章節 87: Chapter 87: Torturing the Pirate Empress?
Pretending to be a Celestial Dragon?
Fighting fire with fire?!
Gloriosa's suggestion left Leno scratching his head. In the One Piece World, people seemed to harbor an inexplicable, deep-seated reverence for the Celestial Dragons.
Leno had witnessed this firsthand at UTA's concert, where even though Uta stood up against the Celestial Dragons, protecting ordinary people and opposing their cruelty, the very people she was trying to help turned against her. Rather than appreciating her, they criticized her for angering the Celestial Dragons.
It was as if encountering a Celestial Dragon meant you had to worship them. It was as if being oppressed by them was somehow a privilege, as if the Celestial Dragons were born to rule over everyone else.
Still, seeing the pleading look in Gloriosa's eyes, Leno sighed and reluctantly agreed. After all, he had caused Hancock's collapse. Helping her recover would only strengthen their future cooperation.
Gloriosa led Leno aboard the ship, guiding him toward the inner cabin. The ship's décor wasn't overly lavish, but it carried the ancient charm of Amazon Lily, with an air of elegance and simplicity.
Leno felt a strange sense of familiarity here. The architecture reminded him of the old towns from his own world, and the ships exuded that same historical allure. Maybe this was why he found himself drawn to Amazon Lily.
Though, of course, it wasn't just because the island was full of women.
Definitely not because of Boa Hancock!
No, what Leno admired was their architecture, plain and simple.
At the deepest part of the cabin, two grand doors stood opposite each other, their handles intertwined in the shape of serpents. Gloriosa asked Leno to wait outside while she went in to check on Hancock.
While he waited, Leno reviewed the system's notifications from earlier. The battle with the Kuja Pirates had been too short, with most of them, except for Hancock, defeated in seconds. As a result, the system only had data on Hancock.
[Ding! You've defeated your opponent, scanning for talents: Beauty (SSS level), Love-Love (SS level), Charm (S level), Conqueror's Haki (S level), Observation Haki (A level), Kuja Pirates' Body Technique (A level), Armament Haki (A level)...]
Leno raised an eyebrow. Hancock's beauty was ranked at SSS level—the highest possible! She was said to possess the most stunning appearance in the world.
He nodded to himself. "Yeah, that checks out."
Her Love-Love Fruit had also been mastered to an impressive degree, reaching SS level.
Though Hancock had only recently debuted, there was still a noticeable gap in her Haki mastery compared to the Hancock of a few years later. The system's talent evaluations were based on current capabilities, not potential. A person could have incredible potential, but if they didn't train and develop it, their actual strength would never reach the maximum.
Leno's own Conqueror's Haki had advanced from A-level to S-level, but only through continuous practice and improvement.
[Ding! Please choose a talent to replicate!]
Leno thought for a moment, then made his choice. "Obviously, I'm going with beauty. Who wouldn't?"
[Ding! Successfully copied talent: Beauty (SSS level).]
Just as Leno finished reading the notification, the door opened. Gloriosa reappeared, followed by Sandersonia and Marigold. They exchanged glances, then all three knelt down before him.
"Welcome, Celestial Dragon!"
The plan Gloriosa had laid out was extreme. Leno was going to pretend to be a Celestial Dragon to provoke Hancock, forcing her to confront her trauma. Gloriosa hoped this would help Hancock break free from her fears.
Though Gloriosa initially believed Hancock had overcome her low self-esteem, replacing it with arrogance, Leno's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki had shattered her confidence, revealing that her emotional wounds were still raw.
This "tough love" approach, Gloriosa reasoned, might be what Hancock needed to strengthen her willpower and finally escape the shadow of her past. However, there was also a risk that it could break her entirely.
With hesitation, Leno entered the room. Inside, a soft fragrance filled the air, and on the large bed lay Salome, Hancock's pet snake. Hancock herself was curled up, her beautiful face pale, and her body trembling with fear. She looked so vulnerable and fragile, a stark contrast to the proud, commanding woman he had first encountered.
Seeing Leno, she instinctively recoiled in terror. The mere sight of him—combined with her memories of the Celestial Dragons—was enough to send waves of fear coursing through her body.
Leno couldn't imagine the depth of the trauma Hancock had endured. But then again, he only had to think of Kuma. Once a mighty figure, Kuma had been stripped of his free will, reduced to a mindless slave, nothing more than a mount for the Celestial Dragons.
It was then that Leno realized the gravity of his task. He wasn't just here to impersonate a Celestial Dragon—he was here to help Boa Hancock regain her strength, her dignity, and her will to fight.
And he would succeed.
The stench was unbearable, like rotting meat.
Leno frowned, but the Celestial Dragons had ruled the world for eight hundred years. Shaking their power was no easy feat.
On one hand, the people were deeply entrenched in a slave mindset, too afraid to resist. On the other, the Celestial Dragons' military might couldn't be underestimated. Even after eight centuries of corruption, there were bound to be powerful individuals among them. Plus, their pursuit of immortality and the coveted Ope Ope no Mi hinted at something more sinister.
Someone among the Celestial Dragons had likely undergone the Immortality Operation.
Imu?
And weren't Kaido and King also test subjects of the Celestial Dragons?
