However the Kuja Pirates all were shocked to the core by what had happened.
First of all, Ace wasn't affected by the their captain's command at all. This meant that Flame Emperor Ace was much stronger than they originally believed.
They had even seen Vice admirals fall for her abilities before. But that wasn't what really surprised them.
It was his conquerors Haki.
The Kuja Pirates were from Amazon Lily, an island where only females live. That island is full of warrior women and all of them learn Haki from young age. Their warriors are feared all over the world.
So they were all very aware how rare conquerors Haki was. On their island, only their Empress had the conquerors Haki.
It is usually said that only one in a million has it, but it might be much rarer than that since their island had more than a million inhabitants yet only had one with that Haki.
And only those that have the potential to stand at the summit of the world, possesses it.
So they were very shocked that a young pirate from the weakest sea has it, and such a fine control even, that the release was just enough to awaken his crewmates.
"You say that you don't care about the marine's orders to catch us, but aren't you the world governments dog by being a warlord?" Ace asked in a chuckle as his eyes met Hancock's again.
"I merely enjoy the benefits of a warlord, and would not like my position to be revoked. However I detest the world government and refuse to comply with their orders." She said.
"Eehh won't you become their enemy if they hear you talk like this." Ace asked as he felt like her words didn't fit her backstory.
If he remembers correctly, wasn't she some kind of slave? He expected her to fear the World Government, but he saw none of that in her words nor her eyes. She seemed to even look down on them.
Suddenly Marigold chuckled.
"It doesn't matter what crime she commits, she will always be forgiven." Marigold said with certain belief.
Ace tilted his head in confusion.
Seing the big question mark on Ace's face, Hancock wanted to prove her sister's words.
"You scum, will you forgive me for commanding you like that?" Hancock suddenly asked with a soft tone to the Demon Ace pirates that she had commanded.
"Of course you're forgiven!" Ronaldino, Nami, Yennow, Spikewards, Urouge, Bepo, Cavendish, Apoo, the horse and Gaga all suddenly expressed.
Ace frowned, all of his crewmates expressed forgiveness, but Law and Bonnet also seemed to look at the Kuja Captain with compassion.
Her abilities were much stronger than he originally thought. Even Law was looking at her as of she was a precious puppy.
"See, it doesn't matter if I step on a kitty, or kill your whole family, in the end, I will be forgiven." Boa Hancock said arrogantly. It was as if she wanted to see Ace despair.
"Give up your loot and I'll spare you scum." Hancock said again with arrogance.
Ace frowned, she was challenging him and trying to make him mentally give up and submit... But he wasn't someone to submit, in fact, the more you pushed him, the more rebellious he became.
When he first became Ace, he didn't mind becoming a Marine, in fact, he liked the idea of becoming an admiral and chasing his brothers around, catching pirates and being a hero while commanding thousands. But the more his grandpa kept forcing him, the more he felt like he had to do the opposite.
In the end, Garp had beat him up quite badly with a smile and then said that Ace would become the strongest marine ever, and that's when Ace truly decided that he would become the strongest Pirate ever.
And now, that lady was trying to make him submit by showing him how high and mighty she is.
He needed to take her down a few.
One of Ace's fingers found it's way to his nose, as an act to show his nonchalance, as if he didn't care that she was in front of him he poked his nose.
"Hmm to me, you three don't look like much, maybe like escapees, maybe former sla..." He was trying to show her discreetly that he knew their secret, and tried to threaten her a bit.
But before she could even finish his sentence, a very strong haki burst out of her, completely seizing the minds of her companions, making all of them pass out except for Marigold and Sandersonia.
She had realised that Ace somehow knew her greatest secret. She had to kill him and his crew. This secret, if it gets out, the whole Amazon Lily might dissapear from the maps.
Her Haki exploded towards the Demon Ace Pirates, trying to overtake them but Ace's Conquerers Haki met hers.
He wouldn't allow her to dominate the will of his companions that's easily.
Their Haki met and Ace got surprised by how strong her Haki was, their two Haki fought for supremacy as the two ships started shaking and waves started forming.
The two Emperor's Haki collided and created enough friction to create flashing lights around them, although it was that bright.
The Demon Ace pirates got pale as they felt the heaviness in the air, only Law, Bonney and Cavendish seemed fine, although distressed.
Hancock's purplish haki met with Ace's reddish Haki.
Ace probed her capabilities before starting to push back. He had found her Haki much stronger than he initially believed.
As soon as Hancock realised how much stronger Ace's haki is, she changed her methods.
She raised her hands and made a heart form, which shot waves of energy in the form as hearts towards all the Demon Ace pirates.
Ace felt it and raised his haki infused palms to stop it, but to his surprise, her waves just passed his palms and hit all of them, in a very fast speed.
His crewmates couldn't even dodge as those waves were too fast.
Both their Haki receded.
Ace looked back and to his horror, all of his crewmates had turned to stone.
"You.... Better be able to turn them back..." Ace suddenly turned towards Hancock, and there was only coldness on his face as pure anger overtook him.
Her abilities far surpassed his imagination. Her abilities could bypass his armament haki, it seemed impossible to stop. And before he could do anything, all of his crewmates turned into stone.
This was her devil fruit abilities, she could turn enemies into stone and make them submit to her out of love.
Hancock took a step back in surprise. Her two sisters were completely shaken up as well.
First, Ace passive aggressively told them that he knew their secret, and then, when Hancock used her abilities... It didn't work on him.
"How did you not become stone?" Hancock asked, but all her arrogance was gone. Now she seemed like a little scared girl.
Maybe it was because Ace knew about her traumatic secret, maybe it was because she felt powerless for the first time now that her devil fruit didn't work on him.
"I saw it go through him, he should've turned into cold stone by now!" Marigold said in fright.
"YOU BETTER TURN THEM BACK ALIVE!" Ace shouted this time. He wasn't certain if she had the ability to turn people back from stone again.
That's why he didn't hurriedly start fighting Hancock and her sisters as he was waiting.
All the demon Ace pirates had turned into stone, they looked like statues.
Ace felt with his haki that it wasn't just their outer layer, they had completely turned into stone.
"WHY ARE YOU NOT TURNING TO STONE? ISN'T YOUR HEART MOVED BY ME IN THE SLIGHTEST?" Hancock shouted angrily, but if one was observant, they could notice the nervousness in her voice.