A Fair Exchange

"Spare me the nonsense—Arrow of Captivity!"

Hancock let out a crisp shout, touched her fingers to her lips, and conjured a massive pink, heart-shaped substance. Then, pulling it back like a bowstring, she instantly fired a torrent of pink arrows.

This technique shared the same judgment mechanism as Perfume Femur—it could petrify the target regardless of whether they harbored feelings of infatuation. Moreover, its attack range was vast, and given the colossal frame of Susanoo, evasion was impossible.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A dense rain of pink Arrow of Captivity arrows struck the Susanoo, producing a crisp patter like raindrops on banana leaves. Yet every single one was deflected and shattered by the deep layer of Armament Haki, leaving not a trace behind—let alone petrification.

The black-and-crimson Susanoo stood towering and unyielding, like a war god clad in infernal armor.

"What?!"

A flicker of shock crossed Hancock's exquisite face. Her Arrow of Captivity couldn't even breach the opponent's defense? Petrification had failed again, which meant this foe was a Haki master! The black energy coating the giant was akin to Haki, yet seemed more refined and resilient, perfectly repelling the Empress's rule-based attack.

Yoru spoke again, his voice carrying an unshakable steadiness as it filtered through the Susanoo:

"Boa Hancock, your attacks are useless against me. Prolonging this struggle is nothing but a waste of energy. We didn't come here with destructive intent. Perhaps we can resolve this dispute another way."

In truth, Yoru had already visited the Pirate World half a year ago, after awakening his Mangekyo. During that time, he had successfully learned Armament Haki. This was tied to his right eye's ability—details for another time. In short, over those six months, Yoru had experimented with fusing Armament Haki with Chakra, allowing him to layer Haki over Susanoo. When dealing with Devil Fruit abilities in this world, he wouldn't be as helpless as Shisui and the others. It was precisely this confidence that led Yoru to choose the Empress as his opponent.

"Empress, stop—hear what they have to say!"

Just as the Empress prepared to attack again, Granny Niu suddenly leaped out, leaning on her cane, and blocked her. She had been watching closely from the sidelines and saw that this opponent was a tough nut to crack. Not only was his power eerie and formidable, but his defense was ironclad—even the Empress's prized petrification had lost its edge. Under these circumstances, a peaceful resolution was the best outcome.

"Hmph, what does I have to discuss with these invaders?!"

The Empress's words remained stubborn, but her attacking momentum involuntarily halted, clearly weighing the pros and cons. She wasn't afraid to continue fighting, but the Kuja warriors she had brought along risked being caught in the crossfire.

Seeing the Empress's stance soften, Yoru took the initiative to make a friendly gesture. With a thought, the towering, Haki-clad Susanoo receded like a tide, slowly dissipating into nothingness. He now stood before Hancock completely unguarded, as if shedding all his armor.

"Clan Head!"

Yashiro and the others behind him exclaimed in alarm, baffled as to why their leader would drop his defenses at such a moment. What if the other party, disregarding martial honor, unleashed that petrifying ability again? That would be disastrous!

Uchiha Yoru raised a hand, signaling them to calm down. He looked at Hancock, who was equally stunned by his abrupt move, and spoke in a level tone:

"Truth be told, we don't have to resort to arms. Our Uchiha Clan came here seeking a new home to settle down in peace. We have no intention of opposing Kuja Island, much less challenging your rule."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the captured Imperial Guards. By now, Kikyo and the others had regained consciousness, their faces slightly pale. During the fight between Hancock and Shisui, Sandersonia had helped them to the side.

"We captured your warriors, and you wounded my clansmen. How about we call it even? Furthermore, I promise that without your permission, we will never set foot in Kuja City. We only need this coastal valley as a temporary dwelling."

Yoru's proposal was sincere. Kuja Island was vast, and a settlement of a thousand people wouldn't disrupt the lives of the Kuja Tribe residents.

"Why should I agree to let you dwell here? Hmph, no men are allowed on this island!"

Hancock did not accept Yoru's offer.

For her, the other party's unauthorized landing was already a capital offense.

Given that their strength was decent, her greatest concession was not pursuing the crime of their landing.

But to agree to so many men remaining on this island?

Absolutely impossible.

"So there's no room for negotiation?"

Rejected, Yoru wasn't angry. He hadn't even laid out his terms yet; he believed Empress would change her mind after hearing them.

"Ahem, Empress, wait a moment. Let this old woman ask a few questions first."

Granny Niu suddenly spoke, turning to the suspiciously young man across from her and inquiring:

"Are you pirates? How did you get here?"

This was Granny Niu's greatest concern.

Kuja Island was located in the Calm Belt, unaffected by any stormy weather.

The island was surrounded by the massive nests of Sea Kings, making it impossible for ordinary pirates to enter, keeping the island's residents free from outside interference for centuries.

But ever since the Navy invented Seastone technology, this natural barrier had long since vanished.

Seastone could prevent Sea Kings from sensing the presence of warships, allowing them to approach Kuja Island.

To avoid Navy intrusion, their leader, Empress Hancock, chose to cooperate with the World Government and become a member of the Shichibukai.

In order to protect the tribe on the island.

But now, aside from Navy warships, another group had successfully landed on Kuja Island.

This was no small matter.

Granny Niu had to find out what method the other party used to land, and whether that method could be used by others.

She couldn't stand by and watch Kuja Island become like those islands on the Grand Line.

Degenerating into a paradise for vicious pirates.

"Oh, you want to ask about that? I was just about to bring it up."

Yoru pretended to have an epiphany.

"For fairness, let's make a simple exchange first.

You have Empress undo the petrification of those Uchiha clansmen she turned to stone, and I'll tell you how we landed."

Yoru pointed at the Uchiha clansmen who had been petrified by Empress earlier.

"Hmm, a fair exchange."

Granny Niu nodded, glanced at Empress who had returned to her throne, and urged:

"Empress, release your ability!"

"I won't. Those who offended me deserve to remain stone forever!"

Empress turned her head away, refusing with a tsundere air.

"Empress, don't be willful. You are the emperor of the Kuja Tribe; protecting your people is your duty. Their method of landing is very important to us."

"Annoying old hag, don't order me around!"

Empress suddenly stood up at this, pointing her right finger at Granny Niu, her chin raised high.

"Even if my whim leads to the nation's downfall, everyone will forgive me!"

"And the reason is—"

"Yes, because I am simply too beautiful!"