"The Guild has quite a challenge ahead," Leno muttered, his eyes glinting with interest.
His gaze fell on Hancock, who, along with Salome, had already prostrated herself on the floor in fear.
Leno paced over to her, his mind racing.
Pretending to be a Celestial Dragon?
What did that entail?
Should he put his foot on Hancock's back? Kick her? Do something worse?
It would be easy, wouldn't it? The Celestial Dragons were known for their arrogance, cruelty, and inhumanity. But when it came time to act, something felt off.
Leno wasn't an actor. He couldn't just slip into a role in an instant. Plus, pretending to be one of the people he despised most was sickening.
Since arriving in the world of pirates, Leno had killed when necessary, showing no mercy to his enemies. He had no pity for the weak who couldn't defend themselves. But to bully and abuse the powerless? That went against everything he believed in, even in this world.
He hesitated.
Leno glanced at Gloriosa, Sandersonia, and Marigold, all kneeling at the doorway. He barked, "Get out."
"Eh?!" Gloriosa's eyes widened. This wasn't part of the plan.
She had intended for Leno to mistreat Hancock, prompting her and the sisters to intervene, only to be injured by Leno, which would then enrage Hancock.
But Leno was now acting as the Celestial Dragons, so Gloriosa had no choice but to obey. She and the sisters reluctantly left the room.
Now, only Leno, Hancock, and Salome remained.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the pirate world, trembled, entirely at Leno's mercy. No one could stop him if he chose to act.
But seeing her so afraid didn't give Leno any satisfaction. Instead, he felt disgusted.
He wouldn't follow Gloriosa's plan. He would act on his own terms.
If he didn't live by his own code, what was the point of creating the Hunter's Guild? He could just follow the path of others like Roger or the Celestial Dragons, but he wasn't any of them. He was Leno.
No one could force him to do anything he didn't want to do.
Leno sat on a nearby couch, taking a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it, exhaling slowly, before tossing another one toward Hancock.
The sudden action made her flinch in fear, but upon realizing it was just a cigarette, she looked confused. Still, she didn't dare question him.
Leno glanced at her. "Can you smoke?"
Hancock quickly grabbed the cigarette, placing it nervously between her lips, terrified that hesitation might result in punishment.
Leno lit his own and nodded toward the chair. "Stand up and sit down."
Hancock scrambled to obey, sitting stiffly as if waiting for further orders.
"Look up," Leno said, his voice calm. "Look me in the eye."
Hancock hesitated but finally raised her head, her voice trembling. "Yes, Celestial Dragon…"
"I know your ability," Leno interrupted. "Your Devil Fruit power. It petrifies those who have feelings for you."
That was the passive effect of the Love-Love Fruit—those who harbored lust for Hancock could be petrified just by looking at her.
"But don't worry," Leno added. "Look at me."
"Yes," Hancock replied nervously, stealing brief glances but never daring to meet his eyes fully.
To her surprise, Leno didn't turn to stone. Nor was there any sign of him using Armament Haki.
That was because Leno had no feelings for Hancock, and her fruit had no effect on him.
Leno locked eyes with her. "Listen carefully. I, Leno, am the Hunter's Guild President. I'm not a Celestial Dragon, not some trash. I'm a human being."
Hancock blinked in shock. "But... you just…"
She couldn't understand why he was saying that. Could he be like Doflamingo?
Indeed, not all Celestial Dragons were heartless monsters. She had heard whispers of the Donquixote Family, who had abandoned their status.
"That's just a trick with my Conqueror's Haki," Leno said.
In Hancock's mind, this solidified her belief that Leno was different from the other Celestial Dragons. He possessed Conqueror's Haki, a mark of true strength, the spirit with which the Celestial Dragons had ruled the world for centuries.
But Leno wasn't like the others, she thought.
Leno saw the confusion in her eyes and sighed. "I don't care about your past. I don't need to know what you've been through. But from this moment on, you don't have to fear the Celestial Dragons."
Hancock stared at him in disbelief.
"You don't have to kneel," Leno continued. "Stand up, proud and strong, as the Empress of Amazon Lily."
"Why?" Hancock asked, her voice trembling.
Leno stubbed out his cigarette. "Starting today, Amazon Lily will fly the flag of the Hunter's Guild. We'll be allies. Anyone who challenges you will face me."
"In return, your strongest warriors will join the Hunter's Guild and carry out their duties."
Hancock was stunned. "Do you mean... my people and I will be your slaves?"
"What?!" Leno raised his hand and smacked Hancock lightly on the forehead, his annoyance clear.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"
Hancock clutched her forehead in pain. "I'm sorry, Celestial Dragon! I misspoke!"
Leno sighed in exasperation. "I already told you—I'm not one of those Celestial Dragon idiots."
"Yes, yes! You're not a Celestial Dragon," Hancock replied quickly, still flustered.
"Good. You're not my slaves. We're allies, partners, friends. Do you understand?"
Hancock nodded eagerly. "Yes, I understand!"
Though Leno could tell she still wasn't fully grasping his meaning, he didn't have the energy to explain further. He was exhausted.
"Fine," Leno muttered. "Let's get to work."
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+30 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
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