One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

"Ah! Hebihime-sama!"

"She's so beautiful, Hebihime!"

At the port of Amazon Lily, all the citizens of Kuja gathered to welcome the return of the Kuja Pirates. This was a long-standing tradition of Amazon Lily. As the pirate crew led by successive emperors of Amazon Lily, the Kuja Pirate Group was composed of the most formidable warriors among all of Amazon Lily's fighters.

At regular intervals, the Kuja Pirates, led by the reigning emperor, would set sail for plundering expeditions. Upon their return, they would display the spoils to the citizens, basking in their cheers and admiration. This tradition served to inspire the people to grow stronger, take pride in joining the Kuja Pirates, and ensure the continual renewal of the crew's power.

However, since Hancock became emperor, this tradition had taken on a different tone.

"Hebihime-sama! So beautiful!"

"I would die for Hebihime!"

The citizens, their eyes shaped like hearts, gazed at Hancock with adoration, unable to contain their excitement.

"Has there ever been an emperor of Amazon Lily more adored than Hancock?" Rayleigh chuckled as he watched the crowd, who seemed only to have eyes for Hancock, laughing at their infatuation.

"It's because Hancock-chan is simply too beautiful," Shakky added with a slight smile.

Hancock's beauty was said to be unmatched, even when compared to the legendary mermaid princess. Coupled with the powers of her Devil Fruit, the Mero Mero no Mi, her allure and charm were amplified to an extraordinary degree.

Amazon Lily, known to the world as the "Island of Women," had earned a fearsome reputation. Due to the isolation provided by the Calm Belt and the difficulty of reaching the island before the advent of seastone ships, the women of Amazon Lily were highly sought after, fetching exorbitant prices at human auctions. As a result, the Kuja Pirates, while hunting and plundering, became prime targets for pirates and slavers alike. Casualties and losses were common on these voyages.

But all that changed when Hancock became emperor. With her immense power and status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, no one dared to challenge the Kuja Pirates. Under her leadership, the crew had suffered no further losses. Hancock's strength, bolstered by Conqueror's Haki, and her Devil Fruit powers, placed her among the most powerful members of the Seven Warlords. Before the rise of the Entei Pirates, she was known as the most powerful woman on the seas, second only to Big Mom.

Her title as the Pirate Empress resonated across the world.

Now, when the Kuja Pirates went out to hunt, they were the ones who did the plundering, with no other pirate crew daring to cross their path. Hancock's fame had reached unprecedented heights for an emperor of Amazon Lily.

As Hancock stood before her people, their adoration raining down upon her, a faint blush appeared on her usually composed face. She covered her red lips and cautiously turned her head to glance at Ace.

"Will Ace think that, as the emperor of Amazon Lily, I'm not as lovely as other girls?" Hancock pondered. "Or will he find me more attractive?"

Love and yearning can make even the strongest heart fragile. Hancock, utterly smitten with Ace, found herself constantly concerned with his thoughts, even over the smallest details.

Carefully, she turned her beautiful eyes in Ace's direction.

"!!!"

Her gaze softened as she looked at him, eyes brimming with emotion.

Ace, noticing Hancock's shy glance, gave her a thumbs up, flashing a gentle smile in her direction.

"Oh! I, I have no regrets," Hancock suddenly murmured, collapsing to the ground, her face turning even redder as she tried to cover it with her hands.

"Hebihime-sama?!"

"What happened to Hebihime?!"

Seeing their beloved emperor suddenly fall to the ground, the citizens of Amazon Lily began to panic. An enemy attack? But this was the heart of Amazon Lily, and aside from Marine's seastone ships, no one could possibly invade here. Besides, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, there was no reason for the Marines to attack their Hebihime.

What was going on?

As the citizens and soldiers of Amazon Lily looked on, bewildered, they instinctively activated their Observation Haki, scanning for any potential threats.

"Hey?! Who are you?!" several of the female warriors exclaimed, their attention finally turning to Ace and his companions.

"Have they only just noticed us? Hancock's charm is too overwhelming," Nami sighed, covering her forehead in exasperation.

Since their voyage began, thanks to Ace's natural ability to stir up trouble, the Entei Pirates always managed to draw the most attention wherever they went. Even from the start of their journey on the Grand Line, Ace had made waves, with a bounty that quickly shot up to 85 million Berries.

Soon after, his bounty surpassed a billion, and he earned the title of the Fifth Emperor of the Sea. Now, he was even spoken of as a man whose strength surpassed the Four Emperors, standing at the very top of the world.

