The fundamental reason Hancock had submitted to Ren was that she could neither protect her own life nor protect her country.
If carrying out his plan ended up destroying Kuja and dragging her into mortal danger as well, then there would be no meaning in submitting at all.
And now, this was the opportunity she had waited for.
Marine Headquarters could not possibly be Ren's "ally." For her, who had yet to cast off her identity as a Warlord of the Sea, this environment was advantageous.
It was equivalent to stripping away the trump card of his overwhelming strength.
The timing she had chosen was also extremely subtle. Hancock believed that this moment was most likely Ren's "weak point."
She wanted to seize enough advantage through coercion. Ideally, she could even turn the tables on Ren!
"Let me guess. You still want to know why I'm immune to petrification?"
"…Wrong!"
Hancock froze for an instant. Unwilling to follow Ren's lead, she simply lifted her smooth, jade-like chin slightly and said arrogantly, "This Princess wants to know what that scroll is used for."
"It sends you to a certain place. I suppose you could call it my base. After that, I'll ask you to take care of a few enemies for me."
Ren rubbed his chin and gave the plan he had already prepared. "But your current behavior is making things very difficult for me."
"Then don't do it!"
Hancock said through gritted teeth, "Do you think you still control the situation? The fact that this Princess hasn't made you beg me is already mercy enough.
"Now tell me. Why can you be immune to this Princess's petrification when you clearly harbor lust?"
"Only Haki transcends all. Do you understand what that means?"
"This Princess does not want to hear lies. Armament Haki cannot block petrification."
"That just means they weren't strong enough. Or rather, it means you are very strong."
Ren raised a hand. Advanced Armament Haki wrapped around his palm. "When Haki reaches a certain level, it can negate the effects of Devil Fruit abilities.
"If you don't believe that, you can take it another way. It's because I'm simply too gifted."
"…"
Hancock frowned. "Then don't use Armament Haki right now."
"Oh my. Planning to deal with me directly? Even though I was merciful enough to give you a choice."
Ren seemed somewhat displeased, but every point he mentioned danced across Hancock's landmines, making fury surge within her.
However, because she held the initiative now, Hancock did not fly into a rage. She merely sneered and said, "This Princess is the Snake Princess. Don't tell me you've never heard stories about snakes?"
Her finger lightly touched her lips, drawing out a pink heart. She bent it like a bowstring. "Since you say so, let us try it.
"Rest assured. This Princess will only petrify those sinful hands of yours. That is also my mercy.
"If you dodge, it will cause quite a commotion. If you negate this Princess's ability, I will take that as your refusal to cooperate and your decision to fight to the death."
"Is that so?"
Ren sighed, and his expression turned cold. "You're making me a little angry, Hancock."
"So what? This Princess does whatever she wants. And besides, did you not do those sinful things before?"
"What I mean is, do you really think everything is under your control?"
"…"
Ren's calm tone made Hancock unconsciously shrink back a little.
Indeed, this man had always behaved calmly and rationally. Every action he took had a purpose.
Before truly making a move, she had also worried whether he might counter her.
But… there was no way back now. Perhaps he was merely bluffing.
"Enough nonsense. This Princess will take back the suffering I endured from you, piece by piece!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Hancock fired Slave Arrow. Countless dense pink arrows fell across Ren's entire body.
She had not aimed only at his hands as she had claimed, but had cunningly targeted his whole body.
However… the scene that followed instantly sent Hancock's heart sinking into the abyss.
Ren truly did not dodge. Large patches of petrification appeared on his body, but in the next second, they rapidly vanished.
She had gambled wrong!
Boom!
Hancock stomped the floor violently, shattering that entire layer, while at the same time kicking out with a fierce strike that demolished nearly half of the villa.
Very soon, a stream of yellow light came rushing toward the sound. Photons gathered, forming Kizaru's figure.
"Oh my. What happened here?"
Kizaru hovered in midair. As his Observation Haki swept out, he only saw Hancock walking out alone.
"This Princess has something to tell your Marines. Look at this."
With a gloomy expression, Hancock took a Camera Den Den Mushi from her chest and tossed it over.
She had gambled wrong. Even at this critical juncture, the other party had refused to yield in the slightest.
But there was no meaning in regretting it now. She had to bring out a bargaining chip that could move Marine Headquarters and completely disrupt Ren's plan.
She had to find a way to make Marine Headquarters clash with Ren, buying time for Kuja to relocate.
She intended to open up the situation in the simplest and fastest way possible.
However…
Kizaru let out a voice filled with confusion and displeasure.
"Boa Hancock, are you so bored in the middle of the night that you came to amuse yourself at the Marines' expense?"
What did that mean?
Hancock froze. Before she could react, Kizaru displayed the contents inside the Camera Den Den Mushi.
A blank photo, with the word "idiot" written on it!
"How is that possible!"
