Three days passed.
After recovering, the Empress woke up still feeling that battle had been nothing more than a dream.
There was no way someone in this world could defeat her without even using 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 over a plate filled with freshly made food.
More precisely, it was the same meal Ye Zhuo had ordered. It was afternoon tea time.
Ye Zhuo had ordered lemon black tea with a massive pork knuckle.
"Marigold?"
The Empress pressed a hand to her head. She did not want anything to have happened to her sister.
"She went to deliver food. Ye Zhuo requested it."
As people who had been present, all three sisters knew Ye Zhuo's real name.
Facing the Empress, Sandersonia did not dare lie either.
"What? That guy is an invader!"
The Empress angrily grabbed her second sister by the collar.
"Big Sister, if he had kept attacking then,
none of us would have survived.
Ye Zhuo seemed to have other objectives."
With that, she handed a newspaper to the Empress.
The Empress's pupils trembled slightly when she saw the newspaper!
Ye Zhuo was that insane?
"He really is a madman."
The Empress breathed heavily, unable to accept that such a violent lunatic could be connected to a righteous man 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 was torn apart during the battle, and the mark was almost 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, I should let him know.
He would set sail alone then."
Boa Sandersonia recalled.
"I'll go 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 massive pork knuckle as though he were out on a picnic.
He raised his head and looked over.
First came the long legs, then two towering peaks, followed by the Empress looking down at him with a deliberately disgusted expression.
"I've recovered. You can get lost now."
Hancock gave him a cold glance.
"Huh?"
Ye Zhuo swallowed the remaining meat in one bite and wiped his hands and mouth.
He calmly took a sip of tea.
Only then did he rise to his feet.
"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 any sea breeze!"
Ye Zhuo looked at the ocean. Undercurrents lurked beneath its surface, and who knew how many Sea Kings were hidden within.
His little raft would probably be sunk at any moment.
"This is the ship you're using to set sail?"
The Empress stood on the shore and gave a cold laugh.
"What else would I use?"
Ye Zhuo planned to head 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 was freshly issued as well.
[ Side mission refreshed: Check in at Water 7. Check-in method: Stay one night at the port ] [ 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 adapted to Armament Haki over the past two days, 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 just 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 to set sail with you!"
The Empress had barely finished her stern refusal.
When Ye Zhuo asked the two sisters beside her, "Do you two have an Eternal Pose for Water 7?"
"Big Sister?"
The sisters did not dare give it to him and could only look toward the Empress.
"Damn it! Don't give it to him!"
The Empress gritted her teeth. She had not expected Ye Zhuo to return not because he was reluctant to leave.
Splash!
A Sea King leaped out and smashed Ye Zhuo's little raft to pieces on the spot.
"Fuck!"
Ye Zhuo was speechless. What had the little raft ever done to deserve this?
Fortunately, the side mission had no time limit.
"If you won't give me an Eternal Pose, then I'll kill everyone here and find another one that leads to Water 7."
Ye Zhuo's words put the two sisters on high alert.
Only their older sister, the Empress, remained completely fearless.
Thinking back on everything that had happened earlier, she left him with only one sentence.
"I don't believe you!"
"I can turn 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 try to stop me. You're not faster than me."
As soon as Ye Zhuo said that, he took a step and appeared in front of the Empress.
"Give it to him!"
"Big Sister."
The two sisters handed the Eternal Pose to Ye Zhuo with confused expressions.
They could not understand the Empress's actions at all.
Why was this so unlike how their older sister usually did things?
"But you don't have a ship. How are you going to Water 7? This is the Calm Belt."
Hancock looked at Ye Zhuo once more.
"I can fly."
Boom!
Ye Zhuo spat flames. With Fire Chi, he could set his entire body ablaze.
It propelled him like a rocket thruster.
Without pausing for even half a second.
Before leaving, he casually fired a laser beam from his eyes at the dumb Sea King in the water.
He avenged his raft.
Ye Zhuo flew out like Superman and soon vanished from the Empress's sight.
Only after Ye Zhuo's utterly unhesitating figure disappeared.
Did the Empress feel as though something inside her had gone missing.
Pururururu!
The Den Den Mushi rang.
It was from Marine Headquarters.
Only after Sandersonia confirmed the Empress's absent-minded gaze did she answer the Den Den Mushi.
"Is Empress Hancock there? This is Marine Headquarters!"
"A warship that recently visited the Sabaody Archipelago has reported that they lost 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 Shichibukai 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 increasingly drew her attention.
Especially the overwhelming strength he had shown while beating her.
Even now, it still seemed unbelievable when she thought back on it.
So powerful, yet so gentle!
Every punch and kick she had taken replayed before her eyes as though time were reversing.
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, then softly whispered in her ear, "Set sail and find him."
She was promptly rewarded with a huge slap from the Empress.
"Set sail!"
Empress Hancock sat bolt upright from her deathbed and immediately announced that she would pursue Ye Zhuo.
She set sail that very night!
Far away in Water 7.
Ye Zhuo had already come ashore. He planned to first familiarize himself with 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 ]
Hmm?
Ye Zhuo was a little baffled. Why had the Empress set sail already?
Before you continue