"Flame Emperor?!!!"
Sandersonia and Marigold covered their cheeks, almost out of their bodies in shock. The name, after the great Entei Incident, signified the strongest on the sea!
Their sister, although appearing cold and ruthless on the surface and often throwing Granny Ze out of the palace, was, in reality, a very gentle person. Despite her harsh demeanor, Hancock had always protected them and their home.
Naval Headquarters had developed outer ships with seastones, making the natural barrier of Amazon Lily, the Calm Belt, easily accessible to Marines. This exposed Amazon Lily, the base of the Kuja Pirates, directly to the range of Marine warships. To protect Amazon Lily, their sister, who despised the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, had accepted the World Government's invitation and became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Her aim was to secure the privilege for the Kuja tribe to remain unconquered by the Marines.
However, even the mighty Naval Headquarters, the strongest among the three major forces, had suffered an unprecedented defeat against the Flame Emperor. This man had publicly executed Celestial Dragons, the world's nobles with unlimited privileges, who were also the Kuja's collective nightmare. He had even smashed the head of one of the Five Elders, who held the highest power in the world, in front of the entire world!
Ace had become a legend, the overlord of the sea, possessing more power than the Four Emperors. His name symbolized the pinnacle of power and defiance in this vast ocean.
Sandersonia and Marigold had initially thought that they would do anything to cure their sister's illness, even if it meant crossing the entire sea to bring the man she loved to her. But the Flame Emperor... Even the colossal World Government had no way to deal with him.
"Hey, Mother-in-law, is there no other way besides bringing the Flame Emperor to see my elder sister?" the orange-haired Marigold said anxiously.
How could it be possible to bring that man who stood at the top to see her sister? That man, with a mere stamp of his foot, could cause a tsunami across the entire sea!
"Hey, Mother-in-law, I feel so uncomfortable, ugh!" Hancock clutched her heart in pain and struggled to breathe.
Seeing Hancock's suffering, Granny Ze's expression shifted. Although Hancock was usually indifferent to outsiders, Granny Ze knew her well. Hancock was an exceptionally competent emperor of Amazon Lily. The Snake Princess was beloved by everyone, not just for her unparalleled beauty, but for her contributions and sacrifices as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, which far surpassed those of previous emperors. She was a gentle and excellent woman.
"Go search for traces of the Entei Pirates. I'm going to visit Ace," Granny Ze gritted her teeth and said. She couldn't just watch Hancock die; she regarded her as a daughter.
"Hey? Mother-in-law, are you going to see the Flame Emperor? You..." Sandersonia looked at her in disbelief.
How easy was it to meet the man who now stood at the top of this sea? Like the Four Emperors, if other pirates rashly stepped into their territory, it would be considered provocation and met with immediate obliteration. The emperor's majesty would never tolerate any provocation. Not to mention, the one who now stood above the Four Emperors! Contacting the Flame Emperor rashly would definitely be seen as a provocative act. Even the cadres under him could plunge the entire Amazon Lily into a crisis of national annihilation.
"I have lived a long time and know a lot. I'll use this information in exchange for the opportunity to meet Ace. I can't just watch Hancock die," Granny Ze said seriously, looking at Hancock. She had once been a member of the Rocks Pirates and had participated in the Gods Valley event. This information should be valuable even to Ace.
"Mother-in-law..." Sandersonia and Marigold looked at her with emotion.
Hancock gasped, a little wave of excitement flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"Lord Snake Princess!"
At that moment, the cabin door was pushed open anxiously, and Ryudan, the sniper of the Nine Snakes Pirates, rushed in with a look of horror on her face.
"What's wrong, Ryudan? Sister is feeling very uncomfortable right now. We'll talk about it later," Sandersonia said, displeased at the intrusion.
"Yes, but there's a pirate ship coming towards us!" Ryudan said in a panic.
"Pirate ship? Why are you panicking? We are the Nine Snakes Pirates! Hancock is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Pirate Empress! What kind of pirates dare come to us and cause trouble?" Marigold frowned.
