On Amazon Lily Island, the kingdom held the belief that strength defined beauty.
The emperor of the nation, revered as the Snake Princess, was not only the most beautiful woman, but also the mightiest warrior.
Although it was widely accepted that Hancock would succeed as the next Snake Princess - and Hancock herself believed so - there were still formalities to be observed.
Across the island, the women unanimously regarded Hancock as the most impressive and naturally gifted warrior, making her the obvious choice for the next Snake Princess.
However, the title was never bestowed or claimed; it had to be won in battle.
The Snake Princess was chosen by victory in the arena. Whoever remained standing as the ultimate victor would be crowned the strongest warrior - and by extension, the most beautiful woman.
In essence, this was both the Amazon Lily's premier martial arts tournament and its most prestigious beauty pageant.
As the reigning Snake Princess Tritoma, draped in a flowing robe and surrounded by attendants, ascended to her throne, the crowd erupted in cheers. Princess Jolyne accompanied her, sitting beside the throne, drawing even more enthusiastic applause.
The Elder was conspicuously absent. Her health had visibly deteriorated, and she seemed to grow weaker by the day. Seeing another Snake Princess suffer the fatal curse of unrequited love had completely crushed her spirit.
---
The arena was packed, buzzing with noise as nearly every woman on the island gathered to witness the spectacle.
No formal registration was required--anyone who aspired to the title of Snake Princess, or simply wished to display their strength and charm, could step directly onto the stage.
As for the fairness of a battle royale format? That was where the Snake Princess came in, acting as a judge. If she felt that a fighter was too exhausted to show his true strength, she would intervene and order a break.
Today, however, Snake Princess sat quietly, her pale yet rosy complexion showing a faint smile, appearing as composed as ever despite her illness.
---
On the arena stage...
Hancock stood six feet tall, her long legs alone over a foot long. Her sleeveless floral top struggled to contain her well-defined, soft abs and the V-lines visible above her skirt. With one hand on her hip, she exuded effortless confidence, eliciting deafening cheers from the capacity crowd.
Her opponent, standing across from her, was equally overwhelmed.
"She's so beautiful..." The Kuja warrior whispered, her cheeks flushing as she gazed at Hancock's flawless face.
Hancock's expression remained impassive, but inwardly she was annoyed. How are we supposed to fight like this?
In the stands, surrounded by a sea of excited Kuja women, Liam couldn't help but comment, ''Your sister's charm really is... unbeatable.''
Despite being flanked by Hancock's two younger sisters, Liam was still swarmed by admirers from all sides. He had long since grown accustomed to ignoring the advances of the overly enthusiastic Kuja women. After all, if it came to a fight, they couldn't beat him anyway!
Liam turned his attention back to the stage. Hancock's opponent made a hesitant attempt to attack, but was effortlessly countered as Hancock raised a single hand to block the blow.
As Hancock moved to counter, the Kuja warrior collapsed into her arms, overwhelmed by the faint scent Hancock exuded. She fainted with a blissful smile on her face.
Hancock looked up in silent frustration.
The Snake Princess chuckled and waved her hand, declaring the game over. "Another one? Take her down as well."''
---
What was supposed to be a competition to determine the next Snake Princess had turned into what felt like Hancock's personal fan meet-and-greet.
One by one, her opponents stepped onto the stage, stared at her face for 2-3 seconds, blushed furiously, and after being stared at by Hancock for another 2-3 seconds, got dizzy. When the melee began, Hancock's faint scent dealt the final blow, leaving her unable to muster even 30-40% of her strength.
Hancock was displeased. Very displeased.
Sitting next to the Snake Princess, Robin couldn't help but laugh. From somewhere, she pulled out a snakeskin mask and threw it high into the air.
Hancock looked up as the mask floated toward her, sprouting delicate petals that unfurled into wings. It fluttered gracefully in their direction.
Leaping high, Hancock caught the mask in midair. The wings disintegrated into petals as it landed lightly on one foot on the spiked edges of the arena, unharmed.
She lifted the snakeskin mask and waved casually at Jolyne in thanks.
Resting her chin on her hand, the Snake Princess smiled and asked, "Did you see this coming, Princess?"
Robin returned the smile. '''Well, she 'is' Hancock, after all.'''
Hancock donned the snakeskin mask that Jolyne had given him and walked step by step along the spiked path that led up to the arena platform.
Unexpectedly, while the mask covered her stunning face, it only accentuated her unique allure, drawing another wave of cheers and applause from the audience.
---
With little enthusiasm, Hancock dispatched her opponents - or perhaps more accurately, her overexcited fans - one by one, effortlessly and without suspense.
Occasionally, a warrior would manage to overcome their excitement and fight with their full strength. However, compared to Hancock, who frequently sparred with Liam and faced the challenge of his rapidly growing prowess, the abilities of these warriors simply fell short.
When no one else dared to step onto the stage, Hancock stood tall and proud, a faint sheen of fragrant sweat on her skin. She turned to look at the throne on the high platform.
A harsh male voice came from the audience: "What about the princess? Isn't the princess competing? Princess! Princess! Princess!"''
Both Hancock on stage and Robin by the throne turned to the sea of spectators, their eyes landing on Liam, seated between Sandersonia and Marigold.
"Well, what do you say?" The Snake Princess teased.
Robin couldn't help but laugh. "He just wants to enjoy the show."
But Liam's suggestion had already ignited the crowd's enthusiasm. The chant quickly grew louder and more unified:
''Princess! Princess!"
''Hancock! Hancock!"
Not wanting to dampen the lively atmosphere, Robin adjusted the twin buns on her head and leapt gracefully into the air. Flower petals swirled behind her as huge wings unfolded from her shoulder blades. She descended gently and landed in the arena across from Hancock.
Two women were standing on the stage.
Both tall. Both impeccably curvaceous.
One a breathtaking beauty. The other equally stunning.
''Woohoo!" Liam cupped his hands around his mouth and cheered playfully.
Marigold, like the rest of the crowd, blinked in anticipation, eager for this duel of dazzling women.
Sandersonia giggled beside him. "Would you like to join us later and have a match with Elder Sister?"
Liam laughed. "I think I'll pass. Today is a big day for Hancock. Stealing her spotlight doesn't feel right."''
On the arena, the battle was about to begin!
---
The outcome, however, was no surprise. Hancock emerged victorious.
Wrapped in her ceremonial robe, the Snake Princess stood before her throne and formally announced the results to the citizens.
As was customary, everyone understood the implications: Hancock, the most beautiful and strongest warrior of the current generation, was now the rightful heir to Amazon Lily Island's throne.
Later that day, the Snake Princess issued a new decree: the ''Kuja Pirate Crew'' would set sail again the following morning. All preparations would be handled personally by Boa Hancock, who would lead the voyage.
"Why don't we tag along for this trip?'' Liam suggested to Robin with a grin.
(End Of The Chapter)
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