OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#126+127: Hancock's Stirred Heart! The Celestial Dragon: "A Most Loyal Subject!"

The ice-cold water was bone-chilling.

It swallowed Hancock whole, and in an instant, her body went limp—powerless and weak.

She clamped her mouth shut, fighting to keep the seawater from rushing in.

But still, she sank.

The curse of the Devil Fruit—it turned her into an anchor.

"Am I... going to die?" Hancock thought, her heart seizing.

The light from the surface grew dimmer.

Darkness began to close in. Fear coiled in her stomach.

She had been captured by the Celestial Dragons once.

Treated like a pet. Locked in a sunless cage.

It was a dark, unbearable memory she had tried so desperately to forget—to bury beneath a mask of arrogance.

But now, it was all coming back.

A light.

Hancock reached out, her fingers grasping for the faint glimmer as it drifted further and further away.

Just as the last sliver of light was about to vanish, she saw a figure emerge within it, moving toward her.

He extended a hand.

And took hers.

Pulling her up.

The scene struck a strange chord deep within Hancock. To be pulled from the deepest darkness, by someone…

But as her vision cleared, the feeling vanished.

Moved? Moved my ass!

'He's the one who knocked me into the sea!'

Hancock grit her teeth.

'Rude, disrespectful, despicable, shameless bastard...' She silently recited every vile word she could think of to describe him.

'HE HIT ME IN THE FACE!'

Her cheek still throbbed with a dull ache. It was definitely swollen.

She was seething.

But in the water, she was completely helpless. All she could do was glare daggers at him.

'Just wait until we're on dry land.'

Jin, in the middle of his "heroic rescue," felt her curses and inner monologue through his Observation Haki. He paused and glanced back, his eyes meeting hers.

'What is wrong with this woman?'

Hancock stared. Why had he stopped?

Then, she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

And then—he let go, leaving her to sink.

Huh??

Hancock was dumbfounded, panic flashing in her eyes.

What is happening?

Jin floated in the water, lazily kicking his feet, arms crossed as he watched her sink deeper and deeper.

Hancock wasn't a fool. She realized what was happening. This man possessed a strange form of Observation Haki.

He could hear her thoughts.

Her eyes hardened.

"Hmph! I would rather die than submit to him!"

Jin was unfazed.

Even if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, if she wasn't willing to bend, he wouldn't lift a finger.

'There are plenty of beautiful women in the world... Losing this one is no great loss, and I'd get a powerful Devil Fruit out of it. Not a bad trade.' Jin thought

Hancock, watching him, could see the indifference in his eyes.

Damn him! Can someone really be immune to her beauty?

A crack appeared in her pride.

'No! He was turning to stone before. My beauty still affects him. He just... cares about something else more.'

The thought was unbearable. The water grew colder. The pressure mounted. The single breath she was holding was running out.

Her consciousness began to fade.

Her life flashed before her eyes.

'Is this it? Is this how I die?'

No!

Her face was a mask of defiance and fear. It was as if she were back in that dark cage.

Helpless, small, and weak.

"Save me!"

"Please, save me!"

The cry finally erupted from the depths of her heart, a silent, weeping plea.

"I don't care who you are... please, just save me..."

There.

That was more like it.

Jin swam down. His body was dense, and he sank effortlessly. Just before Hancock lost consciousness, he grabbed her.

Seeing her about to pass out, he casually delivered a sharp smack to her rear.

Ouch!

The sting of it snapped Hancock back to full awareness. The pain in her backside was quickly followed by a hot flush of rage—and profound humiliation.

She glared at Jin.

He just looked back at her.

Their eyes met.

Remembering what had just happened, Hancock looked away.

She couldn't win. She surrendered...

——————————————

BOOM!

Jin kicked off the water, propelling them upward. He couldn't use his Devil Fruit powers in the sea, otherwise this would have been much simpler.

As they ascended, Hancock began to run out of air. In a rare moment of kindness, Jin gave her two breaths of his own.

Her lips were soft, without a single line, and they tasted sweet.

BOOM!

The water exploded as Jin shot out of the sea like a king of the apes, leaping through the air and landing on the carrier's deck with Hancock in his arms.

"Cough, cough..."

Finally able to breathe again, Hancock coughed up seawater, gasping for air. Her qipao was partially torn, revealing large patches of snow-white skin.

Her long, slender legs were almost completely exposed.

The fabric across her chest was ripped, held together by a single strip, offering an almost unobstructed view.

Jin allowed himself a second look. It was a nice view. But while he was no saint, he wasn't the type to take advantage of someone in their moment of weakness.

