Chapter 34 / Chapter 35

Knock, knock, knock~~

The crisp sound of a bell rang out, accompanied by a woman's voice.

"Lady Snake Princess will be heading to the New World the day after tomorrow. Anyone who wants to go, hurry over and sign up..."

Hearing this shocking news, the Citizens all froze, each one utterly bewildered.

But no matter how puzzling it was, their decision was the same.

"Lady Snake Princess, I'll follow you to the New World!!"

"Me too! I really want to go outside and see men. I heard they look incredibly strange."

"I'll follow you to the death, Lady Snake Princess..."

"Quick, quick, quick! Everyone, hurry and pack your things. We can't keep Lady Snake Princess waiting."

"No matter where Lady Snake Princess goes, I'll follow her forever. Heeheehee~~"

(Dear readers, Hancock is far too important, so I've devoted a little more space to her. I hope everyone can understand. In the next chapter, a very beautiful woman will appear. Can you guess who she'll be? She's from the North Blue~~)

Chapter 34

Amazon Lily, inside the palace.

There were four women here.

"Snake Princess, why did you suddenly decide to enter the New World?"

Elder Nyon leaned on a snake-shaped cane, a puzzled expression on her weathered face.

When she heard the bell just now, she had thought she had misheard it.

How could that aloof and domineering Snake Princess possibly leave the Calm Belt?

She wouldn't have believed it even if she were beaten to death!!

"Yes, Sister, we're very curious too."

Sandersonia and Marigold hurriedly joined in with their questions.

Hancock leaned against the Throne, crossing her legs. She rested her delicate hand against her exquisite chin, a look of reminiscence on her pretty face.

She wasn't listening to a word the three of them were saying.

The three exchanged glances. She was truly acting strange.

They had no idea what Hancock was thinking.

Suddenly, Hancock cupped her cheeks and gently shook her head, murmuring, "I clearly made a point of not thinking about him, so why can't I stop myself?"

"What's wrong with me? Why am I like this?"

Hearing Hancock's murmurs, the three became even more confused. What exactly was going on?

Elder Nyon tapped her cane against the floor, producing a series of knocks, and asked curiously, "Snake Princess, what are you talking about? Did something happen?"

This time, Hancock came back to her senses.

She glared viciously at the little old woman in front of her and said coldly, "Gloriosa, who gave you permission to speak to me like that? Get out."

Marigold looked at Hancock and hurriedly tried to persuade her. "Sister, Elder Nyon came to help us analyze the New World. After all, we know nothing about that place."

Sandersonia nodded and followed up, "Sister, let Elder Nyon tell us about the New World."

"Actually, someone came to find me earlier. It was a man."

Hancock ignored the two of them and continued speaking to herself. "His name is Chris. He's incredibly powerful, at Admiral level."

"He's going to become a Shichibukai, and he came to discuss cooperating with me—the Seven Warlords Alliance."

Hancock cupped her flushed cheeks and said shyly, "He's so handsome, and he's incredibly strong. I really like him."

Someone had come to see her?

To discuss the Seven Warlords Alliance?

And Hancock really liked him?

What did any of that mean?

There was far too much information. The three couldn't process it and stood there completely stunned.

In the end, Elder Nyon's age and experience let her recover first. She hurriedly asked, "Snake Princess, you said someone came to find you earlier. How could that be?"

"How did he get to Amazon Lily? Is something like that even possible?"

Marigold added, "Sister, weren't you in the Bath earlier? How did you meet him?"

Sandersonia nodded, stuck out her forked tongue, and quickly said, "And the two of us were guarding the outside the entire time. We didn't hear a thing. How could anyone have come in?"

Hancock gradually calmed down and became that aloof empress once more. She said coldly, "He ate the Repel-Repel Fruit and developed a powerful skill called Repulsion Space."

"I was bathing at the time, and he suddenly appeared."

"As for why you didn't hear anything, he Repelled the sound. How could you possibly have heard it?"

Hearing Hancock say that she had been bathing when the man appeared—

Those words alone left the three of them utterly shocked.

"Snake Princess, did he see the mark on your back?"

Elder Nyon's old face was filled with astonishment as she asked hurriedly.

"Yes, he must not have seen it, right?"

Marigold and Sandersonia quickly pressed her for an answer as well.

