"What!?"
At Rindou's warning, a flash of shock instantly crossed Hancock's face.
On the other side, after receiving Sandersonia—who had been returned by the Yuda Serpent—Marigold handed her over to the Kuja Pirates' ship doctor, then narrowed her eyes and stared toward the distant sky.
"The Straw Hat Pirates—the rookie pirate crew that defeated Admiral Kizaru and the former Admiral Zephyr!?"
"Why would they… appear in the Calm Belt!?"
Marigold stared into the air in disbelief and fear.
Meanwhile, Robin and Nami—now exposed—couldn't help but shift their gaze toward Red, who was observing the battle from farther away.
After all, the reason they wore cloaks in the first place was to hide their identities.
Yet Nami had barely made a move before their cover was completely blown.
This, in turn, left Red feeling rather puzzled.
"How strange~"
"Aren't people in anime supposed to be unrecognizable as long as their eyes are covered?!"
"We're completely covered head to toe—how did they still recognize us?"
Standing in midair, Red stepped forward and suddenly planted his foot into a pitch-black Hyperspace Hole.
In the next instant, his figure appeared directly at the center of the battlefield.
Whoosh—
The dark green cloak fluttered violently before Red casually tossed it into the sea below.
Behind him, Robin and Nami followed suit, removing their cloaks and revealing their true appearances.
"Honestly~"
"Even though you probably wouldn't report us to the World Government, for safety's sake, I guess I can't let you leave anymore!"
"Th-that's the man who defeated former Admiral Zephyr—Trainer Red!!!"
"What!? Isn't that the pirate with a bounty of 1.07 billion Beli?!"
"Can… can Lady Hancock really defeat them?!"
"..."
"..."
Worried voices quickly erupted aboard the Perfume Yuda.
It wasn't that they didn't trust their Empress—this enemy had simply appeared far too suddenly.
Moreover, every one of the opponents possessed flight capabilities, while Lady Hancock, in order to prevent collateral damage to their ships, could only maneuver across the sea using the Yuda Serpents.
By all accounts, the battle situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable.
Yet now, they were trapped.
Advancing or retreating—either option spelled danger.
Hearing Red's words, shame and anger flashed across Longdan's face.
From that man's tone, it was clear—had she not exposed their identities, he likely wouldn't have pressed the Kuja Pirates so relentlessly.
Just then, a commanding voice rang out sharply.
"Hmph!"
"Skulking rats hiding in the shadows!"
"And you lot—what exactly are you panicking about?!"
"Have you forgotten… why I became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"It was because of strength!"
BOOM!!!
A vast surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted once more from Hancock's body, sweeping toward Red and the others like a roaring hurricane.
This time, the Haki she released was even sharper than before.
Even the air itself trembled violently under her will, as if it were being cleaved away from surrounding space.
"She wasn't even going all out just now?!"
"As expected of a veteran pirate!"
"Veteran…?"
As if she had heard a forbidden word, a pulsing vein popped on Hancock's forehead—yet it did nothing to diminish her breathtaking beauty.
"Man!"
"You're the first in this world to dare describe me like that!"
"To reward your audacity, I'll turn you into the most exquisite stone sculpture—and sink you into the sea!!!"
Fury blazed in Hancock's eyes as her aura surged upward.
Pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coated her long, elegant legs. With a powerful leap, she launched herself straight at Red.
Despite her disdainful words, Hancock's heart was already on full alert—she opened with her strongest strike!
"Perfume Femur!!!"
Terrifying pressure exploded again and again, producing violent sonic booms under the force of her kick.
But just one second before her attack landed—
"Oh my~ didn't I say your opponents are Nami and Robin?!"
"Since we can't let you leave anyway, there's no reason to waste such a perfect testing opportunity!"
As the words fell, Red's figure vanished from the spot.
"What!?"
Hancock's pupils shrank.
Losing her target mid-strike, she could only withdraw her strength and land atop a Yuda Serpent rushing across the sea below.
But before Hancock could steady herself, Nami—who had been waiting in the sky—launched another attack.
"Thunder Tempo · Roaming Dragon!"
Rumble—!
Within the thinning storm clouds, lightning suddenly erupted once more.
Countless snake-like currents of electricity flashed through the clouds, rapidly converging above Hancock's head.
