When the Rosward family was thrown in front of Hancock, she was stunned.
She hadn't expected Luo Lan to capture them so quickly.
And not just one, but three of them.
Worried that Luo Lan might deceive her—or that something might've gone wrong while trying to capture the Celestial Dragons at Sabaody Archipelago—she had even called Shakky to confirm the appearances of the Celestial Dragons and ask for some help.
Now, seeing the three people in front of her, she was certain—they were exactly as Shakky had described.
"You really went after the Celestial Dragons?"
Hancock's voice trembled. It felt surreal, like she was in a dream.
"I need to confirm it!"
"No problem. Go ahead."
Although she was nearly sure, Hancock still wanted to verify it.
It was easy to confirm whether the three Celestial Dragons at Sabaody had been taken.
Hancock pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Buru buru buru…
"This is Shakky."
"Shakky, it's me, Hancock!"
"Oh, little Hancock? It's only been three hours and you're calling again. Don't worry, nothing happened to them. They already left Sabaody."
"I know. They're right in front of me right now, along with the three Celestial Dragons."
"So soon?"
Shakky was stunned.
Could it be that Jun Lin's headquarters was right under the Navy's nose?
Three hours wasn't long… even the fastest sailing ships wouldn't have gone more than thirty nautical miles.
"Shakky, I want to confirm—are the three people they brought back really Celestial Dragons?"
"Little Hancock, I can guarantee it. Ever since the three Celestial Dragons went missing, Sabaody's been in utter chaos. Even an Admiral showed up!"
"It's… real…?"
Hancock went blank.
"Of course. In fact, because of this incident, business on Sabaody might be shut down for quite a while."
"You should ask Jun Lin's leader for some compensation. This is a big blow to my little shop…"
Beside her, Luo Lan looked speechless.
You're confirming facts, sure—but why bring me into it? Compensation?
"Ahem…"
Luo Lan couldn't take it anymore and cleared his throat.
"Oh? So Jun Lin's little leader is right next to Hancock?"
"Nice to meet you, former Empress of Amazon Lily and ex-captain of the Kuja Pirates, Shakky."
When dealing with someone like Shakky, it was best to let her know right away that you knew who she was.
Otherwise, she would toy with you endlessly.
There was a moment of silence from the Den Den Mushi.
And Hancock's eyes widened in shock.
Former Empress of Amazon Lily?
Shakky was…
"Well well, little leader, it seems you know quite a lot."
"Not too much—just what I need to know. That's all."
"Then do you know about Hancock's past?"
"Shakky!!!"
It was Shakky who suddenly yelled.
They could chat all they wanted, but how could they bring that up?
That was her biggest—and most painful—secret.
"Little Hancock, even if I was the Empress two generations before you, this is your era now. So even if you want to lead Amazon Lily to join Jun Lin, I have no right to stop it. However…"
"I need to know how much this so-called leader of Jun Lin actually knows about you. And more importantly, how he sees you after learning it."
"If I'm not satisfied with the answer, then even if I'm not Empress today—I'll become Empress again tomorrow to stop Amazon Lily from joining Jun Lin!"
Her tone was sharp, completely unlike her usual self.
"So, little leader of Jun Lin, can you answer my question?"
"Ahem… First of all, can you stop calling me 'little leader'? It sounds weird."
"Heh, if you don't like it, then tell me your real name. Deal?"
"Luo Lan."
...
...
Shakky had only meant to tease.
She never thought he'd actually say it.
This was the leader of the mysterious Junlin!
Wait a second… that name sounded familiar—Luo Lan… wasn't he…
"You're Sengoku's so-called 'useless' adopted son?"
"Ahem!"
"Oops, sorry! That's just how the intel described you—it slipped out."
Shakky looked a bit awkward.
Calling someone 'useless' to their face wasn't exactly polite.
"That's right. I'm that so-called useless one who couldn't cultivate."
"And yet you hid it so well—even fooled the entire Navy for over a decade!"
"I didn't fool anyone. Just a few months ago, I was still that same weakling with only a power level of 5."
"Th-That's… impossible!!"
Shakky gasped.
Luo Lan had been hiding his strength since he was five, playing the part of a weakling for years. That was already unbelievable.
But claiming that just a few months ago he was still powerless, and now even Rayleigh admitted he couldn't take him down quickly?
That was something Shakky couldn't wrap her head around.
"Alright, to answer your earlier question—I know all about Hancock's childhood. I don't look down on her. And as for Amazon Lily…"
"Like I said, under Jun Lin's protection, no one can touch it."
Beside him, Hancock's eyes widened again.
He knew…
How did he know?
And on the other end of the line, Shakky nodded silently.
The moment he revealed her identity and implied he knew everything, she figured he might know about Hancock's past too.
And now it was confirmed.
As for his words, Shakky could hear the sincerity and confidence in them.
Not hollow promises—he meant every word.
If that was the case, then maybe…
She could trust him with Hancock, and with Amazon Lily.
Shakky knew very well: once Roger and the others set their plan in motion, the world—
Would fall into chaos.
There was a chance to fix the twisted world, but before that...
Countless people would die tragic deaths.
Even Amazon Lily might not escape the maelstrom.
She complained about Rayleigh all the time, but deep down she knew it was pointless.
Not even she could stop Rayleigh or undo Roger's final plan.
But Jun Lin's rise was a variable.
A huge, unpredictable variable.
Maybe—just maybe—it could change everything.
Shakky didn't know why, but deep down...
She believed it.