A cold, haughty voice echoed from the rear of the crowd.
The assembled Kuja warriors immediately froze, stepping aside in unison to clear a path.
Tall and graceful, Boa Hancock walked forward at a slow, commanding pace.
The moment she appeared, many in the crowd found themselves gasping for breath.Some with weaker willpower fell into a trance almost instantly.
Even Garp, Tsuru, and the others visibly tensed.
Among the Warlords, aside from Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock was undoubtedly the second most dangerous individual.
From her very first expedition, she had earned an 80-million-berry bounty, enough for Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself to personally extend her a Warlord invitation.
That alone spoke volumes of her terrifying strength.
"Tina," Tsuru said urgently, "get those with weak mental resistance out of here, now. If anyone becomes unresponsive, knock them out immediately. If they get turned to stone, we'll be completely tied up."
Tina and the others snapped out of it and immediately turned to execute the evacuation.
Even among women, Hancock's overwhelming presence went far beyond expectation.Her sheer charisma and power were stunning.
With the sudden arrival of the Empress of the Seas, everyone's nerves were on edge.
What would she do after what happened yesterday?
"Heh… Admiral Luo Yu," Crocodile called out with a dry laugh from the corner, hands still cuffed. "That woman is a beast in disguise—not so easy to appease."
"My offer still stands. Let me go, and I'll take her place. You won't have to worry about her causing trouble anymore."
But even he had a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
In this vast ocean, there were only two women that truly unsettled him—One was Big Mom, the other was Boa Hancock.
Any woman who possessed Conqueror's Haki… couldn't be underestimated.
"Crocodile, shut your mouth!"Elder Nyon snapped, slamming her cane against the ground.
"Hancock, dear—why are you here too?"
"We're not here to cause trouble—we're here to repay a favor to Admiral Luo Yu. That's all. Everything we've done is for the good of Kuja."
"Hancock," Tsuru stepped in with a serious tone, "Elder Gloriosa isn't wrong."
"What Luo Yu did yesterday saved your people from the Celestial Dragons. That was a massive favor. If you still intend to press the matter, you'll come across as ungrateful."
"Remember—it was I who personally delivered your Warlord induction order back then. We share some history. How about you do me a favor and let this go?"
"Do you a favor?"Hancock's long legs came to a stop just a few meters away.Lifting her chin proudly, she spoke with arrogant grace:
"I am so beautiful, no one dares to blame me—no matter what I do. So why should I owe you anything?"
"But—what Granny said is true. We Kuja never leave debts unpaid."
"Everything they just said... include me as well."
"Come, Admiral Luo Yu. Let me see who you choose."
Her commanding voice echoed through the plaza, lingering long after her lips had closed.
The entire place fell into a silence so deep you could hear a pin drop.
Hearts clenched. Eyes widened.Every face wore pure disbelief.
"W-Wait a minute…"Elder Nyon stammered, "Did… did you just call me Granny? And—did you say include yourself?"
"You… you mean… you also want to offer yourself… to repay the favor?"
No.
It wasn't just her.
The entire place exploded.
This was Boa Hancock!
The Pirate Empress!
The woman hailed as the most beautiful in the world—a goddess beyond the reach of mortals!
And now… she'd said she wanted to offer herself?
Was this some kind of joke?
Because if it was—this was the cruelest, most earth-shattering joke ever told.
Even Crocodile was stunned stiff, his expression frozen in disbelief.
That tiger of a woman…He had feared her like a wild beast.
Now she was willingly submitting herself to a freshly appointed admiral?
If it weren't for the cuffs, he might've slapped himself just to check if he was dreaming.
Tsuru's wrinkled face twitched uncontrollably.
She looked toward Hancock, her lips pressed tight, then abruptly turned and stepped aside with a grim expression.
"Admiral Luo Yu," she said coldly, "from now on, I won't try to save face in front of you."
"Today alone, I've been slapped in the face so many times it's swollen."
"This whole thing's yours now. Handle it yourself."
"…Still, being offered the love of Boa Hancock? That's not something you pass up."
"You might as well accept it."
That did it.
The crowd erupted again.
Even those with strong self-control began showing envy—intense envy.
Even the female officers like Tashigi, Tina, and Gion weren't immune.
They were women, yes. But they were still human.And Boa Hancock's level of beauty transcended gender.
To hear such a naked confession from someone like her—who wouldn't be moved?
Feeling the tide of emotion rising, Hancock lifted her chin even higher.
"Admiral Luo Yu, rest assured."
"Loving me, accepting me—it is an irresistible temptation."
"Whether man or woman, no one can resist me."
"You will be no exception."
"So… don't hesitate."
"Say it loud. Who do you choose?"
Her words dripped with enchantment, like a siren's song wrapped in dominance.
Even the old marines stationed hundreds of meters away—those who had clung to reason for dear life—finally snapped.
Their eyes turned into hearts.
They fell head over heels.
"Lady Hancock! Please, choose me! I'll be your loyal slave!"
"Lady Hancock! I'll be your dog! Bark! Bark!"
"Make me your worm! I'll crawl if I have to!"
The plaza descended into madness.
Veteran Marines from all directions erupted like lunatics.
Garp and Tsuru both turned pale.
Tsuru shouted urgently—
"Hancock! Restrain your Devil Fruit powers!"
"Stop bewitching the Navy personnel! This kind of trick won't work on Admiral Luo Yu!"
"He will never be your slave!"
Tsuru knew all too well what Boa Hancock was capable of.
This was the woman who, on her first expedition, stormed a small nation single-handedly in a bid to seize the Heavenly Tribute—and turned tens of thousands of people into stone.
While she had faith in Luo Yu's strength…
In her eyes, he was still too young.
And in front of a creature like Hancock, capable of bringing down kingdoms with her beauty alone—
A single slip could be fatal.