One Piece: Yujiro Hanma

Hancock began to walk, containing the storm of emotions throbbing in her chest.

Her face, absolutely dazzling, looked sculpted to transcend everything: ocean-blue eyes, soft lips without a single wrinkle, perfect contour.

A tall and sinuous silhouette stood out beneath a long-cut purple qipao that clung to her large breasts and enhanced her full hips; a white cape swirled behind her with the breeze, while long, sensual legs with flawless curves slid over low-heeled black shoes that gleamed under the sky.

At her side, the snake Salome advanced with her.

With that almost celestial presence, Hancock crossed Foosha Village just as the residents, following the mayor's orders, rushed to evacuate toward the outskirts.

The commotion stopped as if someone had cast a spell. Men and women were petrified at the sight of Hancock.

How could someone be so beautiful…?

The question echoed in every fascinated gaze.

Beautiful… too beautiful.

Sensual… too sensual.

"Bam! Boom!"

The sudden sound of bodies colliding with walls and with each other broke the silence; some, dazed by just watching her, forgot to look ahead and crashed into houses or stumbled over each other.

"..."

Hancock didn't even glance sideways. To her, these common citizens were little more than shadows: she could dominate them with a mere snap of her will or turn them into statues with just a thought.

But she wasn't there for them; her goal pulsed deeper.

The cape fluttered, Salome hissed softly, and she headed down the main street toward Party's Bar.

…

Inside said establishment, the atmosphere had grown tense. The pirates moved from table to table without finding a place to hide; the news that had just filtered in from the street echoed in their thoughts:

A dozen Marine warships had arrived.

Next to the bar, Shirahoshi remained with her body curled up, resting her chin on the delicate crossing of her hands and keeping her gaze fixed on the side door—the one that led to the back room where Tiberion had disappeared with Makino.

Meanwhile, a question repeated itself countless times inside her:

'How long will it take for my husband to come out?'

But then, the air became filled with a hypnotic aroma, and the light in the place seemed to highlight a single point at the entrance.

The door opened, and Hancock stormed into the establishment with all the haughtiness of an eclipse.

Her gaze swept across the bar but didn't find the one she wished to see, and she barely furrowed her brow—a subtle gesture, but so cold that several pirates felt a chill run down their spines.

"Is that... Empress Boa Hancock!?"

"Heavens, it's really her!"

"One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, officially recognized as the most beautiful woman in the world!"

The murmur turned into a wave of admiration. And it was no wonder: reality far surpassed any depiction on paper.

The perfect curve of her hips beneath the purple dress, the calculated sway of the white cape, the gleam of her deep blue eyes... Everything about Hancock seemed crafted to dominate wills.

?

Shirahoshi, seeing that everyone's attention was on the entrance, turned her head.

Upon seeing Hancock, she didn't feel hostility—instead, she was captivated by her irresistible magnetism.

'Is it possible for someone to be this beautiful?' Her thought contained no envy, only pure astonishment.

Hancock, who considered common pirates a visual nuisance, didn't spare them a single word. Her nose wrinkled in disdain as she passed by them.

!

But when her pupils locked onto Shirahoshi's angelic face, surprise appeared on her perfect features.

It was the first time she felt her title of "most beautiful in the world" being called into question simply by the existence of another.

This mermaid possessed a splendor that defied human sensitivity.

For a moment, the entire bar held its breath, as if both universes of beauty were silently measuring each other:

Can two jewels shine with equal brilliance in the same room?

The question echoed in every mind, but no one complained—for merely seeing them made their lives feel worthwhile.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Shirahoshi!" Shirahoshi, with a pure and transparent gaze, replied while looking at her.

Hancock remained silent for a second, surprised by the answer.

'So easily? Without hesitation…?' A spark of genuine surprise softened the rigidity of her features.

"Shirahoshi...?" she repeated, feeling like the name was familiar.

Then, recognition lit up her eyes. "Don't tell me you're… Princess Shirahoshi of Fish-Man Island!?"

"Yes, that's right!" Shirahoshi nodded.

Such open cooperation puzzled Hancock to the point of making her relax her stance; even her gaze turned warm.

She felt no aversion toward fish-men; on the contrary. The name of Fisher Tiger would always remain in her memory—the one who raided Mariejois and, with his upheaval, allowed her and her sisters to escape the nightmare of slavery. A flicker of gratitude lit her eyes for a brief instant as she remembered him.

But the warmth lasted only as long as a breath. She pressed her lips together again and asked:

"And Tiberion Hanma? Where is he?"