"I was bathing at the time. How could he not have seen it?"

Hancock swept her glossy black hair behind her head and smiled sweetly. "But it doesn't matter whether he saw it or not. He already knew that I was once a slave of the Celestial Dragons."

"But he didn't care in the slightest. Instead, he told me to hurry up and increase my strength so I could prepare for the great battle to come."

"To drag the Celestial Dragons down from their altar—only the man I like could say something so bold."

The Celestial Dragons!

Hearing those three words, Marigold and Sandersonia cried out in unison.

Their faces filled with fear, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.

As for Elder Nyon, she felt that her head was no longer big enough to contain everything.

Hancock had actually said the words "Celestial Dragons."

And she had said them so casually, without the slightest nervousness or fear.

That was simply unbelievable.

"Snake Princess, you said he already knew about the mark on your back. How could that be?"

Elder Nyon furrowed her weathered face and said incredulously, "He even intends to oppose the Celestial Dragons? Is he joking?"

"They're the Creators! How could he possibly dare think that way? It's impossible!"

Sandersonia and Marigold were still immersed in their fear and hadn't heard what Elder Nyon said at all.

Hancock's gaze turned cold as she glared at Elder Nyon and said viciously, "Gloriosa, if you dare continue questioning the man I like, I'll throw you out immediately."

"He's the finest man in the world. I won't allow anyone to slander him!"

"Absolutely not!!"

(A reader said they wanted me to write more about Hancock here because they hadn't gotten enough. Since that's the case, I'll write another chapter about her. The beautiful woman from the North Blue will appear in the next chapter (*￣︶￣).)

Chapter 35

She understood.

This time, Elder Nyon understood everything completely.

The number one beauty in the world had fallen in love with a man.

The result shocked her to the extreme.

Elder Nyon understood Hancock far too well. She knew her inside and out.

She was an iceberg!!

But now, that iceberg had melted.

Hancock had been conquered by that man.

"Snake Princess, have you fallen in love with him?"

Elder Nyon's weathered face turned solemn as she said seriously, "The reason you're entering the New World is because he suggested it, isn't it?"

Hancock nodded lightly and said arrogantly, "Chris said that my strength is too weak. If I continued staying in the Calm Belt, I would be completely ruined."

Hancock lightly bit her delicate finger, a serious look appearing on her pretty face. "He was right. I really wasted a lot of time before this. I never worked hard at Cultivation."

"The Citizens of Kuja are a fighting people. But look at us now—we're all hiding in the Calm Belt instead of going out to fight powerful opponents."

"The entire country's fighting spirit has declined to an extreme degree. If this continues, the country will truly perish."

Determination shone in Hancock's eyes as she said with great force, "Therefore, no matter what, we must leave the Calm Belt and head for the Grand Line."

At this point, Marigold and Sandersonia had gradually recovered.

"Sister is right. We'll listen to you."

The two nodded and hurriedly echoed her.

Clang...

Elder Nyon struck the ground with her cane, then stood atop it with her arms spread wide, her face filled with relief.

"Snake Princess, I never expected you to change so much. This is truly wonderful news."

"As for the problem you mentioned, I actually noticed it long ago. I simply never told you."

Elder Nyon looked at Hancock and smiled kindly. "The Snake Princess of the past was far too confident in her own strength and wouldn't listen to advice at all."

"Now that you understand your shortcomings and intend to change, I'm extremely happy."

Hancock stood up and turned her back on Elder Nyon before saying coldly, "Gloriosa, who do you think you are? Don't lecture me, you traitor who abandoned your country."

The moment Elder Nyon heard that, she instantly bristled. She was about to go argue with Hancock when Marigold and Sandersonia grabbed hold of her.

"Snake Princess, you called me a traitor? Nyu nyu~~"

"I've always protected you like a mother. Don't you know that?"

Marigold and Sandersonia nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes..."

"Elder Nyon, please don't get angry. Sister didn't mean it that way."

Hancock ignored the three of them. She placed her delicate hand on Salome's head, a sweet, happy smile appearing on her exquisite, fair face.

"Chris, just wait. We'll meet in the New World."

"I'm really looking forward to that day..."

The West Blue, above a certain stretch of sea.

A large ship cut through the waves, rapidly heading in the direction of the North Blue.

Inside the Training Room.