One Piece: I'm not Roger

When Aether looked at Hancock, her face had already darkened into a comically furious expression.

A foul man had dared to behave so insolently in front of her, especially with her lover standing right beside her. It was a provocation she could not tolerate.

"Hmph."

With a cold snort, Hancock suddenly vanished from the deck.

Aether instinctively looked toward the blazing sun overhead.

By the time Ichiji noticed the silhouette, it was already too late.

Hancock had appeared above him.

The dazzling sunlight prevented Ichiji from seeing her attack clearly. He could only make out a blur as a long, snow-white leg coated in Conqueror's Haki swept toward his head.

The sudden turn of events left him no time to react properly.

In desperation, he raised both arms to defend himself.

His arms instantly turned pitch-black with Armament Haki, while flames erupted from his Raid Suit-enhanced fists.

The moment Hancock's leg collided with his guard, dark red lightning exploded outward.

Boom!

A violent shockwave rippled across the sea.

Even with the protection of the Raid Suit, Ichiji's arms bent unnaturally under the impact. The overwhelming force launched him straight down onto the Snail Ship below, leaving only a miserable scream echoing through the air.

The impact caused the two-hundred-meter-wide Snail Ship to tilt sharply. Countless personnel lost their footing and tumbled into the sea.

Hancock frowned as she stared coldly at the motionless figure below.

Seeing this, Aether silently reminded himself that offending a woman was rarely a wise decision.

Even if a woman could not defeat you in a fight, there were always other ways to get revenge. For example, seducing you before delivering a fatal strike in bed, or driving a wedge between close friends.

Once the dust settled, Ichiji could be seen lying on the deck in a twisted heap. His eyes had rolled back, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

It was a truly miserable sight.

Judging from the awkward position of his body, several bones were undoubtedly broken.

If Aether could not still sense his breathing, he might have suspected that Hancock had killed him with a single strike.

In reality, Ichiji was far from weak.

Based on Aether's assessment, he possessed strength comparable to a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.

After all, surviving a direct hit infused with Advanced Conqueror's Haki was already something worth boasting about.

Even Luffy in Gear Fourth would be knocked unconscious by a direct Thunder Bagua.

Ten days had passed since Hancock's battle with Tokikake.

Under the guidance of a capable teacher, she had successfully mastered the fundamentals of Advanced Conqueror's Haki.

Although she still could not wield it flawlessly at all times, she could now use it effectively in combat without exposing too many openings.

Aether estimated that Hancock's current strength was no weaker than Tokikake's. Like Yamato, she was already approaching the level of an Admiral.

A fighter at the level of an Admiral Candidate could easily rank among the top five members of the Aether Pirates.

At that moment, the distant Snail Fleet also noticed the situation.

Several additional Snail Ships detached from the formation and rapidly approached.

The decks were packed with soldiers, most of whom shared identical appearances.

These were Germa Kingdom clone soldiers.

Thousands of rifles and cannons were aimed at Aether.

Cannons unlike any commonly seen throughout the seas extended from the backs of the giant snails. Their concentrated firepower could easily reduce a small vessel to pieces within moments.

This high-tech fleet had once destroyed a New World kingdom in only four hours under Ichiji's command.

Despite the intimidating display, Aether remained completely unfazed.

Instead, a glimmer appeared in his eyes.

The Aether Pirates currently lacked only top-tier scientific talent.

Although the world of One Piece valued personal strength above all else, Aether firmly believed that advanced technology possessed limitless potential.

The Seraphim and the weapon that destroyed the Lulusia Kingdom were perfect examples.

Not to mention the Great Kingdom from eight hundred years ago and the Ancient Weapons.

Before he could continue his thoughts, three figures flew out from one of the approaching Snail Ships.

Aether's expression became slightly strange.

He had come here to offer Judge a chance at cooperation.

Wouldn't it be a little awkward if he ended up beating all of Judge's children half to death beforehand?

