Chapter 178: Hancock and Yamato!!
Night fell over Amazon Lily like the finest silk.
The sea breeze drifted through the island, carrying the faint salt of the tide along with the subtle fragrance of night-blooming jungle flowers.
The island did not sleep.
Instead, another kind of vitality awakened.
The female warriors who had finished their daily training had yet to retire. They gathered in small groups—
Some splashed and played beside the open-air hot springs, their clear laughter startling a few night birds into flight.
Others sat around the plaza bonfires, polishing their bows and serpent-shaped weapons. Cold metal gleamed under flickering flames, illuminating their heroic yet beautiful faces.
And the most skilled dancers improvised beneath the shifting light and shadows of the clearing. Their movements were as agile as hunting leopards yet as supple as serpents, drawing waves of cheers from the watching warriors.
At the highest point of Nine Snake City, the Snake Princess Palace glowed faintly with dim lamplight.
The warm yellow light draped the luxurious yet slightly empty hall in a hazy glow.
Luffy felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Normally, a feast like this would have filled him with excitement.
But tonight… the mood was completely different.
Seated beside him was the ruler of this palace—and of the entire island—
Pirate Empress Boa Hancock.
She wore her signature deep-purple cheongsam, which perfectly accentuated her breathtaking figure.
Resting her chin lightly on her hand, she lounged with casual elegance, yet an innate aura of authority surrounded her.
Those brilliant violet eyes were fixed entirely on Luffy.
The usual overwhelming "love-struck aura" seemed absent tonight.
Instead, there was a sharper focus—
and a pressure that made Luffy extremely uneasy.
The table was filled with food—mostly sea beast meat and rare island delicacies.
Normally, Luffy would devour anything edible without hesitation.
But his Observation Haki was screaming warnings in the back of his mind.
This was definitely not just a simple dinner.
The air was filled with a subtle tension.
And it all seemed to originate from the beautiful empress sitting beside him.
Just as Luffy was wondering whether he should grab the nearest plate of meat or try to say something to break the strange atmosphere—
"Luffy! Here, try this!"
A bright and energetic voice rang out.
It was Yamato.
She had already picked the most "unique-looking" piece from the plate of roasted sea beast ribs.
Clack.
She dropped the rib directly into Luffy's bowl with great enthusiasm.
The bowl even rattled slightly from the force.
Leaning forward slightly, Yamato stared at Luffy with blazing red eyes filled with anticipation.
Across the table—
Hancock slowly lowered the delicate hand that had been supporting her chin.
Her elegant neck turned toward Yamato.
Her violet eyes glanced sideways.
Then—
She gracefully lifted a bowl of milky-white fish soup she had prepared herself.
"Luffy."
Her voice was softer than usual, intentionally slowed, with a faint upward lilt.
"Try the soup I made myself. It's very fresh."
With perfect elegance, she gently slid the bowl toward him.
Her refined movement contrasted sharply with Yamato's straightforward clack from earlier.
The battle—
had begun.
Luffy almost broke into a cold sweat.
Instinctively, he searched for an escape route and glanced first toward the "instigator" on his left—Yamato.
She was kneeling properly on a cushion, wearing a white kimono.
Her attempt at maintaining a formal posture somehow made her seem even more carefree and adorable.
Her silver-white hair, bright as moonlight, was tied into a high ponytail that swayed lightly.
The fabric of her kimono draped softly.
When she leaned forward with eager anticipation—
the curve of her hips pressed slightly against her white tabi-clad ankles.
That healthy, lively silhouette had an undeniable charm in the tense atmosphere.
Luffy's gaze lingered for less than a second—
Buzz—!
His Observation Haki alarm exploded in his mind.
A cold, razor-sharp glare stabbed toward him from the right.
"Ahem… uh… did you cook this rib?"
Luffy glanced at the charred chunk in his bowl and forced a topic change.
"Yep! I made it!!"
Yamato immediately straightened up.
Her silver hair swayed as her crimson eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Try it!!"
"Well… here I go!"
Under her unblinking gaze, Luffy shut his eyes and shoved the entire chunk into his mouth.
Just as expected—
it tasted terrible.
But that wasn't really a problem for him.
After all—
he was the man who could calmly eat a Devil Fruit.
