CHAPTER 172: CHAPTER 172: BECOME MINE, HANCOCK

"Lord Karl, please have some tea!"

Entering the cabin, Karl went into Hancock’s boudoir.

Because a large bed took up half the room, and considering her two sisters’ figures, Hancock hadn’t placed any chairs in the room.

Just as Karl was about to sit on the carpet, a pair of fair, small hands suddenly pushed him onto the bed, holding him down and not letting him stand.

After giving her sleeping place to her idol, Hancock sat on the carpet in a posture that would make one’s blood boil.

Seeing this, even the thick-skinned Karl felt a bit awkward.

But looking at Hancock, whose deep blue eyes seemed to be shining with golden light, Karl ultimately did not refuse and sat on the throne that belonged exclusively to the world’s most beautiful woman.

Looking at Hancock, who was only staring at him and not offering any explanation.

Just as Karl couldn’t resist breaking the atmosphere.

Hancock’s second sister, Sandersonia, suddenly handed him a cup of steaming tea.

"...Thank you."

The words that were about to come out of his throat were stopped. Karl could only smile and accept the tea, nodding at Sandersonia.

After taking a sip of the hot tea, which had no effect on him, Karl put down the teacup. Looking at Hancock’s fangirl expression, he said, "Hancock, let’s call you that! You don’t have to call me Lord Karl either, just Karl is fine."

"Ah... Lord Karl called me Hancock!"

However, the Empress before him seemed to have only heard the first half of Karl’s sentence.

Her body, sitting on the carpet, swayed slightly, as if she would fall over the next second. Her beautiful cheeks were flushed with excitement, leaving Karl slightly speechless.

This girl, after taking off her tyrant’s mask, was fine, just a little too innocent.

Just like in the original story, every word and every action of her idol was like a god descending to earth in her eyes.

Although this exaggerated performance, appearing on the world’s most beautiful woman, gave Karl a sense of accomplishment.

But at the same time, communicating with Hancock in this state was a little bit troublesome.

Even more troublesome than the crybaby Shirahoshi.

Because Shirahoshi at least possessed the world’s rare natural Observation Haki, which could ignore a person’s appearance and look directly into the depths of their soul.

As long as one was a good person, they could gain Shirahoshi’s favor.

And then, Shirahoshi would obediently listen to whatever they said.

"Your Majesty, please calm down..."

As if seeing Karl’s awkwardness, Sandersonia and Marigold, who were not far away, couldn’t help but cover their foreheads slightly. They then quickly walked to Hancock’s left and right sides, leaned down to their sister’s ear, and said in a voice that, although quiet, Karl could hear, "If you’re like this, you’ll scare Lord Karl away."

"...I was rude, Lord Karl!"

Hearing the words "scare away," Hancock instantly sobered up.

The blush on her face faded, and Hancock returned to her usual serious appearance. Looking at Karl, she said, "Lord Karl, are you wondering why I, despite meeting you for the first time, am showing such an appearance and attitude towards you?"

"...Indeed."

Karl nodded in cooperation.

"It’s simple, because... Lord Karl, you are the benefactor of my sisters and me."

Recalling the past, a trace of fear and struggle inevitably flashed across Hancock’s face.

As if she had made a decision.

Hancock suddenly turned her back to Karl, undid the top of her cheongsam, lifted her long, straight black hair, and revealed the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, which ruined the beauty of her delicate back.

She revealed the thing that, for over a decade, she had not dared to expose to anyone, the thing that even made her surround the palace when she bathed.

Because her back was to Karl, no one except her two sisters could see her expression.

But her next words trembled slightly, "My sisters and I were once slaves of the Celestial Dragons. It was only more than a decade ago, because of the Fish-Man hero Fisher Tiger’s rampage in Mary Geoise, that we were among the lucky ones who escaped from the Holy Land, Mary Geoise."

"But the slave mark on my body has made me live in fear of the Celestial Dragons all these years. And in countless nights, I have been awakened by those nightmare-like scenes."

"Although I escaped from Mary Geoise, for so many years, like those other lucky ones, I have actually been living in the cage of the Celestial Dragons, and my spirit has never been liberated."