He set her down.

Noticing her torn clothes, Hancock's first instinct wasn't to cover her chest or lower body, but her back.

A faint tattoo was visible there.

Her face, though bruised, was still bewitching. Her long, black hair was plastered to her skin. She was the very picture of temptation.

But her almond-shaped eyes were filled with a flicker of terror.

In that moment, she wasn't the Pirate Empress. She was just a vulnerable girl.

The mark of the Celestial Dragons...

Jin took off his shirt and draped it over her shoulders.

Why not just get one from his pocket dimension? Because this was how you win hearts and minds.

Hancock glanced at him. His bare torso—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a row of well-defined abs. The sunlight caught him from the side, casting a golden glow on his handsome face, his chest, and his broad shoulders. The droplets of seawater on his skin glittered like pearls.

There was no denying it.

He was handsome.

Hancock lowered her head and pulled the shirt tighter, covering her back and her chest.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

He had knocked her into the sea. That was a fact. He had also saved her. That was also a fact.

A fight was a fight. A rescue was a rescue.

The two couldn't be confused.

Jin sat down. "We've had our fight... Now, can we calm down and talk?"

"Talk?" Hancock said, confused. "About what? I am the empress of a pirate island. You are the king of a nation affiliated with the World Government. What is there to talk about?"

Amazon Lily had applied for membership, but the World Government had never recognized it, which was why Hancock had been forced to become a Warlord.

"Melcyse Island, Port Raven... that's within your Kuja Pirates' 'hunting grounds,' isn't it?"

Hancock thought for a moment. The name sounded familiar. "You defeated me... If you want it, take it."

"See?" Jin said with a smile. "That's where we're different. Instead of making enemies over a worthless rock, I prefer to cooperate. A win-win."

"A win-win?" Hancock looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's simple," Jin said. "You profit, I profit. We'll have a bright future together."

"A bright... future?"

What kind of bright future? Marriage? Children??

Hancock's face suddenly flushed.

Jin was speechless. Where did her mind even go? "What I mean is, we can have a mutually beneficial relationship. For example, Kuja Island may be lacking in resources, but you have your own advantages, your own special products. We can trade."

Jin remembered that Kuja Island had some good stuff. Snakes that could be used as weapons, a Haki training method that was suitable for everyone, various unique fruits and animals, fragrant mushrooms...

It was just that no one had ever realized their value.

That's how it was with specialty products. If no one developed them, they were worthless. But with a little marketing, a little capital... their value could skyrocket.

And Kuja Island, located in the stable, temperate climate of the Calm Belt, was also perfect for farming his mushrooms.

And then there were the Kuja warriors.

Jin wanted to build an airfield in the Calm Belt, and he needed a security force that was familiar with the area...

From every angle, an alliance with Kuja Island had more pros than cons.

<><><><><><><><>

"Trade?" Hancock said, relieved. She brushed her wet hair from her face. "Alright. I agree."

"Hm? You're not going to think about it?" Jin was surprised.

Not long ago, she had been calling him a disrespectful man, saying she would never do business with him. And now, just like that, she'd agreed.

Did women really change their minds that quickly?

"I lost," Hancock said. "And you saved me. Out of gratitude, I don't need to consider such a small request. Besides, a formal trade relationship with a member nation would certainly be beneficial for us."

The most immediate benefit was that they wouldn't be ripped off by the black-market traders when they sold their spoils.

The truth was, when pirates plundered, they were the ones who ended up getting fleeced. The real profits went to the black-market merchants. Whether buying or selling, they got screwed both ways. Hancock had been burned before. She knew the value of a fair deal.

"You don't need to go back and discuss it?" Jin asked.

"I am the empress," Hancock said proudly. "My decision is the Will of Amazon Lily. Whatever I do, whether it's kicking a kitten or slaughtering the innocent, my people will forgive me."

Well, alright then.

She was certainly willful.

But Jin liked it. A one-woman show. It was efficient.

"Alright," he said. "It's a deal. I have some supplies on my ship. A little gift, to get us started."

Having sealed the deal, Jin habitually extended his hand for a handshake.

Hancock froze, her cheeks flushing. "Isn't this... a little fast? We've only just met, and you're already offering a betrothal gift?"

"Huh??" Jin realized his mistake. "This is a handshake. It's a gesture, to show that we've reached an agreement. A contract."

"Oh!" Hancock said, embarrassed but also relieved. After a moment's hesitation, she placed her small hand in his.

—————————

"Ugh... my head hurts."

"What happened?"

"I think... it was the Empress's Conqueror's Haki..."

