"Sister-sama, they haven't come out since entering the room. Do you think there's a problem?"
"Hmm... It's the first time we've met Clover. Even though he did help us, we still don't know much about him."
It had been a week since Clover boarded the Empress' ship. Throughout this time, Clover and Boa Hancock had remained in her room. Meals were left at the door, and the two only emerged when necessary. What happened inside the room remained a mystery, known only to Clover and Hancock.
It wasn't that Clover was forced to stay in Hancock's chambers, but rather that the Empress was too enthusiastic, refusing to let him leave. Hancock claimed this was for Clover's protection, to keep him hidden from the Marines or others, but Clover couldn't shake the feeling he was like a canary in her gilded cage.
The two had talked at length. After Clover asked, Hancock shared the story of her and her sisters' tragic pasts. She feared Clover might despise her, but instead, he had comforted her. She had expected rejection but found herself drawn to his kindness, her heart unexpectedly moved.
Although Hancock had grown fond of Clover, her intense enthusiasm was mostly thanks to the modifier's influence. This strange ability made her feelings more extreme, leaving her unable to resist when facing Clover. As a result, Hancock willingly devoted herself to him, increasing her obedience to 40%.
When Hancock offered herself, the modifier triggered a mission and rewarded Clover with a lottery chance. However, since Hancock was always by his side, Clover hadn't used it yet.
"By the way, where are we going?" Clover asked Hancock as he lay on the bed, glancing over at her, where she sat dreamily on a nearby sofa.
"Wherever you wish, my dear!" Hancock immediately replied.
"You're the captain. It's not up to me," Clover replied with a sigh, knowing that despite Hancock's role as the Pirate Empress, her focus was entirely on him.
"Mary! Where are we now?" Hancock called out to her younger sister.
"Sister-sama, we're near a town called Kelsk Island. Should we dock?" Mary's voice came from outside the room.
"Do you want to stop here, dear?" Hancock asked, looking back at Clover.
"It's been a while since I've been on land. Let's go for a walk," Clover nodded.
"Understood~" Hancock replied sweetly before turning sharply to the door, her tone shifting as she commanded, "Prepare to dock!"
"Yes, Sister-sama!" came the obedient response from the crew.
The crew prepared to dock as Hancock and Clover bathed and dressed. Clover thought about his clothes, realizing most of them had been left with Nami and the Straw Hat Pirates. He hadn't had a chance to collect them before parting ways. Thankfully, with Hancock by his side, money was the least of his worries.
Kelsk Island was a small town, not much larger than Loguetown, but large enough to buy clothes and enjoy a meal. After shopping for a few items and eating at a local inn, Clover and the others prepared to return to the ship.
Only Hancock, her sisters, Clover, and Nami had disembarked, while the rest of the Kuja Pirates remained aboard. As they made their way back, pedestrians eyed them enviously. The sight of two beautiful women, Hancock and Nami, walking alongside a masked man had people muttering with jealousy.
Clover wore the mask for the sake of Hancock and the others. Meanwhile, rumors had spread, thanks to Shanks and Dragon, that Clover had left the Straw Hat Pirates. This ensured that even if Clover's identity were discovered, Luffy and the others wouldn't be implicated.
Still, Hancock was famous across the Grand Line, and no one dared approach them despite her striking beauty.
"Pirates! Pirates!"
"Run!"
Just as Clover and the group were about to board their ship, another pirate crew appeared at the port's other end, wreaking havoc. These pirates were not as reasonable as Clover and his crew. Armed with swords and weapons, they began attacking civilians indiscriminately.
Hancock and her sisters showed no concern, and Clover had no intention of intervening. However, the unruly pirates didn't recognize who they were dealing with. Seeing another ship docked, they charged toward them.
"Are they blind? Don't they see the Kuja Pirates' flag?" Clover muttered, eyeing the Jolly Roger flying overhead.
"I didn't expect to find such beautiful women here! Stay and play with us!" the lead pirate, a large, grotesque man, yelled, pointing his sword at Clover, clearly mistaking him for the leader.
"Captain! There's an entire ship of women here!" one of the lackeys behind him pointed out. Onboard, the Kuja warriors had already drawn their bows, arrows trained on the intruders.
"What luck!" the captain smirked, leering at Hancock. "I'm a Logia user. These arrows won't do a thing to me. I'm Saas, with a 48 million berry bounty! Didn't expect to score big on my first Grand Line trip!"
As Saas stepped closer to Hancock and Nami, Clover smirked.
"You've just entered the Grand Line without even studying the basics."
Hancock, glaring at Saas' lecherous eyes, prepared to attack, but Clover raised a hand, stopping her. "Let me handle this. It's been a while since I've had a workout."
Saas sneered, "Don't hurt my new toys, boy."
But before he could blink, Clover was in front of him. With a deafening thud, the hilt of Clover's Dragon's Roar—the Black Blade—struck Saas beneath the chin, sending him flying.
"Captain!" the lackeys rushed to their fallen leader, only to find his jaw completely shattered.
"Can't talk anymore, huh?" Clover smirked, watching Saas struggle to comprehend how he'd been hit.
"Kill him!" Saas' remaining crew members charged at Clover in a desperate attack.