Meeting and Rewards

After the probing ended, Vegapunk left the vicinity of the Red Line without hesitation and headed towards Amazon Lily.

Having been away from the Pirate World for so many years, Hancock must be homesick. Since she can't destroy the World Government for the time being, she should go home and visit first.

In contrast to the original story where Hancock eventually returned to Amazon Lily and lived there until becoming its queen, the current Hancock, after being rescued from the Celestial Dragons by Vegapunk, only visits Amazon Lily a few times now.

Naturally, under these circumstances, Hancock did not become the queen of Amazon Lily; her two sisters now rule the Amazon Lily.

Although Hancock's two sisters are far less talented than Hancock, they are still much stronger than ordinary Kuja warriors. With the added technological enhancements from Vegapunk, they have the strength of veteran Marine Vice Admiral.

This level of strength is more than enough to rule Amazon Lily. Considering the advantages of being in the Calm Belt, even the Navy doesn't want to mess with this tough nut to crack.

It's worth noting that Vegapunk, who had long recognized the strategic significance of the Calm Belt, did not develop Sea Stone warships for the Navy. Even though other scientists had conducted some research on this, the Navy's Sea Stone warships still suffered losses of nearly half when passing through the Calm Belt.

In this situation, unless Amazon Lily does something taboo like directly attacking Marine Base, the navy doesn't want to risk such a huge loss to attack Amazon Lily's stronghold in the Calm Belt Amazon Lily.

"It's so peaceful... Not even a single Sea Kings can be seen. Only at times like this can I truly appreciate that your inventions, Doctor, have uses beyond just warfare..."

Nico Robin, sitting on the deck and casting a fishing rod, remarked with a touch of melancholy.

"Don't make me sound like an arms dealer!"

Vegapunk curled his lip:

"I've only met the needs of the vast majority of my customers. If anyone's to blame, it's those customers who just love powerful weapons and machines that enhance their abilities!"

"Besides, didn't I also improve Geothermal Generator and invent Weather Tower in the Ninja World?"

"Doctor, as far as I know, those Weather Tower and the like can also be used as weapons, right?"

"Of course! It's always good to be prepared! Both worlds are so dangerous, we definitely need to prepare some things for self-defense!"

Vegapunk looked completely at ease, and Hancock, who was massaging Vegapunk from behind, nodded in agreement.

"My dear is absolutely right! We must always be prepared for battle!"

Nico Robin pursed her lips and didn't say anything more, it was unclear whether she thought Vegapunk and Hancock were being too cautious, or if she felt the world was too dangerous.

"We're almost there! Look, there's Amazon Lily!"

Upon seeing Amazon Lily, with its hydra statue in the distance, Hancock couldn't help but smile with excitement. After all, she had been away for many years, and being able to return to her hometown naturally made Hancock very happy.

As Hancock saw Amazon Lily, the people on Amazon Lily also saw the ship sailing towards them.

Although Vegapunk's ships were very advanced, their hulls were still disguised as ordinary wooden sailboats, and they did not fly any pirate flags, so under normal circumstances they would not attract the attention of others.

However, since Amazon Lily is located in Calm Belt, any ship that appears here cannot be an ordinary ship, so the women of Amazon Lily did not let their guard down.

Until the women saw Hancock standing on the bow of the ship.

"It's Lady Hancock! Lady Hancock is back!"

"Lady Hancock, I miss you so much!"

"Aaaaaah! I can't take it anymore! Lady Hancock looked at me! I'm going to die!!"

In an instant, the residents of Amazon Lily, who had been standing on the dock with wary expressions, started shouting and cheering, as if they were enthusiastic fans who had met their idols. Some even fainted from excitement.

Hancock held her head high, ignoring the excited residents, and walked out while holding Vegapunk's arm. Nico Robin and Kozuki Toki, who were behind her, were also a little dumbfounded by the scene before them.

"She's just as popular as ever, Hancock!"

