Hancock's Favor

Sal returned to the Amazon Lily palace. On the way, he handed the unconscious Luffy over to a yellow-haired female warrior—the very warrior who had helped Luffy escape.

He arrived alone before Hancock's chambers and informed the guard on duty that he wished to see her.

"Please let her know that Augustus D. Sal wishes to discuss something with the Snake Princess."

After the arena incident, he had finished harvesting all the experience available here. Sal planned to leave Amazon Lily within the next few days. To take part in the Marineford War, he needed to make preparations as well.

If he went into the war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates unprepared, he might end up dying there himself.

After all, if he showed up at Marine Headquarters, he would probably become one of the Marines' priority targets.

He had come to borrow a ship from Hancock. As long as he had a ship, he was quite confident that his Conqueror's Haki would get him out of the Calm Belt. He did not want to use the Travel World unless absolutely necessary; it was one of his most important trump cards.

"Come in."

A woman's voice came from within the chambers. Sal pushed open the doors and entered. Hancock's two sisters were waiting there, while the sound of clothes rustling came from behind curtains some distance away.

At Boa Sandersonia's gesture, Sal sat down cross-legged as well.

"Thank you for showing mercy and helping us cover the mark on our backs."

"It was nothing. Just a small favor."

Boa Marigold beside her also thanked him.

"If anyone saw our backs, we sisters would have to leave Amazon Lily. Thank you so much."

With the two of them thanking him nonstop, Sal could only wave helplessly and accept it. He felt that the three sisters' psychological scars from the Celestial Dragons ran far too deep. Even if someone truly learned of their past—

The World Government would most likely only make further demands rather than force them into becoming enemies. After all, there were quite a few slaves who had escaped from the holy land of Mary Geoise and still lived openly at sea.

For example, the world's richest man, who had stirred Sal's greed, and former Sun Pirates members such as Hachi.

Why could they remain safe and sound? Because they had the strength and qualifications to negotiate with the World Government. The former possessed strength on the level of a Shichibukai, along with immense wealth.

The latter had once served under the Shichibukai, Jinbe. Only through Jinbe negotiating with the World Government could they receive pardons.

And Boa Hancock, a Shichibukai herself, had both the qualifications and the strength.

Hancock's voice came from behind the curtains.

"You may come in."

Sal pulled the curtains aside and stepped in. The sight before him made him stop in his tracks. Hancock had already removed her top and sat gracefully atop a giant snake curled into the shape of a chair.

A trace of struggle showed on her cold, beautiful face. In the end, she made up her mind and had the long red-spotted snake turn its body.

Hancock turned her back to Sal. With her jade-like arms, she drew her long hair across her chest and exposed her back to him.

The skin around the brand on her back was flawless and pale. Her alluring curves were perfect—any more would be too full, any less too thin. From the front, he could even see half of her ample chest concealed by her hair.

Sal scratched his cheek awkwardly. The moment he came in, someone had offered him such a treat. Though the view was indeed enticing, he could not accept such a gift without earning it.

When she had just turned around, he had clearly enjoyed the breathtaking sight. It had nearly made a hot-blooded man like him embarrass himself. The beauty of the world's most beautiful woman was truly hard to resist.

As expected of the wild Empress of Amazon Lily. In this regard, she was truly bold.

Sal knowingly asked, "Hancock, what is this? We only just met. Isn't this a little inappropriate?"

With her back to Sal, Hancock did not notice anything unusual about him. Some excitement colored her voice as she asked, "You said you've seen this mark before. Look carefully this time—where have you seen it? Do you understand what this brand means?"

Her behavior made Sal think of her personality. Perhaps her arrogance was merely a cover for the fear buried deep within her heart. Sal stepped forward and pretended to inspect the brand, though in truth he was admiring her peerless back.

After waiting a moment, he answered.

"I know a former Sun Pirates member, the fish-man Hachi. There is a Sun Tattoo on Hachi's forehead, and the Sun Tattoo should be... used to cover the Celestial Dragon's Hoof."

The mention of the Celestial Dragon's Hoof plunged the entire room into silence. The three Boa sisters began trembling, their faces filled only with fear and struggle.

