The Power of the Six Eyes

Armament Haki wrapped around Marigold's hand as she shouted and swung it down at Ace.

Ace hurriedly dodged, but Sandersonia's serpent tail, also coated in Armament Haki, lashed out as if she had foreseen where he would jump. Bang! Ace was knocked down yet again.

"Only our sister and Ruidio can use that method of hers. Give it up."

"Pirate King's son, again!"

"Don't..." Ace charged at them, swinging his fists. "Call me that!"

"You're angry. Good! Stay angry and draw out your potential!"

"Bang!"

Day five—

At the summit of Kuja Castle, Ruidio sat atop the three serpent-head statues. He appeared to be gazing out at the boundless Calm Belt, but he was actually checking the system interface.

[Radar has detected a new mission: I want to appeal]

[The Celestial Dragons' triennial gathering is about to be held, but the island outside the Affiliated Nations that Saint Manmeya Speed carefully selected was rejected. He is dissatisfied...]

[Mission requirement: make the South Blue island selected by Manmeya Speed the venue for this Celestial Dragons' gathering.]

[Client: Manmeya Speed]

[Distance: medium]

[Estimated difficulty: ★★★★]

[Estimated time remaining to accept: five months]

"..."

Ruidio fell silent as he looked at the mission the system had found today.

What the hell is this damned system playing at? I really need to check whose side you're on!

You might as well have found it for me when that damned gathering was underway. I have Satoru Gojo Mode now. Even if it only lasts a minute, it's not like I'd have no chance of saving a few more people...

"So this is where you are!"

Just then, Sandersonia and Marigold climbed up the mountain. The summit was high, but they had both eaten Zoan fruits, and their physical abilities had long since surpassed the limits of ordinary humans. In terms of raw muscular strength, they were even stronger than their older sister.

But if they all used Armament Haki, they were no match for her.

"How's Ace doing?" Ruidio asked.

Marigold smiled. "He's very talented, and he trains seriously and works hard. He's improving quickly. In a few more days, he might have something to show for it."

"He's exhausted himself and passed out," Sandersonia said, flicking her serpent tongue and shaking her head. "Isn't he working a little too hard? Ruidio, can't you make food? Sorry for the trouble, but could you make him some to help him recover?"

"That's easy."

Ruidio smiled and stood up. "Wait a moment."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot, leaving behind a transparent prism spinning in place...

Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged looks. A few minutes later, Ruidio appeared out of thin air again, Malevolent Shrine in hand.

Thud. A bloody human head, still attached to the entire spine, was thrown to the ground.

It was a head with a face full of fat. It wore a transparent bubble and had a high, upturned topknot like a memorial tablet. Its eyes had still been filled with bewilderment when it died...

Blood had splashed onto the hem of Ruidio's clothes, and he wiped it off in disgust.

"..."

Sanda and Mari stared in shock at the head on the ground. Only after checking it over and over did they speak, their voices trembling. "Th-th-this is... a Ce-Ce-Ce-Ce-Celestial Dragon?!"

Ruidio said, "Just a celestial pig. I asked him which island had been selected, and he didn't know a thing. A useless idiot, dumb as a pig."

Bang!

He lifted his foot and kicked. Trailing its long spine, the bubble-helmeted head flew like a shooting star into the depths of Kuja's jungle. As soon as it landed, a beast quickly pounced on it, seized it in its jaws, and began to feast...

Huh?

How do I know a beast went to gnaw on that pig's head?

Ruidio looked at the notification on the system interface: [Mastered: Observation Haki (first glimpse)]

Just as I thought!

Ruidio felt gratified. He hadn't sacrificed his looks and stayed pressed up against the empress all these days for nothing.

"Sanda, Mari, I have a question. I don't know if I should ask."

Ruidio looked the two younger sisters over and suddenly asked, "Are you and Hancock sisters by blood?"

Sanda and Mari were still too stunned to recover from Ruidio twisting off a Celestial Dragon's head somewhere and kicking it away like a ball. When they heard his question, they answered instinctively, "Yes. Why?"

"..." Sanda suddenly realized what he meant and smiled bitterly. "Are you wondering why our sister is so beautiful, but we... don't look much like her?"

"Being beautiful... only brings misfortune..."

Mari folded her arms, her body trembling slightly. Perhaps because her emotional wounds had healed somewhat, though her past experiences still pained her, the pain was no longer enough to make her clutch her head and turn hysterical. She murmured, "I'd rather look like this..."

Sanda covered her face and said glumly, "Actually, the three of us looked a lot alike when we were little..."

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked."

Ruidio apologized. He suddenly remembered that the world of One Piece had what were called "a normal future" and "a future gone wrong." Princess Vivi was one he remembered particularly well. In her normal future, at forty and sixty, she remained youthful and radiant. But in the future gone wrong, by sixty she had become a Celestial Dragon old woman, hideous and grotesque, no different from the Celestial Dragon pig he had just kicked away.

