As children, the three Boa sisters lived without worry. When they turned twelve, they officially boarded the ship of the Kuja Pirates and became apprentice pirates, excited to finally step into the world of the sea.
That same year, everything was taken from them.
Slave traders attacked their ship and abducted the three sisters. After being passed around through countless hands, they were eventually delivered to the Mary Geoise and forced to become slaves of the Celestial Dragons. The first men they ever met in their lives were monsters disguised as nobles, and from that moment on, the sisters developed a deep and lasting hatred toward men.
Those four years of slavery were nothing short of hell. Every day they lived in fear, and every day slaves died around them. Despair slowly crushed their spirits, and just when it seemed they could not endure any longer, someone appeared.
A man climbed the Holy Land itself.
Not only did he set Mary Geoise ablaze and create chaos, he also freed thousands of slaves from the Celestial Dragons. That man was Fisher Tiger, a legendary fish-man adventurer and a figure of immense respect on Fish-Man Island.
During his travels, Fisher Tiger had once been captured by humans and turned into a slave. After finally escaping, instead of hiding, he returned to Mary Geoise with one purpose, to free the others who were still suffering. He carried only two wishes in his heart. One was for fish-men to walk proudly under the sun, and the other was for a world without slavery.
After freeing the slaves, he formed the Sun Pirates and personally returned many of the freed slaves to their homes. Because of this, he became one of the greatest enemies of the World Government.
A hero like that deserved respect, yet he was ultimately betrayed by humans. When he was dying, he refused a blood transfusion from a human. Only at the very end did his convictions begin to waver. Even so, he remained a hero worthy of mourning.
Aether listened quietly as the story ended.
"What a truly admirable man. I would have liked to meet him and call him a friend."
After hearing the truth behind Boa Hancock and her sisters, Aether felt both sympathy for them and regret for Fisher Tiger. Hancock's eyes filled with tears as she thought about the man who had saved her life.
"If our benefactor had not saved us, he would never have died."
The atmosphere grew heavy for a moment, but after talking with them for a while longer, Aether stood up to leave. Hancock was only loosely covered by a thin top, revealing far too much skin. Even for someone like him, it was a dangerous situation. During their conversation, his eyes had drifted more than once. After all, he was still a young man full of energy.
Fortunately, the matter of borrowing a ship went smoothly. Hancock agreed without hesitation. In two days, the Kuja Pirates would personally escort him away from Amazon Lily.
That night, the women of the island held a grand banquet. Fine wine and countless delicacies filled the hall. As the only two men present, Aether and Monkey D. Luffy were completely surrounded. The women closed in so tightly that there was barely any space left to breathe.
Most of them had never seen a man before, so their curiosity was impossible to hide. Hands reached out constantly, touching his arms, shoulders, and even his face. Aether considered himself someone who understood desire very well, but even he could not tolerate being treated like a rare animal. He preferred to be the one in control, not the one being harassed by dozens of women.
Some of them even tried to touch places they definitely should not. Fortunately, Aether noticed in time and moved away. This situation felt worse than fighting an enemy. Luffy, on the other hand, was far too busy eating to care about anything else.
In the end, the two of them escaped to the rooftop with their food. Not long after, Gloriosa also came up. She was very curious about these two young men who had dared to attack the Celestial Dragons.
She handed them a bottle of wine that she had kept for many years and asked calmly, "Aether, what are you planning to do after leaving Amazon Lily? If it is something secret, you do not need to answer."
Aether pushed away Luffy, who was trying to steal the wine, and replied honestly.
"First, I will meet a few old friends. After that, I will probably head to Marineford."
Gloriosa's expression changed slightly. "Marineford? Do you know what is about to happen there? A massive war is coming. With your crime of killing a Celestial Dragon, you will definitely become a target."
Aether pressed Luffy down with one hand as the boy continued trying to grab the wine. Using Armament Haki, he knocked two bumps onto Luffy's head.
"Ow, that hurts! What was that for? I only wanted a sip!"
Ignoring the complaints, Aether finally answered, "It would be a shame to miss such an interesting event. Besides, many old acquaintances will be there."
Gloriosa nodded slowly. "A man like you would never miss something like that. Still, the sea is full of fools who die for glory. I hope you survive."
Aether smiled lightly. "I appreciate the concern."
Luffy looked completely confused. He did not understand anything they were talking about. Even the meat in his hand suddenly felt tasteless.
"Old lady, what war are you talking about?"
Gloriosa looked at him seriously. "You really do not know? Portgas D. Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, will be executed at Marineford. This will definitely lead to a war between the Marines and Whitebeard."
The words struck Luffy like lightning. The meat fell from his mouth as his expression turned pale.
"Ace… Ace is going to be executed? That is impossible. No, I have to save him. I have to go right now!"
He immediately tried to rush away, but Aether pressed him down again.
"Where exactly are you going in the middle of the night? Do you even have a ship? Do you even know where Marineford is?"
Only then did Luffy realize how helpless he was. He had no ship, no crew, and no plan. Desperation filled his face as he grabbed Aether's sleeve.
"You have a ship, Aether. Please take me there. Ace is my brother. I am begging you!"
Seeing the tears and the running nose, Aether pushed him away in disgust.
"I am not taking you. We are not heading in the same direction. But if you ask Hancock, she might help you. Also, with your current strength, going to Marineford is suicide. However, if you go to Impel Down first, you might have a chance to save him."
Luffy froze for a moment, stunned by the suggestion.
Gloriosa, however, was speechless. Impel Down was known as an iron fortress. In hundreds of years, only one man had ever escaped, the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki, and he had paid for it with both of his legs. Even an admiral would not dare to underestimate that place.
Yet Aether spoke about it as if it were nothing.
While the three of them were still talking, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from below. Boa Sandersonia rushed onto the rooftop, her expression filled with panic.
"Elder, something is wrong. Sister has suddenly fallen ill. Please come quickly."
"What?" Gloriosa stood up in shock. "The Snake Princess fell ill at a time like this?"
Aether's eyes narrowed slightly. A strange feeling rose in his heart.
The four of them hurried toward Hancock's chamber. When they arrived, they saw Hancock lying on the bed, her body covered in sweat. Her breathing was weak, and her face was pale, as if a burning fever was consuming her from within.
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Sorry for the late update.
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