To them, it was a forbidden term. Every mention of it brought back memories of life in hell. And the secret they had guarded all their lives had truly been discovered by this man today.

After a long silence, Hancock finally calmed down somewhat and spoke in a trembling voice.

"That is right. This is the Celestial Dragon's Hoof... the mark of the lowest kind of human. We three sisters were once slaves of the Celestial Dragons. Do you now think that I..."

Before she could finish, Sal stepped forward, picked up the clothes from the floor, and draped them over her shoulders. Turning his head away, he said calmly, "Is that all? I don't think this is some mark of inferiority. You should put your clothes back on first. Otherwise, what man could endure such a test?"

"But... this is the Celestial Dragons'—"

Sal interrupted her again. He placed both hands on Hancock's shoulders, and the two looked into each other's eyes at close range. He could now clearly see the fear in her eyes.

"So what if it's the Celestial Dragon's Hoof? It only proves the crimes those beasts committed. It does not prove that you are a slave. This mark will only make you stronger, not become the fear in your heart."

"As your friend, I don't care about your past. As long as you have my approval, no damned Celestial Dragon will ever bully my friends."

Hancock's eyes widened. His words stirred up a storm in her heart.

"Am I your friend?"

"No fight, no friendship. Unless you don't want to be my friend, from today onward, we are friends."

Sal was more than willing to be friends with a strong person. Besides, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

[S-grade character has developed positive feelings toward the host. Moderate friendliness. Experience +2000]

Hancock's gaze shifted slightly. At last, she raised her head and answered haughtily, "Is that so? Then I shall reluctantly be your friend."

"Then I am deeply honored that the Pirate Empress is willing to be my friend."

Sal smiled and shook his head. He had not expected Hancock, known as the foremost femme fatale, to have such a tsundere side.

Suddenly, Gloriosa approached from afar with a newspaper in hand. The elderly woman's eyes were filled with nothing but shock.

"Augustus D. Sal, a great criminal with a bounty of one billion Beli. Is it really true, as the newspaper says, that you killed two Celestial Dragons?"

The room fell silent once more.

The news that he had killed two Celestial Dragons left the three Boa sisters staring at Sal in shock, waves crashing through their hearts. Others might not have cared much about this information, but for former Celestial Dragon slaves like them, it was the most important news imaginable.

Sal nodded in acknowledgment. It seemed the World Government's newspapers had reached this place as well. Still, receiving a bounty of one billion Beli the first time he was wanted—wasn't that unprecedented in the World Government's eight-hundred-year history?

Killing Celestial Dragons and escaping from an admiral really did warrant a one-billion-Beli bounty.

A pirate worth one billion Beli was either a commander under one of the Four Emperors in the New World or a powerhouse at the level of a Shichibukai.

Hancock took the newspaper and examined it carefully. The large photograph on the front page, along with the report that he had killed two Celestial Dragons from the Rosward Family, left her overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Gratitude, excitement, comfort, fear, and countless other feelings surged through her.

Tears quickly filled her eyes and fell drop by drop onto the floor. In a slightly hoarse voice, she said, "Other than our benefactor, I never thought there would be someone else willing to strike against the Celestial Dragons. Is there really someone in this world who isn't afraid of them? Sal, was it truly you?"

At that moment, Hancock no longer had a trace of her former pride. She looked utterly pitiful, like a rain-soaked pear blossom, enough to stir anyone's sympathy.

"Yes. I killed them with my own hands."

[S-grade character has developed positive feelings toward the host. High favorability. Experience +5000]

[A-grade character has developed positive feelings toward the host. High friendliness. Experience +500 X3]

The tears of the three Boa sisters made Sal take out a tissue, intending to hand it to them. But after noticing that he only had one, he decided against it.

Just as Sal was about to put it away, Hancock took the tissue and wiped away her tears. With tenderness in her eyes, she said, "Sal, do you want to know about our past?"

"If you are willing to tell me, I am all ears."

Sal sat down cross-legged and listened carefully to her account. Though he already knew their past from the original story, hearing it with his own ears was still entirely different.