Chapter 25 : Blackbeard Teach!!!

Half an hour later, Boa Hancock, wrapped in a loose coat, disembarked from the warship and set foot on the grounds of Marine Headquarters, Marineford. She was accompanied by Vice Admiral Momonga.

As they walked, Momonga said, "Boa Hancock, since this is a special period, even though you are one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, you must adhere to the restrictions in Marineford."

"Your activities are confined to the building designated for the Seven Warlords of the Sea. If you need anything, please inform the Navy officer in charge of your accommodations first."

Before Momonga could finish, Boa Hancock cut him off with impatience. "Enough with the formalities. Who do you think I am? I only came here because of the people of my Nine Snake Island. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this hellish place!" 

Momonga, his expression unchanging, replied, "Very well."

Having explained everything necessary, Momonga said no more and led Boa Hancock to the building where the Seven Warlords were housed. After completing his task, he turned and left.

The reception was now up to the staff.

"Lady Boa Hancock, your room is on the third floor. Please follow me," a female naval officer said respectfully, gesturing for Boa Hancock to follow her.

As Boa Hancock entered the hall, several figures descended from the upper floor and encountered her.

The leader of the group, a tall man with a rough demeanor, thick body hair, and a few missing teeth, looked at Boa Hancock with a glint of desire in his eyes. He approached her with a smirk.

He was Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach, a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates and the man responsible for handing Ace over to the Navy after defeating him.

Boa Hancock's expression darkened, and her steps faltered!

Boa Hancock had seen Blackbeard's picture in the newspaper and recognized his identity.

Normally, someone as peculiar as Blackbeard wouldn't have bothered Boa Hancock, but after Blackbeard spoke, Luffy, who was hiding nearby, suddenly seemed to remember something. His grip on her tightened, making Boa Hancock instinctively pause!

"Get out of the way, you filthy scum! Don't taint the air around me!" Boa Hancock demanded, her voice filled with disdain.

Having stopped, she immediately lifted her chin and pointed at Blackbeard with haughty defiance.

At this, a flash of anger crossed Blackbeard's eyes, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Hahaha, so this is the dignity of the Pirate Empress. It's truly repugnant!"

"Forget it. If you don't know who this woman is, let's move on!" 

With that, Blackbeard and his crew began to walk past Boa Hancock, heading towards the exit of the building.

This was a critical moment for his plan, and he couldn't afford to draw too much attention!

However, the humiliation Boa Hancock had suffered left a mark on Blackbeard's mind.

"Wait! Teach, where do you think you're going? You can't leave this building without permission from above!" the female Navy officer who had guided Boa Hancock exclaimed, stepping forward to block Blackbeard's way.

Blackbeard frowned but quickly relaxed, waving his hand dismissively. "New here? How troublesome. Laffitte, show her the special pass that Fleet Admiral Sengoku issued to us!"

"Yes, Captain!" 

A pale-skinned man in a tuxedo, named Laffitte, stepped out from the crowd. He reached into his jacket as he approached the Navy officer.

"Take a look at this," Laffitte said, moving closer to the female Navy officer. He subtly angled himself to obstruct Boa Hancock's view, then pulled out the pass and presented it to her.

The female naval soldier was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure. She bowed and said, "I see this has been specially authorized by Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I won't intrude any further!"

"Thank you!"

Laffitte tipped his top hat in acknowledgment and then rejoined the group, following Blackbeard out of the building.

Though Boa Hancock sensed that something was off, it didn't concern her directly, so she ignored it and followed the pirate girl to her quarters.

"Lady Hancock, you'll be staying here for the next two days. If you need anything, please use the Den Den Mushi on the wall to contact us."

After escorting Boa Hancock to her room, the female naval soldier bowed once more and exited, closing the door behind her.

Boa Hancock remained by the door until the soldier's footsteps faded away. Then, she quickly locked the door. 

Despite this, Boa Hancock didn't let her guard down. She meticulously searched the room for any potential surveillance or bugs, even though it was unlikely the Navy had placed any.

Only after confirming the room was secure did Boa Hancock relax. "It's clear, Luffy, you can come out now!"

"I'm sorry!" Luffy said as he quickly slipped out of Boa Hancock's coat, like a snake shedding its skin. "I couldn't hold back for a moment and almost gave away your location!"

Boa Hancock shook her head and reassured him, "It's alright. I understand that Blackbeard is the one who captured your brother."

Luffy's expression grew serious. "I didn't recognize him from the photo before, but after hearing his voice, I remember now. I've seen Blackbeard before!"

Boa Hancock looked puzzled. "But I heard that Blackbeard has been with the Whitebeard Pirates for a long time and mostly stays in the New World. How could you have encountered him?"

Luffy explained, "I saw him a few months ago in a bar in Jaya Island. He was eating his favorite cherry pie and he's a really nasty guy!"

Boa Hancock suddenly realized. At that time, Blackbeard had already defected from the Whitebeard Pirates. He must have fled to the first half of the Grand Line to avoid Whitebeard, which is why he crossed paths with Luffy.

Luffy didn't dwell on Blackbeard for long; his priority now was to rescue Ace.

He walked to the window to check the situation outside, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Hancock, I need to go outside and see what's happening."

Given the huge favor Hancock had done for him, Luffy felt he should explain his actions. If they were just crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates, he would have acted without a second thought.

Boa Hancock was taken aback. "But we already discussed this while we were on the ship."

"Hancock, I know you're looking out for me, and I appreciate it," Luffy said, clenching his fists and trembling slightly. "But I can't bear the thought of Ace being locked up for even a moment longer! Not even a second!"

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