Hancock and Yamato were now resting in the cloning warehouse, designed specifically to help them grow their Haki. To ensure their privacy during this process, Edie had set all surveillance systems to the highest security levels, and with the power of the Island Fruit, sealed off the room. Anyone attempting to enter would only see a simple arrangement of tables and data. Only Edie could access the true inner workings of the space.
"I wonder what their true potential is," Edie mused to himself. "We'll start gently."
Unlike himself, who could use the Soul-Soul Fruit to rapidly absorb ghost particles, Hancock and Yamato needed to absorb them naturally. To avoid overwhelming their souls, Edie had set the particle concentration to a low level. The process was expected to take a full month—a lengthy, intense regimen, but both women had agreed to it.
A few days passed, and the calendar rolled into January 1508.
Far away, in the Calm Belt on Amazon Lily, a secluded island populated entirely by women, a crisis was unfolding. The Kuja, the island's warrior nation, had their share of strange traditions and unique dangers, but today's calamity was unprecedented.
Inside the royal palace, the current Empress of Amazon Lily, the captain of the Kuja Pirates, lay weakly in bed. Her face was flushed with a strange sickness, her breathing labored. The panic in the air was palpable as the palace's medical staff scrambled around her bedside.
"It's... lovesickness!" one of the medics exclaimed. "It's serious enough to be fatal!"
The room fell into chaos. Women muttered in horror, realizing the Empress was on the brink of death. Lovesickness, an affliction unique to Amazon Lily, occurred when a woman fell deeply in love with a man she could not be with, and over time, the longing would weaken her body to the point of collapse. Once the disease reached a certain stage, death was almost inevitable.
"Don't panic!" came a sharp voice. A short old woman entered the room, leaning on her snake-headed cane. It was Grandma Nyon, the former Empress of Amazon Lily.
The emperor's ministers gasped at her arrival. Grandma Nyon approached the bed, her frown deepening as she observed the weak woman lying there.
"How do you feel?" she asked quietly.
The Empress wheezed, struggling to speak. "I can't... breathe..."
Grandma Nyon sighed, knowing all too well what was happening. "It's a cursed affliction," she muttered. "I suffered from the same thing in my youth—that's why I left the island and went to sea."
The Empress, her vision dimming, clutched her chest. Her breathing grew more erratic. "I'm going to die..." she whispered. "When I'm gone, the next captain of the Kuja Pirates must be chosen quickly. The country won't survive without our raids... the people need the Kuja Pirates..."
Even in her final moments, the Empress worried about the fate of her people. Grandma Nyon shook her head, thinking how easily this could have been avoided if the Empress had just followed her heart and left to find the man she loved. But it was too late now; the disease had already taken too strong a hold.
"Is there a successor?" Grandma Nyon asked.
The Empress struggled to reply. "Hancock..." she whispered. "Five years ago, the three Boa sisters were kidnapped by human traffickers. I failed to save them... I owe them this..."
Grandma Nyon nodded solemnly. "You've come to me for this, even as you're dying?" she asked softly. "Those three girls are on Beehive Island now."
"I know..." the Empress croaked. "That man... Chen Long, of the Earthly Branches, came to me once. He wanted me to pick them up myself, but I was too scared... I didn't know if he was threatening me or offering sincere help."
Her voice grew weaker and weaker, her grip loosening on Grandma Nyon's hand. "Hancock is a child with the qualifications of a king. She's 17 now... She is the most suitable to be the next Empress..."
Grandma Nyon listened intently. Hancock, though still young, had been the most exceptional warrior among the Kuja for years. The Empress had been grooming her as a potential successor for some time. It was common practice for the Empress of Amazon Lily to prepare her replacement early, as the role often proved short-lived. The captain of the Kuja Pirates could only be the strongest woman in the land, and Hancock was destined to take that place.
"I understand," Grandma Nyon said. "I'll go to Beehive Island myself."
The Empress smiled faintly, her breathing slowing. She let go of Grandma Nyon's hand, and within moments, her eyes closed for the final time.
"Her Majesty!!" the ministers cried, breaking down in grief as the Empress passed away.