Sanda and Mari... those two had probably ended up looking like their "future gone wrong" selves after their inner worlds collapsed and their minds were ravaged.

The two younger sisters couldn't hold on and broke down. But Hancock had just barely managed to hold herself together.

Or perhaps it was also because she had two younger sisters to care for that she forced herself to steady her crumbling mental world, keeping her looks from collapsing along with her inner self.

Gloriosa, Charlotte Linlin, Buckingham Stussy... all of them had been great beauties in their youth, yet after going down the wrong path, they had all turned into ugly old women, as if they had been reborn. It was probably for the same reason.

Sanda and Mari transformed into enormous serpents and left down the mountain, carrying a great pile of food Ruidio had made.

Bonney's Age-Age Fruit power could transform her into all sorts of possible forms. Was that also connected to this concept of "different future paths"?

The thought suddenly crossed Ruidio's mind.

Day six—

In the jungle, Ace was beaten by a green and a yellow half-human, half-serpent until his head was covered in bumps. But every so often, as if he could suddenly anticipate their attacks, he would somehow manage to dodge them...

Day seven—

Kuja Castle, the empress's fragrant bathing chamber—

Hot steam filled the air as Ruidio sat calmly in the pool with his eyes closed.

"Splash..."

The water stirred as Hancock slid closely against him like a beautiful serpent.

She held Ruidio, Haki flowing all over her body as if tinged with a pink aura. As she moved gently past his ear, beneath his jaw, over his neck and chest... the Haki also suffused every part of his body.

[Mastered: Armament Haki (beginner), Observation Haki (beginner)]

Ruidio had remained perfectly still throughout. Only now did he slowly open his eyes and smile.

"Did it work?" Hancock sat astride him, her arms around his neck, her lips red and alluring.

"Haha!" Ruidio laughed heartily and fell backward with her in his arms. Amid her delighted laughter, they sank into the hot water with a splash.

The empress's long black hair drifted like seaweed as the two sank to the bottom of the pool and gazed into each other's eyes.

Hancock remembered how Sanda and Mari had quietly come to her the night before last, speaking incoherently about what Ruidio had done to a Celestial Dragon... She buried her face in his chest, and they embraced quietly, feeling each other's heartbeats.

Chapter 64: The Power of the Six Eyes

[Cover serial: Vice President Miss All Sunday 14 — "Rescue"]

[Crack, crack, crack. Arms sprout from the bodies of two soldiers, and their joints are twisted and broken. Holding down her Cowboy Hat, Robin pushes open the door to a house in a small courtyard and sees a young man tied up tightly, wearing a Revolutionary Army armband.]

Day eight—

Kuja Castle, the arena—

"Ran, you're here too."

"Rindou, did Lady Snake Princess summon everyone here for something urgent?"

"Marguerite! Over here, over here!"

"I have no idea what's going on at all, scroll."

"Captain Kikyo, even the children were summoned here. Just what is Lady Snake Princess going to..."

Kuja warriors entered the arena one after another. Many of them wore white battle cloaks, but their shoulder insignia showed that some belonged to the Kuja Pirates, while others were part of the Kuja Warriors.

But some of those entering the arena were plainly children only about ten years old. They probably hadn't been training their Haki for long, so why had they been summoned to a place reserved for combat matches?

Guard Captain Kikyo led Marguerite and the others, while Rindou led several members of the pirate crew. Each group also brought some of the children, entering in an orderly fashion from either side.

Tiered spectator stands surrounded the arena. At the center was a fighting platform with three levels, and directly behind it stood a tower stand. A long staircase connected it to the platform for the convenience of the throne's occupant at the top of the tower.

On the throne that had originally belonged solely to Lady Snake Princess, two people were now seated.

"It's him..." the blonde Marguerite whispered.

Sweet Pea, beside her, said, "That's the man Lady Snake Princess said we should treat as we would Lady Snake Princess herself whenever we see him, scroll!"

The tall Aphelandra covered her mouth and exclaimed, "So that's a 'man'! It's my first time seeing one... He's pretty good-looking, isn't he?"

"Rindou, Kikyo, come here."

From the throne atop the tower, Hancock beckoned to the crowd around the platform below. When the two women climbed the steps and reached the throne, they found Lady Snake Princess listening to the man whispering something to her.

The Snake Princess nodded and gave them a few instructions.

"Yes." Rindou and Kikyo accepted their orders and withdrew.

They returned to the crowd in the arena and conveyed Lady Snake Princess's orders:

"Children who have just mastered Armament Haki, go to section A over there. Those whose Haki has just reached the three-serpent realm, go to section B. The few who have reached the six-serpent realm, go to section C. Those at the nine-serpent realm, go to section D.

"Besides that, everyone among you who has mastered Observation Haki, go stand on the fighting platform. If you think your Observation Haki is reasonably well trained, stand in the very center.

"If you've understood, get moving!"

After Rindou and Kikyo had explained everything, they clapped their hands and urged everyone into action.