Chapter Text
Boa Hancock was, to put it lightly, in quite a bind.
The Kuja Pirates weren’t women anyone in their right mind would write off as weak or scoff at. Those chosen to join her on expeditions as her crew were the cream of the crop, but anyone from the Amazon Lily, even small children and the elderly, all at least knew enough about combat to put up a fight. They were a veritable and powerful army, stronger than most considering almost every member of their forces was trained in haki, something most other countries militaries were unable to claim.
Despite this, however, they still stood no chance against an entire world full of men.
Her warlord title was one Hancock accepted very begrudgingly. The Marines, regardless of whatever message of peace they preached, were just a lapdog of the World Government. The idea of assisting the scum who formerly treated her and her sisters like property disgusted her to her core. However, her duties as empress came before her personal comfort. Even with her country’s military might and defensive location within the Calm Belt, the Marines and the World Government were simply too big a threat to have as enemies. Although it was something Gloriosa pushed her into, she agreed to the alliance for the safety of her people.
It was fine. The title was all that mattered, actually assisting the Marines or coming to their aid was something she learned to slither out of. If they asked her for assistance in combat or to report for a meeting, she could just shirk her duties without consequence. All it took was a bashful look and a fake apology to get almost any man to instantly forgive her, while the few who didn’t got turned into stone and got to scold the sea floor instead.
That was, at least, how things used to be.
At this year’s reverie everyone was shocked by the sudden and unexpected decision to abolish the Seven Warlord system. In less than a day since the news broke, the Marines had already launched a full scale invasion on Amazon Lily.
She’d gagged on the pill of having to serve and cooperate with her former enslavers for years, and as thanks they immediately turned their guns on her the second they found a replacement. Such disgusting behavior from the World Government didn’t surprise her in the slightest.
What did surprise her, however, was how utterly unprepared she was for the incoming attack.
She knew the strength of the marines. Even those with devil fruit powers were no match for her strength. But the strange new weapons they brought with them alongside the unexpected raid from Emperor Blackbeard proved she now had a much larger target on her back than either she or the Kuja could handle. She hesitated to imagine what could’ve happened if Rayleigh hadn’t had the foresight to show up when he did…
Nonetheless, it was obvious now that for the safety of her people, she and the Kuja had to leave to prevent Amazon Lily from coming under fire again. Her biggest problem, however, was she had no idea where to go, as the island had been the sole stronghold of the Kuja for generations.
As both a sovereign and a captain, she wished she could honestly say she’d put a lot of time and effort into her decision. That she’d carefully weighed out all of her options before settling on the best one for herself and her people. In reality, she’d made her decision in about two seconds, as it was the one thing already constantly on her mind.
Luffy.
He’d certainly moved up in the world since she’d last seen him. He’d managed to topple Kaido and earn the title of Emperor, which came with its various benefits. With not only his own proven strength but a grand fleet composed of over six thousand people, allied nations who flew his flag had no need to fear attacks from pirates. Pissing off an emperor typically led to a reprisal no one could easily fend off.
So, she decided it was time for her to scooch under that umbrella of protection as well. The Marines couldn’t attack an emperor or their allies without permission, she’d gleaned that much from their refusal to clash with Blackbeard on her home island. Now that she no longer had ties to The Marines, she could make the alliance between her and Luffy official.
And, with any luck, finally form a much stronger bond with him as well. Hopefully one of holy matrimony…
That was her plan. She and the Kuja would travel to the New World, seek out Luffy, officially gain protection under his flag, and perhaps even take residence in a territory of one of his allies. Her plan was logical and well thought out, and definitely wasn’t an excuse for how much she really really really wanted to see him again, as she begrudgingly explained to Gloriosa numerous times.
It didn’t take long for her and the Kuja to gather their supplies and set out on their expedition. The concerned cries of her people wishing desperately for her safety as she left warmed her heart, although she would never show it. She couldn’t help but feel a concern of her own weighing on her back, as she’d never left Amazon Lily before with no idea when she’d return.
