"Kyahhh!"
"Lady Snake Princess!"
The few Kuja female guards standing by the throne were instantly mesmerized and their weapons became unstable in their grasp, screaming frantically.
"Sigh." Elder Nyon let out a long breath, her expression twisted as she stared at Hancock—who was currently sinking deep into narcissism.
This child… she had been completely normal back when she was just a young warrior.
But ever since she escaped from Mary Geoise three years ago, her mindset had grown further and further out of sync with Amazon Lily.
Despite holding the title of Warlord of the Sea and possessing a massive bounty, her behavior often didn't resemble that of a pirate at all.
In fact, she acted more like… a Marine?
For example—not allowing raids on merchant ships.
A pirate who doesn't plunder… is she even a pirate?!
Just who the heck taught her these habits… Elder Nyon had been tormented by this mystery for years.
She was about to resume her persuasion when hurried footsteps sounded outside the palace.
"Lady Snake Princess! Lady Snake Princess!"
A high-ponytailed warrior with a bow slung across her back appeared at the doorway.
She immediately dropped to one knee and presented a stack of newspapers.
"These are several newspapers urgently sent back from the West sea outpost! All reports regarding Lord White Dragon have been collected here! Please take a look!"
"Panicking like that—what a disgrace."
Hancock reprimanded her coldly. Seeing the warrior's frightened expression, she didn't bother adding more scolding.
She glanced lazily at the large snake behind her. "Go. Bring it here."
Hissss…
The giant serpent, Salome, slithered forward, gently picked up the newspapers in its mouth, and placed them into Hancock's hands.
"This Empress is weary. I must go bathe and rest for a while. Gloriosa, you may retire for now. Anything else can wait until tomorrow."
After taking the newspaper and giving it a single glance, Hancock—expression cool and detached—issued the dismissal order, then rose with Salome and left.
Elder Nyon did not leave immediately.
She stared suspiciously at Hancock's departing back.
Was it her imagination?
When Hancock took the newspaper just now, her cheeks seemed to flush slightly… and her eyes shone with excitement—an expression she quickly concealed.
"Kikyo, wait."
Elder Nyon called out to the ponytailed warrior.
Kikyo paused, then turned with a warm smile.
"Yes, Elder Gloriosa?"
The current Empress, Lady Snake Princess, was cold and imposing—terrifying to deal with.
But with Gloriosa, the kind and approachable queen from three generations before, it was completely different.
"You mentioned a 'West sea outpost'—what is that exactly?"
Elder Nyon frowned. "I don't recall Amazon Lily ever establishing such a thing."
"Oh, that was set up secretly two years ago, after Lady Snake Princess ascended the throne."
Kikyo laughed softly.
"You know how it is—Amazon Lily is in the Calm Belt. The News Coo never comes here, so information arrives late. So Lady Snake Princess created the outpost to gather updates on major world events."
That was a clever idea.
Hancock really did have queenly foresight…
Elder Nyon nodded appreciatively—then her face abruptly stiffened.
"Wait. Then why have I never seen any newspapers in the palace? How often do you deliver them?"
"Normally once a week," Kikyo said, sticking out her tongue.
"But most of the time, Lady Snake Princess throws them straight into the trash. Only newspapers with news about Lord White Dragon are kept. So eventually, we only deliver newspapers when there's news about him… huh? Elder Gloriosa? Where are you going?"
Where?
Elder Nyon stomped off, fuming, leaning heavily on her cane—without even turning back.
She finally knew who had led Hancock astray!!
…
Two minutes later.
Outside the bathhouse's screen, Elder Nyon quietly poked her head in, peeking inside.
Steam curled above the hot spring, rose petals drifting softly with the ripples.
Through the mist, a slender, graceful silhouette leaned against the edge of the pool, cheeks flushed red as she gazed dreamily at the newspaper in her hands.
Elder Nyon swore to the heavens—she had never seen Hancock show such a shy, delicate, girl-like expression.
"No wonder Lord Nao is so remarkable… mmh…"
Faint murmurs drifted from the bath.
Elder Nyon hesitated for a long moment, torn by curiosity, then tiptoed closer, trying to sneak a look at what exactly was written in that newspaper.
But she had barely taken a few steps when Hancock suddenly whipped her head around, her gaze icy:
"Who?!"
In a blur, her figure vanished from the bath.