Ever since their elder sister became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Kuja Pirates had only ever been the ones doing the robbing. Others feared them. How could they ever be afraid of other pirates?
"I can't mistake that pirate flag," Ryudan, usually fearless and known for her rocket launcher and cigarette, now had a look of fear and horror on her face. Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"What does that pirate flag look like?" Granny Ze was suddenly startled and asked hurriedly. It could make Ryudan afraid just by seeing the pirate flag...
"The skull is surrounded by burning flames," Ryudan's pupils were full of fear.
"There's no mistake! That pirate flag belongs to the Entei Pirates!" Ryudan exclaimed in shock.
"Entei Pirates?!"
All the members of the Nine Snakes Pirates present exclaimed. Hancock covered her heart for a moment, then slowly opened her beautiful eyes, which were filled with mist.
"Why... why did the Entei Pirates come to us?!" Sandersonia trembled all over, breaking into a cold sweat.
They had planned to go to Ace for their elder sister, but that was when they intended to visit and request a meeting with the Flame Emperor. Now, the Entei Pirates, for some unknown reason, were coming towards them. How could they not panic?
That is the strongest pirate group in the world today, the one that brought Naval Headquarters to a rout!
"No matter what, let's go and see him. There is also hope of seeing Ace. Rayleigh, during the Entei incident, also took action for Ace. With Rayleigh's face, things shouldn't be too bad," Granny Ze said calmly.
Rayleigh, Shakky, and she had guided the Hancock sisters back to Amazon Lily together. With Rayleigh's character, the Entei Pirates shouldn't have any ill intentions towards the Nine Snakes Pirates. Because they were located in the Calm Belt where communications were scarce, the Women of Amazon Lily had not yet learned the news that Rayleigh had joined the Entei Pirates' fleet.
"Then let's go and greet him quickly. That's the Flame Emperor, but my sister's body..." Marigold's concern was cut short as Hancock, with a strange flush on her face, stood up, the quilt falling to the floor.
"Sister?!"
"Lord Snake Princess?!"
Sandersonia, Marigold, and the leaders of the Nine Snakes Pirates stared at Hancock in shock.
"I want to see him," Hancock said, raising her pretty face, her beautiful eyes full of yearning.
Meanwhile, aboard the approaching ship, Rayleigh stood on the deck, pointing at the Perfume Serpent in front of him. "Ace, the Nine Snakes Pirates are ahead. Don't be scared later, cough," he shouted towards the Merry with a strange look on his face.
Rayleigh and Shakky exchanged helpless glances. They both knew the severity of lovesickness, having witnessed it firsthand. Shakky had once left Nine Snakes because of it. Lovesickness could be fatal if one was separated from the person they loved for too long.
Knowing this, Rayleigh and Shakky had guided Ace towards Amazon Lily, hoping to use the Haki training methods there to teach the girls. Along the way, thanks to Nami's enhanced Observation Haki after awakening the Thunder Fruit, they discovered the Nine Snakes Pirates' ship. Thus, they decided to approach Hancock directly, knowing her presence on the Perfume Serpent.
"Scared?" Ace raised an eyebrow. During the Entei incident, he had certainly noticed the world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock. She was someone Ace had always intended to incorporate into the Entei Pirates, given her formidable skills and Amazon Lily's powerful female warriors, all of whom could use Haki.
Amazon Lily was one of the few places where Haki was widespread, and Ace knew that under his guidance, the island's combat power could become extraordinarily formidable. However, during the chaos of the Entei incident, Ace had no time to consider Hancock's feelings. He was unaware that Hancock had fallen deeply in love with him and was now suffering from lovesickness.
Rayleigh coughed awkwardly, addressing the girls on the Merry, "Nami, Kaya, Robin, Vivi, Tashigi, Laki, Conis, Perona, for a while, give this uncle of mine some face."
