the Uchiha.
Even the clan members around him couldn't help but smile.
Uchiha Fugaku sighed. "Akemi's illusion techniques are still as incredible as ever."
As clan head, Fugaku could also control the panther, but not with the same effortless grace Akemi displayed.
"Akemi's the number one of the Uchiha. What, are you jealous as the clan head now?" teased his wife, Uchiha Mikoto.
"Jealous? Of course not. The stronger Akemi is, the better. With him, maybe the Uchiha can reach the top again."
Fugaku had always dreamed of restoring the clan's glory—something every Uchiha desired. Under his leadership, the clan had made some progress, but they were still far from their former peak.
And with Konoha's higher-ups oppressing them, they were stuck in a grim situation. But in Akemi, Shisui, and his son Itachi, Fugaku saw hope for their revival.
Suddenly—thud!
The enormous panther collapsed onto the floor, eyes spinning.
Akemi raised his head, smiling at Hancock. "So, can we start now?"
Hancock's face darkened, her teeth grinding on her thumb in frustration. The terrifying beast she'd just bragged about had turned into a puppy in front of him—what a humiliation.
"What did you do?"
"What did I do? Simple. I used an illusion to control it."
"Illusion? Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
"No. This is a hereditary power of the Uchiha bloodline."
"Your eyes…!" Hancock immediately understood.
Akemi nodded. "Yes, these eyes can hypnotize and cast illusions. Anyone who meets my gaze can be controlled."
The entire crowd recoiled, quickly averting their eyes from him.