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Cosmos explained. "The king who defeated the Warlord Hanafuda has made a deal with the World Government. He's turned Hannabal into a 'free island,' where pirates and Marines alike can dock. And all fighting is forbidden within a certain radius of the island. Furthermore, the king's bloody purge of Hannabal has established his authority and made him... convincing. Defeating Hanafuda proved his strength. Hannabal has become the talk of the town. All the pirates who are too scared to go to the New World are flocking there, using it as a safe haven. The prey has naturally dwindled, which has made our hunt much more difficult than usual."
Hancock skimmed the article. It was mostly just hyping up Hannabal, calling it the "Sabaody of the middle of Paradise."
The Sabaody Archipelago had prospered because of pirates. Hannabal would be the same.
Of course, the article was actually a piece of sponsored content that Rear Admiral Enru of Hannabal had purchased from the newspaper to serve as an advertisement. When he had been stationed at Lunia Port, he had often used his private connections with the newspaper to promote the port. Although he had left the Marines, those connections were still there. And besides, Jin also had his own dealings with the newspaper.
As long as you paid, Morgans didn't care who you were. He'd even publish anti-government propaganda.
"So," Hancock said, standing up, "it's Hannabal's fault that my hunt has been affected? They've stolen my prey?"
"CHANGE COURSE. TO HANNABAL."
"Wait, Lady Snake Princess!" Cosmos said quickly. "Hannabal belongs to the Winter Blossom Kingdom, a member of the World Government! Attacking Hannabal would be the same as attacking a member nation! Even as a Warlord, you don't have that right!"
The other officers also tried to dissuade her, afraid that her impulsiveness would get them into trouble.
"And who said anything about attacking?" Hancock said haughtily.
"Eh?!"
She tossed her hair. "After they see my beauty, they will willingly hand over all their treasure. And a gift... can hardly be called plunder, can it?"
Hancock had a thousand percent confidence in her beauty. She was, after all, the most beautiful woman in the world. She believed this with all her heart.
The other officers thought for a moment.
'Damn,' they thought collectively. 'Her Majesty... actually has a point.'
No wonder she was their empress. Strong, clever, beautiful...
They were all starting to come around to the idea.
A quick score in Hannabal... wasn't that better than drifting aimlessly at sea?
"Lady Snake Princess!"
The sniper, Rindo, rushed in. "A ship is approaching!"
"A ship? Approaching us?" Hancock said, surprised. "Rindo, are you sure? Usually, ships run the other way when they see our flag."
"It's true," Rindo confirmed. "They're getting closer."
"Is it another pirate crew?"
"Unlikely," one of the officers said. "There are only a handful of crews who would dare to challenge us. And any crew with that kind of strength would be in the New World, fighting for the throne."
"Well, there's one way to find out," Hancock said, ending the discussion.
They all went out on deck. Sure enough, a large ship was cutting through the water at an incredible speed.
Rindo, with her superior eyesight, leaped to the top of the mast. As the ship drew closer, she could make out its flag, fluttering in the wind.
"It's not a pirate flag," she said, surprised. "It's... a black dragon!"
"Could it be... that country everyone's been talking about?"
The concept of a "Dragon" was well-known among pirates—Kaido's Azure Dragon fruit was a prime example. But very few used a dragon as their flag.
And so, the black dragon flag of the Winter Blossom Kingdom was easily recognizable.
"Lady Snake Princess! It's the ship of the Winter Blossom Kingdom!" Rindo reported.
"EH?!"
The other officers were all stunned.
"No way."
"Rindo, are you sure?"
"It's really them?"
"There's no mistaking that flag," Rindo said. "And when you think about it, they're the only ones who would dare to approach us. As a power capable of defeating a Warlord, it's only natural that they wouldn't be intimidated by one."
They had just been talking about him, and now he was here. Was it a coincidence? Or some kind of premonition?
"You don't think the king is on that ship, do you?" someone said.
A wave of unease washed over the women.
Hanafuda's defeat had, to some extent, damaged the reputation of the Warlords in Paradise.
"What are you panicking for?" Hancock's haughty voice cut through their fear. "As long as I am here, no one can resist my beauty and my charm!"
Her words calmed the crew. They steadied themselves and readied their weapons.
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Jin's ship slowed, coming to a stop about a hundred meters from the Perfume Yuda. The waves pushed it forward until they were only thirty meters apart.
A burst of static, and then Jin's voice boomed from the conning tower's loudspeaker.
"Is that the ship of the Warlord of the Sea, Boa Hancock, and the Kuja Pirates?"
Hancock stepped forward to the prow. She found it strange that she couldn't see anyone on the other ship's deck. Was it a ghost ship? Or were they afraid of being turned to stone by her power?
"Insolent man!" Hancock's voice cut through the air. "How dare you call my name while cowering in the shadows! Who are you? Show yourself!"
'Cowering?'
Jin was speechless. Who was cowering?
A section of the conning tower split open, and a stream of candy flowed out, forming a lift that carried Jin to the highest point of the ship.
A Devil Fruit? Hancock and her crew were slightly surprised.
"Unruly woman," Jin said, looking down at her. "So you're Hancock."
Jin's ship was still a size larger than the Kuja's ship, allowing him to look down on her. He had spotted her immediately, the one who stood out from the crowd.
Her long hair cascaded down her back. A deep-red qipao accentuated her perfect, sexy figure. She wore no makeup, but she was still radiant. Her skin was as white as snow.
Everything about her was perfect, except... for the look in her eyes. It was a look of pure, unadulterated, almost dog-like arrogance.
"Insolent fool! How dare you call me unruly?!" Hancock's face was a mask of cold fury. "I am the empress of Amazon Lily! Who are you to speak to me in such a manner?!"
She leaped into the air, landing lightly on the top of the mast, bringing herself to the same height as Jin.
She hated being looked down on.
"You're an empress. As it happens, so am I," Jin said. "So this is a conversation between two monarchs."
Hancock's beautiful eyes narrowed. "You? The king of the Winter Blossom Kingdom who defeated Hanafuda?"
(Hanafuda: You people need to stop!)
"You're a long way from your country. What business do you have with me?"
"You're a long way from yours, too," Jin replied. "Let's get down to business. I heard you were in the area, so I came to find you. I want to make a deal."
"A deal?" Hancock said, her voice laced with suspicion. "I do not make deals with anyone."
"See, there you go again, getting ahead of yourself," Jin said. "Just listen to what I have to say first."
"And why should I?" Hancock retorted. "I have no desire to listen to the words of a man, and I would certainly never make a deal with one!"
She had been captured by slave traders as a child and had been a slave of the Celestial Dragons. That, combined with Kuja's "no men allowed" tradition, had given her a deep-seated hatred and distrust of all men.
Jin sighed. Dealing with someone as headstrong and traumatized as Hancock was going to be a pain.
Fine...
"If that's how it is," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "then our fists will have to do the talking."
He issued a formal challenge.
"I'll beat you until you're willing to make a deal!"
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