Hancock dodged the incoming strike, shifting her weight with fluid grace as she closed the distance toward the beleaguered warriors of Amazon Lily. As she moved, the true scale of the devastation wrought by her opponent's ability became chillingly clear.
Nothing remained of the lush jungle; trees and ancient plants had been torn upward by their roots, leaving the ground parched and arid. It looked as though a localized natural disaster had ground the very life out of the earth.
"Sister..." Marigold coughed, struggling to find her footing.
"We're fine, Snake Princess..." The female warriors began to stand one after another. Their expressions were taut with embarrassment, their regal combat gear tattered and stained with dust.
Guarana looked solemnly at Hancock, her voice thick with urgency. "Princess Snake, run! We will throw ourselves at him to buy you the time you need!"
"I beg of you, get out of here," Marigold added, nodding firmly. "No matter what happens to us, you must ensure your own safety. You are the hope of this island."
Marigold didn't wait for an answer. She turned to the survivors, waving her weapon high. "Warriors of Amazon Lily, follow me! We charge—"
"Enough!" Hancock's voice sliced through the air, cold and absolute. She looked at her subjects with an indifferent, forceful expression. "As the Queen of Amazon Lily, I am giving you a direct order. All of you, evacuate this area immediately. Whoever dares to disobey the word of this Empress will suffer a punishment befitting those who take my commands lightly!"
From the settling dust, Chameleone walked forward slowly. A sneer twisted his features, radiating an insufferable arrogance. "Heh, heh, heh... Boa Hancock, don't even bother. Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
He flicked his long tongue out with a wet hiss, laughing. "Gijigijigiji! These hostages are my best leverage to subdue you. Why would I let my winning hand just walk away?" He tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Besides, look at them. Do you honestly believe they have the speed to escape me?"
Chameleone stopped, planting his feet. "I will ask you one last time: will you be my wife? If your answer dissatisfies me, I'll start the executions." He scanned the crowd of women before pointing a jagged finger at Margaret. "Her. She dies first."
Margaret didn't flinch. She raised her bow, an arrow notched and drawn to her ear in a single motion. "You damned bastard, go to hell!" The arrowhead turned a polished, obsidian black—heavily coated in Armament Haki.
"Does no one listen to the words of this Empress?" Hancock's eyes turned ice-cold as she looked at Margaret.
Margaret startled, the sheer pressure of Hancock's gaze forcing her to lower her weapon. She bowed her head quickly. "Princess Snake, I... I am sorry. I let my anger cloud my judgment. I will leave at once."
"My Lady, we are retreating now," Sandersonia and Marigold added. Seeing Hancock in such a state, they knew further argument was useless.
"Good! Fine!" Chameleone spread his arms, laughing conceitedly. "Gijigijigiji... It seems you don't take me seriously at all, Boa Hancock. My patience has reached its limit." His smile turned sinister. "I won't ask again. I'll simply catch them and slaughter them one by one until you are begging to nod your head. If you don't agree, I'll kill every living thing on this island."
He began to walk toward Margaret with agonizing slowness. He wasn't in a hurry; he wanted to savor the terror. This was psychological warfare, designed to break Hancock's spirit before breaking her body.
"Stop!" Hancock roared, sprinting toward Chameleone. She had to intercept him, to give her sisters even a few more seconds to vanish into the treeline.
"Go! Now!" Marigold hissed through gritted teeth as the Amazon Lily fighters scattered, fleeing in desperate, diverging directions.
"You think you can stop me?" Chameleone sneered as Hancock launched a devastating kick. "I told you, you're too slow." With a sharp swish, he blurred to the right, effortlessly evading her.
He watched the fleeing warriors and his cruel smile widened. "Escape? You think there is anywhere to hide? No matter how far you run, you cannot outrun the reach of a God."
He slowly raised his right hand, pointing a single fingertip toward the retreating figure of Margaret. A tiny, silent spot of golden light appeared at the tip. Within a heartbeat, the dot expanded into a shimmering halo, emitting a radiance so intense it dyed the entire clearing in hues of gold.
"Boa Hancock," Chameleone said, not even looking at his target, "do you truly believe you can move faster than the speed of light?"
Hancock's heart sank. Her brow furrowed in bitter realization. "Damn it... that's Admiral Kizaru's ability." She gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with rage. "I warn you—if you harm my people, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth, no matter the cost!"
She was desperate. Chameleone was too versatile; his Kopi Kopi no Mi allowed him to cycle through the most devastating powers in the world. Against such a repertoire, she felt the crushing weight of the strength gap between them. Aside from threats, she was powerless to stop the impending beam of light.
"Boa Hancock, you have disappointed me and broken my heart!" Chameleone cried out with theatrical excitement. "I am the strongest man in the world, and you are the most beautiful woman. We are destiny! Why do you reject me? If your stubbornness kills these women, their blood is on your hands."
He laughed fiercely. "For your refusal, someone must pay. Watch closely, and let the regret rot your soul! Hahaha!"
