The Smoothest Duel Invitation!

Hancock's sudden burst of bashfulness made the air around them feel several degrees more awkward.

Marco's trademark pineapple head seemed to stiffen a bit as he instinctively glanced at Chen Ye beside him and whispered.

Chen Ye!

What's going on here?

I've heard stories!

They say the Pirate Empress is so proud she looks at men like dirt, so why today, the moment she heard Ace's brother's name, she... turned into this?

Chen Ye was equally taken aback, but he recovered faster, merely returning Marco a helpless shrug to show he was just as clueless.

This silent exchange between the two made the nearby Kuja Warriors, who were also frozen in shock, feel a bit embarrassed.

The lead warrior quickly leaned in close to Hancock and whispered urgently, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Snake Princess!

Mind your image!

Calm down!

There are... outsiders present!"

That warning hit Hancock like a bucket of cold water, snapping her heated mind back to reality.

Her body jolted as if struck by lightning, and she came to her senses. Realizing how undignified she had looked in front of outsiders—especially two men—a wave of intense shame crashed through her composure.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

Hancock let out a series of violent fake coughs to cover her burning cheeks, forcibly shoving that girlish shyness back down and replacing it with the cold, proud mask of the Empress.

Though the reddening tips of her ears still betrayed her.

"How dare you! Who allowed you to speak that man's name directly!"

She scolded with a bluster that lacked real bite, then immediately changed her tone, forcing a flat delivery.

"He... he really is on the island."

"Follow me."

With that, she spun around sharply, stretched out her long legs, and strode into the depths of the jungle without looking back, her hurried figure almost as if she were fleeing something.

Marco and Chen Ye exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

Through the dense rainforest, past a few hidden lookout posts, Hancock led the two to a secluded open space surrounded by massive, gnarled tree roots.

Before they even got close, the dull thuds of strikes and heavy, ragged breathing reached their ears.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

A boy in a straw hat, bare-chested, was slamming his fists over and over with all his might into a giant tree trunk as hard as a rock face.

His fists were already a bloody mess, sweat mixed with blood streaming down his arms.

But he seemed to feel no pain, mechanically repeating the motion, his eyes hollow, his face etched with pain, regret, and deep self-blame.

"Damn it!"

"Too weak!"

"I'm... too weak!"

He growled in a hoarse voice between each strike.

"If I were just a little stronger... everyone would have..."

It was the Straw Hat Kid, Monkey D. Luffy.

The nightmare of his crew being instantly swatted away by Tyrant Bear and his own helplessness before the Marine Admiral tormented him day and night.

Hancock stopped, watching Luffy like that, a flicker of barely concealed pain in her eyes.

Marco was about to step forward and greet him.

But Chen Ye moved first, walking straight over.

"I hear you're Ace's brother, Monkey D. Luffy?"

A stranger's voice cut through Luffy's self-abusive training.

Luffy's movements froze. He slowly turned his head, his eyes full of self-blame, and looked at Chen Ye approaching him with confusion.

Chen Ye stopped three meters in front of Luffy and got straight to the point.

"My name is Chen Ye. I'm Ace's comrade."

"Ace's... comrade?"

A ripple passed through Luffy's gaze.

Chen Ye nodded, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth, and dropped an earth-shattering question.

"Kid, interested in having a fight with me?"

"A fight with you?"

Luffy froze, completely unable to follow the other's train of thought.

"Why?"

The smile on Chen Ye's face faded, his tone sharpening.

"To make you realize one thing."

He paused, every word like a needle, precisely piercing the most fragile part of Luffy's heart.

"Don't you think you're pretty weak right now?"

Luffy's body stiffened abruptly.

Chen Ye gave him no chance to catch his breath, continuing without pause.

"Think about it. On Sabaody Archipelago, a single Pacifista from the Marines—your entire crew had to team up just to barely handle it."

"And on top of that, there was a Marine Admiral."

"You should have experienced Kizaru's strength firsthand, right? That despair of not being able to move even a single finger."

Chen Ye's words struck Luffy's heart like a heavy hammer.

The severe pain of being pierced by laser beams, the image of watching his comrades disappear while being powerless to do anything—it all surfaced vividly before his eyes once more.

Luffy's head slowly drooped, his clenched fists trembling violently from excessive force.

Yeah...

He was... too weak.

Too weak to protect even a single companion!

Seeing Luffy sinking into the abyss of self-denial, Chen Ye knew the moment was ripe.

He shifted his tone, reigniting the fuse.

"But!"

Luffy suddenly looked up.

"Since you're Ace's comrade..."

All the confusion and self-blame in his eyes were instantly replaced by another emotion!

That was flames!

Flames burning fiercely, named fighting spirit!

Luffy grinned, revealing his signature smile, full of challenge and excitement.

"Alright!"

"Let's fight!"

"I want to know too—just how strong I am right now!"

No hesitation, no dragging it out.

This crisp and straightforward reply left Marco, who had prepared countless arguments on the side, and Hancock, full of worry, both frozen in place.

He just... agreed?

[Ding!]

The moment Luffy agreed, the system panel, visible only to Chen Ye, abruptly appeared before him.

[Detected that the host has reached a battle agreement with key figure "Monkey D. Luffy"!]

[Special Illustration "SSSR Nika Luffy" begins unlocking...]

[Resolution: 1%...5%...10%...]

Watching the rapidly jumping percentage numbers, Chen Ye smiled.

He looked at this youth, temporarily weak before him, but Chen Ye knew better than anyone!

The ability this youth would awaken in the future was Sun God Nika!

This was the man who would sound the Drums of Liberation!

Once his resolution reached one hundred percent, he could also obtain a portion of Sun God's power!

By then, just how far would his own strength be elevated?

Just thinking about it made his blood boil!