《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 65: The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock!

Marine Headquarters, Port.

Walking at the front of the group, Momonga glanced at Strawberry and Bastille, who were walking beside him. After hesitating several times, he finally mustered the courage to speak.

"Bastille, how about we switch assignments? I'll deliver the summons to Donquixote Doflamingo, and you can head to Amazon Lily."

"No, no, no, no!"

Hearing the suggestion, Bastille immediately waved his hands in refusal. "Doflamingo is likely in the Kingdom of Dressrosa right now. The journey is long, and I'm worried your small frame won't handle it. It's better if I go! After all, I'm much stronger than you. More importantly, Doflamingo is no easy opponent—he's still technically a Celestial Dragon, after all!"

At this, Momonga's lips twitched slightly.

Bastille's words sounded considerate, but the truth was simple: he was terrified of going to Amazon Lily.

The reason was straightforward. The island, home to the Amazon Lily Kingdom, was ruled by Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Known as the Pirate Empress, she possessed the Love-Love Fruit and was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the world. Any man who laid eyes on her would inevitably feel infatuated, and once that happened, her Devil Fruit powers could turn them into stone statues.

Adding to the difficulty, Hancock was not only extraordinarily proud but also known for her tyrannical demeanor. A single misstep could result in the petrification of the soldiers accompanying the envoy.

After a brief silence, Momonga turned to his other companion, Strawberry, and tentatively asked, "Strawberry?"

"Goodbye!"

Before Momonga could finish his sentence, Strawberry suddenly quickened his pace, leaping onto a nearby warship with just two words.

At that moment, Yamakaji and Stainless approached.

Yamakaji was one of Marine Headquarters' veteran vice admirals. Known for his formidable strength and gentle demeanor, he was admired by many Marine soldiers. On the night of Xayuki's coup, Yamakaji had sensed that something was amiss but never imagined events would escalate to their current state.

Of course, that wasn't the most important thing.

What truly mattered was the aftermath of the coup. Two other veteran vice admirals, Doberman and Onigumo, had been the first casualties, gunned down by a group of soldiers and junior officers.

Although Yamakaji had disagreed with Doberman and Onigumo on many issues, their unceremonious deaths left him feeling deeply unsettled.

When he first heard the news, Yamakaji had braced himself for the inevitable purge. In his mind, even though he hadn't participated in the coup, Xayuki would likely remove him and the other non-participants from Marine Headquarters.

But contrary to his expectations, Xayuki not only allowed them to remain in their positions but also issued them a year's salary in advance.

And now, Xayuki had entrusted him with a critical mission. This shift in treatment left Yamakaji feeling a mix of gratitude and apprehension.

"Momonga, we seem to have grown distant lately," Yamakaji said as he approached Momonga. Glancing around, he lowered his voice and asked, "In the past two days, has the Fleet Admiral mentioned anything about those of us who didn't participate in the coup—myself, Stainless, and the others?"

"Why would he mention you?"

Momonga blinked in confusion. "You didn't do anything to betray the Fleet Admiral."

Hearing this, Momonga seemed to relax, shaking his head with a smile. "Yamakaji, the fact that the Fleet Admiral has entrusted you with his first major task since taking office shows that he doesn't harbor any suspicion toward you. By the way, which Warlord are you assigned to?"

"Fazza," Yamakaji replied without hesitation.

"Fazza, huh?" Momonga's eyes narrowed slightly. "He's been getting quite close to Kaido lately, which means this mission will be extremely dangerous. For the sake of our years of camaraderie, let me take your place!"

"This doesn't seem right," Yamakaji said hesitantly, glancing back at the Marine Headquarters building. Lowering his voice, he added, "If the Fleet Admiral finds out—"

"That's where you don't understand the Fleet Admiral," Momonga interrupted, his tone carrying a hint of authority. "When I invited you to join us back then, you should have stood by our side. Let me put it this way: under the Fleet Admiral's leadership, our rules are the rules. All those old restrictions no longer apply!"