The next instant, Elder Nyon felt herself yanked off the ground, weightless, staring into an exquisitely beautiful face with slightly knitted brows.
"Gloriosa…"
Hancock narrowed her eyes, expression unreadable, and tossed Elder Nyon back to the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Ow ow ow ow—! Show some respect to your elders, will you, Snake Princess?!"
Elder Nyon grimaced, ready to scold her, when she suddenly spotted the newspaper lying on the floor nearby.
She immediately forgot her frustration, scrambling forward with surprising agility to snatch it up.
Hancock stared speechlessly.
So the old woman's constant wheezing, cane-dependence, and slow steps had all been an act…
Since there were no outsiders here, Hancock didn't bother disguising anything further.
She let Elder Nyon flip through the papers while her own long, alluring body slowly sank back beneath the warm water.
Her eyes drifted to the rose petals spreading across the surface, recalling the photos she had just seen—her cheeks blooming pink once more…
"WHAT?!?!"
Her reverie shattered as Elder Nyon's shriek echoed through the bath.
"Charlotte Linlin is dead?! The entire Big Mom Pirates—destroyed by that man?!!"
"…Is this why people call you Elder Nyon—because you shout and fuss every single day?"
Hancock frowned slightly, displeased, and turned around.
"Is this really so surprising? For Lord Nao, such trivial matters are only natural. What's there to be shocked about?"
"Hah?!"
Elder Nyon stared at her as if she were insane.
"Not surprising? Snake Princess—did the hot spring melt your brain? We're talking about Big Mom! A ruler of the New World, one of the strongest pirates alive!!"
"T–that level of powerhouse, plus Katakuri, Smoothie, Oven—t–they all… all…"
"And what of it?"
Hancock brushed aside a strand of hair, unfazed.
"Didn't Lord Nao already defeat her three years ago? She survived by pure luck that time. If she didn't die this time, that would be strange. In fact…"
She propped her chin on her hand, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"I was even considering that if Lord Nao still hadn't dealt with her after a few more years, I would've gone to Whole Cake Island myself…"
After all, that wretched old woman had once kidnapped Lord Nao and tried to force him into marriage.
Remembering that incident made Hancock grit her teeth in secret, jealousy surging violently inside her.
Such a thing… was utterly unforgivable!
"…"
Elder Nyon stared at Hancock in utter speechlessness, completely stunned.
You really have soaked your brain rotten in that hot spring…
Forget it. Elder Nyon shook her head fiercely, letting it go for now.
After rereading the newspaper carefully, she lifted her head again, face grave:
"Snake Princess, although I understand that you only escaped back then thanks to that man, and it's natural you feel admiration and affection for him… however…"
"You must remember—this man is extremely dangerous! You must stay as far away from him as possible in the future. And as the current Empress of Amazon Lily, you must have the foresight to recognize the seriousness of this incident…"
Hancock said nothing.
She simply snatched the newspaper back and continued reading, completely unfazed.
Seeing this reaction, Elder Nyon immediately knew all her advice—yet again—was passing straight through one ear and out the other.
"Snake Princess!"
Elder Nyon sighed and continued earnestly, "Even a pirate crew as mighty as the Big Mom Pirates was wiped out overnight by him alone. The era is truly changing! In my opinion, before the end of the year, the other New World pirate crews will share the same fate…"
"And what does that have to do with me?" Hancock asked lazily.
"It has EVERYTHING to do with you!"
Elder Nyon slammed her cane on the floor.
"The Marine has long developed warships that can freely cross the Calm Belt. Why has Amazon Lily, a nation of pirates, remained safe until now? Because you are a Warlord of the Sea! But that system exists only to maintain balance—and that balance is about to collapse! Once it breaks, the Warlord system will absolutely not be allowed to continue!"
"Do you understand, Snake Princess? If you don't prepare ahead of time, then when the moment comes—"
Elder Nyon stepped closer, voice growing harsher and more urgent.
"—Amazon Lily will be caught completely defenseless in a naval siege! And who knows—maybe the one leading the assault will be that White Dragon man you idolize! Are you going to wait until he personally arrests you and throws you into Impel Down before regretting it?!"
Hancock's back stiffened slightly.
Then she slowly turned her head.
Elder Nyon's heart leapt—finally, she had gotten through to her!
But then Hancock spoke:
"Regret? Why would I regret? If the one leading the capture is Lord Nao… isn't that perfect?"
