"Who dares to attack Amazon Lily?" Hancock's voice was filled with fury as her two younger sisters caught up with her.
"Sister... how could this be?" The tall and heavyset Marigold gasped in shock at the sight of the fallen warriors scattered across the island.
Sandersonia, with her flowing green hair and sharp gaze, remained calmer. After a careful look, she let out a sigh of relief. "They're just unconscious. They're still breathing."
"Hmph!" Hancock snorted coldly. "How pathetic. The entire Amazon Lily was taken down so easily."
"Who is the enemy? I don't see a pirate ship anywhere," Sandersonia noted as she scanned the area.
"Let's go to my palace. The enemy should be there!" Hancock's voice was laced with cold fury. "I can sense their presence with my Haki."
Her sisters exchanged a glance and nodded before following her toward the palace. Along the way, they passed more fallen warriors, some barely conscious but too weak to move.
They stopped occasionally to question the injured. From the disoriented accounts, they pieced together fragmented details—a ship flying through the sky, trees swelling and spreading unnaturally. However, none could clearly identify the intruders.
Despite the lack of clarity, one thing was certain: the enemy had been powerful enough to incapacitate the entire island in an instant. Such overwhelming strength was far from ordinary.
Moments later, the three arrived at the palace gates. It was here that they finally heard voices coming from inside.
"These women are surprisingly wealthy," a young female voice remarked in a tone of surprise. "You wouldn't think it just by looking at the island."
"Of course," another voice replied, its owner sounding more knowledgeable. "Amazon Lily is a pirate stronghold, and these raiders have been looting for centuries."
"Not to mention, they're in the Calm Belt. They rarely interact with the outside world, and their economy is virtually nonexistent. All the treasure they've plundered has been hoarded over generations. It's only natural that they'd be sitting on a fortune."
"True. But because of their fearsome reputation and their location in the Calm Belt, no merchants dare trade with them. Even with all this wealth, they barely have opportunities to spend it."
Hancock, standing at the entrance, seethed with rage. These intruders were speaking as if Amazon Lily belonged to them!
With a loud crash, Hancock kicked the palace doors open. Her expression was ice-cold as she stepped inside.
Inside the grand hall, Charlotte Pudding was admiring a string of jewelry with a satisfied smile. Shin lounged lazily on Hancock's throne, looking bored. Kyros stood beside him with his sword in hand, while Violet and the others discussed the quality of the gemstones.
And there, standing amidst the treasure chests, was Elder Nyon—Gloriosa—the previous Amazon Empress. A faint red light flickered in her eyes as she dutifully presented the treasure to the intruders.
"Damn it! Old woman, what are you doing?!" Hancock's voice trembled with anger as she glared at Gloriosa.
"Careful," Shin said nonchalantly from the throne. "Hancock's Love-Love Fruit has the power to turn anyone attracted to her into stone. Avoid direct eye contact."
Shin and his companions remained composed, but Gloriosa was the first to react, stepping forward protectively.
"Are you being controlled?" Hancock narrowed her eyes at Gloriosa and spotted the strange red patterns in her eyes. She immediately understood.
"Even if you're under someone else's control, it is unforgivable to defy me!" Hancock declared. "Love-Love Beam!"
A wave of pink energy surged forward, but to her shock, none of the intruders were affected.
Shin smirked. The moment Hancock had entered, he had briefly admired her beauty—before activating his Byakugan.
'No matter how charming she is, if I reduce her to a mere chakra outline, she can't mesmerize me.'
Still, even as a silhouette, Hancock radiated an uncanny allure. It was clearly an additional effect of her Devil Fruit.
Fortunately, the power of Armament Haki dampened its effect. Once Shin activated his Haki, both Hancock's beauty and her attack lost their potency against him.
Based on Shin's estimation, even without the Byakugan, his Haki alone would have allowed him to resist her powers.
Among his companions, Pudding possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan and an enhanced Mythical Vampire Fruit, making her mental fortitude unnaturally high. Violet also had the Byakugan, rendering her immune. Kyros, though comparatively weaker, had a firm will and the emotional buffer of his deceased wife, allowing him to withstand the Love-Love Beam through sheer mental resilience.
As for Gloriosa, she was already under Shin's Mangekyō Sharingan hypnosis. Even while controlled, she seemed completely unaffected by Hancock's power—a detail that surprised Shin.
"They resisted my sister's Love-Love Fruit!"
"Who are these people? Wait... that man, isn't he the infamous Plunderer?"
It was only after her sisters' reminder that Hancock recognized Shin.
"Plunderer Shin! Are you here to steal my Love-Love Fruit?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
"No, I'm not interested in your fruit," Shin replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm more interested in the King Cobra and Anaconda Fruits."
"Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I'd believe that? Perfume Femur!"
Hancock spun gracefully, launching a powerful flying kick infused with her petrification ability.
"I'll handle this," Pudding chuckled as she clapped her hands together. Instantly, countless trees sprouted from the palace floor, forming a dense barrier that intercepted Hancock's attack.
The first wave of trees turned to stone upon contact with Hancock's petrifying kick, crumbling into dust. However, more trees surged forward, crushing the petrified remnants and continuing their advance toward Hancock and her sisters.
Hancock's expression remained unchanged as she leaped into the air, her movements swift and precise. With each elegant kick, she shattered the approaching trees before landing gracefully before Pudding.
With lightning speed, she delivered a downward kick aimed directly at Pudding's head.
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