"Oh? Is that so?" Eriri smiled faintly at Hancock, unfazed by her words. However, what she said next made Hancock instantly lose her composure.
"Then... Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, do you want revenge against the Celestial Dragons? Those four years must have been tough, right? Do you want to take your revenge on them?"
Eriri's tone was filled with temptation, but to Hancock, it sounded like a nightmare.
"How do you know about this?" Hancock instinctively took a few steps back, asking in disbelief, her eyes filled with terror and unease.
Although she had already started to suspect something from Eriri's earlier words, confirming it now made her feel deeply humiliated—so much so that she could hardly bear it.
"Of course, I know. There's nothing in this world that I don't know." Eriri declared confidently, stepping forward.
Despite being more than forty centimeters shorter than Hancock, only reaching her chest when standing, Eriri exuded an overwhelming pressure that was hard to ignore.
Arifureta and the others nearby did not interfere with the 'conversation' between Eriri and Hancock.
Some, uninterested, continued doing their own things, while others silently observed Eriri. Meanwhile, Milim and a few others, curious about the Kuja Pirates, directly left the Voyage and flew onto the Kuja Pirates' ship.
Since their captain and empress were aboard the Voyage, the Kuja Pirates' crew did not show any hostility toward Milim and the others.
For a moment, the two groups actually got along rather harmoniously.
"You know everything?" Hancock asked, still doubtful.
"That's right. For example, every time you bathe, in order to prevent anyone from seeing the Celestial Dragon's slave mark on your back, you clear out everyone in Kuja Castle except your two sisters. Furthermore, for two whole hours, you forbid anyone from entering the castle."
"For example, I know how the battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy will change in seven days."
"Even the exact location of Raftel, where the Pirate King's treasure is buried—I know it all."
Eriri's voice was soft, but every statement sent shockwaves through Hancock's heart. And when she mentioned the final island, Hancock's eyes lit up.
After all, she was still a pirate, and like all pirates, she had some desire for One Piece.
"Yes, I was once a slave of the Celestial Dragons." As if giving up resistance, Hancock admitted with great pain.
Even after more than a decade, those four years of torment remained vivid in her memory. Every time she recalled them, the pain was unbearable.
Then, somewhat apprehensively, she asked Eriri, "Do you despise me for this?"
"Why would I despise you? Or is it that you despise yourself? At least in my eyes, you are human, whereas the Celestial Dragons are nothing but the lowest of filth."
Hearing Eriri's words, Hancock suddenly felt the urge to cry. It was as if the fear and grievances she had carried for over a decade had finally found an outlet.
"Thank you." She covered her face and sobbed softly.
Eriri understood Hancock's reaction and knew that a few words alone could not erase her fear of the Celestial Dragons or the painful memories of her past.
Only by overthrowing the rule of the Celestial Dragons could Hancock, and all those who had escaped their tyranny, truly walk out of the shadows.
So, Eriri asked her once again, "As I said before—do you want to take revenge on the Celestial Dragons?"
"Of course, I do. I dream of it." Hancock spoke with great excitement, but soon, a bitter smile appeared on her lips. "But we could never go against the World Government. And besides, I am not alone—I have others depending on me."
Eriri chuckled softly and once again tempted Hancock, "Then... what if I grant you power that surpasses everyone in this world, making you truly invincible?"
This plan had come to Eriri on a whim the moment she saw Hancock. Originally, she had planned to deal with the Celestial Dragons after finishing her journey around the world.
But suddenly, she found the idea of granting Hancock strength far beyond that of the Navy Admirals and the Four Emperors, then letting her seek vengeance on the Celestial Dragons while they watched as spectators, far more entertaining.
"Are you joking?" Hancock rolled her eyes at Eriri. "Even if my strength became the greatest in the world, could I alone truly shake the World Government? Don't tell me you all are planning to move against the Celestial Dragons as well?"
Eriri's proposal was undeniably tempting, but Hancock found it hard to believe her words.
Could Eriri really make her stronger than even Eriri herself?
"I'm not joking. Perhaps you haven't fully understood my words earlier. When I said 'invincible,' I didn't mean just slightly stronger than the Four Emperors or the Admirals—I meant that even if all the world's top powerhouses joined forces, they still wouldn't be your match."
"Of course, it's up to you whether you believe me or not. This opportunity comes only once. I will give you five minutes to decide."
As she spoke, Eriri extended her right palm toward Hancock, the playful smile on her face gradually fading.
Seeing Eriri's serious expression, Hancock also became solemn, carefully considering what had just been said.
This offer was, in essence, all benefit and no downside for Hancock. If Eriri was joking, it wouldn't affect her in any way.
But if Eriri was telling the truth, then this was the opportunity she had been dreaming of.
It didn't take her long to make up her mind.
"If you can truly raise my strength to the level you claim, then I will personally march into the Celestial Dragons' stronghold, Mary Geoise, and make them taste the suffering they have inflicted upon others!" Hancock's face turned cold and ruthless.
However, she knew that there was no such thing as a free meal in this world. Every gain required a cost.
Just like eating a Devil Fruit—gaining immense power came with the price of losing the ability to swim.
So, she asked Eriri directly, "What price must I pay for this?"
"You don't need to pay anything. You only need to give us a great show to watch."
When Eriri devised this plan, she never intended for Hancock to pay anything in return. To enhance her strength, all she had to do was plant an energy seed inside her—a mere flick of the hand for Eriri.
