Among the several pirate ships, only Olga's Shadow Fox was an exception. Since Olga herself was not present, there was naturally no one to apply an illusion skin to the ship. Thus, both the ship's appearance and the design of its flag were the true form of the Shadow Fox.
"Snake Princess, we—eh? Snake Princess?"
Marguerite, holding binoculars, was reporting on the situation at sea. But before she could receive a reply, a gust of wind brushed past her ears. By the time she lowered the binoculars, Hancock had already vanished.
"That's enough, Marguerite. Stop looking. Hancock has already left."
"Granny Nyon? When did Snake Princess leave?"
"The very instant you said 'Shadow Fox,' I suppose. Don't worry about it. Hancock should be able to handle this."
Gloriosa's tone carried a hint of helplessness, but not because of Hancock. It was because of Kaido.
She had ultimately agreed to Hancock's idea of relocating the island precisely because Kaido's strength could provide sufficient protection.
Judging from earlier events, Kaido's strength was more than enough, an overwhelming force that even the World Government could not ignore. With such power as shelter, the Kuja should be able to settle down in peace.
His previous drunk driving incident could barely be written off as Kaido losing control after drinking. There were plenty of people on Amazon Lily with poor tolerance for alcohol; who knew what they might do when drunk?
But what was happening now only highlighted how unreliable Kaido truly was.
Those familiar with him might think that the fact he had actually set the island down before starting a fight was tremendous progress.
However, those who didn't know him would only think: this guy was transporting an island and still thinking about picking a fight. Was he even normal?
"Sonia, Mari! Gather the remaining warriors. Even if this is the New World, these pirates won't be allowed to set foot on Kuja so easily!"
At this point, Gloriosa knew there was no turning back. It would be better to let the warriors adapt to the combat intensity of the New World sooner rather than later.
The gap between the tail end of Paradise and the midsection of the New World was quite vast.
Some pirates who were strong swimmers had even approached Kuja's shoreline by diving underwater. That absolutely could not be ignored.
As Gloriosa took over command, Hancock had already appeared on Salome's back, moving out toward the sea.
Every Kuja, upon reaching adulthood, would have a snake as their partner. These snakes could serve as walking sticks, ropes, or even bow bodies, making them an all-purpose tool for the Kuja.
Hancock's Salome could take on even more important roles, serving as an assistant, a seat, a tracker, and a means of transportation on water.
In truth, the pirates in the sea were equally confused. Amazon Lily was not as crucial as Fish-Man Island, but it was still a well-known island in the Grand Line. The reputation of the "Island of Women" was widely known.
Everyone knew that Kuja was located in the Calm Belt of the first half of the Grand Line. The news of Kaido relocating the island had not yet spread widely; many people across the seas were still unaware of it.
So they simply could not understand how Kuja had appeared here.
"Why are Kuja here? Is this some Devil Fruit user's illusion?"
"The hell it is! These arrows sure as hell aren't illusions!"
"Ah! I've been shot! Someone save me—!"
The sea was quickly dyed red with blood. Some people began to think of retreating. But the moment that thought arose, the shockwaves from Bullet and the others' battle reached this area. The resulting tsunami forced them to keep moving forward.
The seas of the New World were extremely dangerous. Either risk landing on that island, seize someone else's ship, or prepare to be buried beneath the waves. That was the current situation of these waters.
"Damn it! Why does Kuja have to appear here of all places?!"
A high heel stepped onto his face, stomping him straight back into the water. Hancock was using this group of men as stepping stones, advancing toward the Shadow Fox.
Originally, she had intended to let Salome carry her, but Salome's swimming speed had, for once, drawn Hancock's rare dissatisfaction. Now it was chasing beneath the water, trying to keep up with her.
"Damn it, who is it?!"
"It's the Pirate Empress! Has this woman gone mad?!"
The pirates, already struggling to flee, were met with a head-on assault. Some of them even considered capturing her, forcing the Kuja to cease their attack so they could find a temporary refuge in that safe harbor.
But before they could act, they were all left staring in a daze.
"You will forgive me, won't you? After all, I am this beautiful."
The power of the Love-Love Fruit activated invisibly. Many were affected by Hancock's ability, staring at her blankly. Hancock lightly touched her lips with a finger, drawing out a large pink heart.
"Slave Arrow!"
Pink heart-shaped arrows rained down upon the sea. Every pirate struck by them turned into stone statues and sank beneath the sea.
Hancock's primary objective was not this. But in order to achieve it, she had already charged alone into enemy ranks, so naturally she would clear away some trouble for the Kuja along the way.
Only then did the pirates remember that this woman had once earned her position as a Shichibukai through sheer strength. Realizing that Kuja was not a safe harbor for them but the gateway to hell, they made the wiser choice.
Rather than throw their lives away, it was better to fight over the limited number of pirate ships and escape as quickly as possible.
Because of its flag, the Shadow Fox was immediately excluded from consideration. Trying to seize the main ship of a Beasts Pirates officer would truly be courting death.
