The bikini‑clad crew members of the Kuja Pirates shouted in alarm.
Many of them had never seen the outside world before, and Mannoroth's terrifying — or rather, hideously ugly — appearance was certainly enough to confuse anyone.
Still, calling him a "talking Sea King" was perhaps a bit of an overstatement!
"Mere mortals!"
Mannoroth wasted no words. He raised his giant fist, intending to smash their ship straight to the bottom of the sea.
"FIRE!"
Seeing the colossal fist blotting out the sky, Sandersonia quickly ordered an attack.
In an instant, the crew drew their bows and loosed arrows imbued with Armament Haki at Mannoroth's massive skeletal frame.
But even these powerful, Haki‑reinforced arrows could not so much as scratch his bones, nor slow the descending fist in the slightest.
"Damn it!"
Sandersonia's expression hardened. Her emerald‑green hair lengthened and transformed, coiling like a giant serpent that bit down hard on Mannoroth's arm in a desperate attempt to halt his advance.
"I won't let you have your way! This is the very first voyage of Her Majesty's reign as Empress!" she shouted furiously.
But to Mannoroth, her hair — massive to her, but as thin as thread to him — was easily torn away.
She hadn't injured him at all; instead, the sheer force of the pull nearly dragged Sandersonia into the sea, only saved when Marigold reacted fast enough to catch her.
"Insignificant mortals… you dare resist?! I will crush you all!"
Having effortlessly dealt with Sandersonia, Mannoroth refocused his attention on the ship.
But just as he brought his fist down again, a tiny red flash darted right in front of him.
It was small as an ant — yet when a leg wreathed in flames kicked him squarely in the face, the impact sent his gigantic body toppling backward into the ocean.
BOOM!
His fall created towering waves that swept across the water. Meanwhile, the red figure descended from the sky and landed gracefully upon the bow of the Kuja ship.
She wore her hair in the traditional princess‑style cut. Her tall, statuesque figure was perfectly framed by a pale gold dress that clung to her curves.
Golden snake‑shaped earrings dangled from her ears, and beneath the long hem of her gown, a pair of striking red high heels were visible.
She looked no older than eighteen, yet possessed a beauty capable of charming entire nations.
This was Boa Hancock — the new captain of the Kuja Pirates and the reigning Empress of Amazon Lily.
"Ahhh! Empress Hancock‑sama!"
"She is breathtaking!"
"She defeated that monster in a single blow!"
The female warriors on deck screamed in awe. Hancock slowly opened her eyes, revealing deep black pupils.
With one hand, she swept her long, waterfall‑like hair back over her shoulder — a pose of inexpressible elegance and allure.
CRASH!
Suddenly, Mannoroth burst up from the ocean surface. On the bone of his right cheek, there was now a charred footprint — exactly where Hancock had struck him.
"Disgusting creature…"
Hancock muttered in revulsion, then quickly slipped into her usual self‑admiring trance, musing aloud, "I wonder what Lord Grimm would think if he saw me like this…"
"GRRRAAAAH!!"
Mannoroth raised his massive hand and swung it down again. His palm, spread wide, was larger than the entire ship itself as it descended.
"EEEK! We're going to die!"
"What kind of monster is this?!"
The women on deck shrieked in terror as the shadow engulfed them.
Hancock lifted her head, her gaze turning icy. Suddenly, flames seemed to rise around her — bright red flames of Purification, the sacred fire that existed solely to burn away all evil and demonic power.
"It's coming… Hancock's true power!"
Amidst the cheers of her admirers, Hancock shot upward with incredible speed.
She swung her leg high, twisted her body, and drove her foot forward — now fully sheathed in Purification Flames — slamming it hard against Mannoroth's open palm.
"W‑what?!"
Mannoroth was terrified. This delicate‑looking girl possessed such terrifying strength?
Fighting through the searing pain shooting up his right arm, he clenched his left fist and prepared to strike the ship again.
"Don't even think about it!"
Hancock touched her cherry‑red lips, summoning a heart made entirely of fire.
She drew back her hand as if pulling a bowstring, aimed at the fiery heart, and released — unleashing a storm of flaming arrows.
These were the Arrows of Purification, similar in form to her original Love Arrows.
But after awakening the power of the Inquisitor, her Love‑Love Fruit had evolved, transforming its power into flames of judgment.
The volley struck Mannoroth's left hand like a hurricane, stopping his second attack dead in its tracks. His skeleton was instantly engulfed in roaring fire.
"IT BURNS! IT HURTS!!"
The Purification Flames were his natural bane — highly effective against his demonic nature. Screaming in agony, Mannoroth dove deep beneath the waves.
Hancock returned lightly to the deck. "Is he planning to attack from underwater?" she murmured.
Her guess proved correct. Mannoroth reached up from the depths, grasped the very bottom of the Kuja ship in one hand, and lifted it dozens of meters into the air in one smooth motion.
"AAAHHH!"
The women shrieked and grabbed hold of anything they could to steady themselves.
"I am done wasting words on you insects! I'll just throw you all away like trash!"
Mannoroth roared and prepared to hurl Hancock and her crew like a baseball.
Hancock's eyes narrowed and she readied herself for another strike — until a familiar voice echoed clearly across the water:
"STOP THIS INSTANT, YOU FOOL!"
Just four words were enough. Mannoroth froze in mid‑motion, the ship still held high.
He remained stiff and motionless for five seconds, then slowly, carefully lowered the vessel back onto the surface of the sea.
Suddenly, beams of golden light descended from the sky, converging on the bow of the Kuja ship and solidifying into the shape of a man.
"M‑Master!"
Seeing Grimm standing there with his back turned toward him, Mannoroth shrank into silence, unsure what to say.
"A… A MAN?!"
"Should we capture him?!"
"I always thought men would be different from us… but he looks quite similar, doesn't he?"
The crew chattered excitedly. Many glanced toward Sandersonia and Marigold and saw that both sisters were staring blankly, as if witnessing something impossible.
Hancock herself stood frozen for several seconds. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, she rushed forward and stopped right before Grimm.
Though she stood tall at 180 centimeters, she only reached his shoulder — for Grimm towered over two meters in height.
"L‑Lord Grimm…!"
She spoke softly, shyly. No matter how tall or powerful she grew, or how many fantasies she wove about him in her mind, seeing him again suddenly made her feel once more like the helpless "little girl" she had been years ago back in Mary Geoise.
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