Calling out to so many nieces and nephews was a bit laborious, but necessary. Rayleigh and Shakky shared a bittersweet smile, marveling at Ace's capability.
Ace and the girls exchanged curious looks, wondering what lay ahead as they prepared to meet the legendary Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
"A little face?"
Rayleigh's request left Ace and the girls exchanging bemused glances. Although Rayleigh was the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates and Ace's "uncle" by default, he had never acted in a manner that demanded such familial respect. His decision to join the Entei Pirates and become the captain of Ace's Zero Squad further cemented his allegiance to Ace as his captain rather than a paternal figure.
But now, Rayleigh was asking for respect as an uncle, throwing everyone into a whirlwind of wild thoughts.
Nami, in particular, felt a surge of curiosity. Her mastery of Observation Haki and the enhancements from the Thunder Fruit made her perception abilities unparalleled. Even Shanks, with his ultimate-level Observation Haki that allowed him to see brief glimpses of the future, couldn't match Nami in terms of sheer range.
During the Entei incident, Nami had noticed the only female among the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress. Hancock, before the rise of the Entei Pirates, was second only to BIG-MOM in terms of strength among female pirates and was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the world.
Though Nami's attention had been focused on Ace during the height of the battle, her curiosity had led her to observe Hancock once the fighting paused for negotiations. Observation Haki couldn't provide a clear view of the Pirate Empress's face, but it did reveal emotions, body movements, and breath. From a distance, Nami had glimpsed Hancock's outline, noting an aura and temperament that could captivate entire nations.
Nami had been startled by the intensity of Hancock's emotions, which seemed oddly similar to those she herself felt when facing Ace. This led Nami to conclude that the Pirate Empress had a sweetheart on that battlefield.
Now, with Rayleigh's unusual request and words, a shocking idea formed in Nami's mind: Could it be that the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, was in love with Ace?
Nami covered her red lips in astonishment, her eyes widening as the pieces fell into place. The implications were enormous, and the realization left her reeling.
Nami knew Ace's experiences better than anyone. Especially after becoming intimately close to him, she would often find herself nestled beside him, listening to stories of his childhood.
Ace's life story was straightforward yet poignant. After his birth, he was adopted by the Marine hero Garp and raised in Windmill Village by a bandit named Dadan. It was there that he met two boys who would become his proud younger brothers: Monkey D. Luffy, Garp's grandson, and Sabo, a fiery kid with a noble heart. Both Luffy and Sabo had dreams of becoming Ace's right-hand men, helping him achieve his goal of becoming the King of the World.
At seventeen, Ace set sail to pursue his dreams, with Nami being the first crew member he recruited. The thought of this made Nami's heart swell with sweetness. Ace's first physical connection with a woman was with Robin, but on an everyday basis, he showed a special tenderness toward Kaya, a girl whose frail health evoked his deep pity and protective instincts.
Yet, despite all this, Nami knew she held a unique place in Ace's heart. On significant occasions, Ace was always by her side, and she remained the closest to him as his first crew member and destined navigator.
Reflecting on the battlefield, Nami realized that the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, had never actually met Ace. Nevertheless, the emotions Nami sensed from Hancock using her Observation Haki were profound and intense, rivaling her own feelings for Ace. If Hancock truly fell for Ace, her love for him might be just as strong as Nami's and Kaya's.
Nami didn't know the full extent of Hancock's past or the secret of the Mero Mero no Mi (Love-Love Fruit) that Hancock had consumed, but she understood one thing clearly: falling for Ace was natural. In Nami's eyes, Ace was the most captivating man in the world. His charisma and strength were undeniable.
Ace's visit to Amazon Lily wasn't just for sentimental reasons; it had strategic importance. The Kuja Pirates, based on Amazon Lily, were an all-female crew skilled in Haki, thanks to their isolation in the Calm Belt, which limited their external interactions to hunting and plundering. Every adult warrior in Amazon Lily could use Haki, a testament to their rigorous training methods.
