OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#122+123: The Kuja Pirates! The World's Most Beautiful Woman, Boa Hancock!

Jin had spotted the Foxy Pirates the moment they appeared.

He was in the middle of planning, however, and had no intention of pursuing them.

He never imagined they would deliver themselves right to his doorstep.

Faced with the demonic carrier, Foxy and his crew had no chance of escape. They were quickly overtaken and taken captive.

Jin had acquired another Devil Fruit—the Paramecia Slow-Slow Fruit.

The power of "slowness" itself is a concept.

It is a state of being—a slowing of the senses, thoughts, and actions of people, living things, and even inanimate matter.

Therefore, although the Slow-Slow Fruit could make things within a certain range sluggish, it was not a time-based fruit.

In Jin's view, the only true time-based fruits in the world were the Time-Time Fruit and the Age-Age Fruit. Even Ain's Return-Return Fruit from Film Z was a conceptual power, not a temporal one—though, in a broader sense, they could all manipulate time in a localized area.

Aside from Foxy's Devil Fruit, Jin also learned something else from his crew.

The Pirate Empress, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Boa Hancock of Amazon Lily, was "hunting" in the nearby waters.

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The Seven Warlords of the Sea was an institution the World Government had created in an attempt to balance the power of the Marines and the Four Emperors. It was a new system, born alongside the "Emperors" of the New World after Roger kicked off the Great Pirate Era.

The World Government granted seven pirates special powers and privileges, allowing them to engage in legal privateering—that is, to attack other pirates and non-affiliated nations for profit.

For this, they were seen as the "dogs of the government" by other pirates.

However, they were not a unified group. They each acted independently. The relationship between the Warlords and the World Government was one of mutual exploitation. Other than being required to answer mandatory summons and pay a portion of their earnings to the government each year, they were free to act as they pleased.

They often treated the orders of the World Government and the Marines with indifference.

Boa Hancock's "hunts" consisted of attacking and plundering other pirate crews.

But this wasn't for personal gain. It was to provide for her nation.

Her country, Amazon Lily, was located on the island of Kuja in the Calm Belt.

This location had its pros and cons.

The pros: It was unaffected by storms. It was "protected" by the nests of colossal Sea Kings, isolating it from the outside world and the harassment of ordinary sailors.

The cons: Kuja was a small island with limited resources. They had to plunder from the outside world to feed their people.

As a result, the women of Kuja were raised as warriors from birth, shouldering the entire burden of their nation's economy and labor. Every one of them was strong and fiercely proud.

Their creed was "Strength is Beauty."

Every empress in their history had been a "pirate." It was a nation of pirates.

But in recent times, the Marines' new Seastone-bottomed ships had allowed them to traverse the Calm Belt undetected by the Sea Kings and approach the island.

Faced with this threat, the current empress, Boa Hancock, had been forced to accept the title of Warlord and cooperate with the World Government in exchange for a treaty that forbade the Marines from coming within three kilometers of Kuja's shores.

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One of the four islands on the "new route" Jin was planning was located in her "hunting grounds."

Because of a Warlord's special privileges, they could legally attack any pirate.

This, in turn, offered a form of protection to some islands.

To protect themselves, some islands would voluntarily pay tribute to a Warlord in exchange for their "patronage." In short, they paid protection money. When pirates showed up, the Warlord would be notified and would come to drive them away.

For the Warlords, it was a win-win. They got an extra source of income and a reliable way to locate pirates without having to search for them.

To avoid conflict, the Warlords also had a tacit understanding, each maintaining their own sphere of influence. They each claimed one of the seven routes in Paradise.

Doflamingo, for example, though his base of operations was in the New World, had his own "agents" in Paradise.

"Since she's nearby," Jin thought, "I should probably have a talk with Hancock."

On a practical level, settling this quickly would allow his influence in Paradise to expand even further.

And on a personal level—well, Hancock was known as the most beautiful woman in the world. What man wouldn't want to see that for himself?

Jin kept only one member of the Foxy Pirates: Porche.

She could dance. And Gordon's orchestra needed performers.

With her description, Jin was able to pinpoint the general location of the Kuja Pirates.

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Perfume Yuda—the flagship of the Kuja, flew a flag that looked like a sun, but was in fact nine snakes coiled around a skull. It was a two-masted junk, pulled by two giant sea serpents. The bow and stern were raised, and there were cannon ports along the sides. The superstructure was built in an ancient style, similar to that of Kano Country.

Inside the main cabin.

"Lady Snake Princess," the officer, Ran, reported nervously, "the storm has passed. But... the pirates managed to escape in the confusion..."

Above her, on a high throne, a massive, patterned python was coiled. It wore a horned skull on its head and a blue scarf around its neck.

