Splat!
Jiang Lin had no idea how long he had been flying. As he came down, he spotted the striking words "Kuja" from above.
Well, this is...
Jiang Lin dusted himself off and gave a helpless, bitter smile. He could not tell whether he was lucky or unlucky.
But since Kuma had sent him here, there was no changing it now.
"Come to think of it, wouldn't using her power be a little too girly for me?"
Jiang Lin rested his chin on his hand, crossed his legs, and gave the question serious thought.
"Over there! Just ahead! I heard they found someone who ate the wrong mushroom and now has mushrooms growing all over him."
"Hurry! Drag him back to the village!"
The hurried footsteps snapped Jiang Lin out of his thoughts. He parted the bushes and immediately saw Luffy lying motionless on the ground, covered in mushrooms.
"Luffy, it's not that I don't want to help you, but... I'm a man too!"
Jiang Lin promptly let the bushes fall back into place and headed toward the village alone.
I need to get into the village first. No, maybe the harbor would be a good choice too. But picking a fight with an entire country outright might be a bit much. Forget it. I'll take a look first.
After thinking it over for a moment, Jiang Lin decided to head to the harbor. His target was not on the island right now, so entering the village would do him no good.
Two enormous ships sat quietly on the calm sea of the Calm Belt.
If I remember right... that's Marine Vice Admiral Momonga's ship. Too bad he has no Devil Fruit power. Otherwise, sneaking aboard for a fight might've been worth it.
Jiang Lin had already obtained a Glint-Glint Fruit Devil Fruit Card from his earlier battle with Kizaru. If he could get another Devil Fruit from Momonga, he would feel even more confident about the coming battle at Impel Down.
Unfortunately, Momonga had nothing to offer him, so Jiang Lin kept his attention on the other ship anchored in the Calm Belt: a great red vessel.
Boa Hancock, the woman with the Love-Love Fruit. I'll take your Devil Fruit!
Jiang Lin hid by the shore and waited for a chance to board. He had no Devil Fruit equipped at the moment, so he could still swim. When the time came, he could either swim out to her ship or fight the Empress on the shore for a minute. Either would work.
"She's coming out!"
As the great stone gates slowly opened, Boa Hancock appeared before everyone in a red robe, bearing the titles of Pirate Empress and Shichibukai with an air of towering pride.
No good! Even from this far away, the Empress is irresistible!
Jiang Lin covered his nose with both hands and turned away, his face alight with bliss.
Calm down! She's Luffy's...
No! She belongs to every man in the world...
Calm down! She's Luffy's...
No! She belongs to every man in the world...
While Jiang Lin wrestled with himself over the Empress's appearance, the situation at sea changed abruptly. After a burst of commotion, a group of Marine Soldiers had all turned to stone.
Time to move!
Jiang Lin cast aside his distractions. Watching the Empress's ship draw closer, he slowly stepped out of the grass where he had been hiding.
Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way.
As he walked, Jiang Lin wove nearby vines into a mask that covered half his face. He slipped it on, then waded through the seawater toward the great red ship.
Creeeak!
The harsh groan of straining planks and startled cries rose before Jiang Lin. Many members of the Kuja Pirates, fresh from beholding the Empress, stared at the man in shock and clapped their hands over their mouths.
"A man? How did you get here?"
The Empress looked at the masked man in confusion. They were in the Calm Belt. Normally, anyone who came this close was either torn apart and eaten by a Sea King or left gravely wounded and barely alive. Rarely did a man arrive looking not only perfectly healthy, but brazen enough to approach them.
"Boa Hancock, I challenge you!"
Jiang Lin thrust out his right hand, pointing straight at the Empress atop the snake's head!
"A challenge?"
As a Shichibukai, Boa Hancock faced challenges from pirates around the world all the time. But never had a man appeared before her so openly and challenged her in front of the entire Kuja Pirates crew and all the people of Amazon Lily.
"Why are you challenging me? Are you after my place among the Shichibukai?"
Boa Hancock's expression changed sharply. Killing intent filled her gaze as she looked at Jiang Lin.
Her position among the Shichibukai was tied to the fate of both herself and all of Amazon Lily. She would never let anyone take it from her.
"No. I'm not interested in your position. I'm interested in you—no, that's not right! I'm interested in your power."
Jiang Lin waded slowly toward the Empress's ship. The enormous Snake Ship lowered her graceful figure before him, its snakes flicking their scarlet tongues.
"You don't have a Devil Fruit power?"
The Empress stared in surprise at Jiang Lin's feet, submerged in seawater. He had no Devil Fruit power, yet he still dared to challenge her. That meant he must have some special means at his disposal, and people like that were usually difficult to deal with.
"Not right now, but I will in a moment. Could we go somewhere else? I can't fight properly here."
Jiang Lin lifted a leg helplessly. Seawater clung to his smooth thigh, and the water here had already risen past his waist. If he used a Devil Fruit Card now, he would be asking for death.
"Fine!"
The Empress did not take advantage of his predicament. She had the other snake lower its head, then took Jiang Lin ashore with her.
"What's your name?"
The Empress stepped gracefully off the Snake Ship. Her red high heels were spotless, as though they had just been taken out of a vacuum chamber.
"D. Jiang Lin!"
Jiang Lin turned his head away, doing his best not to meet her eyes.
"D?"
The Empress's expression visibly changed when she heard the name.
"Don't worry about the details. Boa Hancock, have you ever been kicked by light?"
To keep himself from going soft, Jiang Lin equipped the Glint-Glint Fruit as soon as he gave his name.
Sorry! I'm doing this to save Ace!
After apologizing silently, Jiang Lin turned into a streak of light and flashed above the Empress's head.