Chapter 5

"Elder Nyon, what are you doing here?" asked Hancock, surprised to see the elder in her palace.

"Hebihime, I was worried about you. It's almost nighttime, and I thought something had happened to you in the forest. Can you explain why you're back at this time?" Elder Nyon asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Sorry about that, Elder Nyon. I'll explain later, but for now, can I go take a bath and eat?" said Hancock, eager to freshen up.

"Alright, go ahead and take a bath and eat, but don't forget to explain why you're back at night," Elder Nyon said firmly.

"Okay, bye. I'm going to take a bath now," Hancock said as she walked towards her palace.

Marigold greeted Elder Nyon as she approached. "Elder Nyon, good evening," Marigold said respectfully.

"Oh, I didn't know you were with Hebihime. Please forgive me," Elder Nyon replied.

"It's alright, Elder Nyon. You can ask me any questions. After all, I was with Hebihime in the forest," Marigold explained.

"Now, Marigold, I have a question. Why did Hebihime come back at night?" Elder Nyon asked, her voice filled with worry.

"I'm not entirely sure, Elder Nyon, but I think it has something to do with that creature, or should I say, man," Marigold replied, her voice filled with confusion.

"What did you say? A man? Where is this man?" Elder Nyon asked, her worry growing.

"Hebihime left him alone in the forest after training him, I think," Marigold said, trying to recall the details.

"What? Hebihime is training a man? But why?" Elder Nyon asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I don't really know, Elder Nyon, but I believe Hebihime will explain why she's training that man," Marigold replied.

"I hope she gives me a good explanation for why she's training a man," Elder Nyon said, her voice tinged with anger.

Meanwhile, Hancock arrived at her palace and decided to take a bath first. She undressed and cleaned her body, washing away the sweat and dirt. Afterward, she made her way to the hot spring.

"Ahh, the hot spring is the best. I feel like my fatigue is gone after training Luffy," Hancock said, enjoying the soothing warmth. Feeling a bit sleepy, she decided to eat and get some rest before continuing her training with Luffy.

Hancock got out of the hot spring and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes fell on the slave mark on her back, a symbol of her past. She despised it and longed to be free from its grip.

"Tsk, I really hate this slave mark. I feel sorry for Hancock and her sister," Hancock muttered. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"System, is there a way to remove this slave mark?" she asked, hoping for a solution.

[Yes, Host. You can buy a cleansing pill from the store to remove the slave mark.]

"Really, System? Thank you!" Hancock exclaimed with joy. She quickly requested the purchase of a cleansing pill and received it in her inventory.

Hancock wasted no time and consumed the pill. As she did, her body started producing a black, slimy substance with an unpleasant odor.

"Hmm, why is my body producing this black substance? And why does it smell?" Hancock asked, puzzled.

[Host, the black substance is a result of the cleansing pill. It is removing the slave mark from your body.]

"I see. It's a bit smelly, but it's worth it. I'll just take another bath to wash it off," Hancock said, heading back to the hot spring.

After thoroughly cleansing herself, Hancock went to the mirror again to inspect her back. To her delight, the slave mark was gone, and her skin appeared whiter and more supple.

"Sonia, Marigold, come here," Hancock called out to her sisters.

The door opened, and Sonia and Marigold entered the room. Curious, they approached Hancock.

"Look at my back, Sonia, Marigold. Can you see if the slave mark is still there?" Hancock asked.

"Nee-sama, it's gone! How did you make it disappear?" Sonia exclaimed, astonished.

"Even if I tell you, you wouldn't believe me. But here, you can eat this pill, and it will make your slave mark disappear too," Hancock said, handing them each a small golden pill.

"Are you sure, Nee-sama?" Marigold asked, her eyes filled with hope.

"I'm sure. You can already see what happened to my slave mark," Hancock replied confidently.

And so, Hancock shared the cleansing pills with her sisters, offering them the chance to break free from the chains of their past. With newfound hope and determination, they looked forward to a future where they could live without the burden of their slave marks.