Hancock's pupils contracted. She felt a chill shoot from her spine straight up to her scalp, as if her entire body had fallen into an ice cellar.
What was going on? She had clearly seized a gap and taken the photo. The Den Den Mushi had never left her body either… No!
Had he predicted and countered it in advance?
That attitude, that tone, and that speed—he had known what she was going to do all along!?
"Pirate Empress, if there is nothing else, please do not casually destroy Marine property, and do not disturb people's rest in the middle of the night.
"We're already off duty, yet I still have to come out and work overtime… Do you know how much this old man hates that?"
Kizaru's tone was unfriendly. "Or are you trying to tell me that an enemy attacked you inside heavily guarded Marine Headquarters?"
Hancock fell silent. After a moment, she made her choice.
At the fastest speed possible, she put on a pitiful, delicate expression.
"This Princess was merely careless for a moment. Can you forgive me?"
"…The Marines will arrange a new place for you as soon as possible. But do not let there be a next time."
Clearly, under the offensive of the world's most beautiful woman's appearance, Borsalino had no intention of pursuing the matter to the end.
Very soon, Hancock was given new accommodations.
She entered the bedroom. After confirming that Kizaru had left, she began to grow restless and uneasy.
She kept biting the nail of her thumb.
When the night had grown deep, she finally could not resist making the second call of the night.
Buru Buru—
Click.
The call connected, and Ren's voice rang out.
"Hello, hello?"
"Where are you?"
"In the middle of the night? What else could I be doing, jumping into the sea for a swim?"
"This Princess wants to see you. To talk again."
"Do you think the same trick can fool me a second time?"
"Fool you? Wasn't everything under your control?"
Hancock seized the key point and said coldly, "You saw through it but didn't interfere. You deliberately waited for me to make a move so you could seize my weakness and counter me again!"
"If I had candy in my hand, I'd reward you with one."
"This Princess has no interest in things children like.
"In that case, let us talk again. I will never accept the current situation."
"Is that so? Haha—"
A frivolous laugh sounded from the other end of the receiver. Then his tone turned cold.
"—Beg me. Don't make me say it twice."
"…I beg you."
Hancock bit her red lip lightly, but in the end, she chose submission once again.
"See? Isn't that obedient?"
Amid overlapping voices, Ren appeared in front of her. Mockingly, he placed his hand on the head of the unwilling-looking Hancock.
His fingers threaded through her black hair, then slid down over her smooth, jade-like forehead and landed on that breathtakingly beautiful face.
He pinched Hancock's cheek, his thumb pressing against her lips as he teased her tongue.
Hancock shuddered under the humiliation, but she could only clench her fists and endure it.
"Not enough. This alone isn't enough to calm my anger."
Ren did not let her go. His thumb pressed down against the root of her tongue. "Thinking something and actually doing it are two different things. I told you, didn't I?
"If you truly did something like this, what would you have to face?"
"Your plan still needs me," Hancock said indistinctly.
"Correct. But that is not a reason."
"What do you want?"
"That mouth of yours performed quite well just now. Can you give it to me?"
Ren teased her tongue with a half-smile. "You should know what I mean."
"…"
A flash of shame and anger passed through Hancock's eyes. She turned her head slightly and lowered it a little.
But very quickly, Ren's cold voice pressed down.
"I need a verbal answer."
"…Fine."
"That expression of yours really is beautiful."
Ren commented on Hancock's current expression with great seriousness. Then he stopped toying with the crimson lips that now belonged to him.
His palm moved all the way downward, following her snow-white swan neck and slipping into the full, compressed valley below.
While feeling that astonishing elasticity, his fingers searched around and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Hancock's eyes widened. Then she heard Ren say mockingly,
"Let me give you some advice. In front of me, don't trust any Den Den Mushi.
"Believe me. What they can record is only what I want them to record."
He turned on the Visual Den Den Mushi. The sound that came out was not the conversation from moments earlier, but a cold metallic voice.
"Moron."
The combination of Thunder and Flame Mastery plus Angel Radio Wave technology was just that impossible to solve!
Hancock trembled, then furiously raised her head and glared fixedly at Ren.
The latter shrugged and tossed the Den Den Mushi back.
"Don't look at me like that. I know what you want. After all, it's not as if I'm some demon.
"This time, let's just say it plainly. How about we establish a contract between you and me?"
Ren spread his hands and entered the next stage.
The reason he had not spoken openly and honestly with Hancock about this matter before was, in truth, preparation for what happened today.
Under the circumstances of their first contact, he did not believe Hancock would obediently follow any instruction.
This woman, arrogant and narcissistic to the extreme, was an unstable bomb.
If one thought brute force alone could conquer the Pirate Empress, that would be underestimating Hancock far too much.
The best way to handle her was to guide her into an opportunity, then crush it coldly and mercilessly.
It did not need to happen many times. With Hancock's mentality, one failure would be enough to leave her with the impression that "the other party cannot be defeated."
(End of Chapter)