"Until three years ago, when Lord Karl made history and, with the great feat of god-slaying, liberated the spirits of countless people trapped in cages... my sisters and I were among them."

As her last sentence fell, Hancock turned to face Karl, giving her idol a world-class "perk."

Looking at Karl, who was now showing an awkward expression because of this, Hancock didn’t care at all and continued, "From then on, my sisters and I were finally able to completely break free from the cage that the Celestial Dragons had imposed on us."

"The Celestial Dragons are no longer the descendants of the supreme creators, nor are they the World Nobles who cannot be resisted. Like us, they are trash with flesh and blood, who will die if they are killed."

Hearing Hancock naturally refer to the Celestial Dragons as trash.

Karl finally understood why Hancock had this fangirl-like appearance.

So that’s how it is... As expected of a woman with the disposition of a king.

Just because he had killed a Celestial Dragon, she, with her own ability, had climbed out of the dark abyss.

"You are an amazing woman, Hancock."

Karl couldn’t help but give Hancock a thumbs-up and say sincerely.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Karl."

Hancock, who also understood the meaning of Karl’s words, immediately showed the world’s most beautiful smile.

Her innate beauty, amplified by the charm of the Love-Love Fruit, made this heartfelt smile of Hancock’s, like Cupid’s arrow, accurately hit Karl’s heart.

In an instant, the overlord of the seas, Karl, also felt his heart skip a beat.

At this time, if Hancock were to launch a sneak attack on Karl and use her Love-Love Mellow, she would definitely be able to turn this overlord of the seas to stone.

Hancock’s capital for being ranked in the first tier of the Seven Warlords was her almost unsolvable rule-based ability.

"...Lord Karl, will you look down on me for having been a slave?"

After expressing her gratitude to Karl, which she had wanted to do for three years.

Hancock, who would not have shed a tear when recalling the past, now looked at Karl with an apprehensive expression.

This was the look of someone who cared immensely about their idol’s reaction.

Clearly...

Karl’s next words would determine whether he would completely redeem Hancock, or kick her back into the abyss with one foot.

Looking at this apprehensive woman, Karl felt both admiration and pity in his heart.

He admired Hancock for her three years of self-redemption, achieving a transcendence that she had not in the original story.

Killing a Celestial Dragon, for Karl, was just a change of stance, actually a trivial matter.

He had never thought that killing a Celestial Dragon would have such a great impact on this world and on countless people.

But Hancock’s heart-stirring appearance was, in a sense, also quite pitiful.

As the price for completing her self-redemption, Karl, in her heart, was clearly like a god descending to earth.

His every word would have a great impact on this world’s most beautiful woman.

If he showed disgust, the spirit of the other party, who had finally broken free from the cage of the Celestial Dragons and been liberated, would undoubtedly collapse again, and it was even possible that her whole person would break down.

Just one good word could completely conquer this woman and make her do anything.

A Hancock like this...

Rather than saying she had broken free from the cage of the Celestial Dragons, it was more like her master had just changed from the former Celestial Dragons to Karl.

Although the master had become an idol, and the slave had become a die-hard fan.

But there was not much difference.

It seems she’s another problem child like Yamato.

At this point, Karl’s thirst for Hancock had slightly decreased.

After all... f***ing a fan is illegal!

And so, Karl decided that, like with Yamato, he would find a time to correct Hancock.

Before correcting her, he didn’t mind being her master first.

Karl got off the bed, walked in front of Hancock, pinched her chin, raised her gaze slightly, and met her eyes.

"You’ve caught my eye..."

Karl showed a smile as brilliant as the sun, as if it had a golden light effect, and said gently, "Become mine, Hancock!"

As Karl’s words fell, that incomparably sincere and magnified emotion directly followed Hancock’s Observation Haki, broke into her spiritual space, dispelled the last of the darkness, forcefully shattered the insignificant brand of the Celestial Dragons, and imprinted Karl’s brand.

At this moment, two of the three peerless beauties of the pirate world had become Karl’s.

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