Hancock clutched the paper in her hands, gripping it tightly for fear of losing it, completely unconcerned that Katakuri might have already memorized the prescription.
But she was also afraid of crumpling the paper, so she could only extend her fingers delicately like orchid petals, holding the blank edges of the paper, exerting force while at the same time barely daring to apply any pressure at all.
This gesture of fearing it would grow cold in her hands, or melt in her mouth, fully demonstrated just how much importance Hancock placed on this prescription.
The Pirate Empress's gaze was serious and solemn.
It was the look of someone who had already made up her mind—no matter what, even if it meant turning against Katakuri and coming to blows, she would obtain this prescription no matter what!
"Name your price, man."
She took a deep breath, and her already generous bosom immediately appeared even more ample.
"This prescription—I am determined to have it!"
Seeing Hancock speak this way, Gloriosa opened her mouth, but ultimately let out a soft sigh and did not argue.
She knew well how humiliating the Dragon's Hoof brand on her back was to Hancock.
At the same time, it was also a super time bomb. If discovered, it would be enough to blow Hancock—and even Amazon Lily—to pieces!
In fact, two years ago, she had believed that the vile Big Mom Pirate Crew would use the secret that Hancock was a slave who had escaped from the Celestial Dragons and bore the Dragon's Hoof brand on her back to turn Amazon Lily into their subsidiary territory.
But then Katakuri fell in love with Hancock, allowing Amazon Lily to dodge that disaster.
"For someone like you, Hancock, this prescription is undoubtedly a priceless treasure."
Katakuri smiled.
That smile appearing on his demonic face was quite fitting. It made Hancock, her two sisters, and Gloriosa's hearts sink.
They had already prepared themselves for him to demand an exorbitant price.
However, Katakuri suddenly changed his tone.
"But to me, Hancock, your bikini attire is equally a priceless treasure."
"So, trading priceless treasure for priceless treasure—I think that's quite fair!"
Just as Hancock was about to say with a grim expression, "Are you mocking me?" Katakuri suddenly stood up from the sofa and waved at the four of them.
"I still have matters to attend to back on Whole Cake Island, so I won't disturb you ladies any longer. When I have the chance to visit again, Hancock, remember to wear my priceless treasure and show it to me!"
With that, he pushed off with his feet, and like a light and agile great bird, vanished from before their eyes in an instant.
"Hmph, foolish man."
Watching Katakuri's move that looked cool but was actually incredibly stupid, Hancock sneered inwardly.
"Does he think this little bit of kindness will make me weep with gratitude? I am a pirate! For pirates, there is no such thing as gratitude or obligation!"
"Go prepare."
Looking at the prescription, Hancock paused for a moment, then handed it to her sister.
"Let me test whether this prescription is real or not."
…
On the ship, still sprinkling spices and roasting Sea Kings.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted, and he saw Katakuri swiftly return to the ship.
Surprised, he blurted out.
"Katakuri-nii, why are you so fast this time? It's been less than half an hour!"
Katakuri: …
A man can never be called fast!
He gave his unfortunate little brother a speechless side glance and shook his head.
"I suddenly remembered there are things I need to do. Have the men speed things up and prepare to set sail back!"
"Oh."
Cracker had no idea what was going on. But since Katakuri had said so, he sent someone down to hurry along the loading process.
An hour later, the ship set sail and departed from Amazon Lily.
On the deck, while enjoying the breeze and eating the freshly roasted Sea King he had just prepared, Cracker spoke to Katakuri with a mouthful of food.
"Katakuri-nii, what happened?"
"You'll find out once we get back."
Katakuri smiled, keeping it a mystery.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Cracker. Rather, this was something he intended to do directly, without telling anyone.
This was something he had thought about many times ever since he had been transported here three years ago!
Before all the Su Yues, Katakuri decided to make a big splash first!
…
Sailing from Amazon Lily to Whole Cake Island in "Totto Land," even with a ship speed no slower than that of an average Marine vice admiral's warship, traversing the Calm Belt would still take several days.
During this time, turning to face the large mirror newly installed in the bathhouse, gazing at the smooth, radiant bare back with not a single scar on it, Hancock's heart pounded violently, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
She closed her eyes in disbelief, running her hands over and over across the back that had once been covered in ugly scars, tears falling uncontrollably.
Gone! Every touch that had once made her feel nauseous to the point of vomiting, fearful to the point of terror—those burn marks had completely vanished, not even a trace remaining!
"Elder sister!"
"Elder sister!"