As Ace's first crew member, Nami had witnessed how his fame only continued to grow. Wherever they went, Ace commanded the fear and panic of other pirates. Nami, who had always preferred to avoid attention and fly under the radar, had found herself in the spotlight due to Ace's notoriety. Now, as the second-in-command of the Entei Pirates and a pirate with a 2-billion-Berry bounty, she could no longer escape the spotlight.

From the moment Nami began following Ace, her dream of living quietly in the background was destined to be unfulfilled. But she never expected that she would finally get a taste of what that might feel like at Amazon Lily.

Up until now, the citizens of Amazon Lily had been so enamored with Hancock that they hadn't even noticed the arrival of Ace and the Entei Pirates.

"After all, Hancock-chan is quite the beauty," Shakky chuckled.

"...!"

Just then, a few of the younger citizens spotted Shakky and looked at her in astonishment.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, little ones?" Shakky smiled at the women, her expression tinged with nostalgia.

"The former emperor! You look just the same as before!" 

Tears welled up in the eyes of the warriors as they rushed toward Shakky, overwhelmed with emotion at seeing her again.

"Wait, what? Former emperor?" 

The younger warriors, who had never known Shakky before, stared at her in disbelief. Despite appearing as youthful as one of their peers, she was now revealed to be a former ruler.

"They're all quite talented, full of energy," Ace noted, his Observation Haki spreading out to sense the citizens around him.

In the first half of the Grand Line, Haki users were rare. Few people had the ability to master it, and Haki required proper instruction, which only a handful of teachers outside of the Marine forces could provide. Most of the Haki-using powerhouses were situated in the New World. Additionally, many people on the first half of the Grand Line simply lacked the experience needed to awaken their Haki abilities.

Even within the Marine Headquarters—one of the most powerful forces on the sea—where Zephyr, a former admiral, served as an instructor, not all officers could use Haki. Those who fully mastered Armament Haki could rise to the rank of Rear Admiral, while those who mastered both Armament and Observation Haki often held the rank of Vice Admiral. This demonstrated how few were truly skilled in using Haki, even among the Marines.

Yet, nearly all of the adult warriors of Amazon Lily could use Haki. This was not due to superior teaching methods; even with their renowned training, Amazon Lily could not have more effective Haki instruction than the Marines. Instead, this was likely tied to something special about the women of Amazon Lily—something unique in their physical constitution.

Amazon Lily had a distinct method of reproduction. The adult female warriors would leave the island, conceive children elsewhere, and then return. The children born on the island were always girls. Whether this phenomenon was caused by their physical make-up or the environment was unclear.

It would be worth investigating further, Ace mused, pulling back his Observation Haki.

"Men! It's a man!" 

At that moment, a few elderly citizens finally noticed Ace, Rayleigh, and Fujitora. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Men?!" 

The younger female warriors, who had never left Amazon Lily, turned toward Ace and his companions in shock.

"They're certainly... different from us."

"Men aren't allowed in Kuja' territory. If they set foot here, they'll be wiped out!"

"But... they were brought by Hebihime-sama."

The citizens murmured anxiously among themselves.

"Silence!" Hancock's voice cut through the crowd, her eyebrows raised in anger. She turned to the citizens and snapped, "Ace is my invited guest. He is not someone you can compare to ordinary men!"

Hancock would not tolerate anyone showing disrespect toward Ace. In her mind, he was already the man she would marry—and if that happened, Ace would one day be king of Amazon Lily.

Once again, Hancock found herself lost in her romantic daydreams.

"Oh! If it's Hebihime's guest, the rules don't matter!" 

"Hebihime-sama's cold beauty is so breathtaking!"

The citizens, their love-struck expressions returning, were soon filled with admiration once more.

Ace, noticing Hancock's fierce defense of him, gave her a gentle smile. Instantly, the previously icy Hancock turned crimson, blushing furiously.

He smiled at me! Hancock thought, overcome with emotion.

"Strange... why does this man look so familiar? And that name... Ace... it sounds familiar too," murmured a few sharp-eyed citizens, their brows furrowed in thought. 

Suddenly, one of them glanced at the pirate flag flying above the Entei fleet. Her pupils constricted in shock, and a cold sweat broke out across her back.

"The Entei...?! This man is the Flame Emperor!!!"

A wave of shock rippled through Amazon Lily as the exclamations of disbelief echoed across the island.

"Hello, everyone," Ace said, smiling warmly at the citizens. 

From now on, he thought, these would be his allies.