Although Nami herself wasn't exceptionally skilled in Haki, she had grown into one of the top combatants on the sea, with combat power rivaling that of an Admiral. She recognized the immense value of Kuja's Haki training methods. Integrating the Kuja's prowess with Ace's Entei Pirates could form a formidable Haki army of strong women. This would be Ace's third powerful legion, following the Devil Fruit power army and the giant army.
With Ace's unparalleled Field of Understanding and the Kuja warriors' foundation in Haki, they could train to the point where they could envelop their entire bodies in Haki, forming full-body Haki armor. The prospect of a legion composed entirely of warriors capable of this was nothing short of terrifying, and it filled Nami with both awe and excitement at the future possibilities under Ace's command.
During the Entei incident, when Marine Marshal Sengoku appeared and formed an assault corps with the Naval Headquarters Vice Admirals, all of whom could wield powerful Haki, Nami experienced firsthand the terror of such a force. Despite her prowess, which had brought her to the threshold of Admiral-level strength, she, along with Laki and Vivi, who were just a step away from that level, felt immense pressure from the formidable regiment.
Even among the Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters, not all could transform Armament Haki into a full-body Haki armor without blind spots. During the Entei incident, the Marines used a method to wrap Haki around their bodies to withstand the extreme heat of the lava hell created by Ace's Residual Fire Style. This method of Haki entanglement was efficient in conserving Haki, especially since it was used to withstand high temperatures rather than direct attacks.
Only the strongest Vice Admirals, those who could become executors of the Buster Call, were capable of forming full-body Haki armor. This elite combat force represented the absolute backbone of the Marines, second only to the lieutenants of the Four Emperors' pirate groups and the mysterious Holy Knights. A corps composed entirely of such powerful fighters was a terrifying prospect, one that even the Marines could not fully realize.
Just thinking about it made Nami breathless. Even she, with her Admiral-level threshold combat power, would have to retreat in the face of such a regiment. How could Ace not utilize such a powerful army if it was within his grasp?
Nami's eyes sparkled with determination. As a woman dedicated to Ace, her ambitions grew alongside his. Her dream of Ace becoming the king of the world surpassed her childhood aspiration of navigating the entire sea and creating the best nautical chart. If the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, truly fell in love with Ace, then forming a powerful Haki Corps would be within reach.
A corps composed entirely of Strong Haki Warriors would provide Ace with a formidable force, especially against the immense combat power of the World Government and the yet-to-be-revealed Knights of God. Although the Entei Pirates had triumphed in their recent conflict, Nami understood that their victory was due to Ace's skill, wisdom, and the strategic alliances he formed with the Red Hair Pirates, Kaido, and the impending Whitebeard Pirates.
Ace's personal combat power and strategic genius had checkmated the Five Elders, the highest authority in the World Government. However, even with the addition of Rayleigh and Fujitora, the Entei Pirates' fleet's combat power and influence still lagged behind that of the World Government. The reason the World Government had made concessions was largely due to Ace's ability to use the Gate-Gate Fruit. In a full-scale war, the Entei Pirates' current combat strength was insufficient.
This realization was why Nami, with great enthusiasm, followed Ace to Amazon Lily after the banquet. Their Haki abilities, except for Kaya's, were still weak compared to their Devil Fruit powers. Strengthening their Haki would allow Nami to rival Aokiji, or even Akainu, and fully leverage her Thunder Fruit's invincibility. Vivi, Laki, and others stepping into Admiral-level combat power would significantly bolster Ace's strength. However, their numbers were still too few compared to the World Government's exaggerated combat power.
As a dedicated supporter of Ace, Nami felt it was her duty to help him amass a powerful Haki Corps. Now, she even contemplated how to assist the Pirate Empress and bring her under Ace's command. Her eyes sparkled with a cunning and endearing look as she turned to Rayleigh.
"Uncle Rayleigh, don't worry, we will definitely make it work."