Amazon Lily — The Island of Women.
Deep within the royal palace—
A tall, breathtaking woman sat upon the throne.
Her jet-black hair was styled in her signature regal fashion, revealing a smooth, flawless forehead. Her rare deep-blue eyes shimmered faintly. Her already statuesque figure was accentuated perfectly by her cheongsam-style attire.
She was none other than the Pirate Empress—Boa Hancock.
Unlike her usual cold and aloof demeanor, the Hancock holding the Den-Den Mushi now looked… shy.
"Han… Hancock!"
"He called my name again!"
Just hearing Rōmu's voice through the receiver made the proud Empress melt instantly.
But she knew this was a formal report, so she forced herself to steady her mind and spoke clearly:
"Supreme Leader."
"As you predicted, the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Ace, has been defeated by Blackbeard and handed over to the Marines."
On the other end of the call—
Rōmu did not reply immediately.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop as he fell into thought.
"So… Ace still lost to Blackbeard."
Nearly forty years had passed since the God Valley War.
To avoid attracting Imu's attention, Rōmu had remained completely hidden behind the scenes. Aside from a few core confidants, no one in the world knew he was still alive.
And during those decades, he had barely interfered with world events. History had largely unfolded along its original course:
The Rocks Pirates collapsed
Roger reached the final island and learned the truth of history
Roger surrendered and was executed the following year
The Great Age of Pirates began
Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Shanks became the Four Emperors
Monkey D. Luffy set sail
The Marines had changed as well:
Sengoku became Fleet Admiral
Garp was hailed as the Hero of the Marines
Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji became the new Admirals
Zephyr defected after his faith collapsed
But Rōmu had not been idle either.
Amatsuki Toki—who in the original timeline would have met Oden after being trafficked to Kuri—had instead been rescued by him… and had naturally become his first wife.
As for Boa Hancock—
He had taken her in during childhood, preventing her enslavement by the Celestial Dragons. Later, through various means, he still obtained the Mero Mero no Mi for her, granting her the same petrification power she possessed in the original timeline.
After she reached adulthood, he returned her to Amazon Lily, allowing her to become its Empress just as fate intended.
"Supreme Leader…"
Hancock's soft voice came through again, pulling Rōmu from his thoughts.
"Yes, Hancock," he replied calmly.
"Soon, the Marines will invite you to Marineford to witness Ace's public execution. Do not refuse. Accept."
He gave no explanation.
"Understood, Supreme Leader."
Just hearing him call her name again made Hancock's heart race.
"Anything else?" Rōmu asked.
"N-No… nothing…"
She answered hesitantly.
"Then I'll—"
Rōmu was about to hang up. The Paramount War was approaching; he still had several matters to arrange.
But just before the line cut—
A hurried, embarrassed voice burst out:
"W-When will you come to me again…? I-I mean… come to your subordinate?!"
The moment the words left her mouth—
Hancock's face turned scarlet to the ears.
"Ah—!!"
"I said it wrong! I said it wrong!"
"Will the Supreme Leader hate me now?!"
Regret and anticipation tangled violently in her chest.
"Subordinate?"
A strange flicker passed through Rōmu's heart.
He suddenly realized—the girl who used to cling to him like a little shadow had long since grown into a woman.
"Perhaps… after the Paramount War, I should relax a little."
The thought amused him.
A faint smile touched his lips as he spoke into the receiver, voice low and teasing:
"From now on… don't call yourself a subordinate."
The words were gentle.
But to Hancock, they struck like thunder.
"Did he just… allow me…?"
Her mind exploded into blooming fireworks.
Her body went weak; her fingers trembled so much she nearly dropped the receiver.
"You alright, Hancock?" Rōmu asked.
"I-I am!"
She answered instantly, terrified he might hang up.
Silence hung for a heartbeat.
Then—
In a voice soft as silk, trembling with emotion, she whispered:
"…Your consort… is here."
"This is better," Rōmu said lightly.
Then he hung up.
On his side, nothing much had changed—aside from a faintly lifted mood.
But for Hancock—
It felt as if the world itself had transformed.
The Den-Den Mushi clicked silent.
She stared blankly ahead… then collapsed onto the floor, completely boneless.
"Supreme Leader…"
"He… he told me to call myself… consort…"
Her voice dissolved into breathless murmurs.
She had followed Rōmu since she was about ten years old. To her, he was not merely a leader—he was her king, her world, her everything.
With him in her life, no other man could ever enter her heart.
So despite her regal exterior, she had zero experience with love.
Today, by accident, she had revealed her deepest feelings—and received his acknowledgment.
The proud "Empress of the Seas" fell completely into the fantasy of love.
As for Rōmu—
He felt far less turbulence.
After all, he already had Amatsuki Toki. Matters of romance no longer shook him easily.
"Time to meet those old relics again," he murmured.
He closed Hancock's Den-Den Mushi… and dialed another.
At that same moment—
In the office of the ruler of the world's greatest entertainment city, Gran Tesoro—
A Den-Den Mushi placed at the highest position began to ring.
"Purururu…"
A middle-aged man draped in gold chains froze instantly.
He hurriedly straightened his tie, then picked up the receiver.
"Supreme Leader."
"This is Tesoro. What are your orders?"
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