"Uh... Miss Hancock... isn't she a little too popular..."

"It's nothing, she's always been like this, I believe the residents of Amazon Lily are already used to it!"

At that moment, Hancock, who was being talked about by Nico Robin and Kozuki Toki, impatiently unleashed her Conqueror's Haki, stunning many of the Amazon Lily residents in front of her. Then, she and Begarpunk swaggered over, trampling the unconscious residents under their feet.

"To be trampled under Hancock's feet is just too wonderful!"

"I wish I could too! Lady Hancock, come and step on me!"

Seeing the scene before him, Kozuki Toki grinned and then fell silent.

Are these Amazon Lily residents out of their minds...? Well, with Hancock's beauty and charm combined with the effects of the Love-Love Fruit, this situation isn't too far off...

In the palace on Amazon Lily, Hancock lay languidly on the huge chair in the center, her arms still tightly wrapped around Vegapunk.

Beside her were the two queens of Amazon Lily, Hancock's sister Marygold and Sandersonia, who were happily greeting Hancock but showed no reaction to Hancock's seemingly excessive behavior.

On the contrary, a short, seemingly very old woman, holding a snake-shaped staff, spoke up angrily:

"Hancock, don't lie there! That's a seat reserved for the Emperor of Amazon Lily! You're no longer the Emperor of Amazon Lily, and besides, you've brought a man with you?"

Hancock yawned, looking completely unconcerned.

"What... old woman... it's just a broken seat, what's there to say!"

"What throne of the Amazon Lily... if that's not feasible, let my dear just be the emperor of Amazon Lily!"

Granny Nyon ordinary Amazon Lily resident, or even the former Amazon Lily emperor, would be daydreaming if Granny Nyon dared to say such a thing, but if it were Hancock ...

Uh... Heaven knows what those Amazon Lily fangirls will do. Anyway, they treat Hancock's words as divine pronouncements.

"No! Absolutely not! How could there be a male emperor on Amazon Lily?! Hancock, I'm telling you..."

Raising an eyebrow, Hancock, annoyed by Granny Nyon's voice, casually waved her hand. Granny Nyon, who was still rambling on, suddenly felt dizzy and was thrown out of the palace.

Vegapunk, who was being held by Hancock, also rolled his eyes:

"Forget it, Hancock, I don't want to be the male emperor of Amazon Lily... People would laugh at me if they told them!"

While Amazon Lily is full of scantily clad beauties, it also has a fair number of scantily clad dinosaurs... After all, it's the Pirate World, and the art style is something you'd all understand. The women are either beautiful and sexy, or they're inhuman-looking—there's no middle ground, and they're all unforgettable.

Besides, research is more important than women! The transportation to Amazon Lily is inconvenient, and the conditions on the island are more primitive, so it's not a good place for research.

Hancock simply smiled after hearing Vegapunk's words.

"It's alright, darling. Since you don't want to be one, then stay here and enjoy yourself for a while longer!"

After spending two months with Hancock on Amazon Lily, Vegapunk and his crew were finally ready to leave. However, before that, his men had already arrived near Amazon Lily.

"Boss, you're not going to tell me that all these years you've been hiding here on Amazon Lily enjoying yourself!"

Stussy walked into the palace with a smile on his face. Although he looked very happy, he made no attempt to hide the resentment in his tone.

"I wasn't on Amazon Lily. I just encountered some unexpected trouble and only recently returned..."

Vegapunk felt a chill run down his spine looking at Stussy's smile. He had a feeling that his subordinate was full of resentment and that dark energy was about to emerge from his back.

Although I had made arrangements beforehand, disappearing for eight or nine years at once was still a bit too much.

Stussy rolled his eyes and said huffily:

"If this happens again, I'm going to join the World Government!"

"Ha! You're nothing but a dog under my command, yet you dare threaten me? Believe me, I'll turn you to stone!"

