"Elder Sister!"
Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold noticed Hancock's unusual state and quickly came to the throne, their faces filled with worry.
They had also experienced those dark years, and that name was an untouchable taboo for them as well.
"Is... is it him?" Sandersonia's voice also trembled.
Hancock took a deep breath, trying to regain the dignity and arrogance befitting the Empress of the Kuja, but her voice was hoarse, as if abraded by sandpaper.
"Give... give the order."
"Everyone on Amazon Lily, proceed to the port to welcome Saint Ian."
At these words, her two younger sisters' faces turned pale.
Resist?
The thought didn't even linger in their minds for a second.
That was a being even the Gorosei had to bow to, the true Crown Prince of the Holy Land, an inescapable shadow that would haunt the three sisters for their entire lives.
The two dared not say more, silently following behind Hancock, trembling as they walked out of the palace.
At this moment, the palace square was already teeming with people.
Over a thousand of Amazon Lily's most elite female warriors had gathered, clad in animal skins, armed with longbows, and carrying quivers, ready for battle alongside the venomous sea snake named Pavla, which flicked its tongue.
A murderous aura permeated the entire square.
However, when they saw the Empress's face, pale as paper, staggering out of the palace, all their fighting spirit and killing intent instantly froze.
Profound astonishment appeared in everyone's eyes.
"What... what happened to Empress?"
"I've never seen Her Majesty so flustered!"
"Who exactly is coming? To make the proud Hancock show such an expression?"
Whispers rose among the crowd, but were soon replaced by a heavier silence.
Because they saw their Empress, the peerless beauty who was forgiven for everything she did and whose every word was truth, now walking with heavy steps towards the port.
It wasn't an expedition; it was more like walking to the execution ground.
Although their hearts were filled with countless questions and unease, out of loyalty to the Empress, the thousand female warriors silently followed.
The mighty procession, in an eerie silence, arrived at the port.
Just then, the going merry slowly sailed into the harbor.
Though still far away, Hancock immediately saw the figure standing at the very front of the deck.
After many years, that face had shed its childishness, becoming even more handsome, even more heart-stopping.
The psychological trauma from her maiden years, like a bursting flood, instantly shattered all her mental defenses.
The burning pain of the brand, the humiliation of goose feathers tickling her feet, the helplessness of being forced to eat the Devil Fruit... scene after scene, incident after incident, as clear as if they had happened yesterday.
Hancock's vision went black, and she could no longer stand, her delicate body swaying precariously.
"Elder Sister!"
Sandersonia and Marigold cried out in alarm, quickly supporting her from both sides.
"I... I'm fine."
Hancock waved her hand, her voice so soft it seemed it would scatter with the wind.
The going merry docked.
A figure leaped from the deck, it was the expressionless Gunko.
She didn't even glance at the thousand-person formation before her, simply raising her hand and waving.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Several bandages appeared out of thin air, then transformed into a wide path, extending from the ship's rail directly to Ian's feet.
After doing all this, Gunko slowly turned around, her cold gaze sweeping over the Kuja warriors present, finally settling on the three Boa sisters.
She didn't deliberately release her aura, but the oppressive feeling emanating from the God's Knights still made everyone present feel a suffocating sensation.
"Saint Ian has arrived."
"You, do you not yet kneel and worship?"
The moment her words fell, the thousand proud Kuja warriors barely hesitated.
"Clang—"
The sound of armor colliding with stone slabs merged into one as they uniformly faced the going merry, prostrating themselves on the ground, burying their heads deeply.
They didn't understand what was happening, but they understood that a being capable of instilling such fear in their Empress was certainly not someone they could contend with.
Moreover, the phrase "Saint Ian" already explained everything.
The three Boa sisters were naturally no exception.
Supported by her sisters, Hancock's knees gave way, and she too knelt.
She pressed her forehead tightly against the cold ground, her voice trembling as she spoke: "Boa Hancock respectfully welcomes Saint Ian."
Ian stepped onto the bandage carpet formed by her ability, walking down the ship step by step, directly approaching Hancock.
He looked down at the woman prostrating at his feet, who had grown into the world's most beautiful woman, a gentle smile on his face.
"Long time no see, Hancock."
"When This Young Master let you leave the Holy Land back then, I wanted to see what you would grow into in a freer environment."
"Now it seems, This Young Master's decision back then was very correct."
"You are indeed very beautiful."
Hancock's heart was filled with immense fear, and her body trembled even more violently; she dared not look up.
Seeing her like this, Ian's tone became colder: "Do you intend to remain kneeling here until This Young Master leaves?"
"If so, what is the meaning of This Young Master's visit?"
"Stand up and speak."
"This is an order!"
"I know my mistake." Hancock, supported by her sisters, shakily stood up, but still kept her head down, not daring to meet Ian's gaze.
The psychological trauma from her maiden years had long been etched into her bones.
Moreover, this man before her was the Crown Prince of the Holy Land, a figure even the highest authority of the World Government had to humble themselves before. How could she, a mere Shichibukai, an Empress of Kuza Island, dare to be presumptuous in the slightest?
Ian slowly raised his hand, pinching Hancock's flawless chin with two fingers, forcing her to lift her head.
Looking at that beautiful face, tear-streaked and filled with fear, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
"Hancock, have you maintained your purity all these years outside?"
"If This Young Master discovers you are no longer clean, you should know what the consequences will be."
Hancock's delicate body trembled, tears gushed from her eyes, and her voice broke.
"I... I will always be Saint Ian's... slave."
"No."
Ian waved his hand, smiling amiably: "From the moment This Young Master allowed you three sisters to leave the Holy Land, you ceased to be a slave."
With that, Ian took a step closer and leaned into Hancock's ear, almost biting her ear.
"After today, you will officially become This Young Master's woman."
Before Hancock could react, Ian suddenly extended his arms, and to the astonished cries of her and her two sisters, he directly picked up Hancock in a bridal carry.
The next second, under the gaze of a thousand people at the port, their figures vanished into thin air.
When Hancock opened her eyes again, she was already on her magnificent bed, carved from a giant sea snake, in her own bedchamber.
This was her private quarters, the most sacred and intimate forbidden area on Kuza Island.
And Ian stood by the bed, looking at her with an evil smile, as if appreciating a flawless work of art.
—