It was Salome, the snake weapon.

And on the throne sat a woman in a qipao.

She was leaning languidly, one hand propping up her face. Her long, black hair cascaded down like silk.

Her face was flawless, her deep blue eyes long and elegant, with a hint of coldness in their almond shape.

She radiated an aura of nobility, of transcendent beauty.

She wore a magnificent, deep-red court qipao that perfectly accentuated her figure, her long legs crossed.

"I am beyond disappointed in all of you," Hancock said, her voice dripping with the cold authority of an empress. "You couldn't even take down a single, no-name pirate crew?"

"Please forgive us, Lady Snake Princess," Ran said, dropping to her knees. "We didn't expect the captain to be a Devil Fruit user with such a strange ability. And the sudden storm..."

"That is no excuse for failure," Hancock interrupted. "When we return to the island, prepare to be punished."

The harsh environment of Amazon Lily had forged a nation of fierce women. It had also forged a society with strict rules and harsh punishments.

A failure like today's wouldn't be punishable by death, but it wouldn't be overlooked, either. The tribe had to be answered to.

Every "hunt" the Kuja Pirates undertook determined whether their people would eat for the next month. As warriors who had been chosen by their people, who carried their hopes, failure was unforgivable.

"Yes, my lady," Ran said, lowering her head.

Hancock and her sisters were admired and respected by their people for one reason: their overwhelming strength. And their ability to bring back a great deal of "prey."

They had never failed.

As long as the "prey" kept coming, the people of Kuja would tolerate their empress's terrible temper, even if she became an arrogant, capricious tyrant.

It was the law of their land.

The strong survive.

Hancock gestured for Ran to move aside. Her gaze swept over the other officers.

"Who's next? We've been on this expedition for half a month, and we've only completed half our quota! We must find more pirate crews. Where have all those bastards gone?"

She was annoyed.

Being out at sea was a miserable experience, especially in the unpredictable waters of the Grand Line.

They even had to ration water for bathing. It was torture.

"Lady Snake Princess," the officer, Cosmos, said, "the disappearance of the pirate crews in Paradise... it's related to Hannabal Island."

She produced a copy of the World Economic Journal and handed it to Hancock.

"Hannabal Island?"

Hancock took the paper. The bold, black headline read: "THE FREE ISLAND OF PARADISE, THE RISE OF HANNABAL!"

The accompanying picture was of a bustling port, with dozens of pirate ships docked and many more sailing toward the island.

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Cosmos explained. "The king who defeated the Warlord Hanafuda has made a deal with the World Government. He's turned Hannabal into a 'free island,' where pirates and Marines alike can dock. And all fighting is forbidden within a certain radius of the island. Furthermore, the king's bloody purge of Hannabal has established his authority and made him... convincing. Defeating Hanafuda proved his strength. Hannabal has become the talk of the town. All the pirates who are too scared to go to the New World are flocking there, using it as a safe haven. The prey has naturally dwindled, which has made our hunt much more difficult than usual."

Hancock skimmed the article. It was mostly just hyping up Hannabal, calling it the "Sabaody of the middle of Paradise."

The Sabaody Archipelago had prospered because of pirates. Hannabal would be the same.

Of course, the article was actually a piece of sponsored content that Rear Admiral Enru of Hannabal had purchased from the newspaper to serve as an advertisement. When he had been stationed at Lunia Port, he had often used his private connections with the newspaper to promote the port. Although he had left the Marines, those connections were still there. And besides, Jin also had his own dealings with the newspaper.

As long as you paid, Morgans didn't care who you were. He'd even publish anti-government propaganda.

"So," Hancock said, standing up, "it's Hannabal's fault that my hunt has been affected? They've stolen my prey?"

"CHANGE COURSE. TO HANNABAL."

"Wait, Lady Snake Princess!" Cosmos said quickly. "Hannabal belongs to the Winter Blossom Kingdom, a member of the World Government! Attacking Hannabal would be the same as attacking a member nation! Even as a Warlord, you don't have that right!"

The other officers also tried to dissuade her, afraid that her impulsiveness would get them into trouble.

"And who said anything about attacking?" Hancock said haughtily.

"Eh?!"

She tossed her hair. "After they see my beauty, they will willingly hand over all their treasure. And a gift... can hardly be called plunder, can it?"

Hancock had a thousand percent confidence in her beauty. She was, after all, the most beautiful woman in the world. She believed this with all her heart.

The other officers thought for a moment.

'Damn,' they thought collectively. 'Her Majesty... actually has a point.'

No wonder she was their empress. Strong, clever, beautiful...

They were all starting to come around to the idea.

A quick score in Hannabal... wasn't that better than drifting aimlessly at sea?

"Lady Snake Princess!"