"Oh, by the way, we've talked for so long, but you still don't know my name, do you? I am Eriri—Eriri Spencer Sawamura. Remember that."
"Eriri... Eriri..." Hancock softly murmured Eriri's name, the light in her eyes growing brighter. She then looked deeply at Eriri and said, "Mm, I will remember it forever."
Before Hancock could react, Eriri reached out and placed her hand on Hancock's smooth forehead.
With practiced ease, she implanted an energy seed into Hancock's body through her forehead.
Retracting her hand, Eriri looked at the slightly dazed Hancock and said, "I've planted an energy seed inside you. You should feel a surge of warmth within your body."
"Yes, I can feel it. And... I think I'm getting stronger." Hancock spoke with excitement.
The fact that her strength was increasing meant that Eriri had not been joking. She truly had the ability to make her stronger.
However, the speed at which her power was growing was extremely slow. At this rate, reaching the so-called invincible level would take an unknown number of years.
"How can I increase my strength more quickly?" Hancock asked eagerly.
Now that she had the opportunity to take revenge on the Celestial Dragons, she wished she could immediately strengthen herself and storm their stronghold in the shortest possible time.
"You just need to train your body. The more intensely you train, the faster you will absorb the energy from the seed. Once you have fully absorbed it, you will attain absolute power in this world."
"I see." Hancock nodded, itching to return to Amazon Lily and begin her training immediately.
However, she forcefully suppressed the urge. After all, she was still with Eriri, and she did not want to end this meeting with the person she admired so easily.
...
Time passed quickly, and soon, the day of Ace's public execution arrived.
For the past few days, Eriri and her companions had stayed on Amazon Lily, residing in Hancock's palace.
Thanks to her diligent training, Hancock had already reached Level 3, Stage 7, far surpassing the Admirals and even the Four Emperors.
At this level, she was more than capable of crushing the entire World Government.
During this time, her relationship with Eriri and the others had also grown significantly closer. As a result, Eriri did not hide the truth about their origins any longer.
When Hancock learned that Eriri and her group came from another world, she was utterly shocked. It also made her realize why Eriri had spoken so confidently about making her the strongest in the world.
Of course—it all made sense. Eriri and the others weren't even from the world of One Piece. If that were the case, then it was no wonder she could make Hancock invincible.
After witnessing Eriri's power, which far exceeded anything she had ever known, Hancock's admiration for her only deepened.
Another matter worth mentioning was that the Hoof of the Flying Dragon mark, which had been branded on the backs of Hancock and her sisters for over a decade, had been completely erased by Eriri.
Now, all that remained was to eliminate the Celestial Dragons, and their hearts would be fully freed from their chains.
Thus, after reaching Level 3, Stage 7, Hancock became impatient to march toward Mary Geoise and eradicate the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
However, Eriri stopped her.
Since the Summit War was about to begin, Eriri did not want the war to be interrupted due to the destruction of the World Government.
However, after the Summit War ended, she would not stop Hancock from doing whatever she wanted. Even if it meant dealing with the Celestial Dragons earlier than originally planned, it wouldn't matter.
Aside from these events, three days ago, the Designated Invitation for this month in the chat group had been refreshed.
This time, the invitation ended up in Rias's hands, bringing in a new group member—Akeno Himejima.
Poor Tatsumaki still didn't get her chance to join the chat group.
...
Early in the morning, Eriri and her group boarded the Voyage, heading towards Marineford at breakneck speed.
Hancock also traveled with them on the Voyage.
She wasn't heading to Marineford to respond to the Navy's summons—with her current level of power, she no longer had any interest in being a Shichibukai.
As for whether Amazon Lily would run into problems without an agreement with the Navy—that was not even a concern.
Once she revealed her true power to the world, she was certain that no one would dare to provoke her ever again.
Like Eriri and the others, her purpose in going to Marineford was simply to watch the battle and enjoy the spectacle.
Though, there was another reason—she didn't want to part ways with Eriri just yet.
Not to mention, she couldn't bear to leave behind Aoi Kujo's cooking. Over the past few days, she had completely fallen for Aoi's dishes.
At the same time, Hancock had already made up her mind—as soon as the Summit War ended, she would head straight for Mary Geoise.
...
The distance between Amazon Lily and Marineford was quite significant.
For a normal pirate ship or navy vessel, the journey from Amazon Lily to Marineford would take at least several days.
However, with the Voyage's high-speed travel, Eriri and her group arrived in just a few hours.
...
Call it good luck or simply everything unfolding according to Eriri's plan, but by the time they arrived at Marineford, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Navy were still in a standoff—the battle had not yet begun.
It was evident that Whitebeard's forces had only just arrived as well.
The difference in manpower between the two factions was significant.
The Whitebeard Pirates consisted of 16 divisions with around 1,600 crew members, along with 43 allied pirate crews that dominated the New World, bringing their total forces to over 50,000.
The Navy had gathered all their Marineford forces, with every officer clad in the "Justice" cloak, totaling 100,000 elite soldiers.
The Admirals—Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji—were seated just below the execution platform, with Kizaru now fully recovered from the serious injuries Eriri had inflicted with just a single glance.
Additionally, the Reincarnators, who had arrived in the One Piece world a week ago, had also split into two factions, appearing within both the pirate and navy ranks.
However, the navy faction had attracted more Reincarnators than the pirates.
Many of the Reincarnators who had chosen the pirate faction were now regretting their decision upon seeing the disparity in numbers.
Unfortunately, they could no longer change sides, so they could only fight with everything they had to ensure a pirate victory in this war.
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