Their first stop was Sabaody, the most worrying part of their trip. Not only was the archipelago filled with the lowest type of scum, but it was incredibly close to Mary Geoise, they were practically sitting in the World Government’s backyard. Rayleigh well informed her it would take him a couple days to coat her ship for underwater travel, especially since he needed to pack enough oxygen for the two serpents towing it. That meant they would be forced to wait in hostile territory in anticipation of another naval strike.
That wasn’t even to mention the great discomfort she felt from the memories of where she was. The massive rocky cliffs of the Red Line, the “holy land” of Marie Geoise far above, they made her and her sisters feel like the brands on their backs were searing into their flesh all over again. The trio spent most of the ordeal cooped up in Shakky’s bar, having the crew keep watch in their stead under the pretense they were feeling sick.
Thankfully, they were never attacked by anything stronger than the local gutter trash. The Egghead Incident had coincidentally been occurring at the same time, so the marines hands were too full to worry about her.
It made her heart flutter. While it was in an unintentional and indirect way, her beloved Luffy was protecting her from the other side of the world.
Once the ship was coated, they said their goodbyes to Shakky and Rayleigh before immediately taking the plunge towards Fishman Island. The long undersea trip was dark and paranoia inducing, it was an experience unlike any other she’d been in. It felt like the sea monsters in the depths trumped even the ones that spawned around her island in size, but thankfully they shared the same instincts that made them fear her venomous yuda.
After finally reaching the seafloor, the luminous sunlight seeping through Eve’s roots blanketing Fishman Island was a welcome sight to see. The amazing sight of the Ryugu Kingdom wowed most of the Kuja, who had never seen anything like it before. Gloriosa had to whack Nerine and Daisy on their heads more than once to prevent them from leaning too far over the railing and potentially popping the bubble.
The idea of stopping in the domain of the fishmen did cross Hancock’s mind. They were short on supplies, and even from where she was the Straw Hat Pirate’s flag flown for protection was clearly visible. Both she and Neptune were allies of Luffy, she even considered settling down there and creating a new base of operations with the undersea paradise.
There were, unfortunately, a lot of hiccups with that plan. The first and foremost being that her link to Luffy was still unknown to the world, and she doubted Neptune would simply take her word for it. She also knew tensions between fishmen and humans were still high, and they especially wouldn’t be willing to harbor one with a massive bounty on her head. She and the Kuja had enough supplies to make the trip back to the surface, so she ended up deciding to merely pass the Ryugu kingdom by. She had to admit that even from a distance the radiant empire had a lot of beauty, although it paled in comparison to hers.
The trip back up to the surface was much more pleasant than the one going down. When they finally breached from the ocean’s depths, they were greeted by sunny skies and fresh air that belied the true nature of the New World. She’d heard the tales and the legends, she’d listened to Rayliegh’s warnings, the New World was a treacherous place that could throw anything at them at any time.
And whatever that ended up being, she’d have to be ready for it.
“Snake Princess, we have been drifting through this fog for three days.” Gloriosa bemoaned.
The dangers of the new world were, admittedly, not what Hancock had expected. She anticipated massive storms, pirate raids, or giant sea beasts to test her meddle. Instead they’d been trapped in a thick haze even the yuda couldn’t navigate, slowly waiting for it to dissipate as their rations began to dwindle.
“I’m well aware of that.” Hancock grumbled as she looked out over the ship’s railing. “There’s nothing we can do until this smog clears. I do not wish to hear your whining, old crone.”
“Hmph,” Gloriosa huffed, tossing Hancock’s attitude to the wind. “And once that happens, nyon, what do you plan to do next?”
“We continue traveling down the grand line.” She spoke astutely like it was obvious. “We’ll keep going until…” She swooned as her cheeks flushed red. “...until I finally get to reunite with Luffy.”
