One Piece : Admiral Falcon is Pissed off again today!

The moment Michael finished speaking...

Without the slightest hesitation, another volley of arrows was unleashed.

"Damn, these bitche's cant see reason" Michael muttered, his lips twitching.

Pure white Holy Flames flickered to life on his Wings, incinerating every arrow mid-flight.

Faced with this overwhelmingly intimidating display, the elite warriors of the Kuja Pirates finally began to react.

This Marine...

Was a bit too strong.

And right now, the Kuja Pirates simply had no way to deal with such an absolute powerhouse.

"Done yet?" Michael glanced around at the Kuja warriors—some fat, some slender—all wearing unpleasant expressions.

"Then bring out whoever's in charge now. I already said your princess is in my hands. Don't you understand human speech?"

After Michael reiterated that Hancock was in his custody, a few senior Kuja warriors finally exchanged nods and disappeared into the massive cabin.

Before long, a pure white snake with purple spots emerged, carrying two elderly women on its back.

"I am Hyacinth."

"And I am Gomphrena."

The two tiny old ladies bowed slightly toward Michael from their perch.

Michael raised an eyebrow.

The original story had never provided detailed descriptions of the Kuja Pirates themselves—in fact, nearly all narrative focus on Amazon Lily had centered on the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.

But as a fully functioning nation, it made perfect sense for them to have elderly retainers like these to maintain order.

Especially during this difficult transitional period following the previous empress's recent death.

"You two are currently the highest-ranking members of the Kuja Pirates, correct?"

"Our sisterhood enjoyed the late empress's complete trust. Until the princess comes of age and ascends the throne, we temporarily command the Kuja Pirates and oversee Amazon Lily's affairs."

Michael nodded.

That made sense.

Surely the original story's Amazon Lily couldn't have had only Gloriosa as their sole respected elder?

Given the physical constitution of Amazon Lily's women, unless killed in battle, they'd likely live exceptionally long lives.

"You mentioned earlier... that Amazon Lily's princess is in your possession?"

"Correct. That little one called Hancock, along with her two younger sisters, are all aboard my warship." Michael shrugged.

"I genuinely didn't expect that after the Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily died, your princess could be kidnapped right under your noses by some pirate with a mere 70 million berry bounty."

"Sir Marine, was it you who defeated that pirate and saved Hancock?" The old woman named Gomphrena was visibly shaken, her face filled with the relief of having regained something precious.

But her elder sister, Hyacinth, kept her eyes fixed on Michael's face and asked.

"What exactly does the Marine require from us in exchange for returning our princess?"

She didn't believe a Marine officer would be so kind as to rescue the princess of Amazon Lily without ulterior motives.

First, though their nation had been forced by geographical circumstances to take to the seas as pirates, the fact remained that they were a pirate nation.

Second, Amazon Lily was not a member nation of the World Government and in the eyes of many Marine officers, they weren't even considered "people."

Given this context, her caution was absolutely justified.

"Well, this matter... is certainly worth discussing in detail."

Michael glanced back briefly.

Thanks to his interference, the Perfume Yuda had failed to continue obstructing his Ship.

Seeing that the Ship had now docked securely along Amazon Lily's coastline, Michael smiled at the two elderly women before him and said,

"My warship has already anchored. Why don't we discuss the specifics in more detail... once we're inside Amazon Lily?"

Without giving the Kuja Pirates any time to react, Michael spread his wings and soared into the sky.

A few indignant Amazon warriors tried to aim at Michael midair, only to find they couldn't lock onto his figure at all…

His flight speed far exceeded their expectations and in an instant, he was beyond their effective firing range.

"Lady Hyacinth, what should we do…?"

"It seems the princess was indeed saved by this Marine. We should follow and see what conditions he intends to propose."

"But what if his demands are too excessive…?"

"With the power he just displayed, wiping out our temporarily leaderless Kuja Pirates would be effortless." Hyacinth glanced at the veteran warrior who had spoken.

"If he wanted something, he could just kill us all and take it. Unless… what he wants requires us to be alive."

***

By the time Michael approached the Ship, the members of SWORD had already set foot on the land of Amazon Lily.

Meanwhile, the three Little Boa sisters, under Shakky's guidance, had also returned to their homeland.

At that moment, the three children were nearly overcome with joy.

When they had first been kidnap, their hearts had been filled with despair.

They had even dreamed of the horrors they would endure as slaves to the Celestial Dragons.

Though they didn't know exactly what Celestial Dragons were or what they looked like, they had heard stories since childhood of their unspeakable atrocities.

"Alright, no more crying." Shakky patted the little girls' heads, her expression softening with rare maternal warmth.

"You're safely home now."

The three of them wiped their eyes and nodded repeatedly.

Though Marigold had stopped crying, she couldn't suppress her hiccups.

This scene was witnessed by Michael.

A faint layer of Holy Light gently descended and Marigold's involuntary trembling ceased.

"How did the negotiations go?" Shakky raised an eyebrow at Michael.

"The Kuja Pirates aren't exactly the most reasonable bunch."

"They are indeed fierce" Michael admitted with a nod.

"But unfortunately for them, circumstances forced their hand. With Hancock in my possession, even the most stubborn one have to listen."

Shakky sighed at his words, then lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

In this world, the one thing you could never afford to lose was power.

Once it was gone, suffering followed relentlessly.

"Feeling a bit frustrated?" Michael frowned, casting a soft barrier of Holy Light between the secondhand smoke and the three children.

"No, I'm feeling grateful" Shakky shook her head.

"Grateful that it was you we encountered, Michael."

"Don't celebrate too soon. As pirates, your lives may be uncertain, but at least you don't have to face far more terrifying enemies."

Under the curious gazes of the three children, Michael said to Shakky.

"But as Marines, what we face goes far beyond these small hardships."

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