Chapter 101: A Good Omen
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"That's just sad. None of that would have happened if you weren't stupid at the beginning."
"Hey, I was a kid. How would I know that wouldn't work?"
A peculiar scene took place on an island near Amazon Lily. Under the shadow of a tree, creating shade from the moonlight, two individuals gossiped while in quite an intimate position.
It was a man and a woman, both wearing leaves that wrapped around their privates. Not that it was doing its work, as the taller woman sitting with her back against the tree hugged the man from behind, the back of his head resting deep in her chest.
"True."
Boa Hancock was smiling as she looked down at his face. He was looking up from her chest, expressionless yet relaxed.
His green eyes locked on her deep blue ones as he spoke.
"You were also stuck on an island that is disconnected from the rest of the world. You didn't know how mannerisms in the real world worked. It's not your fault you got sold."
"Yeah…"
Hancock sighed in her head but she kept looking at him still. She felt at peace when looking at his face, it was a weird feeling.
Such intimacy and skinship weren't casual, even Hancock knew that. Yet she hadn't let him off her hands since that time when she hugged him. He felt like a rare treasure, even rarer than the One Piece, that she didn't want to lose.
There was a weird burning in her heart, but she didn't understand it. So she ignored it and focused on him instead.
"By the way,"
Hashirama suddenly spoke.
"When will we leave? It's already been hours since you grabbed me, and longer since I kidnapped you. Your people must be dying of worry looking for you. Shouldn't we leave already?"
"Uh…"
Hancock's face fell.
"You don't like spending time with me?"
"That's not what I said…"
"Then?"
"You turned my crewmates to stone, what if your people get angry that I kidnapped their empress and then destroy the statues?"
"Oh."
Hancock blinked. That was a possibility, but she doubted that old woman would let it happen, given Nefertari Vivi was amongst the statues.
Still, his words brought Hancock back to the center. Hashirama Senju… he was a young man around four beautiful women. That information didn't mean anything to her before, but suddenly, thinking about it made her heart… act weird.
"Hancock?"
"Yes… yes, we should leave."
Hancock nodded. She had shared her entire backstory already; now her head felt empty. She didn't know why she couldn't think of any topic to engage him in a conversation with. Perhaps she should have learned to talk to people in a normal tone, rather than her usual arrogant one. She didn't want to talk to him in that tone…
In the end, Hancock was happy when he lifted her and shot through the sky.
* * *
The old lady Gloriosa was sipping tea and reading the newspaper that she didn't have the chance to read this morning.
Sitting on a chair under the moonlight, on the large balcony outside her room, she was relaxed. To her side, however, two gigantic women stood, wearing faces filled with worry.
"It's night already, yet she's not back. What if he did something weird to her?"
Said Boa Marigold, the youngest of the three Gorgon sisters. Along with her older sister, Boa Sandersonia, she was present on the platform where Hancock had first confronted Hashirama. He hadn't noticed them due to Hancock's presence.
Both of the sisters were there when their eldest, Hancock, bled from her nose and ultimately fell to her knees. That was the first time they had seen Hancock in such a state. Surely, they feared that man who was Hashirama Senju.
The two Gorgon sisters had proposed to Hancock that they kill Hashirama, back when he was still sleeping in his prison. He was too unpredictable and dangerous, after all. But their eldest, Hancock, rejected that idea. She had made a new friend and didn't want to ruin that friendship like this.
"Besides, he's not a bad young man." Their eldest had said. "I thought he was just like your usual man at first, but the way his gaze changed when he saw his crewmates hurt… It was admirable. No point in killing him."
Gloriosa raised her teacup to take a sip, but she couldn't. She paused and put down the cup. With a sigh, she turned to the two worried sisters.
"Stop crying near my ears, annoying lass. In the worst-case scenario, we will call the Dark King for help. That Senju boy will return to Amazon Lily to retrieve his crew at least, we'll get him then. Now shoo, leave me alone, nyo."
"Oh…"
The two snake sisters wiped their tears and shared a look. Shaking their heads a little, they turned around to leave.
Just as they were about to walk out the door, however, they heard the fluttering of wings, as leaves fell from the sky.
"Hey, it's that evil granny who knocked me out."
They heard a distinct male voice, turning around in a hurry, ready to fight. However, as their gaze fell on the scene, they paused and their eyelids widened.
"Oh my,"
"Big Sister!?"
The two sisters had different reactions as they saw Hashirama Senju carry Hancock, wearing barely anything, before he dropped her to her feet, and she suddenly rushed to the old lady, Gloriosa.
"You old woman! I- I forgot to mention back then, but how could you have hurt him when he wasn't looking?!"
"Huh? You girl-"
The old lady was alarmed as Hancock's leg came rushing to her head. Unlike her prime, her old bones were too slow to dodge an attack of that caliber.
"Hancock stop, what the fuck?!"
Hashirama yelled at the last second, and Hancock's leg changed its course to avoid Gloriosa, going above her short head. But even that sent a blade of wind in the far, cutting into a house.
"Sheesh, you women of this island are so violent. To attack an old lady like that…"
Hashirama said as he looked at the scene with dramatic eyes. Hancock turned around as her eyes widened, while Gloriosa looked at the scene with confused eyes just like the two Gorgon sisters.
"But- but she attacked you!"
"Are you stupid? She was just keeping you safe. You know, you would have lost if she didn't knock me out. And she's an elder anyway, where's your manners, to attack her out of the blue? Come on, apologize."
"...."
Hancock's lips quivered, as she looked like she was betrayed. It's like when you try to defend a friend, but that friend insults you instead.
"I…"
In the end, she grumbled and looked away. She spoke, addressing Gloriosa.
"I… am sorry, it won't happen again."
Gloriosa stayed silent for a while, and then she blinked. Sorry? Did she hear that right? The only other time she had heard this girl say sorry was back when she returned back to Amazon Lily, hugged her tightly, and apologized for ever leaving the island.
Gloriosa looked back to that time, noting the change this girl went through, and then she looked at the scene before her. Slowly, her eyes widened, and then she broke out laughing.
"Ahahaha, what a stupid girl!"
"Huh?"
With tears swelling up on the corners of her eyes, the old lady crackled up, laughing like a maniac, while Hancock grew confused and a little irritated.
'…So the coming of Queen Lily's descendant was a good omen after all.'
After all, another Empress of Amazon Lily had fallen prey to the lovesickness… and as much as Gloriosa pretended that it was a bad thing, she knew in her heart that the lovesickness was one of the best things a woman could ever experience.
Boa Hancock was a lucky woman.
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