29 Fight At The Docks

It took an hour of Shaya convincing them that she didn't betray them, but Hancock and her sisters finally decided to put their trust in them. Mainly as they had realised they didn't have a choice as the docks had been shut down.

During the discussions Orion and Roman didn't say a word. Orion wasn't particularly interested in what happened one way or the other as he was pretty indifferent regarding Hancock in the anime. If he could save her he would but if he couldn't he wouldn't.

Roman on the other hand was angry with the way they treated Shaya before. Even though he technically wasn't an occupant of Amazon Lily, his mother was technically royalty, so he had originally felt a sort of kinship with them but seeing their attitude greatly disappointed him.

Orion understood that this wasn't their real personality but after four years of being a slave they had to become colder and detached in order to survive and stay sane.

When everyone was ready to leave, Hancock said she had to use the toilets before they left. After waiting for 10 minutes, Roman decided to go and check on her.

When he knocked on the door he got no reply. Even though there was no reply he thought he heard a noise. When he listened closely, he heard tears. He knocked again asking if she was alright but got no answer, so he chose to directly open the door to see if she was alright.

When he entered, he saw her crying her eyes out as she was staring at the tattoo on her back in the mirror.

When she heard someone opening the door she covered herself up and looked at Roman coldly as she asked in an icy manner.

"What did you see?!"

When he heard the question, Roman thought she was embarrassed in case he saw her bare chest. He remembered what his mum told him before about women being way more sensitive about revealing their chest compared to men.

Before he could answer she raised her voice and asked again.

"WHAT DID YOU SEE?!"

Thinking she was angry about him potentially seeing her private parts, he answered honestly.

"I only saw the tattoo on your back!"

When she heard his reply, her face dropped as did all colour in her face. The tears started streaming down her face as she ran past him and out of the rear exit.

Hearing all the commotion Orion and the others ran to the toilets to see the back door's wide open and only Roman left with a confused face.

"Rome… What happened?"

Rome quickly explained what happened. After hearing everyone present understood what happened. Seeing that he was the only one in the dark at her reaction Shaya explained.

"That tattoo is a permanent reminder for all of us about what we went through whilst enslaved. You seeing that freaked her out and she probably didn't know how to react so she ran away!"

Hearing that Roman felt terrible as he couldn't even imagine what she must have gone through over the past 4 years. He turned to Orion and said.

"I'll bring her back, I need to go and apologise to her!"

Orion was about to reject the idea as he was faster, but he saw the look in his eyes and realised it would be pointless arguing with him over this.

"Can you still sense her?"

Roman nodded. Seeing that, Orion sighed as he said.

"Go, bring her back here though. And Rome, be careful!"

Roman grabbed his mask and darted towards the door at full speed. He shot forth like a bullet leaving the barrel, not daring to waste any time.

After Roman, the 2 remaining sisters snapped out of their daze and rushed towards the exit to look for Hancock. Before they even made it 3 steps, Orion appeared behind them chopping at the back of their necks knocking them out.

He passed them to Shaya as he said.

"We don't need them making any more trouble!"

After saying that he started taking off his robe and mask before putting his new sword on his back and his old katana on his hip.

Seeing him taking off his disguise Shaya was confused as she asked.

"What are you doing?!"

After taking off his disguise he started walking towards the door. Without turning around he said .

"I'm going to create a distraction, taking the attention away from Rome and Hancock. You stay here and babysit those 2."

Shaya couldn't help but feel worried about their current situation.

After running aimlessly for about 5 minutes, Hancock had made it all the way to the docks.

Seeing that she was in public without any form of disguise she tried to run to cover before she was spotted, but a few of the guards on Jalmack's ship spotted her.

"Saint, I think we see her. I think we see one of the escapees."

"Huh… Which of those bitches was stupid enough to run straight back to me?"

"It's that Hancock!"

"Hancock?! Where, lemme see, where is she, show me quickly!"

Suddenly an overweight man in white could be seen standing on the back of a man crawling on all fours as he peered over the edge of the warship.

"Hahaha! It really was you Hancock my love! You've finally returned to me!"

Seeing who it was made Hancock fall over in despair.

"Yo… You're here?! No… It shouldn't be like this… Why are you here?!"

The ugly chubby young man smiled lustfully as he replied excitedly.

"For you of course! Men, follow me down and apprehend her!"

As they were leaving the ship Vergo appeared behind the noble and said.

"Saint, if you want to leave the ship you can but don't leave my sight."

Jalmack looked disdainfully at Vergo as he replied.

"I'm the boss, you don't have the right to order me around, you'll do well to remember that marine! Now men hurry and follow me down, stop wasting time!"

As Jalmack and his guards neared Hancock, the guards reached out in an attempt to apprehend her.

