Back inside the royal chambers, Hancock looked at Granny Nyon's stone statue, now surrounded protectively by Enishida and the others, her expression complicated.
Even now, she couldn't understand why the other party would make such a request.
After all... they had leverage over her...
Seeing Hancock remain silent, iser spoke up, "Release Granny Nyon from her petrification."
As he spoke, iser lifted his control over Enishida and the others. Now that he had returned, there was no need to keep them restrained any longer.
"Bzz—"
"Huh?"
The mont Enishida regained consciousness, a trace of confusion flickered in her eyes.
Had she been standing in this spot earlier?
Just then, she noticed Hancock standing beside iser and gasped inwardly. "Serpent Princess?"
"Why is the Serpent Princess standing with a man...?"
The warriors in the room were equally bewildered, unable to recall what had just happened. It was as if a portion of their mories had been erased.
"What happened to them just now...?" Marigold asked.
"Ah, just put them under temporary hypnosis to keep them in line," iser replied casually.
Marigold: "???"
So he really had controlled Enishida and the others?
What a... terrifying man!
"You despicable man, what did you do?"
"Serpent Princess, what's going on?"
"It's nothing. All of you, withdraw for now," Hancock waved dismissively. "And from this mont onward, no one except Sandersonia is permitted to enter the royal chambers. Understood?!"
Enishida blinked. Though she didn't understand the situation, since the Serpent Princess had given the order, she had no choice but to comply.
With that, Enishida nodded. "Yes, Serpent Princess."
Then, she led the warriors out of the room.
Hancock paid them no further mind, striding purposefully toward Granny Nyon. Once face-to-face, she deactivated her Devil Fruit Ability.
"Huh?"
Granny Nyon, now restored to normal, looked at Hancock in confusion, her mind still catching up.
"Hancock?"
"Mhm."
This ti, Hancock didn't nitpick, simply nodding in acknowledgnt—a reaction that surprised Granny Nyon.
Slowly, Granny Nyon began recalling what had happened earlier.
She rembered... Hancock had been about to petrify iser when she had jumped in to push him away.
And then... the next thing she knew, Hancock was standing right in front of her.
Did that an she had been turned to stone just now?
That girl really didn't hold back—wait, no!
Where was iser?!
At this thought, Granny Nyon spoke up. "Hancock, what did you do to iser?"
"Granny Nyon, I'm right here."
Hearing Granny Nyon's concern for him, iser couldn't help but smile.
Granny Nyon turned at the sound of his voice, and upon seeing him unhard, she sighed in relief. "Good, you're safe..."
She was genuinely afraid Hancock would use her Devil Fruit Ability to petrify iser and then shatter him with a kick.
Hiss... Wait a minute!!
Granny Nyon suddenly noticed sothing odd.
Where was iser's jacket?
No—wasn't Hancock wearing iser's jacket?!
Glancing back at Hancock as she walked toward her seat, Granny Nyon's eyes widened in shock.
That was indeed his jacket...
Just what had happened while she was petrified?
Thinking this, Granny Nyon asked, "What's going on here?"
"Ah, we had a fight," iser replied.
Granny Nyon: ???
A fight?
With Hancock?
Looking at iser, who bore no injuries whatsoever, Granny Nyon was utterly speechless.
She knew exactly how strong Hancock was.
Even against a Marine Admiral, Hancock could hold her own.
Yet this young man had faced her and erged completely unscathed?
How was that possible?
"So... I underestimated his strength after all?" Granny Nyon thought in astonishnt.
"He really did fight Big Sis," Marigold chid in. "Over by the back mountain."
"The place is completely wrecked now."
Granny Nyon: ...
Granny Nyon fell silent again. To co out of such an intense battle without a scratch... This young man's strength was far more terrifying than she had imagined.
In that case... they truly did have the qualifications to participate in this war.
"Granny Nyon," Hancock stopped walking and turned to look at her. "What was it you wanted to say earlier?"
"Did I say anything?"
