One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

"Sister! What's wrong with you?"

Hancock's sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold, looked at her with anxious expressions, concerned by the pain on her face.

The Flame Emperor Incident had ended in a decisive victory for the Entei Pirate Fleet, resulting in the Marines' crushing defeat.

The World Government's official reports claimed that the Entei Pirates, along with the Red-Haired Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates, and Emperor Kaido, had banded together to breach the Marine's and World Government's outer defenses, though they supposedly fell short of total victory.

But this was a narrative believed only by those entirely under the World Government's control—those whose critical thinking had been taken away.

Anyone with a clear mind, especially in the vast seas, knew the truth:

The Flame Emperor had won a complete and undeniable victory. 

Marine Headquarters had been thrown into chaos, facing utter defeat.

If not for the World Government stepping in at the last moment to salvage the situation, the Marine Headquarters would have fallen entirely, crushed beneath the might of the world's most feared pirate—Flame Emperor.

The global broadcast of the event, due to the public execution, had reached every corner of the world. It spread like wildfire, and even the Revolutionary Army seized the opportunity to liberate several nations, leaving the Five Elders increasingly uneasy.

In the aftermath, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Shichibukai, quickly returned to Mariejois and scattered.

The Five Elders considered arresting Moria, stripping him of his Shichibukai title, and subjecting him to torture. They were eager to uncover what transpired aboard Thriller Bark, and why Moria's subordinate, Perona, had joined the Entei Pirates. 

Why had Moria, after losing the Shadow Fruit to Entei, still survived? Learning more about Ace could prove invaluable.

Yet after much discussion, they decided against it.

The primary reason? The sheer chaos that the Marines and the World Government had fallen into during the Flame Emperor Incident had already shaken the foundations of their authority. 

Pirates had grown more brazen, even daring to attack Marine branches directly. At this delicate moment, the Shichibukai—who maintained the fragile balance of power on the seas through fear and reputation—could not afford any internal disruptions.

More importantly, the fact that Moria had been hunted for the Shadow Fruit and survived was telling. One of his former comrades, 'Ghost Princess' Perona, was now a key figure among the Entei Pirates, and it was obvious even to the Five Elders that some unknown connection between Moria and Ace existed.

Capturing Moria and sending him to Impel Down might spark a catastrophic chain of events. After all, if Ace could destroy Enies Lobby, defeat Marine Headquarters, and now breach the impenetrable Impel Down, the World Government would suffer an unbearable humiliation.

Imagine it—three of their most powerful institutions brought to their knees by one man! It would be an insult too great to bear.

Though the Five Elders loathed to admit it, they had no strategies or means to contend with Ace, who wielded the power of multiple Devil Fruits, including the Gate Fruit.

They had already compromised once, during the Sabaody Archipelago incident, when Ace showed his might.

So, despite their suspicions, they chose to turn a blind eye and let Moria go free.

The same applied to Kuma at Sabaody Archipelago.

After returning to Mariejois, the Five Elders reviewed the Flame Emperor Incident thoroughly.

Their conclusion? The secret to Portgas D. Ace's mastery over all Devil Fruit abilities stemmed from a power that originally belonged to the World Government itself—a force comparable to the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon model, which they had long intended to bestow upon the Holy Knights as the ultimate reward during the God Valley hunt.

This power was a Devil Fruit of immense potential, a 'BUG' in the system of abilities.

During the Flame Emperor Incident, Ace had not only evolved his Mera-Mera Fruit toward its peak—toward the very sun—but had also commanded the powers of the Resurrection Fruit, summoning the souls of Crocodile, Onigumo, and even the self-proclaimed god, Enel, from the underworld to fight under his command.

Clearly, Ace's powers extended far beyond the natural limits of his own Devil Fruit abilities.

Then there was the Paw-Paw Fruit—an ability that can repel anything, except the powers of the Devil Fruits already present inside a person.

If pushed to its limits, it might even eject some of the demonic factors from the body of a Devil Fruit user. That would explain everything.

In other words, Kuma might have used his ability to transfer the power of his Paw-Paw Fruit to Portgas D. Ace, allowing Ace to gain that ability.