Her eyes began to close as she got lost in her thoughts. She deeply envisioned finally seeing Luffy again, him immediately rushing to her side and telling her how much he missed her. He’d trail on about how he couldn’t stand the time they were apart, that he wouldn’t bear another second away from her and they’d get married on the spot. He’d hold her in a tight yet gentle embrace, and their lips would slowly move closer to each other-
“That’s a terrible plan.”
Hancock’s eyes shot open and her mouth twisted into a scowl as she was ripped from her fantasy.
“Are you forgetting your place, deserter?” She bit, marching over to the pretentious hag. “I am the captain of the Kuja, your time in that position has long passed. I am the one who makes the decisions, and I do not need counsel from you.”
“You are correct, Snake Princess,” Gloriosa refused to back down as she pushed her argument harder. “You are our captain, nyon, and it is your responsibility as both captain and empress to make wise decisions in this time of crisis instead of pursuing your own personal dream. Tell me, do you even know where Straw Hat is?”
“The newspapers said he was in Elbaf.” Hancock retorted. “We’ll simply meet with him there.”
“Elbaph is many miles away. We’ll starve long before we reach it.” Gloriosa countered. “It is also an island inhabited by giants, nyon, who will unquestionably see us as enemies and attack us as we approach.”
“Luffy is with them. He’ll let them know who we are.” Hancock insisted.
“And if Straw Hat has already moved on from Elbaf by then?” Gloriosa questioned. “They’ll blow us out of the water and you’ll sink to the ocean floor like a stone.”
Hancock simply blew her comments off as incompetent drivel as she gazed back over the ship’s railing and into the mist. “Fate would not be so cruel as to separate Luffy and I in such a way.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Snake Princess,” Gloriosa growled. “Fate has nyot been so kind to us lately.”
Gloriosa didn’t receive the aggravated rebuke she’d expected from her comment. Instead, Hancock simply didn’t respond as she stared out into the open sea.
“Snake Princess?! Are you listening to me?!” Gloriosa shouted.
Hancock simply tuned the old woman out. Through the thick haze, she vaguely spotted something in the distance and tried to focus on it as they drew closer.
As it slowly came into view, she quickly recognized the unforgettable yellow rim of a particular straw hat.
“Luffy!” She cried out across the waves. “Luffy! I see you! Come to me, my love! I’m over here!”
She leaned over the handrail, waving her arms around enthusiastically as she continued shouting at the figure.
“What nonsense is this, Snake Princess?!” Gloriosa admonished. “As we just discussed, Elbaf is far from here, Straw Hat is nyowhere near these waters!”
Hancock completely ignored her, continuing to beckon to whatever she was seeing.
“Snake Princess, what do you see? Have we already reached Luffy?” Marguerite asked, who’d been drawn outside by the noise.
“Of course not.” Gloriosa told the young woman. “She must’ve finally gone mad, as she actually seems to believe-”
Gloriosa’s words were cut short as she squinted at the rapidly approaching silhouette.
“Stars above, it must be contagious. I can see it too.”
Sandersonia and Marigold, along with the rest of the Kuja, quickly clamored onto the deck to witness the source of the commotion. Hancock could slowly make out more and more features of the mystery as it grew closer. She saw Luffy’s famous hat, his bright red jacket, his pure white… soulless… eyes, his… wooden… skin…
The hope and elation in her chest quickly turned into an unquenchable rage as she realized this was not her beloved Luffy, but instead just a figurehead carved to resemble him.
Her ship quickly pulled alongside that of the offender’s, and she was repulsed by what she saw. The deck of the vessel was not only filthy and littered with chewing gum, but the men aboard it weren’t much cleaner. They all appeared to be common thugs and riff-raff, all standing in a group staring as the Kuja approached.