A question mark popped up over Granny Nyon's head—she couldn't recall saying anything at the ti.
"Does petrification cause temporary mory loss...?" iser mused silently. "And it seems they don't rember what happened while petrified either."
In a way, this ability was practically a form of sealing.
He wondered if the next Devil Fruit Ability User could undo the petrification caused by the previous one.
If so, the possibilities would be endless.
Pushing the thought aside, iser spoke up. "Granny Nyon, what you ant to say was: 'I'm a friend of Shakky's.'"
"Ah—yes, yes, that's right!"
With iser's reminder, Granny Nyon nodded in recollection. "That was it."
"Hancock, iser is Shakky's friend. You should lend him a hand."
Hearing this, Hancock gave iser a strange look. "I didn't expect you to know Shakky."
Marigold also stared at him in surprise—what a coincidence.
"Yeah, we're pretty close," iser said with a smile.
If it hadn't been for Shakky's intel back then, they might never have found rry.
"He doesn't just know Shakky—he knows Rayleigh too," Granny Nyon added.
At that, both Hancock and Marigold fell silent.
All their forr benefactors... now connected to this guy. Was this fate?
"I don't know why you two were fighting, nor why you've both returned here so calmly now.
But... since you're back, let's talk."
After speaking, Granny Nyon paused briefly before continuing: "iser's request is simple—he just needs the Eternal Log Pose to Marine Headquarters."
Granny Nyon hurriedly spoke her piece, afraid Hancock's capricious nature would interrupt her again.
"Granny Nyon, we've already settled it," iser said.
"Settled it?"
Granny Nyon was stunned. How?
"Yes, settled."
"What did you two discuss?"
This ti, iser didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Hancock.
There was sothing unusual about this woman's back, and he wasn't sure if Granny Nyon knew about it—so he wouldn't answer carelessly.
Noticing iser's gaze, Hancock remained silent for a mont before sweeping the chamber with her Observation Haki. Confirming no unwanted listeners were present, she finally spoke: "He... saw the mark on my back."
Granny Nyon: !!!
Hancock's words imdiately changed Granny Nyon's expression.
She knew all too well what that ant.
Could it be... this boy had forced Hancock to compromise through threats?
Perhaps sensing Granny Nyon's suspicion, Hancock added, "He didn't threaten . We made a deal."
"A deal?"
A question mark practically appeared over Granny Nyon's head. What kind of deal could make Hancock yield?
"I can remove the mark on her back," iser explained. "In exchange, she'll undo your petrification and give the Eternal Log Pose to Marine Headquarters."
At this, Granny Nyon fell completely silent.
That iser had so thod to remove the mark from Hancock's back was surprising enough.
But what truly shocked her was that his first condition had been to save her!
For a mont, Granny Nyon's emotions were complicated.
"Thinking about it... he didn't use this to threaten Hancock... That alone speaks to his character."
This boy might just be...
Having reached this conclusion, Granny Nyon made a decision.
Just then, Sandersonia rushed in from outside, announcing, "Sister, I'm back."
"Everything handled?"
"Yes." Sandersonia nodded. "The Straw Hat Boy requested a massive amount of at. I've already had Kikyo and the others prepare it."
"Once it's ready, they'll deliver it to Granny Nyon's place."
Honestly, the Straw Hat Boy's appetite was terrifying.
Even during the journey here, he'd devoured countless huge portions of at without showing any signs of slowing down... What kind of body did he even have?
"Thanks," iser said to Sandersonia with a nod.
"Hmph, I was just following Sister's orders."
iser simply smiled, unbothered.
"Sister, why did you call here?" Sandersonia asked.
"He can remove the mark on my back," Hancock said. "I intend to let him try."
"Eh?!"
Upon hearing Hancock's words, Sandersonia froze in shock before exclaiming incredulously, "Sister, you told him about this?"
"He saw it himself."
Sandersonia fell silent. So he had witnessed it with his own eyes?
In that case...
Clang!