This was the source of the troubles the World Government had been dealing with ever since.

It was believed that Ace's ability to use multiple Devil Fruit powers stemmed from Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit!

But after much deliberation, the Five Elders decided not to impose any further punishment on Kuma. They also refrained from intervening in the life of his daughter, Jewelry Bonney.

They were hesitant to act because they weren't entirely sure what had happened aboard Thriller Bark. It was possible that Kuma made a deal with Portgas D. Ace, using his Paw-Paw Fruit in exchange for the protection of his daughter.

Attacking Jewelry Bonney might provoke Ace's wrath—and the Five Elders, despite their intense hatred for Ace, were powerless to stop him.

Portgas D. Ace had become a walking, human-like Ancient Weapon, capable of using the Gate Fruit to teleport to any corner of the world at will.

Until they could find a solution to this problem, the Five Elders were utterly helpless against him.

As for Kuma, the Five Elders ultimately honored their original agreement and turned him into a mindless human weapon.

Saint Saturn, the God of Scientific Defense and overseer of World Government's scientific research, immediately headed to Egghead Island, home to the Vegapunk Research Base. 

There, he sought to harness technology to find a way to limit the power of Portgas D. Ace's Devil Fruit abilities, while also finalizing the human weapons project.

Based on the Shichibukai template, they fused Lunarian blood with the ability to copy various Paramecia-type Devil Fruit powers.

At the same time, they completed the creation of the Seraphim—armed with Kizaru's Light-Light Fruit, the world's most powerful laser weapon—designed to compensate for the World Government's diminishing combat strength due to the rise of Portgas D. Ace.

As for Hancock, she immediately departed from the Holy Land Mariejois.

Though she was supposed to return to Amazon Lily aboard a Marine warship, she began to feel unwell.

Sensing something was wrong, she quickly contacted her sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold, who led the Kuja Pirates, and asked them to meet her.

However, her condition only worsened, and her strange symptoms grew more severe.

"So painful!" Hancock gasped, clutching her heart.

"Sister!" Sandersonia and Marigold cried out.

Their elder sister had always protected them, even in the most dangerous situations.

Even in the hell they had survived together, she had remained strong.

Upon returning to Amazon Lily, Hancock had awakened her Conqueror's Haki, proving her right to rule as a king.

She had become the Pirate Empress, inheriting the throne of Amazon Lily and securing her place among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

But never before had they seen their sister in such distress.

"Granny Nyon, what's happening to our sister? Is she going to die?" Sandersonia, with her green hair, asked anxiously, turning to Gloriosa.

"This... this is..." Gloriosa looked at Hancock, whose face was flushed an unusual shade of crimson, sweat dripping from her forehead.

The symptoms were unmistakable to her.

"Why... why did you contract this illness, Hancock? Who did you fall in love with?" Gloriosa's words left Sandersonia and Marigold utterly shocked.

"Falling in love...?" Hancock murmured. As soon as she heard the word "love," her beautiful eyes filled with mist. Her red lips quivered as she whispered to herself.

A figure appeared in her mind, one she couldn't shake.

"Love? Sister... fell in love with a man?!" Sandersonia and Marigold gasped, covering their cheeks in disbelief.

"Snake Princess, who is it that you most wish to see right now?" Gloriosa asked, her voice trembling.

This sickness—Love Sickness—only afflicted those who had truly fallen for someone and were now separated from them.

The Snake Princess, Hancock, was no exception.

"Ace?!" Hancock cried out, clutching her chest, her face an alarming shade of red, her eyes filled with longing.

Her lips parted slightly, and she murmured the name that had been tormenting her heart.

The previous Empress had succumbed to this same illness—falling in love with a man who stood at the pinnacle of the seas.

Gloriosa, Sandersonia, Marigold, and every member of the Kuja Pirates in the cabin let out a collective gasp of horror.

"Ace?!" Gloriosa's voice quivered as she looked at Hancock, cold sweat trickling down her forehead.

"I... I just want to see him..." Hancock whispered, her heart aching from the Love Sickness that had claimed her.