Their leader was clear from his appearance alone. He was a tall muscular man with bright green hair styled into a mohawk. He had a golden nose ring, a tattoo under his right eye, and a significantly larger one across his chest. He wore a large purple coat, and had a large knife tucked into his checkerboard pants Hancock got the impression was just for show. He stood at the front of the group next to a man with wild blue hair, and scowled at her in a way that was deeply disrespectful. This man already offended her more than most and he hadn’t even spoken.
“The hell do you want?” Bartolomeo sneered.
Hancock’s eyes narrowed at the man who used such brash, inelegant language with her. “I’ll make this simple, measly urchin. We’re running low on supplies, so hand over all of yours willingly and I’ll be kind enough to let you live.” She then shifted her gaze over to the front of their ship. “And destroy that hideous figurehead while you’re at it. It doesn’t depict my beloved Luffy properly at all.”
Bartolomeo’s glower intensified. “Your Luffy?!” He snarled. “Mister Luffy’s as free as a bird, lady, he doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“Are you calling me a liar? Do you know who I am?!” Hancock boomed at the man. “Destroy that crude caricature or I’ll do it myself along with the rest of your ship!”
“Oh, I know who you are.” Bartolomeo sneered. “There ain’t a soul on these seas who hasn’t heard of you, Miss Handcock. But Mister Luffy’s our hero, we ain’t gonna bend the knee to anyone who badmouths him.”
“Insolent wretch!” Sandersonia barked. “Her name is Hancock!”
“And that’s Snake Princess to you, lowly man!” Marigold added.
“Hmmph.” Hancock huffed. “So you’re truly devoted followers of Luffy, are you?” Her lips twisted into a coy smile. “If that’s the case you should be honored to aid the woman he loves. Hand over all your food, drink, and medicine and I’ll be sure to let him know.” She lied.
“Prove it.”
“Hmm?” Hancock hummed.
“I’ve got every step of Mister Luffy’s journey memorized up here.” Bartolomeo tapped the side of his head. “But I don’t remember no Hancock. If he loves ya so much, show me a keepsake he left ya or somethin’ and maybe I’ll start to believe you.”
“Yeah! Yeah! He gave us his autograph!” Gambia interjected.
“Can it, you moron!” Batolomeo snapped at his vice captain in a hushed whisper. “Don’t give her another reason to attack us!”
Hancock only half listened to the mumblings of the pirates in front of her as she ran their captain's words through her mind. Although it’s not like she could ever forget him, Luffy hadn’t left her anything to remember him by aside from the memories of the time they spent together. Only now did she suddenly feel the aching desire to possess a gift from him, but she quelled it to refocus on her current situation.
“I am the most beautiful woman in the world, there’s no man who wouldn’t want me.” She confidently replied. “That should be all the evidence you need.”
Bartolomeo visibly chuckled. “You just seem like a real piece of work to me.” He taunted.
Hancock felt rage suddenly shoot through her body. How dare this disgusting man speak to her in such a disrespectful way! She had the intense desire to leap to his ship that instant and cave in his ribcage with a kick, but a much better idea quickly came to mind.
“Oh my…” she pretended to swoon while collapsing over her ship’s handrail. “Please don’t say such harsh things about me.” She deeply blushed and seductively fluttered her eyelashes. “My poor heart just can’t take it.”
Whooping erupted from the other ship as she could practically hear its crew drooling over her. A large cloud of fog passed between the two vessels obscuring her view. That didn’t matter, the effect of her powers would still be the same as she pressed her fingers into a heart shape.
“Love-Love Mellow!”
Her powers shot from her hands and completely bathed the enemy ship. The thick puff of fog passed, and she expected to see a deck littered with lecherous statues. Instead, to the surprise of her and her entire crew, the opposing gang of pirates was completely unharmed, shielded by a large semi-clear wall.
Both groups were locked into a stunned silence. The only noises that could be heard were those of Nerine fervently jotting in her notebook, and Gambia calling his grandmother asking how to talk to girls.
