The Empress Sets Sail, Conqueror's Haki Awakens

Three days passed.

After recovering, the Empress woke up, still feeling that battle had been nothing more than a dream.

There could not possibly be someone in this world who could defeat her without Conqueror's Haki.

It was not until she saw the bandages wrapped around her head in the mirror that she fully came to her senses.

"Big Sister, have something to eat."

Boa Sandersonia handed her a plate filled with freshly prepared food.

More precisely, it was Ye Zhuo's kind of meal. It was afternoon tea time now.

Ye Zhuo had ordered lemon black tea with a huge braised pork knuckle.

"Marigold?"

The Empress held her head, unwilling to believe anything had happened to her sister.

"She went to deliver food, as Ye Zhuo requested."

As people who had been there, all three sisters knew Ye Zhuo's real name.

Facing the Empress, she did not dare lie.

"What? That guy is an intruder!"

The Empress furiously grabbed her second sister by the collar.

"Big Sister, if he had continued attacking then,

not one of us would have survived.

Ye Zhuo seemed to have another purpose."

With that, she handed the Empress a newspaper.

The Empress's pupils trembled slightly when she saw it!

Was Ye Zhuo really this insane?

"He really is a madman."

The Empress breathed heavily, finding it hard to accept that such a violent lunatic could be connected to a righteous act like this.

"Big Sister, while you were injured, he used some kind of invisibility ability to make you invisible."

Boa Sandersonia paused before adding, "Your robe had been torn apart during the battle, and your mark was nearly discovered."

"Damn it!"

The Empress grew even angrier. What she hated was not Ye Zhuo, but the Celestial Dragons.

"Oh, right, Big Sister.

He said that if you woke up, we should let him know.

He would set sail alone then."

Boa Sandersonia recalled.

"I'll see him myself."

The Empress put on her robe and headed out with her pet snake, Salome.

Outside the city, within the forest.

In an extremely secluded spot.

Ye Zhuo sat on the ground, gnawing on a huge pork knuckle as though he were out on a picnic.

He raised his head and took one look.

First came those long legs, then two towering peaks, followed by the Empress looking down at him with a deliberately disdainful expression.

"I have recovered. You can get lost now."

Hancock gave him a cold glance.

"Huh?"

Ye Zhuo swallowed the rest of the meat in one bite and wiped his hands and mouth.

He calmly drank his tea.

Only then did he stand up.

"I'm not getting lost. I'm leaving."

Ye Zhuo walked toward the shore, where a small raft woven from wood and vines awaited him.

With every skill maxed out, Ye Zhuo had naturally learned wilderness survival on deserted islands as well.

The moment he stepped onto the raft, he felt much more relaxed.

"Ah, the sea without a sea breeze!"

Ye Zhuo looked over the ocean. Hidden currents surged beneath its surface, and who knew how many Sea Kings lurked below.

His tiny raft would probably be sunk at any moment.

"This is the ship you plan to sail on?"

The Empress stood on the shore and sneered coldly.

"What else would I use?"

Ye Zhuo planned to go to Water 7 later and get himself a better ship.

[Ding!]

[Mission completed: Invite the Empress to set sail, Step Two]

[Mission reward: Fire Chi · Complete Version]

System rewards always arrived, even if they were late.

A new mission had also been freshly issued.

[Side mission refreshed: Check in at Water 7. Check-in method: Stay at the harbor for one night]

[Mission reward: 500 million Beli shipbuilding fund]

This time, it was a side mission.

The main mission of inviting the Empress to set sail was still ongoing.

Ye Zhuo was quite satisfied. He had spent the past two days adapting to Armament Haki, and now he had Fire Chi as well.

He could drift at sea for a while and get the hang of it.

But after paddling only a few times, Ye Zhuo suddenly realized something.

He instantly flew back to Amazon Lily.

To his surprise, the Empress was still standing there with her arms crossed.

"What, you're not leaving again? In the end, you're still lusting after my beauty. But I will never abandon Amazon Lily and go to sea with you!"

The Empress had only just sternly refused him.

