A ship suddenly came into view on the sea not far from Horror Island. It was an unmistakably feminine Pirate ship, enormous and crowned with an exquisite palace. Its design was ornate and old-fashioned, its hull a vivid red, and two giant sea snakes swam before its bow.
The ship needed no other means of propulsion. The two sea snakes dragged it across the water.
This was the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock's ship.
A few days earlier, Hancock had learned that Ye Chen had appeared in the East Blue. Delighted but worried for him, she had immediately set sail.
As one of the Shichibukai, she held a special status. Marines at local bases dared not interfere with her, so her voyage had been smooth. She had no need to avoid them; they were the ones who fled from her like mice from a cat.
At that moment, Rindou was keeping watch from the lookout atop the mast. She suddenly frowned. "There seems to be an island ahead!"
"Hm? An island? Are you sure, Rindou?"
Lan, usually calm and capable in any situation, sounded puzzled. She served as the Kuja Pirates' strategist, a clever, calculating woman who managed most of the ship's affairs.
"I can see it clearly. It's definitely an island."
Rindou studied it through her telescope a little longer, then nodded firmly.
"That's impossible."
Lan took out a nautical chart. "There's nothing marked here. How could an island suddenly appear?"
Lan hurried into the cabin to report it to Hancock. When Hancock emerged, everyone was struck by her beauty all over again, despite seeing her every day.
Hancock was tall, with a long, graceful neck. A pink qipao accentuated every curve of her figure. Her full breasts rose proudly above a smooth, flat stomach, and her skin gleamed like