The tsunami behind them might not necessarily kill them, but the madwoman in front of them was another matter entirely.
In the end, some managed to seize ships and ride the wind into the distance. The wind pressure generated by the fighting on the island provided an unusual propulsion for their ships.
Yet these pirates, who had avoided the clash of the Emperors of the Sea, broken through the tsunami, evaded the assault of a former Shichibukai, and seized ships amidst slaughter, were not fortunate.
What awaited them was not the escape route they imagined, but a Marine fleet standing by in the distance after the Buster Call had been shelved. If nothing unexpected occurred, these pirates would ultimately fall into the Marines' net.
Meanwhile, Hancock finally boarded the Shadow Fox.
She ignored the crew members whose eyes had turned into hearts. Given Hancock's personality, the fact that she did not say anything to them, and even deigned to look at them at eye level, was already giving Olga a considerable face.
"Where is Sister Olga?"
"She was covering the rear just now. Once she finishes dealing with some trouble, she'll catch up. No need to worry."
Leaning against the railing, Mandrell offered an explanation. He wasn't particularly close with Hancock, but they had crossed paths several times and could at least hold a conversation.
"Mm. Aunt Olga told me to leave first, but it's fine. Shanks is still there, he'll definitely handle it."
Uta was the last person aboard to part from Olga and the one most familiar with the situation. She had intended to elaborate, but after speaking, she suddenly sensed hostility.
"Aunt Olga."
Olga's seniority certainly warranted the title. Even disregarding the more than hundred years she had lived, she was of the same generation as Red Hair. There was nothing wrong with Uta addressing her that way.
Hancock was aware of some details regarding Olga's ageless body. She wasn't doubting Uta because of the title; rather, she had fallen into a spiral of overthinking.
Why was Uta the last one Olga interacted with? Why did they seem so familiar with each other? Why had she never heard Olga mention this person?
Uta had a considerable number of fans, and her songs boasted massive play counts. But she wasn't some design printed on Berry bills; some people were fanatic about her, while others were completely indifferent.
Hancock belonged to the latter. It wasn't that Olga had never mentioned Uta; it was that Hancock hadn't paid attention.
[Hancock, it's impossible for us, because…]
In just a few short seconds, Hancock had completed her brainstorming, fabricating an entire romantic drama in her mind.
Under Hancock's intense stare, Uta felt increasingly uncomfortable; even the braided hair at the back of her head began to twist out of shape uncontrollably.
"Um… Miss Hancock, is something wrong?"
"I smell the scent of jealousy."
At that moment, Carrot sniffed the air and then loudly offered her opinion. Upon seeing the female rabbit Mink, Hancock instead developed an even more unsettling thought.
"She's Uta, Shanks's adopted daughter and a contracted singer under our banner.
This is Carrot, a Mink. Throw away all that messy nonsense in your head. If there's something you want to ask, wait until Olga comes back and ask her yourself. It won't take long."
Mandrell couldn't read minds, nor did Observation Haki possess such a special ability. This was simply his experience speaking.
Young people might not understand, but as someone who had been through it, Mandrell had already seen through Hancock's thoughts. It could only be said that when romance occupied the brain, some people tended to become rather strange.
"Ahem… that is not what I meant…"
"Whatever. I doubt you'll feel at ease without some explanation. Sometimes I can understand that way of thinking. But you don't mind if we rest on the island for a while, do you?
Since Kuja has appeared here, Governor-General Kaido must have arrived as well. With his personality, there's no way he'd leave without a fight. This will probably take quite some time."
At first, Mandrell hadn't noticed where Kaido was. When he steered the ship in this direction, all he saw was Amazon Lily.
But he knew the Beasts Pirates' recent plans. As a veteran member, he was very familiar with Kaido's temperament. Moreover, the aura of battle from behind and the shadow of a massive dragon had already made it clear—Kaido was there.
"No problem. However, Kuja does not allow men to enter. Could I trouble you to wait temporarily on the beach? I'll mark out an area for you."
"Of course. As long as we have somewhere to set foot for now."
Respecting the customs of different islands had always been an important part of surviving on these seas. Mandrell could understand what had once been the case on Fish-Man Island, so naturally he could accept Kuja's rules as well.
He knew that even if Kuja's rules were to change in the future, it would have to be done gradually. There was no way to cut them off in one stroke.
Given the current situation, letting male crew members freely land on Amazon Lily would benefit neither side.
The unfamiliar term "Island of Women" also caught the attention of some of the island's children, while certain individuals focused on something entirely different.
"Um… may I ask a question?"
Bepo seemed to have pondered for a long time before finally mustering the courage to voice his doubt.
"What is it?"
"Are there any pretty female bears on your Island of Women?"
It was in Mink's nature. They were inherently interested in other Minks of their own kind.
"Preferably white bears…"
As a bear Mink, Bepo had a particular fondness for bears, and in the end, curiously asked the question.
"There are no female white bears among Kuja."
"Sorry…"
Though it was a perfectly normal answer, Bepo immediately shrank into a corner, as if he had sensed something unusual from the other party's aura.
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