Hancock was brought back to the office by Chiga. Less than ten minutes had passed since he had left.

Only Kalifa remained, sitting in Chiga's chair, flipping through documents. When she noticed Hancock, she blinked in surprise, then stood and stepped forward with a polite smile, extending a hand.

"Hello, I'm the Boss's secretary, Kalifa."

Hancock had seen Kalifa before. In fact, she had once imagined this woman sobbing bitterly at her wedding—so she couldn't help but feel a trace of hostility. She didn't really want to respond.

Standing nearby, Chiga gave Hancock a subtle look. Though it carried a hint of reproach, his expression held a softness. Reluctantly, Hancock reached out, shaking Kalifa's hand with a cold expression.

"Boa Hancock."

Kalifa smiled, winked at Chiga, and then left the office, giving the two their privacy.

As soon as she was gone, Hancock's posture shifted. She lowered her gaze, nervously fidgeted with her fingers, and unconsciously leaned closer to Chiga.

Of course, Chiga knew what she was thinking. He took her over to the sofa and pulled her into his lap without hesitation.

Hancock squirmed briefly before settling down, resting her head on his chest like a docile kitten. There was no sign of the proud Pirate Empress—just a quiet woman.

Chiga gently tapped her forehead and said softly,

"You'll be staying with Kalifa for the next few days. Her room's close to mine. If you need anything, just come find me."

Hancock's eyes dimmed slightly at the mention of Kalifa, but upon hearing the second part, her expression instantly lit up. She nodded quickly.

"This concubine will follow Chiga-sama's arrangements."

After a brief pause, Chiga remembered the coming war and added seriously,

"When it starts, don't engage Whitebeard or the other Emperors directly. Focus on the commanders. Your strength is enough to handle a few captains."

He didn't want Hancock to push herself too far for his sake. Recklessly challenging the Four Emperors would be too dangerous.

Hancock felt warmth in her chest at his concern. She responded in a soft voice,

"This concubine cares nothing for the Navy or the Four Emperors. This concubine listens only to Chiga-sama."

Her obedient tone brought a smile to Chiga's face. He leaned down and kissed her lightly, drawing a rosy flush to her cheeks.

The temperature in the room seemed to rise, but just then, Kalifa suddenly reentered.

Hancock immediately sat up, face composed and regal once more.

If not for the faint blush still on her cheeks, Kalifa might have believed her icy aura.

Suppressing a smirk, Kalifa reported calmly,

"Boss, Fleet Admiral Sengoku requests your presence in the main conference room."

Chiga nodded and told Hancock to stay with Kalifa for now. He stood and left for the meeting.

Thanks to Chiga, Kalifa didn't feel intimidated by Hancock. She smiled warmly and, despite Hancock's frosty expression, sat beside her without hesitation.

Hancock frowned. To her, there were only two types of people—Chiga, and everyone else.

She clearly disliked Kalifa's closeness, but remembering Chiga's words, she held back.

Kalifa, well aware of Hancock's temperament, had prepared for this. As Chiga's trusted secretary, she needed to manage her relationships with the women around him. So, she began chatting casually.

"Hancock, the Boss really values you. He even went personally to pick you up."

Kalifa's tactic was clever. She knew that talking about Chiga was the surest way to reach Hancock.

As expected, Hancock's lips curled in a faint smile. She gave a proud little hum.

Encouraged, Kalifa pressed on,

"Hancock, the Boss said you're the most beautiful woman in the world. Now I see it's true."

"Hancock, the Boss said you're graceful and warmhearted."

"Hancock, the Boss said—"

Each time she mentioned "the Boss said," Hancock's smile grew brighter. Her guard lowered visibly. She finally murmured,

"Did Chiga-sama really say those things?"

Kalifa smiled inwardly. Finally, a response. Now we're getting somewhere.

The two women began chatting at length—all about Uchiha Chiga.

---

Meanwhile, in the Marine Headquarters Conference Room...

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at the head of the table. To his right was Vice Admiral Tsuru, and to his left sat Chiga.

This seat had once belonged to Garp, but since the meeting heavily concerned Chiga, Sengoku had moved him up.

Garp didn't mind. Arms folded, his usual carefree look was gone, replaced by a rare seriousness. This war was too significant to ignore.

Sengoku's gaze swept across the room as he spoke gravely,

"This meeting is to finalize preparations for war. We'll be facing the full might of the Four Emperors' crews—there can be no mistakes!"

Everyone nodded, expressions solemn.

"Whitebeard's Devil Fruit is our biggest threat," Sengoku continued. "Kuzan, your Ice-Ice Fruit will be crucial. You'll need to counter the tsunamis he causes."

Aokiji nodded. Still, his gaze drifted to Chiga. This guy's power is far scarier than mine. I might not even get a chance to act.

Sengoku turned to Akainu next.

"Big Mom has an absurd physique. Normal attacks won't cut it. You'll take her on. Your Magma-Magma Fruit has the raw firepower we need."

(Which is confirmed in official data.)

Akainu tipped his cap and said firmly,

"Understood."

Sengoku trusted him. No further words were needed. He turned to Kizaru.

"Kaido can fly. Borsalino, your job is to restrain him."

Compared to Akainu's assignment, this one sounded easier. Sengoku didn't expect Kizaru to fight Kaido head-on—just slow him down.

But Kizaru gave a surprising response.

"Don't worry. I'll keep him grounded."

His unusual seriousness caught everyone off guard. Even the other admirals glanced at him in surprise.

Still, performance was performance. Sengoku gave a small nod of approval.

Kizaru smirked and resumed his usual aloof demeanor.

---

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