Word of her death spread across Amazon Lily like wildfire. Meanwhile, at the port, Grandma Nyon prepared to leave. She boarded the ship of the Kuja Pirates, setting sail for Beehive Island in the New World. Though she had once abandoned her duties as Empress and left the island behind to live her own life, she now had to return to her past to secure the future of her people. As a former member of the Rocks Pirates, she knew the dangers awaiting her—but for Hancock's sake, and for the survival of Amazon Lily, she had no choice but to face them.
In the underground research institute on Beehive Island, the monitoring room was buzzing with activity. Hancock and Yamato were both progressing well in their Haki Growth, their vital signs stable and showing positive growth. Meanwhile, Edie was focused on fine-tuning the queen bee monitoring system, ensuring its capabilities were up to the task.
The control room was a sea of large screens, each displaying different regions of the world. At the center, the largest screen showed Mariejois, the heart of the World Government's power.
"Let's run the test first, remote command control..." Edie murmured to himself, typing in a series of commands.
The instructions were transmitted to Mariejois in the form of radio waves, detected by several of his bee scouts positioned across the globe. These bees, responding to the signal, fluttered to their designated destinations.
"Very good," Edie said, noting the seamless execution of the task. "No issues with the remote control, but there's a slight delay. It's not an airwave delay; it's the time it takes for the bees to process and act on the command. It's the equivalent of a 120-millisecond ping in a game like League of Legends."
His attention then shifted when he noticed something unusual on one of the side screens.
"Celestial Dragons?" Edie muttered under his breath. The screen displayed figures in extravagant costumes and distinct styles—without a doubt, they were Celestial Dragons. He zoomed in on the broadcast's source, the location revealing itself as East Blue, far from the Kingdom of Goa, in the midst of a violent conflict.
The screen showed an intense scene. Explosions rocked the area, and gunshots rang out. A voice came over the communication line, urgent and panicked.
"Saint Halifax, please withdraw to the ship immediately! The Revolutionary Army has launched a rebellion here. For your safety, please—"
The scene shifted, and Edie saw a Marine Vice Admiral, his face a mask of concern, pleading with the Celestial Dragons to evacuate.
Edie quickly ordered one of the bees to fly higher, and soon, the view expanded to reveal a dozen warships on the sea, guarding the Celestial Dragons. The level of protection the World Government afforded their "noble" guests was unmatched—too much, in fact, and it made Edie seethe with frustration.
"Revolutionary Army, huh?" Edie mused, recognizing the insignia. Unlike pirates, the Revolutionary Army's goal was to overthrow the World Government and build a new world. This "Eastern Army" was clearly one of the forces operating in East Blue. Edie's mind raced, and then it clicked—he remembered a name. "Captain of the Eastern Army... Ginny," he muttered, frowning. "She's the mother of Jewelry Bonney, a core member of the Revolutionary Army." Ginny's story was tragic—captured and forced into marriage by the Celestial Dragons, she had been abused for years and had Bonney under those horrific circumstances.
Edie frowned, his mind racing. "It was because of this incident that Bartholomew Kuma got his nickname—the 'Cuckold Bear'... and the Revolutionary Army did nothing to rescue her."
Edie's gaze turned back to the screen. He could see Saint Halifax now, his face twisted in rage as he addressed his subordinates.
"Alright, let's put an end to this mess," Edie muttered to himself.
"Evacuate?" Saint Halifax scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "This country is a franchised country. The Revolutionary Army dares to launch a rebellion while I'm here? Everyone here deserves to die—especially those who dare oppose us Gods!"
Despite the Marine's warnings, Saint Halifax refused to leave and instead demanded the complete annihilation of the Revolutionary Army and all of the civilians in the island.
The Celestial Dragon's words were a direct order. The Marines, bound by duty to protect the Celestial Dragons, had no choice but to comply. They joined the fray, escalating the conflict as the bloody battle raged on.
Edie, watching the display, sighed. "Looks like Ginny won't escape this time either..." He considered his options before reaching for his transponder snail, quickly dialing a number.
After a moment, the line connected, and Edie issued his command to Chenlong. "Head back to the country where you delivered the Queen Bee spy cage earlier. Capture the Celestial Dragon there."
He paused, then added with a hint of intrigue, "And while you're at it, capture a woman named Ginny. She's the commander of the Eastern Army."
Edie leaned back, a smile creeping across his face. Getting rid of a Celestial Dragon while rescuing someone important to the Revolutionary cause? It was a win-win.