Chapter 71
"We'll hold him off and buy you enough time!"
"Please leave this place! Whatever happens, you have to escape."
Marigold nodded and spoke quickly.
"Big Sister, please go! You have to get out safely."
Then she swept out her hand and shouted, "Warriors of Amazon Lily, follow—"
Before she could finish, Hancock cut her off.
"Enough!"
Hancock surveyed her people, her expression cold as she declared imperiously, "As the queen of Amazon Lily, I command you."
"All of you, evacuate this place at once!"
"Anyone who dares defy my orders will be severely punished!"
Gamenio walked forward slowly, sneering with unbridled arrogance.
"Well, well, well..."
"Boa Hancock, aren't you being a little too optimistic?"
"These hostages are the best way to make you submit. Why the hell would I let them go?"
Gamenio's long tongue hissed as he laughed. "Besides, do you really think they can escape at their speed?"
"I'll ask you one last time. Will you be my woman?"
"If I don't like your answer this time, I'll start by killing..."
He glanced around before finally pointing at Marguerite, a cruel smile on his face. "Her!"
Marguerite immediately aimed her bow at Gamenio and shouted, showing no fear of death.
"Die, you damned bastard!"
The arrowhead instantly turned jet-black, coated in Armament Haki.
"Are all of you refusing to obey me?"
Hancock looked at Marguerite, her gaze turning cold and commanding.
Startled, Marguerite hurriedly lowered her bow and bowed to Hancock, speaking with utmost humility. "Lady Snake Princess, your word is law. I'll leave at once."
"Big Sister, we're leaving! We'll leave right now..."
Seeing Hancock like this, Sandersonia and Marigold dared not hesitate any longer and quickly agreed.
"Good. Very good!"
Gamenio spread his arms and burst out laughing, brimming with conceit. "So you really don't take me seriously, Boa Hancock."
"My patience with you ends here."
"I'm not going to ask again. Here's what I'll do instead."
Gamenio looked at Hancock with a vicious smile. "I'll catch them and kill them, one by one, until you agree."
"Heh heh. If you keep refusing, I'll kill every last one of them."
"Now, let's start with her..."
With that, he strolled toward Marguerite, in no hurry whatsoever.
He wanted to make Hancock afraid, to make her submit to him from the bottom of her heart.
This was psychological warfare!
"Run!"
Hancock roared and charged at Gamenio.
No matter what, I have to stop him and buy my people enough time.
"Go!"
Marigold gritted her teeth, practically forcing the word out between them.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
All the warriors of Amazon Lily scattered, fleeing for their lives in every direction.
"You think you can stop me? Is that a joke?"
Facing Hancock's kick, Gamenio sneered. "I already told you. You're far too slow."
With a whoosh, he flashed to the right and dodged her attack.
"Running? Do you really think you can escape?"
Gamenio smiled cruelly, his voice icy. "No matter how far you run, can you escape my attacks?"
He slowly raised his right hand, pointing a finger toward Marguerite as a pale golden speck of light quietly appeared at its tip.
The speck grew steadily into a ring of light, radiating a brilliant glow that bathed everything around him in gold.
"Boa Hancock, do you think she can run faster than light?"
Gamenio deliberately held back his attack, looking at Hancock with a broad, mocking grin.
At the sight of that golden glow, Hancock's delicate brows furrowed. "Damn it. That's Admiral Borsalino's ability."
"I'm warning you. If you dare lay a hand on my people, I will kill you!"
There was nothing else she could do now.
Gamenio was simply far too powerful. He possessed all manner of formidable Devil Fruit abilities.
She was no match for him. The gap in their strength was too vast.
Even if she wanted to stop his attack, Hancock knew all too well.
She had no way to stop this bastard!
Beyond threatening him, she was out of options.
"Boa Hancock, you've truly disappointed me. You've broken my heart!"
Gamenio shook his head and sighed. "I'm the World's Strongest Man, and you're the most beautiful woman. Why do you insist on rejecting me?"
"You're going to get a lot of people killed."
"It's not exactly proper to attack women, but you've left me no choice."
Gamenio looked at Hancock with a vicious smile. "Boa Hancock, someone's about to die because you rejected me."
"Watch closely and repent in your heart! Hahahaha..."
With that, he turned to look ahead. Marguerite had already run quite far, and he prepared to attack.
"No!"
Hancock stared in Marguerite's direction and cried out, anguish flooding her breathtakingly beautiful face.
"Too late!"
Gamenio's gaze turned cold. The light at his fingertip reached its brightest, dazzling and beautiful.
"Is that so?"
Just then, a calm voice rang out through the forest...
(Why has this fight lasted so many chapters, with so much buildup? It's all for Hancock. Through this battle, she'll come to truly understand her shortcomings, and she won't be so arrogant in the future. The fight ends next chapter ︿(￣︶￣)︿.)
Shock.
Gamenio startled. The light at his fingertip slowly faded, vanishing in an instant.
Likewise, everyone fleeing froze at the sound of that unexpected voice.
They all stopped and turned toward the battlefield.
A young man in a black shirt and black pants stood quietly with both hands in his pockets.
His expression was calm and composed, and the aura of a powerful fighter faintly radiated from him.
He seemed incredibly mysterious!
"Who are you?"
Gamenio frowned at the young man before him, his expression wary as he questioned him.
Strong.
That was his first impression of this man in black: he was incredibly powerful.
He had suddenly appeared on the battlefield without anyone noticing.
Such speed was truly terrifying.
"Chris!"
Hancock looked at the incredibly handsome man, her beautiful eyes sparkling as a sweet, enchanting smile blossomed across her flawless face.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Did you come all this way just to see me? I'm so happy!"
Hancock cupped her fair cheeks in her hands, blushing with utter bliss.
Seeing the woman he loved act like such a bashful girl toward another man nearly drove Gamenio mad.
He was about to burst with rage!
He glared viciously at Chris and smiled cruelly. "Boa Hancock is mine! She belongs to me! Everything about her is mine!"
"You damned bastard. I'll torture you until you wish you were dead."
He whipped his head toward Hancock, his eyes practically blazing as he said coldly, "You bitch. How dare you talk to another man like that?"
"Once I've killed him, I'll punish you good and hard, you damned whore!"
Outside the battlefield, the warriors of Amazon Lily all breathed sighs of relief at the sight of the man in black.
Marigold wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face beaming. "He's here! Lord Chris is finally here! We're saved!"
Sandersonia nodded repeatedly and said joyfully, "Big Sister said he has Admiral-level strength."
"That damned Gamenio is done for this time. He's definitely no match for Lord Chris."
Kalana clenched her small fists, excitement written across her pretty face as she spoke quickly. "Even if he can't beat that bastard on his own, it doesn't matter."
"With him and Lady Snake Princess fighting together, Gamenio is bound to lose."
Just then, Chris glanced at Hancock and said with his usual composure, "You're overthinking it. That's not why I'm here."
"Your people called me for help. It's as simple as that."
Hearing this, Hancock immediately turned to Marigold and Sandersonia and spoke in a deeply displeased tone.
"Who told you to call Chris?"
"You two... never mind. If you do this again, I won't let you off lightly!"
Marigold and Sandersonia nodded repeatedly, offering cautious, placating smiles. "Yes, yes, Big Sister..."
Then Hancock turned back to Chris, a sweet, blissful smile appearing on her exquisitely beautiful face as she spoke in a melodious voice.
"Chris, even if you didn't come here specifically to see me, you rushed over the moment you heard I was in danger."
"I'm so happy. I'm truly overjoyed!"
"I'm the happiest woman in the world!"
Rage.