The newcomers consisted of a pink-haired woman and two men with blue and green hair.

Together with the unconscious Ichiji, they resembled a colorful sentai team from Aether's previous life.

These were four of Judge's five children.

The only one missing was the blond-haired Sanji, completing the five-color lineup.

The blue-haired and green-haired men at the front showed no restraint as they scanned Aether and Hancock.

Just like Ichiji before them, Hancock's beauty immediately triggered their instinctive desire to reproduce.

Because they lacked normal human emotions, they would never genuinely fall in love. At most, they viewed exceptional women as suitable partners for producing offspring.

Aether had no interest whatsoever in Vinsmoke Niji or Vinsmoke Yonji.

To him, they were little more than emotionless trash.

Indeed, Aether believed that people devoid of genuine emotions were hardly worth his attention.

Even someone as arrogant as Douglas Bullet possessed emotions of his own.

The person who truly caught his attention was the woman in the pink Raid Suit, Vinsmoke Reiju.

Not only was she exceptionally beautiful, but she was also kind-hearted.

Aside from Sanji, she was the only member of the Vinsmoke siblings who retained genuine emotions.

As Judge's first child, Reiju's modifications had been incomplete. Because of this, she retained her humanity.

However, she was forced to conceal that fact and pretend to be as cold and heartless as her brothers.

This was one of the reasons she later accepted the possible destruction of the Vinsmoke Family in Totto Land.

Deep down, she despised Germa's obsession with genetic manipulation.

Her medium-length pink hair covered her right eye, while her purple eyes carried a naturally alluring charm.

She wore a Raid Suit paired with a blue neckerchief, a short skirt that exposed her navel, a butterfly-wing-shaped cape, and white-and-pink thigh-high boots.

Her figure was equally impressive, with a full chest, a slender waist, and shapely hips.

In terms of physique, she was not far behind Hancock.

She was the very image of a mature and dependable older sister.

Seeing their eldest brother defeated, Reiju's two younger brothers showed not the slightest hint of concern.

Instead, they mocked him openly.

"Ichiji is so pathetic. He actually lost to a woman."

"Exactly. Let's see if he still has the nerve to act like our big brother after this. Hahaha!"

Unlike them, Reiju was not indifferent.

A trace of sadness surfaced within her heart.

Although she had long accepted her brothers' lack of humanity, witnessing them disregard each other's well-being still saddened her.

Regardless of everything else, Ichiji was still her brother.

She genuinely worried about his injuries.

However, she could not check on him yet.

The two strangers before her looked strangely familiar, though she could not immediately place them.

Especially the woman with long black hair and sunglasses.

Although the sunglasses concealed part of her face, her appearance alone made it obvious that she was a peerless beauty, perhaps even surpassing Reiju herself.

Aether examined the three newcomers before speaking loudly.

"Are you three here to accuse me of trespassing in the Germa Kingdom's territory as well?"

Yonji looked at him as if saying, "At least you're self-aware."

"Of course. Even if Ichiji is trash, you still trespassed into our territory and injured him. You owe us an explanation."

Niji immediately followed.

"That's right. Even a dog of Germa isn't someone you can afford to offend."

The statement genuinely broadened Aether's horizons.

There were actually people who compared their own brother to a dog without the slightest hesitation.

Although Niji and Yonji constantly called Ichiji trash, they remained extremely wary of the woman who had defeated him so easily.

Their muscles tensed beneath their Raid Suits.

As the second son, Niji quickly proposed a plan.

"Reiju, you handle that pretty boy. Yonji and I will deal with the woman who defeated Ichiji."

Despite the distance between them, it was still the first time Aether had ever heard someone refer to him as a "pretty boy."

At that moment, Reiju's solemn expression abruptly changed.

Shock filled her eyes.

She had finally recognized the woman standing before her.

That stunning woman with long black hair could only be the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.

As for the man standing beside her, there was only one possible identity.

"Wait a minute..."