"Ah…" Shirahoshi opened her mouth, ready to answer. She perceived no threat from this woman; on the contrary, she thought of her as a possible ally to her husband.

But just then, she caught the frantic gestures from the pirates stationed behind Hancock.

These pirates already had their backs drenched in sweat. They knew that Hancock, as a Shichibukai in the service of the World Government, might have come to Foosha Village to assist the Marines in capturing Lord Tiberion.

The fact that she had arrived along with a fleet of warships only reinforced the suspicion.

And the danger was twofold: Hancock possessed a Devil Fruit whose power, combined with her unmatched beauty, could turn men into stone.

Even someone as strong as Lord Tiberion—his high testosterone made him vulnerable to carnal temptations.

'If Lord Tiberion is captured, what will become of us?'

The shared thought sent shivers down their spines.

"Hmph!" A sharp click of her tongue cut off their thoughts. "Are you trying to interfere? Do you want me to petrify all of you?"

Hancock's cold huff swept through the bar. The pirates, seized by panic, shook their heads frantically and huddled together, trembling like pups caught between wolves.

Shirahoshi, confused by all this, tilted her head innocently:

"Beautiful sister… why are you looking for my husband?"

!

The word "husband" thundered in Hancock's chest like a hammer blow.

"W-W-Husband…?" she stammered, paling, "Y-You… you call Tiberion Hanma your husband?"

"Of course! Because I'm his woman~." Shirahoshi smiled adorably, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"..."

Hancock's world shook.

A mermaid wife…?

A sharp discomfort, as piercing as it was unjustified, welled up deep inside her: a mix of displeasure and a stab of jealousy she refused to acknowledge.

"Silence!" she snapped suddenly, her voice trembling with authority. "You're not allowed to be that happy. Just tell me where Tiberion Hanma is. I need to speak with him personally."

Approaching the giant mermaid a little, she whispered a secret:

"Don't you know you're surrounded by other Shichibukai and dozens of warships? Your situation is extremely dangerous!"

Shirahoshi blinked in surprise; then turned her gaze to the pirates behind Hancock. Upon hearing the mention of the fleet and the Shichibukai, they turned pale and nodded frantically, silently begging her to speak before things got worse.

Understanding their plea, Shirahoshi nodded.

"My husband and Miss Makino are… inside." She pointed toward the side door with a movement of her enormous tail. "It's already been several hours; I… am also waiting for my husband to come out."

"Inside?" Hancock raised an eyebrow, and that word froze in her mind. "Is Makino… the owner of this bar?"

Her voice came out somewhat annoyed, recalling the mayor's description of a fragile, delicate young woman who hadn't been seen for hours.

"Yes. Miss Makino brought us a bunch of delicious food." Shirahoshi nodded, unaware of Hancock's growing tension.

"..."

Hancock's heart shrank in a whirlwind of conflicting feelings: anger, surprise, a touch of unease she refused to define.

In those circumstances, anyone would imagine what Tiberion and that woman are...

She stopped the thought, her knuckles tightening involuntarily around Salome as she imagined what Tiberion might be doing behind that closed door.

"Ahem…" Diverting her gaze, she tried to refocus, "Tell me, Shirahoshi, is the owner of this bar beautiful?"

But inside her, the struggle continued: 'Tiberion Hanma, the man who dared to dismember and publicly execute a Tenryūbito, couldn't possibly have such poor taste…'

'If he's attracted to a common village woman, then what kind of jewel must she be?'

She set aside the mermaid princess, whose beauty she acknowledged could rival her own. But… Makino? A resident of just some ordinary island?

Shirahoshi began to think deeply.

"Yes, Miss Makino is very beautiful," she affirmed sincerely.

Hancock frowned. How could that be possible?

"Is-Is she…" she hesitated briefly, swallowed her pride, "Is she more beautiful than me?"

The question came out sharp, unintentionally exposing the insecurity she was trying to hide.

Shirahoshi blinked, finding the question irrelevant.

"You're also very beautiful, sister," she responded with genuine courtesy, avoiding absolute comparisons.

The ambiguity didn't satisfy Hancock.

The pulse of her frustration mixed with a wave of jealousy. 'Are there really so many women capable of matching my beauty?'

Taking a deep breath, she restrained her emotions.

"Then I'll see with my own eyes," she murmured, making a decision.

'I need to speak with Tiberion Hanma right now… and meet this Makino woman.'

'What kind of beauty does that woman possess to keep him inside for hours?'

________

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