When Ye Zhuo asked the two sisters beside her, "Do either of you have an Eternal Pose to Water 7?"

"Big Sister?"

The sisters did not dare give it to him and could only look toward the Empress.

"Damn it! No!"

The Empress gritted her teeth. She had not expected Ye Zhuo's return to have nothing to do with being reluctant to part with her.

Splash!

A Sea King leaped from the water and smashed Ye Zhuo's small raft to pieces on the spot.

"Damn!"

Ye Zhuo was speechless. What had his little raft ever done to offend anyone?

Fortunately, the side mission had no countdown.

"If you won't give me an Eternal Pose, I'll kill everyone here and find one that leads to Water 7 myself."

Ye Zhuo's words immediately put the two sisters on high alert.

Only their elder sister, the Empress, remained utterly fearless.

Thinking back on everything that had happened before, she left him with only one sentence.

"I don't believe you!"

"I can become invisible too. I can go into your palace and pick whatever I want."

Ye Zhuo waved a hand.

"You!"

The Empress turned around, her eyes fixed on him.

"Don't even think about stopping me. You're slower than I am."

As Ye Zhuo spoke, he took a step and appeared directly in front of the Empress.

"Give it to him!"

"Big Sister."

The two sisters handed the Eternal Pose to Ye Zhuo with bewildered expressions.

They simply could not understand what the Empress was doing.

How was this anything like the way their sister used to act?

"But you don't have a ship. How will you get to Water 7? This is the Calm Belt."

Hancock looked at Ye Zhuo once again.

"I can fly."

Boom!

Ye Zhuo breathed fire. With Fire Chi, he could now make his entire body burst into flames.

It propelled him like a rocket booster.

Without even half a second of delay.

Before leaving, he also fired Laser Eyes at the stupid Sea King in the water.

Getting revenge for his raft.

Ye Zhuo flew out like Superman and soon vanished from the Empress's sight.

Only after Ye Zhuo's utterly unreluctant figure disappeared.

Did the Empress feel as if something had suddenly gone missing from her heart.

Pururururu!

The Den Den Mushi rang.

It was from Marine Headquarters.

Only after confirming the Empress's dejected gaze did Sandersonia answer the Den Den Mushi.

"Is Empress Hancock there? This is Marine Headquarters!"

"A battleship that recently visited the Sabaody Archipelago has reported losing an Eternal Pose leading to Amazon Lily!"

"If you encounter that young man who attacked the Celestial Dragons, you must report it to Marine Headquarters immediately!"

The Eternal Pose Ye Zhuo had taken had ultimately been discovered by Marine Headquarters.

"There is no such clause in my Seven Warlords of the Sea agreement. Don't even think about ordering me around!"

The Empress flatly refused and hung up the Den Den Mushi.

After a long while, when she came back to her senses.

That man who did not care about her beauty, executed Celestial Dragons, and concealed her Celestial Dragon's Hoof Mark drew more and more of her attention.

Especially the overwhelming strength he had displayed while beating her.

Even now, it still felt unbelievable when she recalled it.

So strong, yet so gentle!

Every punch and kick she had taken replayed before her eyes as though time were rewinding.

Hancock's breathing grew increasingly rapid.

She fell ill!

Late at night.

After the Empress became critically ill.

Gloriosa sighed helplessly and offered a treatment plan, whispering, "Set sail and find him," into her ear.

She also received a huge slap from the Empress.

"Set sail!"

Empress Hancock sat bolt upright from her deathbed and immediately declared that she would pursue Ye Zhuo.

She set sail that very night!

Far away in Water 7.

Ye Zhuo had already come ashore, planning to first adapt to Fire Chi.

Without any Beli, he could only wander the streets to pass the night.

[Ding!]

[Main chain mission completed: Invite the Empress to set sail]

[Mission reward: Advanced Conqueror's Haki · Conqueror's Coating]

[System prompt: Please complete the side mission as soon as possible to unlock a brand-new main mission]

Huh?

Ye Zhuo was a little dumbfounded. Why had the Empress set sail?