Armant Haki infused around her arms as a murderous glint flashed in Sandersonia's eyes.
She would kill this man!
"Stop, Sandersonia!"
"Sister, he must be lying to you!" Sandersonia insisted. "I refuse to believe he's capable of such a thing. If we eliminate him—"
"Sandersonia!!!"
"Sister, I..."
eting Hancock's stern gaze, Sandersonia trembled before letting her arms drop limply to her sides.
She only wanted to protect their secret—what was wrong with that?
Seeing Sandersonia's expression, Hancock's heart softened as she sighed. "Sandersonia, we have no other choice."
Sandersonia: ???
Glancing between Hancock and the downcast Marigold, confusion flickered across Sandersonia's face.
Had sothing happened that she wasn't aware of?
"Stand down, Sandersonia."
After a brief hesitation, Sandersonia wordlessly moved to Marigold's side.
"You have my word—I won't deceive you," iser said.
Sandersonia shot him a cold look. "I'll judge that for myself."
Since her sister had given the order, she wouldn't argue further. But... if this man dared lie to them, she'd kill him even if it cost her life.
"When can we begin?" Hancock asked.
"I'm ready now." iser produced a Sealing Scroll. "I always carry the necessary tools."
Marigold eyed the scroll curiously. Was this the device he'd use to remove their marks?
Just then, Granny Nyon suddenly interjected, "Wait!"
"Hmm?"
The abrupt interruption startled the other four.
"What is it?"
iser paused in unsealing the scroll. "Do you have concerns, madam?"
Perhaps she wanted an explanation of the procedure—though he doubted she'd understand the technical details.
"Before we proceed, there's sothing you should see."
Granny Nyon unfolded a newspaper detailing iser's slaying of three Celestial Dragons, holding it up for Hancock to read.
"A... newspaper?" Marigold tilted her head. "Granny, what are you—?"
Sandersonia also stared in confusion at their elder's unexpected action.
Hancock's hands trembled as she stepped forward, her eyes locked on the printed words.
"That's right," Granny Nyon said with a grave expression. "Not long ago, shocking news shook the world!"
"At the Human Auction House on Grove 1 of Sabaody Archipelago, three Celestial Dragons were killed."
"And the one who killed them... is the man standing before you now."
"iser, the Blood-Eyed Ninja—with a bounty of 400 million Berries!"
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
Three dull sounds echoed as Hancock and her two sisters collapsed to the ground simultaneously.
Not only that, cold sweat broke out on all three won's faces as their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
iser: "???"
iser stared at them in confusion, utterly baffled by their reaction.
What was the big deal about three dead Celestial Dragons? Why were they acting so traumatized?
Could it be... that the Celestial Dragons had so connection to them?
At this thought, iser frowned.
Seeing this, Granny Nyon let out a deep sigh.
"Ah..."
She had expected this.
"You... killed Celestial Dragons...?"
Sandersonia stared at iser in disbelief. This man... dared to slay gods?!
"Just who... are you...?" Marigold stamred.
"?"
"I'm just an ordinary ninja, that's all."
"Ordinary—?!"
Soone who dared to kill Celestial Dragons calling himself just an ordinary ninja... Was this what true strength looked like?
"You... you really killed Celestial Dragons?" Hancock trembled as she looked at iser. "You... really—?"
"Yeah."
iser nodded. "Those three bastards tried to take my friends and comrades as slaves, so I cut them down."
Hancock: "!!!"
Watching iser say this so casually, Hancock clenched her fists, gripping the hem of her dress tightly in her palms.
She never imagined that soone in this world would actually dare to raise a hand against Celestial Dragons—let alone kill three at once!!
"To think... there really is soone like this..."
"Soone who dares to defy the heavens..."
Trembling uncontrollably, Hancock's tears began to flow freely.
It was as if... the towering mountain weighing on her heart had finally been lifted.
In the end, the woman could hold back no longer. Covering her face, she broke into loud, unrestrained sobs.
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