"…How is it?" Yamato asked nervously, clutching the edge of her sleeve.
Luffy grinned widely, revealing teeth slightly blackened by the charred meat.
He gave a big thumbs up.
"Super… super chewy! I've never tasted anything like it!"
"Yamato, your cooking… really has impact! Hahaha!!"
At the same time, Luffy's eyes drifted toward the bowl of fish soup beside him.
The broth was milky white.
A few green scallions floated on top.
Thin slices of fish could be seen beneath the surface.
It actually looked…
normal.
The moment his gaze shifted to the soup—
the heavy pressure that had been pressing down on him vanished.
In its place came an even deeper silence.
As if all sounds had been sucked away.
Luffy didn't even need to turn his head to imagine Hancock's expression.
She was probably gripping the hem of her dress tightly.
Her teeth lightly biting her lower lip.
Her breathtaking eyes fixed on the spoon in his hand.
Even her breathing must have slowed so she wouldn't miss his reaction.
Luffy picked up the bowl.
The warmth seeped into his palms.
The fragrant aroma drifted into his nose—so different from the burnt smell earlier.
He scooped up a spoonful.
Blew on it lightly.
Then tasted it.
The moment the soup touched his tongue—
Luffy's eyes widened.
His tense expression instantly relaxed.
A flash of delight crossed his face.
Fresh.
Incredibly fresh.
This was completely different from the "surprise" he had mentally prepared himself for.
"The taste…"
He put down the spoon and turned to Hancock, who looked so nervous she seemed almost petrified.
A bright, sincere smile spread across his face.
"It's delicious!"
He took another spoonful immediately.
"I didn't expect fish soup to taste this good!"
Hancock's stiff shoulders relaxed instantly.
A blush spread rapidly from her neck to her cheeks.
Even the tips of her ears turned pink.
She quickly lowered her head, letting her black hair fall forward to hide her uncontrollable smile and sparkling eyes.
But the joy radiating from her was impossible to conceal.
"I-It was just something I made casually…"
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but the happiness in it was unmistakable.
"As long as you like it… Luffy."
Luffy paused slightly with the spoon in his hand.
His rubber brain briefly short-circuited.
Before drinking the soup, he had mentally prepared several contingency plans.
After all, he was painfully aware of his strange tendency to attract women.
Yamato was easy enough.
Her simple brain was filled with "adventure," "Luffy," and "friends." She probably hadn't even considered concepts like "love rivals."
But Hancock…
She was the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world.
And her intense love for him was undeniable.
Under normal circumstances, when multiple amazing women gathered around someone—
it was basically the opening scene of a battlefield of love.
Luffy had already imagined several possible disasters:
Hancock tearfully asking, "What is it about me that you dislike?"
Or unleashing Conqueror's Haki alongside her Mero Mero no Mi(Love‑Love Fruit) powers to create suffocating pressure.
Or some mysterious duel of glances and subtle verbal jabs between her and Yamato that he would completely fail to understand.
He had even prepared himself to shovel food into his mouth while repeating emergency phrases like:
"We're comrades!"
"We're going on adventures together!"
But none of that happened.
He simply drank a spoonful of soup.
Said, "It's delicious."
And…
that was it?
Hancock immediately lost all hostility and pressure.
Instead, she looked shy and radiant, her eyes shimmering with happiness.
The atmosphere not only lacked tension—
it had somehow become… warm.
Almost sparkling with pink bubbles.
Luffy looked at the delicious fish soup in his bowl.
Then at the blushing empress beside him.
Then at Yamato across the table, who still looked bright and cheerful, completely unaware of any undercurrents.
His rubber brain completely short-circuited.
Huh—?!
This isn't how it goes in the stories at all!!
Wasn't this supposed to turn into chaos?!
He scratched his cheek, an even stranger thought popping into his head.
Wait…
Was drinking the fish soup some kind of secret ritual to pass the test?
Luffy blinked.
For the first time in a long while—regarding something other than food—he felt genuinely confused.
…and slightly relieved.
Ah, whatever.
If there's no fighting, that's good enough!
Following his golden rule—
good food must be enjoyed properly—
Luffy raised the bowl and gulped down the rest of the delicious fish soup in one go.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → /Chakraflow789