“What kind of trick is this?!” Hancock demanded, dropping her flirtatious facade.
“Heh ha ha ha!” Bartolomeo laughed as he made rude gestures at her. “Oh, nothin’ special, just my barrier. See, I ate the barrier-barrier fruit, so now I’m a barrier man. None of your attacks can get through it, snotty princess, no matter how strong they are.”
“What immature name calling.” She growled as her expression twisted into a frown. “You and your ship are nothing but a disgrace to my precious Luffy’s image!”
“Heh ha ha ha ha ha!” Bartolomeo simply laughed harder. “Oh please, quit callin’ him that! Mistah Luffy would never fall for a stuck-up broad like you!”
“ENOUGH!” She slammed her fists down on the railing as she felt her blood boil. She quickly assumed the pose, arching her back as far as she could, extending her arm outwards and pointing straight down. She stared straight up towards the heavens, looking so far down on this revolting punk that she flipped back around to looking up. She could feel her crew’s desire to fight thick in the air around her.
“Kuja pirates!” She loudly commanded. “This man’s foul tongue had deeply insulted me! Raid his vessel and retrieve everything they have, I want his head brought to me on a platter!”
“Yes sister.” Sandersonia eagerly hissed.
“It would be my pleasure.” Marigold followed.
“Snake Princess, wait!”
Everyone froze as all attention was brought to the one voice who broke out amongst their ranks. Hancock scowled, who would dare question her orders? She tilted her head further back to look straight behind her.
It was Marguerite.
Hancock scowled. If it were anyone else, they would’ve immediately been locked in the brig for days as punishment for insubordination. Marguriete, however, had been the first to see good in Luffy, and Hancock had learned the blonde’s judgement was usually quite solid in other matters as well. So, in her infinite wisdom and kindness, Hancock didn’t shut Marguerite down entirely, and instead simply expressed she was very irritated with her.
“What is it, Marguerite?” Hancock growled through her teeth.
“My apologies for interrupting you, Snake Princess, but I believe I recognize this man.” She insisted. “I saw him in the newspaper released following Luffy’s incident in Dressrosa, he is Bartolomeo the Man Eater, captain of the second ship in the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.”
“I see.” Hancock said. “And how come this wasn’t brought to my attention earlier?”
“I’m sorry, but I was under the impression that you already knew.” Marguerite explained. “I remember you looking at that issue quite often after its release.”
It was true. Luffy and the other captains of his fleet were pasted on the front page. She tried to read the paper in full but every time she did, her eyes trailed back over to Luffy’s face and she forgot about everything else.
“Very well.” Hancock replied. “I still fail to see how this changes our situation.”
“Hmmph.” Gloriosa butted in. “Tell me Snake Princess, is there a brain in that nyoggin of yours or is it all just forehead?” The old woman did not back down from the glare Hancock shot her. “Our current objective is to seek out Straw Hat and receive his aid. How do you think he would react if we attacked one of his trusted allies? Do you really wish to displease the man you never stop blabbing about?!”
The realization hit Hancock like lightning. She visualized Luffy staring at her with disappointment in his eyes before looking away. It made her heart shatter into a million tiny pieces.
She clenched her teeth before letting out a large breath. “Kuja pirates,” she instructed, “I have changed my mind. Their vessel is filthy and their food stores are undoubtedly contaminated. They are not worth our time and energy, we will be leaving at once.”
“But sister!” Sandersonia shouted.
“The things he said!” Marigold exclaimed.
“A snake does not care about the worthless opinions of a rat.” Hancock spoke as she swiveled away. “Let us cast off. I do not wish to hear any more of his crude drivel.”
And so they did. Hancock stayed in the cabin the entire time as their ship pulled away. She couldn’t help but scowl as she heard the other crew hooting and hollering in celebration from the distance.
The New World was a magnificent, vast, and gigantic place. She truly hoped that meant she’d never have the displeasure of running into that specific man again.