Chapter 15: The Three Sisters

"I wonder how long I can maintain the Nimbus Cloud with my current stamina? I might as well give it a try before setting off."

Bardock summoned the Nimbus Cloud and leaped onto it but soon realized something was off.

He definitely needed to bring along some supplies—food, water, luggage, and the Beri he had accumulated recently. All of this would add to the weight and take up space.

"I could eat while flying to replenish my stamina. As the food is consumed, it would free up more space."

"But I also need to consider where to rest when flying over the sea. Should I bring a boat? Hawkeye's small boat seems like a good choice. It can float on the sea and be lifted into the sky by the Nimbus Cloud. Any heavier boat would be unnecessary."

What started as a simple journey—a man, a sword, and a cloud—slowly and inexplicably turned into a one-man, one-sword, one-boat, and a hard-working cloud hauling a snail-paced caravan of supplies.

Having made up his mind, Bardock took immediate action and headed for the island where the shipyard was located. He was going to buy a small boat.

On Sabaody Archipelago, shipyards were concentrated on islands 50 to 59. Large ships had to be custom-ordered and built, but small boats could be bought and taken right away.

Bardock soon noticed something unusual. Although he had never been to this area before to avoid encountering pirates, there were definitely too many men in black suits. These people were most likely agents of the World Government.

No wonder Rob Lucci and Kaku were considered elites—they disguised themselves as shipwrights and became the best shipwrights in the business without anyone suspecting a thing until they exposed themselves. These agents, on the other hand, were like common laborers pretending to be something they weren't.

After a brief moment of thought, Bardock realized they were likely here to catch the people who had escaped from Mariejois. Judging by the black suits' lack of progress, the escapees had probably hidden somewhere else, or maybe they were in the more chaotic areas between islands 1 and 29.

Bardock quickly purchased a boat, a single-mast vessel completely different in style from Hawkeye's. This boat had a sleek, aesthetic design. Although it wasn't made from Treasure Tree Adam, it was still constructed from the finest wood. It was originally a custom gift from a wealthy man to his child. However, the man encountered pirates and met an unfortunate end, leaving the boat behind. After all, a small boat with a price tag of 20 million Beri was hardly a practical buy.

But money can't always buy what the heart desires. Bardock fell in love with it at first sight and bought it without hesitation.

While buying the boat, Bardock was interrogated by some of the black-suited agents, but he didn't mind and even cheerfully said that he would report anything suspicious if he found it.

Bardock didn't know how to operate a sailboat, but he had a trick—he could use the Nimbus Cloud to push or pull the boat. By retracting the sail, summoning the cloud, and controlling it to change shape and surround the boat, the vessel could move forward, backward, or even left and right.

"The Nimbus Cloud is so convenient!"

Bardock had even developed a new technique that resembled the "Power Pole." Though the Nimbus Cloud appeared to be a cloud, it was tangible and could change shape according to Bardock's will.

If Bardock wanted it to become a staff, it would become a staff. It could also expand, shrink, lengthen, or shorten at will, and it could even fly—just like a flying sword. However, there was one issue Bardock hadn't figured out: the staff was still a bit too soft for combat.

"I wonder if Haki can strengthen the Power Pole?"

Bardock maneuvered the boat to Island 46 and then controlled it to fly back to his residence. It wasn't too difficult.

As he neared his home, Bardock suddenly felt as if his head had been struck. The sensation was familiar—it was the Conqueror's Haki. His own Conqueror's Haki responded instinctively, radiating outward.

Ever since Bardock's Conqueror's Haki had awakened, he had been trying to train it, but to little avail. He still hadn't mastered precise control. He lived alone on a giant tree root, and though there were no nearby neighbors, people lived a bit farther away. Their sleep had been wonderfully peaceful ever since Bardock started practicing. Occasionally, even couples in intimate moments would suddenly "fall asleep" together, waking up the next day with confused expressions. No doubt, stories would soon spread across Sabaody Archipelago, but thankfully, Bardock was planning to leave, even though his rent hadn't expired yet.

The opposing Conqueror's Haki quickly retreated, leaving Bardock scratching his head. This wasn't good. Even though they were both beginners, how could they retreat so quickly while he couldn't withdraw his Haki at all? His Haki continued to surge forward, but there was no response from the other side.

Curious, Bardock decided to investigate.

He found a group of people lying unconscious on the ground, clearly having just fought a fierce battle. Many of them were still bleeding.

"Oh, it's the black-suited agents. Well, no big deal. But where's the person who released the Conqueror's Haki? Oh, wait, is it these three?"

"Three different hair colors... at this specific time... could it be them?"

Bardock pulled out his Den Den Mushi. He had missed capturing Hawkeye's embarrassing moments last time; he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

After coming into some money, the first thing Bardock had done was purchase this advanced image-capturing Den Den Mushi. It could record in high definition and print photos easily—a very handy tool.

Hovering above the scene, Bardock circled a couple of times before taking several close-up shots from the best angles. "Shocking! The Pirate Empress knocked out by nobodies!"

Seeing no one else around, Bardock decided to bring the three sisters onto his boat. Fortunately, they were still young; once they grew up, there was no way his small boat could fit two giant snake women.

"Should I take them to Island 13? Nah, I'll wait until nightfall."

...

Hancock suddenly sat up, still groggy. She only remembered that she and her two sisters had planned to head to Island 13 to seek help from Shakky. They had overheard the name while on the Kuja Pirates' ship. However, they had accidentally been exposed and ended up being chased. Her sisters were quickly defeated, and in her fury, she unleashed her Conqueror's Haki, knocking out the enemies. But then, another wave of Conqueror's Haki came from a distance. Already exhausted, she blacked out.

Her heart pounded. What about her sisters?

Turning her head, she saw that her two sisters were still there. But then, panic set in again—had they been captured? Her body started trembling.

She didn't notice the Den Den Mushi recording everything in the corner.

"Hey, you're awake. Want something to eat?"

Bardock pointed at the food on the table. He watched Hancock as she alternated between spacing out and trembling. He had no idea what was going through her mind—this woman's inner world was especially rich, with an incredibly vivid imagination.

Hancock finally noticed Bardock. "Who are you? Did you capture us? What do you want?"

"No, no, no. You guys are safe because of me—I mean, I saved you. You were unconscious, and I saw you, so I brought you aboard. Why did you faint?"

Bardock played dumb.

Did someone really save us? And then just leave us without doing anything else—just taking us away from the battlefield?

Hancock checked herself and her sisters. Though their clothes were tattered, their backs weren't exposed, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your help. Why haven't my sisters woken up yet?"

"Not sure, probably just too tired."

"Where are we? And why are we wrapped in a cloud? This is a cloud, right?"

"We're on a boat—a boat that's flying in the sky. Pretty cool, huh? It's mine!" Bardock said proudly.

Unfortunately, Hancock was preoccupied and didn't react much. She began to debate whether she should ask Bardock to help take her sisters to Island 13.