The sniper, Rindo, rushed in. "A ship is approaching!"

"A ship? Approaching us?" Hancock said, surprised. "Rindo, are you sure? Usually, ships run the other way when they see our flag."

"It's true," Rindo confirmed. "They're getting closer."

"Is it another pirate crew?"

"Unlikely," one of the officers said. "There are only a handful of crews who would dare to challenge us. And any crew with that kind of strength would be in the New World, fighting for the throne."

"Well, there's one way to find out," Hancock said, ending the discussion.

They all went out on deck. Sure enough, a large ship was cutting through the water at an incredible speed.

Rindo, with her superior eyesight, leaped to the top of the mast. As the ship drew closer, she could make out its flag, fluttering in the wind.

"It's not a pirate flag," she said, surprised. "It's... a black dragon!"

"Could it be... that country everyone's been talking about?"

The concept of a "Dragon" was well-known among pirates—Kaido's Azure Dragon fruit was a prime example. But very few used a dragon as their flag.

And so, the black dragon flag of the Winter Blossom Kingdom was easily recognizable.

"Lady Snake Princess! It's the ship of the Winter Blossom Kingdom!" Rindo reported.

"EH?!"

The other officers were all stunned.

"No way."

"Rindo, are you sure?"

"It's really them?"

"There's no mistaking that flag," Rindo said. "And when you think about it, they're the only ones who would dare to approach us. As a power capable of defeating a Warlord, it's only natural that they wouldn't be intimidated by one."

They had just been talking about him, and now he was here. Was it a coincidence? Or some kind of premonition?

"You don't think the king is on that ship, do you?" someone said.

A wave of unease washed over the women.

Hanafuda's defeat had, to some extent, damaged the reputation of the Warlords in Paradise.

"What are you panicking for?" Hancock's haughty voice cut through their fear. "As long as I am here, no one can resist my beauty and my charm!"

Her words calmed the crew. They steadied themselves and readied their weapons.

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Jin's ship slowed, coming to a stop about a hundred meters from the Perfume Yuda. The waves pushed it forward until they were only thirty meters apart.

A burst of static, and then Jin's voice boomed from the conning tower's loudspeaker.

"Is that the ship of the Warlord of the Sea, Boa Hancock, and the Kuja Pirates?"

Hancock stepped forward to the prow. She found it strange that she couldn't see anyone on the other ship's deck. Was it a ghost ship? Or were they afraid of being turned to stone by her power?

"Insolent man!" Hancock's voice cut through the air. "How dare you call my name while cowering in the shadows! Who are you? Show yourself!"

'Cowering?'

Jin was speechless. Who was cowering?

A section of the conning tower split open, and a stream of candy flowed out, forming a lift that carried Jin to the highest point of the ship.

A Devil Fruit? Hancock and her crew were slightly surprised.

"Unruly woman," Jin said, looking down at her. "So you're Hancock."

Jin's ship was still a size larger than the Kuja's ship, allowing him to look down on her. He had spotted her immediately, the one who stood out from the crowd.

Her long hair cascaded down her back. A deep-red qipao accentuated her perfect, sexy figure. She wore no makeup, but she was still radiant. Her skin was as white as snow.

Everything about her was perfect, except... for the look in her eyes. It was a look of pure, unadulterated, almost dog-like arrogance.

"Insolent fool! How dare you call me unruly?!" Hancock's face was a mask of cold fury. "I am the empress of Amazon Lily! Who are you to speak to me in such a manner?!"

She leaped into the air, landing lightly on the top of the mast, bringing herself to the same height as Jin.

She hated being looked down on.

"You're an empress. As it happens, so am I," Jin said. "So this is a conversation between two monarchs."

Hancock's beautiful eyes narrowed. "You? The king of the Winter Blossom Kingdom who defeated Hanafuda?"

(Hanafuda: You people need to stop!)

"You're a long way from your country. What business do you have with me?"

"You're a long way from yours, too," Jin replied. "Let's get down to business. I heard you were in the area, so I came to find you. I want to make a deal."

"A deal?" Hancock said, her voice laced with suspicion. "I do not make deals with anyone."

"See, there you go again, getting ahead of yourself," Jin said. "Just listen to what I have to say first."

"And why should I?" Hancock retorted. "I have no desire to listen to the words of a man, and I would certainly never make a deal with one!"

She had been captured by slave traders as a child and had been a slave of the Celestial Dragons. That, combined with Kuja's "no men allowed" tradition, had given her a deep-seated hatred and distrust of all men.

Jin sighed. Dealing with someone as headstrong and traumatized as Hancock was going to be a pain.

Fine...

"If that's how it is," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "then our fists will have to do the talking."

He issued a formal challenge.

"I'll beat you until you're willing to make a deal!"