To become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai), the World Government's criteria were actually quite straightforward: you either needed an incredibly high level of global infamy, or overwhelming combat strength capable of intimidating an entire region.
It didn't matter what kind of person you were. It didn't matter if you were a saint, a ruthless tyrant, or a sadistic monster. The World Government didn't view the Warlords as genuine allies; they were simply disposable tools used to balance the power dynamics of the Great Pirate Era.
Typically, infamy and combat strength went hand-in-hand. An exception like Buggy the Clown—a man with massive, terrifying infamy but incredibly laughable combat strength—was an exceedingly rare anomaly.
Crocodile, Gecko Moria, Jinbe, Dracule Mihawk, Donquixote Doflamingo, and Bartholomew Kuma. All of them possessed both terrifying reputations and overwhelming strength.
Hancock's raw combat power was undeniably sufficient for the position. However, because this was her very first official expedition as the Captain of the Kuja Pirates, she had zero global infamy. She didn't even have a bounty yet.
Bardock didn't know exactly what catastrophic event she had orchestrated in the original timeline to earn her eighty-million-belly bounty and subsequent Warlord invitation so quickly. But right now, he saw a perfect shortcut. She could use the Sabaody Archipelago and the arrogant Supernovas as her stepping stones.
"Hancock, considering you are technically a complete 'rookie' to the rest of the world, the easiest way to secure a Warlord invitation is to publicly defeat a current Warlord," Bardock analyzed. "However, every time a Warlord is defeated, it significantly damages the credibility of the Shichibukai system. The World Government might not want to invite a loose cannon who actively disrupts their delicate balance. Doing that might just hand the open Warlord position to someone else."
Bardock raised a second finger. "The alternative is to orchestrate a 'Massive Incident'. With Shakky's unparalleled intelligence network on Sabaody, you can easily track down every single high-bounty Supernova rookie that arrives on the archipelago this year. Turn every single one of those arrogant brats into solid stone statues and deliver them directly to the Marine Headquarters. Use their frozen bodies as your absolute bargaining chip for the Warlord title."
Bardock left one crucial detail unspoken: Silvers Rayleigh was currently residing on Sabaody. As long as Hancock was operating on the archipelago, she didn't have to fear any Marine Admiral threatening her life. If things escalated, the Dark King would undoubtedly protect her and ensure her safe retreat.
"Snake Princess, the second option is brilliant," Elder Nyon nodded, seriously considering the strategy. "The current Warlords are all established veterans who have roamed the seas for decades. You are young and currently lack a bounty. Using Sabaody to instantly grind your infamy to the maximum is the perfect play."
"Supernovas?" Hancock scoffed dismissively, tossing her hair. "A bunch of pathetic, filthy mongrels. They aren't even worth my time."
She fully agreed with the second plan. She possessed absolute, unshakable confidence in her Haki and her Devil Fruit. A bunch of arrogant, hundred-million-belly rookies weren't even a minor threat in her eyes.
"Bardock," Hancock turned to him, her eyes softening. "Will you come with me to Sabaody?"
"I can't this time," Bardock sighed heavily. "Heading to the South Blue is partly to lay low and avoid the storm. The highest echelons of the Navy are likely tearing the ocean apart looking for my crew right now."
It was incredibly frustrating. If Kaido hadn't randomly crashed the party, they would have only had to deal with a lazy, unmotivated Kuzan. They could have easily continued their journey. Now, everything was completely compromised.
"Huh? Why would the Navy be desperately looking for you?" Hancock tilted her head in genuine confusion. "Did you do something else besides finding that Golden City?"
"During the fight, Kaido publicly offered me a position as a Tobi Roppo in the Beast Pirates right in front of Vice Admiral Kuzan," Bardock grumbled, massaging his temples. "He even said an All-Star position wasn't off the table. It was incredibly unlucky. The Navy is definitely going to panic."
Every time Bardock thought about it, he wanted to punch something. He silently vowed to constantly cause massive headaches for Kaido in the future. He wondered how Crocodile and Moria's anti-Kaido alliance was progressing.
"Kaido? Hmph! And the Navy..." Hancock's eyes narrowed dangerously, silently adding both factions to her mental hit list for inconveniencing Bardock. She understood that he couldn't travel with her now.
"Snake Princess, time is of the essence," Elder Nyon urged, tapping her snake staff against the deck. "If the Navy can truly navigate the Calm Belt, every second we waste puts Amazon Lily in greater danger. We must head to Sabaody immediately and secure that Warlord title."
"Shut up! You are so annoying!"