"…What?"
Elder Nyon's mind froze.
The next moment, she stared dumbfounded as Hancock's long, slender, alabaster fingers gently traced the photo on the newspaper, her gaze dreamy and intoxicated.
"No matter how Lord Nao chooses to punish me—imprisonment, execution—it doesn't matter. I would accept it all willingly, without complaint, because…"
"Lord Nao… is just too handsome!"
..
Foggy Sea, a certain mansion undergoing extensive construction.
"Doctor Hogback, I'm back."
A knock sounded at the door.
Hogback, who had been reclining on a wicker chair sipping tea, brightened with surprise and hurried to open it.
"Fsshh! Fsshh! Cindry, didn't you say you'd be back later? Why are you alrea—"
The moment he opened the door, Hogback's face darkened.
Expressionless, he immediately attempted to shut it again.
Standing outside wasn't his beloved Miss Cindry at all—
but a certain fat otaku deliberately pinching his voice into a shrill imitation.
"Hey hey hey! What's with that reaction?! I'm your superior now—you can't give me that rotten face just because I played a little prank!"
It took considerable effort for Moria to wedge his bulky body inside.
Hogback returned to his wicker chair, glanced at the newspaper in Moria's hand, and asked:
"Another incident?"
"Of course! A super important major incident! Otherwise, why would I rush over the moment I got the newspaper to share it with you?!"
Moria tossed the newspaper over with a grin.
"Here, take a look yourself. That White Dragon—he stayed out of the New World for years, and the moment he returns, he stirs up something unbelievable."
Unbelievable?
Doctor Hogback caught the newspaper and instinctively glanced at the front page.
Instantly, his eyes were drawn to the enlarged, bold headline:
"Shocking Incident! White Dragon Nao Suddenly Appears at Big Mom's Tea Party—Totto Land in Chaos!"
Below it was a slightly smaller subtitle:
"Big Mom killed in just four hours—just how terrifying has this man become?"
Big Mom… dead?
Hogback's eyes widened with horror.
He hurriedly unfolded the paper to read it thoroughly, but he had barely begun when—
fwip!
The newspaper was snatched straight out of his hands.
"Hey! What are you doing, Perona?!"
Moria's irritated voice sounded.
"I know you've always been thinking about that guy. I was gonna let you read it afterward! Did you have to snatch it from the doctor? He hasn't even looked at it yet! No manners at all—wait, why are you even here?"
"Kumashi broke. I asked the doctor to sew him up."
The pink-haired twin-tailed girl replied coldly, pointing at the zombie teddy bear in her arms.
Then, clutching the newspaper, she floated toward the wall and drifted out.
"Hey! What attitude is that?! Get back here!"
Moria shouted for a long while, but Perona didn't even turn around.
He put his hands on his hips—well, as much as a fat otaku could—and grumbled:
"What the hell! That kid! She used to be so sweet and adorable. Now she's completely changed… always giving me that attitude, never listening. I don't get it at all…"
Hogback finally snapped out of his daze from having the newspaper stolen.
Watching Perona's figure fade away, he chuckled and shook his head.
"That's normal, Moria. Girls at that age are entering adolescence. A bit of rebellion is perfectly natural."
"Huh? That's adolescence already?"
"Of course. And besides—you've gotten fatter and fatter these past years. You're practically a pig now. If your daughter dislikes you, you only have yourself to blame."
Gekko Moria staggered as if struck by lightning, utterly heartbroken.
Waaah… too cruel…
Doctor Hogback just patted his shoulder cheerfully.
"Alright, don't take it to heart. The paper's gone, so you might as well tell me yourself…"
He narrowed his eyes, voice suddenly deep and serious.
"What exactly happened in the New World?"
...
Impel Down — Level 4, the Blazing Hell
This floor contained the Warden's Office and was searingly hot.
Whenever new prisoners arrived, they were brought here first for sterilization by extreme heat before being assigned to cells corresponding to their bounties.
And on this day—
A large group of new prisoners was brought in.
Since several of them were heavy-hitters, Impel Down took special precautions.
The sterilization process was overseen personally by Chief Warden Magellan and Head Jailer Shiryu of the Rain.
Pa.
Shiryu lit a cigar, leisurely exhaled a thick plume of smoke, then glanced sideways.
"Want one?"