The next instant—
BOOM!!!
Like divine punishment descending in fury, a thunderbolt shaped like a flying dragon burst from the clouds and crashed toward Hancock below!
"Lady Hancock!"
Having already witnessed Nami's lightning instantly defeat Sandersonia, the Kuja Pirates cried out in terror.
Yet facing the thunderous might above her, Hancock's eyes held only a flicker of disdain.
"Such a boring trick."
She snorted softly and brought two fingers together, gently touching her lips.
In an instant, a magical pink heart-shaped object emerged from her kiss and rapidly expanded.
"Slave Arrow—Full Barrage!!!"
She suddenly assumed the stance of drawing a bow.
The heart-shaped construct warped along with her movement.
Swish!!!
With a flick of her fingers, countless pink arrows burst forth, endless in number, shooting straight into the descending lightning dragon!
Under the piercing assault of the Slave Arrows, the dragon's massive form rapidly shrank.
Before it could even approach Hancock's delicate body, it had already thinned into something resembling a slender enoki mushroom.
Sizzle—
A nearly imperceptible crackle of electricity faded away.
Nami's lightning—capable of instantly defeating Sandersonia—was effortlessly neutralized by Hancock.
But before the Kuja Pirates could relax, a figure suddenly appeared behind Hancock.
Surrounded by sinister energy, Robin slowly raised her head, an eerie gleam flashing through her eyes.
BOOM!!!
An ominous wave of power erupted from Robin's body.
Hancock instantly sensed the anomaly behind her.
"Perfume Femur!"
Already wary of Robin, she balanced on one leg and spun like a top, launching herself toward Robin at incredible speed.
However—
BANG!!!
An attack carrying nearly eighty percent of Hancock's power was abruptly halted midair by a strange, transparent barrier.
Seeing this, Robin's lips curved upward—without a single unnecessary word.
The mature, composed woman released a peculiar aura from her body.
"Baddy Bad!"
Whoosh—
In an instant, Hancock felt as if something strange had invaded her mind, her body reflexively stumbling several steps backward.
Under the force of Hancock's strike, the Reflect barrier formed by Baddy Bad shattered apart.
"To break Reflect with a single hit… it seems Red was right."
At that moment, Nami flew down beside Robin, the two facing Hancock together.
"In close combat, even Zoro might not be able to deal with the Pirate Empress so easily."
"As for Sanji… uh… forget I said anything~"
Nami abruptly cut herself off.
Looking at Hancock's stunning figure and flawless skin, even they—fellow women—felt their spirits lifted. Let alone Sanji.
Hit her?
If he didn't turn around and help Hancock beat the Straw Hat Pirates, that alone would count as incredible willpower.
Their thoughts flashed past in an instant.
Nami and Robin exchanged a tacit glance, then without hesitation launched a coordinated assault once more!
For a time, lightning, flower petals, and pink arrows completely engulfed the battlefield.
"How terrifying~"
"So this is what battles between women look like?!"
Watching the ferocious clash, Red—who had originally only wanted Robin and Nami to experience Hancock's strength—clicked his tongue in amazement.
Even he hadn't expected them to push themselves this far.
The battle zone among the three was visibly shrinking!
This proved that despite knowing Hancock's terrifying close-range prowess, Robin and Nami were still deliberately narrowing the distance—challenging their own limits.
Though Red was pleased to see this, he couldn't help but worry…
Their fighting styles wouldn't permanently change because of this battle, would they?
Time slowly passed.
Under the sustained pressure from Nami and Robin, Hancock's stamina had clearly dropped—she was already breathing heavily.
By contrast, the two women—carefully maintained by Red through various means—remained nearly as fresh as they had been at the start.
And this battle was taking place atop the sea—Hancock's weakest terrain…
The outcome already seemed clear.
However, just as the three pulled apart again for a brief respite, a panicked cry suddenly rang out from the Perfume Yuda.
"Lady Hancock!!!!!!!!"
"This is bad!!! Granny Nyon just called—Amazon Lily Kingdom has been attacked!!!"
"The damage is severe!"
"And the attackers are… a joint force of the Flying Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates—"
"The Black Lion Pirate Alliance!!!"
(End of Chapter)