Arrival at the Island, a Welcome Ceremony

After completely dealing with the Sea King, Roya slowly sheathed Ryujin Jakka.

He brushed his hair back, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Well, it looks like Hancock and the others probably saw it."

After a brief pause, Roya looked toward the warship in the sky and activated his talisman ability.

By the time Roya returned to the warship, he thought to himself, Well, if they saw it, they saw it. It wasn't like there were any other outsiders around, right?

The moment he returned to the warship, Roya saw a small figure rushing toward him.

She threw herself into Roya's arms.

Hancock hugged Roya tightly and raised her head, her bright, watery eyes filled with admiration for him.

"R-Roya, you're amazing!!!"

After saying that, Hancock's face looked a little flushed. It was impossible to tell whether she was embarrassed or simply illuminated by the firelight.

Hancock continued, "And you're so handsome. You look so gentle."

The corners of Roya's lips curled upward slightly. He affectionately stroked Hancock's hair and said, "All right, let's continue toward Amazon Lily."

After saying that, Roya fastened his cloak again.

From beginning to end, Hancock's gaze remained fixed on Roya.

After all, what young girl did not dream of love?

Roya had rescued them from prison.

He had even defeated Kizaru with his overwhelmingly powerful abilities.

Even a five-thousand-meter Sea King had been nothing before Roya.

Most importantly, Roya had personally covered her back with the Phoenix Nirvana pattern. She had seen that pattern in her room and could say that she truly loved it!

"Ahhh~ You're getting shy too~!"

"Big Sister, what's wrong?"

"Are you all right, Big Sister? Your face looks so red!"

Marigold and Sandersonia looked at their sister with strange expressions.

Even Roya felt that Hancock might have been a little too excited.

Just then, Roya spotted a hazy black shadow ahead.

As they drew closer, the shape of an island gradually emerged.

The entire island was filled with towering mountains. In the middle of it, nine snake heads could vaguely be seen facing into the distance in different directions.

Guiding the warship down slowly from the sky, Roya said to Hancock, "Hancock, it seems we've arrived at Amazon Lily."

Hearing Roya's words, Hancock immediately snapped out of her shy and nervous state.

She looked at Roya as though she could see the eyes hidden beneath his cloak.

"Roya, w-will we... will we meet again someday?"

Hancock's eyes were filled with reluctance to part with Roya.

Roya had clearly noticed Hancock's attachment to him.

Roya crouched down, looked at Hancock before him, and said seriously, "Hancock, we will meet again."

Hearing Roya's words, Hancock nodded heavily.

"Big Sister~"

Seeing how reluctant Hancock was to part, her two younger sisters came over to her side as well.

"I'm fine."

Hancock took a deep breath, steadied her emotions, and then said to Roya, "Roya, let's go~"

"Mm."

Using the power of his talismans, Roya made himself and the three girls float down into Amazon Lily.

The moment Roya stepped onto the island, the system's electronic voice immediately rang out in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully checking in. Obtained: Peak Armament Haki! Armament Haki is the passport of the strong upon the seas. Peak Armament Haki is an power countless people seek but cannot obtain!]

Roya felt a warm current seem to flow through his body.

An extremely violent power was being born within him.

However, he might need some time to train before he could completely master this power.

Just as the system's voice faded, dozens of arrows suddenly shot out of the forest like arrows released from the string!

They were coated in Armament Haki! In the darkness of night, they were even harder to detect.

The arrows whistled through the air, tearing it apart. Ripples could even be seen in the air where they passed, showing just how fast and powerful they were.

Roya had not expected such an enthusiastic "welcome ceremony" the instant they set foot on the island.

Hancock reacted as well. Her fingers lightly touched her cherry lips, creating a fist-sized pink heart-shaped substance. She pulled it back like a bowstring and fired hundreds of tiny arrows.

This was the first ability Hancock had developed under Roya's guidance over the past few days.

The hundreds of tiny arrows struck the Haki-coated arrows and caused slight petrification.

Though the petrification was only slight, it destabilized those arrows. They flew straight into the ground not far in front of Roya, blasting out small pits one after another.

At this moment, Hancock already possessed a hint of queenly bearing.

Her small body stood before Roya as she shouted toward the trees and forest, "I am Boa Hancock! I will not allow you to hurt Roya!"

Amazon Lily was not a large island, and everyone on it knew one another by name.

Therefore, when they heard the name Boa Hancock, they immediately stepped out of the forest.

As Hancock watched the people from her memories reappear before her, she felt no joy at all. Instead, a burning rage rose within her.

"Why did you ambush us?!"

The current empress of Amazon Lily looked at Hancock, then at Roya behind her.

"Because there is a suspicious person here!"

Hearing her words, Roya said calmly, "I only escorted them back to Amazon Lily, so..."

Before Roya could finish speaking, the current empress of Amazon Lily heard his voice.

She immediately drew her bow and said without mercy, "You're a man?! Since you dare set foot on Amazon Lily's land, die!"

Amazon Lily forbade men from entering!

Anyone who entered would be killed without mercy!

At the empress's command, everyone drew their bows and fired at Roya.

Roya sighed. He had more or less understood what was going on.

He had originally planned to leave Amazon Lily after escorting Hancock and the others ashore, but he had not expected this to happen.

It had to be said that Amazon Lily truly had fierce customs. Everyone was a warrior!

Facing another wave of arrows, Hancock wanted to shield Roya, but Roya pressed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"Hancock, leave this to me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Roya stretched out his hand and lightly tapped the air. "Dankū!"

A defensive wall that seemed to be made of air appeared out of nowhere before Roya.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Haki-coated arrows struck the barrier. Apart from making a few sounds, they could not cause even the slightest damage.

Just as the empress of Amazon Lily was preparing to launch another attack, a voice came from afar...