The next day.
The Wave Rider sailed smoothly across the sea. Ryan lay on a lounge chair under the awning, one arm draped over his forehead to block the glaring sunlight while the other idly traced the hilt of the Seven Star Sword at his waist. The lingering aftertaste of last night refused to fade.
Hancock's tall, statuesque figure was undeniable. Even restrained by Seastone, she couldn't conceal the bearing of a true warrior. Though her body trembled, she stubbornly held her neck stiff, refusing to show even a hint of surrender. That prideful "persistence to the end," that suppressed tension—every detail exuded a contradictory allure.
Turning his head, Ryan observed Boa Hancock beside him. Gone was her flamboyant Pirate Empress attire, replaced by a loose, light-gray linen shirt—a temporary solution since her original clothes had been rendered unwearable.
The oversized garment hung loosely on her frame, obscuring the sharp curves normally accentuated by her regal outfits. Yet the elegant slope of her shoulders and neck remained strikingly beautiful. The top two buttons of the collar were casually undone, revealing glimpses of her collarbones. Though not deliberately seductive, this disheveled state carried more allure than any deliberate styling. The hem reached her knees, covering her usually exposed long legs, but the innate regality in her posture still betrayed her identity as the "Empress."
Even in the simplest casual wear, she exuded an entirely different charm—the contrast between her lazy demeanor and unconcealable dignity creating a captivating paradox.
Truly worthy of the title "World's Most Beautiful Woman."
At this moment, Hancock sat motionless, hands resting lightly on her knees, her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders. Gone was her usual straight-backed posture, her cold, haughty gaze—even the slightest hint of emotion had vanished.
"What's with the dead face?" Ryan suddenly grabbed Hancock's wrist and yanked her toward him.
Caught off guard, Hancock lost her balance and tumbled into Ryan's chest. The moment her nose caught his scent—that physiologically repulsive odor—memories of suppression and humiliation surged forth. Instinctively, she turned her head away, her deep blue eyes brimming with unconcealed loathing.
"What?" Ryan could clearly feel the stiffness in Hancock's body and her undisguised resistance, but he didn't release her. Instead, he gently stroked the delicate skin of her wrist with his thumb, his tone laced with casual amusement. "Is my embrace truly so beneath the great 'Empress'?"
Hancock's lips turned white from how hard she was biting them, refusing to utter a single word. She kept her head stubbornly turned away, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she tried to create distance. But Ryan's grip was unrelenting, his cold fingers like iron shackles she couldn't break free from. Combined with the Seastone cuffs suppressing her strength, she had no room for resistance. She could only endure being trapped in his arms, humiliation bubbling up from the depths of her heart.
"Don't be so resistant." Ryan's fingers trailed up from her wrist to her chin, tilting her face toward him. "We just 'got acquainted' yesterday. You should at least give me some reaction—otherwise, life at sea would be so dull."
"Take your filthy hands off me!" Hancock finally snapped, glaring at Ryan with eyes full of fury.
"I'll let go if you..." Ryan, amused by her "furious yet powerless" state, leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Dream on!" Hancock's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice trembling with indignation. "I'd rather die than do such a thing!"
"If you refuse, I'll strip you right here and let everyone on deck admire the 'World's Most Beautiful Woman' in all her glory." Ryan's gaze swept over the crew members working nearby, his voice dropping to a whisper yet every word crystal clear. "Including that 'special' mark on your back."
"You—!" Hancock's face instantly paled, her body trembling uncontrollably. All traces of anger vanished, replaced by bone-deep terror.
Ryan, having seen through her fear, lightly patted her cheek, his tone mocking yet certain. "You wouldn't want anyone to know about the secret on your back, would you?"
Hancock froze, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. Her beautiful blue eyes flickered with intense struggle. But under Ryan's dominance, all resistance crumbled into powerless submission. Her head slowly bowed.
No matter the cost, no matter how much humiliation she had to endure—she had to keep that secret buried at all costs.
Watching Hancock lower her head in surrender, Ryan's smirk deepened.
As long as he held the "Hoof of the Flying Dragon" over her, controlling Hancock would be effortless. And that was exactly what Ryan wanted—to grind away her arrogance bit by bit, until the once-untouchable Pirate Empress became nothing more than his "plaything."
The mere thought sent a thrill through him. This "taming" of the Empress was more exhilarating than anything else.
The scene left the crew on deck utterly stunned.
Perona stood by the railing, clutching her Kuma plushie, her large eyes wide with disbelief.
She'd simply gone to sleep, only to wake up to the unbelievable news that Boa Hancock—the legendary Pirate Empress who even the Marines treated with caution—had been captured and brought aboard the Wave Rider!
Stealing a glance at Ryan under the awning, Perona couldn't help but shudder. This man was terrifying. To effortlessly subdue someone of Hancock's caliber, with that aura of quiet control that left no room for defiance...
But seeing Hancock's bowed head and tense posture, recalling her own past humiliations under Ryan's "guidance," Perona's cheeks flushed faintly pink. An odd sense of camaraderie stirred in her.
Compared to the mighty Pirate Empress now brought so low, Perona suddenly felt her own past grievances weren't so unbearable after all.
Meanwhile, Absalom, peeking from the cabin doorway, had an even more exaggerated reaction. His eyes bulged as he stared at Hancock, drool nearly dripping from his mouth—yet his expression also carried a hint of pity. He was green with envy.
This was the World's Most Beautiful Woman, the unattainable dream of countless men! And now, she was under Ryan's complete "control." What a waste!
As for the rest of the crew, after their initial shock, they quickly averted their eyes and returned to work. They'd long since learned Ryan's temperament—this captain played by his own rules, and his methods were ruthless. Whoever he captured, it wasn't their place to question.