He turned his gaze back to Margaret, who was nearly at the edge of the clearing. "It's too late!" The light on his finger intensified, reaching a blinding crescendo.
"Is it, though?"
A faint, calm voice echoed through the forest, cutting through the sound of crackling energy.
Chameleone froze. The golden light at his fingertip flickered and died in an instant. The warriors who were fleeing stopped in their tracks, spinning around to locate the source of the voice.
Standing silently near the center of the devastation was a young man dressed entirely in black. His hands were tucked casually into his pockets, his posture relaxed as if he were merely taking a stroll through a park rather than a war zone.
"Who the hell are you?" Chameleone demanded, his arrogance replaced by a sharp, sudden vigilance. He hadn't sensed the man's approach. To move that quickly without triggering his observation was a feat of terrifying speed.
"Drake!" Hancock gasped. Her eyes brightened instantly, and a sweet, radiant smile replaced her mask of fury. "How did you know I was here? Did you come specifically to see me? Oh, I am so happy!" She pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks, her regal persona melting into that of a woman in love.
Chameleone's face contorted. Seeing the woman he coveted look at another man with such genuine affection sent a wave of murderous jealousy through him. "Boa Hancock is mine!" he screamed. "She belongs to me! Everything she is, everything she has, is mine!"
He turned his hateful gaze toward Drake. "I'll torture you until you beg for the sweet release of death. And you—" he glared back at Hancock—"you bitch, how dare you look at another man like that? When I'm done with him, I'll ensure you learn your place."
Farther away, the Amazon Lily warriors let out a collective breath of relief.
"Mr. Drake is here," Marigold whispered, wiping sweat from her brow. "We're safe."
Sandersonia nodded vigorously. "Sister said he has the strength of an Admiral. That bastard Chameleone is finished now. He's no match for Drake."
Guarana clenched her fists, her excitement palpable. "Even if that freak is strong, he can't handle Drake and the Snake Princess together. The tide has turned."
Drake looked over at Hancock, his expression as calm and detached as ever. "You're overthinking things again," he said simply. "Your sisters called me for help. I came. It's as simple as that."
Hancock's smile twitched. She spun around to face Marigold and Sandersonia, her tone shifting to sharp dissatisfaction. "Who gave you permission to call Drake? You two... ugh! If you do this again without my word, I won't be so forgiving!"
The sisters bowed quickly, wearing cautious, knowing smiles. "Yes, yes, My Lady... our apologies."
Hancock turned back to Drake, her eyes shimmering again. "Drake, even if you didn't come just for me, the fact that you ran to my side the moment you heard I was in danger... it makes me the happiest woman in the world!"
"Enough of this!" Chameleone shrieked. The sight of Hancock's devotion to Drake was the final straw. "I'll kill you first, then I'll break her!"
He shifted his stance, and his right hand instantly turned a deep, bubbling red. Thick magma began to sizzle and drip, generating a massive heat wave that sent black smoke billowing into the sky. The temperature in the clearing skyrocketed.
"Drake, be careful!" Hancock warned, her voice tight with anxiety. "He has the Kopi Kopi fruit. He can mimic any ability he's encountered. He's using Akainu's power now!"
Drake didn't offer a verbal response. He kept his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on Chameleone with an indifferent stare. He didn't move an inch as the ground beneath Chameleone began to melt.
"You're dead!" Chameleone bellowed. "Great Eruption!"
He lunged, throwing a massive fist of molten rock into the air. The magma surged forward, expanding into a gigantic fist that radiated a terrifying heat. With a deafening roar, the fist fractured in mid-air, transforming into dozens of volcanic meteorites that streaked toward Drake like guided missiles.
The warriors of Amazon Lily screamed, diving for cover as the sky turned a hellish orange.
"Can Drake actually handle that?" Marigold cried out, shielded by her arms.
"He has to," Sandersonia whimpered. "Otherwise, we're all going to burn."
Guarana watched with a grim expression. "That bastard Chameleone was holding back this whole time. This is on a completely different level. Drake, please..."
Hancock's face paled as the meteorites closed in. "Drake! Move!"
The volcanic projectiles screamed through the air, their heat singing the very oxygen. Drake watched them come, his eyes never widening, his pulse never quickening.
In a literal "swish" of displaced air, he vanished.
The meteorites slammed into the empty earth where he had been standing, causing a series of massive explosions that rocked the island. But Drake wasn't there.
Before Chameleone could even register that his target was gone, a shadow fell over him. He looked up, his eyes widening in shock to find Drake hovering in the air directly above him.
Without a word, and with his hands still mostly in his pockets, Drake swung a devastating, Haki-infused blow. The punch connected squarely with Chameleone's arrogant face, the impact echoing through the forest like a cannon blast.
Chameleone's head snapped back, his body trailing a streak of displaced air as he was driven straight into the parched earth, the force of the strike cratering the ground for meters around. The "strongest man" was silenced in a single, indifferent motion.
Hancock stood frozen, her heart soaring as she watched Drake land softly on the edge of the new crater. The danger hadn't just been diverted; it had been utterly crushed.