Faced with Stussy's complaints, Vegapunk remained silent, but Hancock was the first to lose her temper. She looked at Stussy with a cold face and threatened him without hesitation.

Stussy herself was not someone to be trifled with, but faced with Hancock's threat, she turned pale, trembled all over, broke out in a cold sweat, and swayed precariously.

There was no other way, so as Hancock spoke, she also subtly released the killing intent unique to Chakra, mixed with her own Conqueror's Haki.

With Hancock's current strength, even against the Four Emperors, this mental attack combining Chakra's Conqueror's Haki could cause them to lose their focus for a moment, and the impact and damage on Stussy would naturally be even greater.

The trembling Stussy had nine enormous tails flailing wildly behind her, and her eyes had turned into the pupils of a wild beast—that was the power of the Artificial Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit Vegapunk had given her: the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit!

However, as Vegapunk gently grasped Hancock's hand, the murderous aura emanating from Hancock immediately subsided, her face flushed, and she leaned against Vegapunk's chest like a young girl experiencing her first love.

"Alright! Stussy is one of my important subordinates, Hancock, just shut up for a bit."

"Hmph, I'll let you off the hook today for my dear's sake! Remember, don't you dare disrespect my darling next time!"

Stussy was covered in cold sweat. He suppressed his Devil Fruit power. Even though he cursed Hancock in his heart as a loyal dog and a bitch, he still respectfully agreed with his head bowed.

Vegapunk felt a headache coming on. Hancock was really making trouble for him... He could tolerate the others, and Stussy was at least one of his trusted confidantes, but Hancock still had this attitude...

Forget it, I can't change Hancock's personality anyway. No matter how much Hancock is infatuated with me, her arrogance and indifference towards others are already ingrained in her bones. I can't change it no matter what I want to do. I might as well let her leave the stage as soon as possible!

Vegapunk reached out and patted the voluptuous figure behind Hancock, then spoke:

"Alright, I have some things to discuss with Stussy, um... and Kozuki Toki alone. Hancock, you can go now!"

Hancock's face showed displeasure, but when it came to serious matters, Hancock never dared to fool Vegapunk, so she obediently left.

A moment later, only Stussy, Kozuki Toki dressed in a maid outfit, and Nico Robin, who looked on with amusement, remained in the room.

Nico Robin looked completely at ease, Kozuki Toki kept her head down, her heart pounding with tension. Stussy, on the other hand, seemed unafraid. In fact, even though she was still covered in cold sweat, she licked her lips and gave Vegapunk a flirty wink.

"Let Hancock leave... Could it be that you, boss, want something to happen between us? Heh, looking at your handsome appearance now, I'm getting a little itchy!"

Rolling his eyes, Vegapunk ignored Stussy's dirty joke:

"Stussy, you helped me stabilize the Umbrella Corporation this time, so I definitely need to reward you!"

As he spoke, Vegapunk took out a pale green test tube from his Portable Space. Various Sealing Array were drawn on the tube's walls. Despite this, a faint, pure life aura continued to emanate from it, causing Stussy's spirit to tremble slightly.

"This is the Perfect Sage Body Modification Fluid I created. What? You ask what a Perfect Immortal is? You don't need to think too much about that. I'm just telling you its effects!"

"This modification fluid can grant you a power called Chakra. With Chakra, you can control the five elements of water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning, and also gain abilities such as walking on water and enhanced physical strength..."

"Of course, most importantly, it can also give you a Sage Body. Sage Body can give you powerful vitality and self-healing ability, control plant growth, extend your lifespan, and keep you young forever!"

When the previous abilities were mentioned, Stussy's eyes lit up. Upon hearing the words "extend lifespan" and "maintain youth forever," his eyes shone even brighter, and he pounced on them.

After a passionate, long kiss, Stussy grinned, holding the test tube in his hand, feeling the powerful life force emanating from it, and said quite happily:

"Thank you, boss! Please leave the door open for me tonight so I can properly repay you!"