Hancock casually grabbed Elder Nyon by the collar and violently hurled the old woman back toward the Perfume Yuda.
Despite her frail, shrunken appearance, Elder Nyon was incredibly agile. She flipped gracefully through the air like a cat, landing perfectly on the deck of her own ship. "Honestly! Kids these days have absolutely zero respect for their elders!"
Despite her grumbling, she wasn't actually angry. She immediately began barking orders at the Kuja warriors to prepare the ship for departure.
Back on the White Dragon, Hancock turned to Bardock, a trace of genuine regret in her eyes. "To think we only just reunited, and we must already part ways. It's been over two years since we last spoke."
"We have Den Den Mushis now, remember?" Bardock smiled gently, tapping his chest. "And I have your Vivre Card. It will be incredibly easy for us to meet up in the future."
Hancock nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Your ship can fly. The Calm Belt means nothing to you. You are welcome to visit me anytime you wish. There is an island near Amazon Lily called Rusukaina; it has forty-eight distinct, extreme seasons. It's an absolutely perfect environment for Haki training."
"I'll definitely take you up on that," Bardock promised. "Be careful on Sabaody. There might actually be a few genuinely strong fighters among the Supernovas, so don't underestimate them completely. Oh, by the way... Rayleigh should know how to use Advanced Conqueror's Haki Infusion. I just witnessed Kaido use it. Did Rayleigh teach it to you?"
Bardock couldn't help but imagine how terrifyingly destructive Hancock's Perfume Femur kicks would be if they were heavily coated in Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
"Conqueror's Haki can be physically infused into attacks?!" Hancock gasped, her eyes widening. She instantly puffed her cheeks in anger. "That stupid old man! I'm going to pinch his nose off!"
Chuckling, Bardock quickly gave Hancock a detailed breakdown of the mechanical theory behind Advanced Conqueror's Haki Infusion that he had deduced from watching Kaido, asking her to verify the theory with Rayleigh when she saw him.
"I must go now. Take care of yourself, Bardock!" Hancock said, her tone decisive. Seeing that her ship was fully prepped, she didn't drag out the farewells. "Goodbye, Mansherry! Goodbye, Leo! And goodbye to the rest of you!"
"Goodbye, everyone!" Sandersonia and Marigold waved cheerfully.
"Take care, Hancock!" Bardock nodded.
"Bye, Hancock! Bye, Sandersonia! Bye, Marigold!" The rest of the crew waved enthusiastically from the deck.
Bardock stood at the railing, silently watching the massive Perfume Yuda slowly pull away, guided by the two colossal sea serpents. Once they vanished into the mist, he turned back to his crew. It was time to focus on their own journey.
"Alright, crew! Let's get moving! Enel, take the White Dragon into the sky!"
"Understood."
Enel casually sparked his fingers, channeling massive electrical currents into the ship's rotors. The golden galleon smoothly lifted off the ocean surface, soaring high into the air.
As they flew deeper into the Calm Belt, the ambient wind completely died out. The ocean below became terrifyingly still, perfectly smooth like a massive pane of blue glass.
Everyone on the crew had heard the terrifying legends of the Calm Belt, but viewing it from the safety of the sky was a profoundly surreal experience. What kind of terrifying, invisible geological force was capable of completely erasing all wind and flattening the ocean surface across such a massive geographic area?
Even though Mansherry and Leo had seen this exact phenomenon when they traveled to the West Blue years ago, they were still completely captivated by the eerie silence.
Thanks to Enel acting as a flawless, omniscient radar, their journey through the Calm Belt was significantly smoother and far less frantic than Bardock's first crossing. Whenever they flew over an uncharted, biologically diverse island within the Calm Belt, they would casually land and explore for a few hours before continuing.
It seemed Amazon Lily wasn't located anywhere near their current flight path. Bardock didn't spot the Kuja's home island, nor did he see Rusukaina.
But that was fine. With Hancock and her sisters out at sea, visiting Amazon Lily right now wouldn't have been very interesting anyway. The biggest difference between the Kuja Pirates and the ordinary civilian women of Amazon Lily was their exposure to men.
The Kuja warriors who sailed the seas had seen men before; they viewed them with hostile indifference or mild disdain. The civilian women of Amazon Lily, however, had never seen a man in their entire lives. If Bardock's crew landed there now, they would undoubtedly be treated like bizarre, exotic zoo animals and relentlessly poked and prodded by curious villagers.
Without encountering a single storm or encountering any hostile forces, the White Dragon successfully completely bypassed the first half of the Grand Line and gently descended onto the vibrant, bustling waters of the South Blue.
read more & join member at patreon(.)com/Lestusk