Ran, Rindo, and the other officers and crew members were slowly regaining consciousness, their heads pounding and bodies heavy with exhaustion.

"Wait... the Empress!"

They looked around and saw Hancock, now changed into a new white, patterned qipao, sitting on her coiled serpent, Salome.

To maintain her imperial dignity, her bruised cheek was hidden by a lock of hair, and she was resting her chin on her hand to cover her injured lip.

And besides, the young and strong in the world of pirates had incredible healing abilities. A few bruises were nothing.

Ran and the others quickly bowed. They scanned the sea.

"Where's that king?"

"Did he leave?"

"Or did he sink?"

"Did the Empress win?"

The questions hung in the air.

"It is resolved," Hancock announced, her voice leaving no room for argument. "I have already contacted Sandersonia and Marigold. We are returning to Amazon Lily."

This was not the plan. After so long hunting for "prey" with so little to show for it, her sisters had split off to hunt on their own.

"Eh?!"

"It's resolved?"

"My lady, are we not going to Hannabal?"

"But... our haul..."

Hancock's brow furrowed. She rose to her feet, her cold, arrogant gaze sweeping over them. "Are you questioning my decision?"

The icy glare was enough to silence them. The women dropped their heads, not daring to speak.

Hancock turned and walked back toward her cabin, her hips swaying with a mesmerizing grace. Just as she disappeared through the doorway, her voice drifted back.

"The cargo hold... is full."

The women all breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from their brows. Then, a look of confusion crossed their faces.

"Full?"

"Really?"

After she was gone, they rushed to the cargo hold and opened it.

It was packed to the brim with supplies: rice, flour, spices... all things that were scarce on Kuja Island.

There were even several chests of fine fabrics.

"It's a miracle!"

"Where did all this come from?"

"There's so much! It would be hard to gather this much even in Sabaody."

Rindo was in awe. Normally, they would have to sell their spoils to the black-market traders in Sabaody and then buy supplies. They were ripped off at every turn. It would have taken four full hunting expeditions to acquire this many supplies.

But they had no choice. The member nations either discriminated against them or were unwilling to risk the World Government's wrath by trading with them.

"The Empress is amazing!"

"Long live the Empress!"

The women cheered, overjoyed.

Only a few of the officers exchanged a worried glance.

"Do you think... the Empress killed that king and stole his cargo?"

"That would be a huge problem."

"I heard the World Government and the Marines are in an uproar over the assassination of King Bekori in the South Blue."

"If they find out the Empress did something similar..."

But they didn't dare ask. They instructed their subordinates to keep this a secret, to bury it deep.

—————————

Two days later, Hancock rendezvoused with her two sisters.

Ran, by chance, saw the latest newspaper.

[KING JIN ARRIVES AT PORT RAVEN, ANNOUNCES TAKEOVER OF MELCYSE ISLAND!]

Ran snatched the paper and unfolded it.

There was a picture. It was the man who had fought the Empress two days ago, standing in front of a dilapidated port, a smile on his face. The archway at the entrance to the town read 'RAVENPORT'.

"Eh? He's still alive?" Rindo said, leaning over to look.

"Wait... Melcyse Island... isn't that the little island that used to pay us tribute for our protection?"

"They were too poor to pay the Heavenly Tribute, so the World Government delisted them, and they became a playground for pirates."

"Even with the Empress's protection, they never recovered," Rindo said with a sigh. "The nobles and the wealthy all fled to other member nations to save their own skins. All that was left were the poor, who were either killed by pirates or sold into slavery."

Hancock was just one of the Seven Warlords. She couldn't be everywhere at once. In fact, the island hadn't paid its protection fee in two years. If Jin hadn't mentioned it, she would have completely forgotten about it.

"It's a vicious cycle," Cosmos said. "They just kept falling further and further into decline."

But now, things were different.

With Jin's announcement, Melcyse Island was now a part of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, and once again a member of the World Government.

But it also meant that he was now responsible for the island's Heavenly Tribute.

[KING JIN'S AMBITIONS ARE CLEAR, A STRONG DESIRE FOR TERRITORIAL EXPANSION!]

The next page was an analysis of the event by the World Economic Journal.

Jin had informed the Five Elders and CP0 of his takeover of Melcyse Island in advance.

His reason?

"To farm more 'Dream' for the noble Celestial Dragons. I need more plantations."

When Saint Jalmack had heard this, he had been overjoyed. The "Dream" he had received was already making the rounds among the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land.

"Next year, there will be even more!"

Everyone who had tried it had been ecstatic. It filled the emptiness in their souls.