One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

"Damn that Gloriosa—! Where did that old hag even find such trash?!"

Hancock's furious shout nearly lifted the glazed tiles off the roof of the Kuja Palace.

Her slender neck tensed with anger, flushing a captivating shade of red.

As the Pirate Empress admired by the entire world, she had never looked this flustered before.

It felt as though she had been dragged onto an altar as a sacrifice—stripped of all pride and sharpness, left only with embarrassment and helpless confusion.

And the cause of all this…

was a sweet yet dangerous reason:

Luffy.

The moment she thought of that straw-hatted figure, her heart softened instantly, like honey melting under sunlight.

Her love for him had long sunk deep into her bones, woven into every heartbeat.

She was willing to abandon all pride and status—

just to become his wife one day.

But when it came to what being a "wife" truly meant…

especially the unspeakable parts of it—

she remained as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.

That unfamiliar anxiety had pushed her, for the first time in her life, to seek advice from the island's oldest elder—

Gloriosa.

She still remembered how she had blushed deeply that day, stammering awkwardly as she tried to explain her concerns.

The embarrassment had nearly swallowed her whole.

Yet the old woman had smiled knowingly and confidently promised to give her the "most practical guidance."

Who would have thought…

the result would be a so-called "ancient text" with scandalous illustrations on the cover and writing so explicit it was almost criminal.

"This… this shameless thing…"

Hancock clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning pale as she glared at the book lying on the silk bedding.

"That old hag actually dared to fool me with something like this!"

The book had fallen open to a random page.

The illustrations and descriptions stabbed into her eyes like burning needles.

But…

When the image of Luffy's carefree smile appeared in her mind…

When she imagined him possibly feeling disappointed by her ignorance…

The raging anger slowly faded.

After struggling for a long time, she bit her lower lip.

With trembling fingers, she quickly picked up the scorching book again.

Her cheeks burned red enough to drip blood.

Yet inside, she repeated the same words over and over.

"For Luffy…

To become a wife worthy of him…

I'll just… look at it once…"

The Next Morning

The soft light of dawn crept through the carved windows of the Kuja Palace and gently kissed Hancock's fair face.

Her eyelashes trembled as she slowly woke from light sleep.

The first thing her fingers touched beside the pillow—

was that very same book.

Last night, unbelievably…

she had truly read that "shameless" book all the way until dawn, surrounded by drifting sandalwood incense.

She rubbed the faint dark circles beneath her eyes.

Fatigue washed over her.

Unable to resist, she covered her mouth and let out a small yawn.

Her nose wrinkled slightly, the gesture stripping away all imperial dignity—

leaving only the soft charm of a young girl.

The silk blanket slipped slightly from her shoulders, revealing smooth jade-like skin.

Instinctively, she wrapped herself tighter inside the warm bedding.

Only half of her flushed face remained visible.

Her eyes still held traces of last night's embarrassment and shock.

Those overly explicit descriptions and illustrations surged back into her mind uncontrollably.

"Damn it…"

"That kind of thing… do people really do it like that…?"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Even the tips of her ears turned bright red.

Her fingers gripped the silk sheets tightly.

She had started reading with the determination to learn.

But the more she read—

the faster her heart pounded.

Her body grew unbearably warm.

Just as she was about to bury herself completely under the blanket—

"Your Majesty! Urgent news from outside the palace!"

A maid's voice pierced through the doors, trembling with excitement.

"Straw Hat Luffy… has returned to Amazon Lily!"

Hancock froze instantly.

All embarrassment, fatigue, and inner conflict vanished in a single moment.

She shot upright in bed.

Her sapphire-blue eyes burst with dazzling light.

Even the faint dark circles beneath her eyes seemed illuminated by the brilliance of her excitement.

"What did you say?!"

Her voice trembled with emotion.

"Luffy… he has returned? Are you daring to lie to me?!"

"It's absolutely true! Luffy and Rayleigh have already reached the Calm Belt near Amazon Lily!"

Before the maid even finished—

Hancock had already thrown aside the blanket and rushed toward the palace doors barefoot.

Her dress fluttered wildly across the polished floor.

All the dignity of the Pirate Empress—

all her elegant composure—

had been tossed completely aside.

Inside her chest burned only blazing longing and the overwhelming joy of reunion.

"Your Majesty! Please wait—!"

The maid shouted again.

This time, panic filled her voice.

It was like a bucket of ice water thrown over Hancock's blazing excitement.

Hancock staggered to a stop.

Her raised arm slowly lowered.

She turned around.

The sparkling light in her eyes had frozen into two cold lakes.

Her calm tone carried terrifying pressure.

"What else?"

The maid's knees nearly gave out as she stammered:

"Straw Hat Luffy… he's not alone."

"There's… a silver-haired woman with him."

"…A silver-haired woman?"

Hancock repeated the words slowly.

The atmosphere around her changed instantly.

Conqueror's Haki erupted uncontrollably.

Every maid in the hall collapsed to the ground, struggling even to breathe.

Jealousy and possessiveness twisted around Hancock's heart like poisonous vines.

—Who was she?

A new crewmate?

But Luffy's crew had never included a silver-haired woman.

Or perhaps…

some shameless woman who dared covet her husband?

That thought ignited like wildfire.

All reason burned away instantly.

"Prepare the ship."

Hancock spoke coldly.

Her voice was sharp as frozen steel.

"Immediately."

The incense, the palace halls, the luxurious bedding—

all of it suddenly felt like a suffocating prison.

She could not remain here for even one more second.

She had to see Luffy immediately.

And she had to see with her own eyes—

exactly who that silver-haired woman was.

More importantly—

she would make it clear for everyone to see.

There is only one woman qualified to stand beside Luffy.

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