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"She is indeed beautiful, with exquisite features and a flawless figure. She's the most stunning woman in the pirate world."
Anos smiled as he looked at Hancock standing before him.
"How dare you tease my sister!"
"If I were you, I'd accept the reality of the situation. With your current strength, either of the two people behind me could obliterate your entire ship. But I'm not interested in that, and neither are you. So, let's make things simple."
"Let me borrow your ship. Our ship is damaged and might not make it to the nearest land. We have nearly eighty crew members, and we'll board your ship until we find a place to dock."
Sonia's angry voice reached Anos, who responded directly.
Hancock, understanding the situation, realized the truth of Anos's words.
It was clear that the strength of just one of his companions could easily destroy their ship.
"How do you know me? Who are you?" Hancock demanded.
"Anos, King of the Tru Kingdom in the South Blue. We're commandeering your ship now. Cooperate, and you won't be harmed."
"I'm a pirate and won't surrender so easily even if it means my life."
Hancock's expression turned cold as she faced Anos, shouting, "Slave Arrow!"
Using her Devil Fruit ability, Hancock raised her left hand to her mouth and formed a large red heart shape.
With a pull, it transformed into a wave of pink arrows.
This time, however, her target wasn't Anos but the entire crew on the Abby.
"Watch out…!" Daiki shouted, but it was too late.
In a flash, everyone on the Abby turned into stone statues, their expressions frozen as if they hadn't even had time to react.
"Do you think I am a simp?" Anos bellowed, unleashing a wave of Conqueror's Haki that swept over the entire area.
In an instant, everyone aboard the Nine Snake's ship collapsed, unconscious, except for Hancock and her two sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold.
Yet, even they struggled. Both Sandersonia and Marigold gripped their weapons, steadying themselves to avoid collapsing under the force of his Haki.
"Conqueror's Haki!" Hancock's face was filled with shock as beads of sweat formed. Though she resisted, the sheer intensity of Anos's Haki stunned her.
"Indeed, a true Conqueror's Haki," Abona muttered with a smirk from behind Anos.
"Hancock, reverse the petrification immediately, or I'll make your entire Amazon Lily pay for this."
Anos's tone was cold, knowing that if the petrification was lifted soon, his crew would remain unharmed.
However, the longer it lasted, the greater the risk.
"Let everyone on this ship go, and I'll undo the petrification," Hancock replied, her voice wavering.
She realized the mistake she'd made. She had hoped to use her powers as leverage against Anos.
But it was clear she'd underestimated him. His strength was far beyond what she'd imagined.
"I didn't come here to make trouble. I simply needed a place to dock. I'll overlook your behaviour this time, and once we reach land, I'll compensate you with 100 million Beris."
"Very well," Hancock responded, though reluctantly.
Just as she prepared to reverse the petrification, Sandersonia, standing behind her, shouted, "Sister…!"
"Young lady, I'd advise against foolish actions. At His Majesty's command, I won't hesitate to reunite you with your crew in another place."
Before Sonia could speak, Abona appeared beside her, his blade resting near her shoulder, emanating a fierce aura that left her momentarily frozen.
"Stop…" Hancock quickly pushed Sandersonia aside, casting a worried look at Anos.
"Abona, Daiki, return to the ship. I'd like a word with our guests," Anos said with a slight smirk.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Daiki replied, showing no concern for Anos's safety. Daiki was well aware of Anos's capabilities.
He had witnessed Anos's Devil Fruit powers firsthand abilities that made Anos nearly invulnerable.
The two left, jumping back to the Abby, leaving Anos seated on the deck of the Nine Snakes' ship.
"Can we start unbinding them now?" Anos asked, his smile unwavering.
Hancock, casting a glance at her sisters, reluctantly repeated her move, firing the same arrows that unpetrified the crew on the Tempest.
Each returned to life as though no time had passed, resuming their previous movements.
"Now that they're freed, what exactly do you want?" Hancock asked, licking her dry lips, a trace of fear visible.
This was the consequence of her current lack of strength.
As Empress, she was far from the powerful figure she'd become later. It was disheartening.
She had initially believed that this encounter might end in her favour, but upon seeing Anos's strength firsthand, she questioned how someone like him had evaded Marine scrutiny for so long.
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