"Alright…"

Before Yamakaji could finish his sentence, he suddenly changed the topic. "Which Warlord are you assigned to?"

"The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock."

Before Yamakaji could react, Momonga hastily added, "Hancock is the closest of all the Warlords to Marine Headquarters—hey, hey, hey, Yamakaji, where are you going? Come back! I'm not done talking, you bastard!"

But before Momonga could finish, Yamakaji had already boarded a warship and sailed away.

Watching this, Momonga let out a long sigh of frustration. Not giving up, he turned to Stainless.

"I must take my leave!"

Stainless had originally intended to stay and gather some intelligence about Xayuki to prepare for their future interactions. However, upon hearing that Momonga's assigned Warlord was Boa Hancock, he fled like a mouse seeing a cat, leaving behind only those words.

Calm Belt, Amazon Lily.

Amazon Lily Kingdom, outside the city of Nine Snakes, stood a wooden house nestled halfway up a mountain.

On the balcony of the house sat a frail, elderly woman, engrossed in a rare copy of a newspaper.

This was Flameflower, the Amazon Lily Kingdom's former empress from three generations ago, and a former member of the Rocks Pirates. Thirty-two years ago, after the Rocks Pirates were defeated at God Valley, she had returned to Amazon Lily alone. To atone for the mistakes of her youth and out of respect for the current empress, she chose to live in seclusion outside the city.

Over the years, the once-glorious Flameflower had transformed into the wizened figure now known as "Granny Za." Few remembered her original name, and the younger generation referred to her only by this nickname.

Because Amazon Lily was located in the Calm Belt and nearly isolated from the outside world, news birds rarely visited. As a result, Granny Za cherished every newspaper she managed to obtain.

"Another month-old issue!"

After reading the contents, Granny Za sighed in disappointment. She slowly stood up from her chair, her movements shaky.

At that moment, a bird's cry echoed from the sky.

A news bird flapped its wings and landed on the balcony.

"Finally, you've arrived."

Granny Za's face lit up with excitement as she hurried forward. After skillfully paying the fee and retrieving the newspaper, she wasted no time returning to her chair and eagerly unfolding it.

"What?"

The moment she unfolded the newspaper, the striking headline immediately caught her attention:

"Marine Vice Admiral Xayuki Leads Coup!"

"Th-this…"

Her pupils contracted as she read the headline aloud, her voice trembling. "When did this happen?"

Scanning the publication date, Granny Za quickly skimmed through the article.

The more she read, the more alarmed she became. By the time she finished, she slumped back into her chair, as if she had just survived a calamity. Her face was filled with shock.

"In just one day, he completely took over the Marines? Such incredible tactics… Xayuki? Why have I never heard of this name before?"

Still puzzled, Granny Za picked up another newspaper.

This one contained no articles, only a large photograph that occupied more than half the page—a group portrait of Marine Headquarters officers and soldiers, accompanied by a detailed list of names.

"Fleet Admiral of Marine Headquarters—Xayuki?"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the young Fleet Admiral seated prominently in the center of the photograph. "So young!"

Although curious, Granny Za didn't dwell on it for long. She picked up yet another newspaper and began reading.

"!!!!!"

After finishing the article, Granny Za could no longer remain seated. She jumped up from her chair, her face pale with shock.

"The Marijoa Treaty? A rotational Five Elders seat for the Marines? Two seats for Marine Headquarters in the Chamber of Authority? Has the World Government capitulated to Xayuki?"

"And what's this… the Seven Warlords… the conscription rights transferred to Marine Headquarters?!"

After muttering incoherently, Granny Za abruptly raised her head.

"This is bad—Hancock is in danger!"

With the wisdom and foresight of a former Amazon Lily empress, Granny Za quickly realized that the young Fleet Admiral would likely target the Seven Warlords next.

And Boa Hancock, the current Pirate Empress, was one of them.

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