Hancock was still in shock and couldn't bring herself to resist. Her eyes showed her horror as they looked fearfully at Jalmack!

Just as the hands were about to reach Hancock a man in a hooded robe and a white mask carrying a silver halberd appeared in between Hancock and the guards.

Before they fully realised the change in the situation, the mysterious man swung the halberd in his hands towards them.

They didn't even have the chance to make a sound before their heads rolled off their necks and their dead bodies collapsed.

The mysterious man didn't say a word before piercing the tip of his halberd towards Jalmack. Before the attack reached its goal, Vergo appeared in front of Jalmack with a blacked out bamboo strip in his hand and swung it down intercepting the attack.

The bamboo connected with the halberd slamming the tip into the ground. Seeing his attack fail the masked mystery man grabbed Hancock and jumped back creating distance between them.

Vergo didn't chase after him immediately, instead watching him cautiously.

"You must be the accomplice of the mixed-race kid that defeated Smoker earlier."

The masked man didn't answer immediately as he just looked at Vergo coldly. Studying him intensely.

[He's able to use Busoshoku hardening… I won't be able to beat him quickly, but I can't escape with Hancock without defeating him first.]

Thinking to there the masked man turned to Hancock and shouted.

"RUN!"

When she heard that she was brought back to reality. As soon as she saw who was protecting her she was shocked.

[Roman?!]

She put the shock of who it was and tried to get to her feet but, they were still shaking. Each step was a struggle!

When Jalmack saw his toy trying to escape he woke from his shock. The attack earlier made him see his life flash before his eyes as he thought he would genuinely die.

As he saw that Hancock was trying to leave he moved to intercept her.

"Where do you think you're going you bitch? Who's this wannabe hero trying to protect you?!"

Seeing him trying to intercept her, Roman went to stop Jalmack but before he could a black bamboo came thrusting at his chest. He couldn't afford to be negligent and put his full focus on the man in front of him.

Both his arms transformed, becoming covered in golden scales before both they and the halberd in his hand turned black. He thrust his halberd at the tip of the incoming bamboo.

Feeling the power behind the attack completely shocked Vergo.

[His Haki's not as powerful as mine but he's actually reached the Halberd Student Boundary making up for the difference in power. Smoker was right not to underestimate him.]

The two of them clashed repeatedly but Roman was slowly starting to be pushed back!

Whilst they were clashing, Roman didn't stop paying attention to Hancock's situation.

Seeing how Jalmack was gaining on her Roman started to feel desperate. His mind flashed back to when Orion first passed on the Pure Yang Physique scripture and what it said:

Pure Yang Physique; Tempers the users body using the energy from the sun, transforming the users heart into a miniature sun that when activated, pumps pure yang energy through the users body for heaven defying strength.

[I can only use that technique safely for short amounts of time at the C- Rank. If I try to use it now It could be fatal! But this is all happened because of me! If I don't go all out now Hancock will have to suffer again and it'll be my fault!]

As he thought to there an orange aura was emitted from Roman and the temperature in the immediate area shot up.

Roman stepped forward as he roared.

"Dragon Spear Art: 1st spear - Dragon Takes Flight!"

Roman thrust his spear towards Vergo and as it moved through the air a deafening roar sound could be heard.

As Vergo saw the incoming attack he felt like he was facing a genuine dragon. He knew he couldn't hesitate otherwise it would cost him dearly!

He jumped back and raised his bamboo staff to absorb the impact.

Despite his best efforts, Vergo still ended up being sent flying.

After dealing with Vergo, Roman didn't waste anytime in chasing after Jalmack.

Roman appeared behind him almost immediately and brought his halberd down in an attempt to cleave him in two when he heard Hancock's voice.

"WAIT!"

He stopped his halberd which was pitch black with an orange aura surrounding it mere centimetres from his targets scalp. It was so close that the burning aura surrounding the halberd started burning through Jalmack's hair.

He looked at Hancock as if to ask why. As if understanding the meaning of his gaze she said.

"If you were to kill him, a signal would be dispatched to Marine HQ with his last known signal and a Marine Admiral would be dispatched and arrive in under 2 hours.

If an admiral arrived, you, me, my sisters, Shaya and your brother would all be killed.

Hearing that Orion would be killed was enough to prevent Roman from going through with killing him.

He lowered his halberd and his blazing aura vanished.

BANG!

Roman lowered his head and saw blood leaking out from a bullet hole in his stomach. He collapsed falling on his knees as the light in his eyes started to fade.

"You filthy common ant! How dare you even consider baring your fangs at me?! Now you know the difference in status between us, you can die in peace knowing the one who killed you was destined to rule over the masses!"