Likewise, beside her, her two younger sisters had also seen the Heavenly Dragon hoof brands on their backs disappear completely.
"There really is a medicine in this world that can erase the Heavenly Dragon hoof brand!"
In her excitement, Sandersonia's legs transformed into their serpent form.
Though compared to Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, who also had serpent tails, her appearance somewhat dragged down the standard of "serpent-tailed young ladies."
Marigold touched her own back, speaking with genuine joy.
"The prescription Katakuri gave us—it was actually real!"
"Ah!"
But just as she finished speaking, Boa Hancock suddenly turned pale, letting out a soft cry.
She clutched her chest, groaning in pain, startling her two younger sisters.
"Elder sister?"
Sandersonia immediately rose from the bath, panicked.
"Could it be that Katakuri put poison in the prescription?!"
"Ah!"
Once again, Hancock's face went deathly pale, and she collapsed limply against Marigold.
Marigold supported her sister, speaking in alarm.
"That's not right? We used the same prescription Katakuri gave us, and we're fine?"
"Ah!"
In her arms, Hancock let out a third cry of pain.
Seeing their elder sister in such a rare state of weakness, both princesses panicked.
They quickly draped a bathrobe over Hancock and summoned Gloriosa to see what was happening.
Upon hearing that Hancock was in trouble, Gloriosa hurried over, rushing into the palace in a few quick strides.
But after a series of examinations, she placed a warm towel over Hancock's forehead, looking puzzled.
"Snake Princess's body is fine. It's just that for some unknown reason, her heart is beating so fast!"
She turned to the anxious Sandersonia and Marigold and asked.
"Tell me in detail—what exactly happened just now?"
Sandersonia and Marigold recounted every detail of the matter. Throughout the process, Hancock cried out in pain again, each time even more intensely than the last.
Putting the facts together, though somewhat hard to believe, Gloriosa had more or less figured out the situation.
"How terrible. It was fine for the past two years—why is it coming now? Could it be because of the medicine?"
Gloriosa closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
Indeed. Judging from Hancock's experience, Katakuri, who helped erase the Celestial Dragon's brand from her back, would likely be unforgettable to her for a lifetime.
That debt of gratitude, combined with Katakuri's overwhelming strength.
Even if his looks fell slightly short, in the pirate world, the strong reign supreme!
With that in mind, Hancock's behavior made perfect sense.
Seeing that Gloriosa seemed to have realized something, Sandersonia quickly asked.
"Granny Nyon, what exactly is wrong with sister?"
"This is a trial that every Empress of Amazon Lily has struggled to overcome—one that no one has ever conquered! Including me, my predecessor, and my successor—all of us have fallen at this hurdle!"
At that moment, Gloriosa let out a deep sigh, her expression utterly grave.
Under the tense and pressured gazes of Sandersonia and Marigold, she raised her cane high and declared with the utmost seriousness.
"Its name is: Love, striking like a raging storm!"
The three Boa sisters: !!
On the other side, if Katakuri ever learned of this, he would weep bitter tears.
Two years—a full two years!
He had spent two years and countless resources to give Luffy the effect of two hours of protagonist's plot armor—it had been no easy feat!
To a beautiful twenty-seven-year-old woman, a forty-six-year-old old man was, after all, not as appealing as a seventeen-year-old youth!
…
The first half of the Grand Line, Dressrosa.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, draped like silver gauze, while a brilliant river of stars sparkled in dazzling splendor.
Doflamingo, who had just finished a gathering with Su Yue and the others, wore a coat as flamboyant as a flamingo's feathers. Holding a glass of red wine, he stood in the palace, gazing into the distance.
"Aside from Imu, everyone else right now probably wants to make a big splash, don't they?"
This outfit, exaggerated like something a rock star would wear, had actually been something Doflamingo initially refused.
But he reasoned that worlds with transmigrators like himself were probably even more numerous than the parallel worlds of the Pirate King.
So, to blend in with the "natives" and avoid being discovered as abnormal, he decisively chose to dress exactly like the original Doflamingo.
"But I'm not lacking either."
He raised his glass in a toast to all directions.
Three days from now, Jack the Drought, one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, would arrive in Dressrosa to receive a batch of artificial Devil Fruits on behalf of the Beasts Pirates.
And he would defeat the Drought—a man with a bounty of one billion berries, eight hundred million of which came from his tusks—and declare war on "the Beast."
"As for the Four Emperors' positions, Ace will inherit Whitebeard's, I'll seize Kaido's, and Katakuri will take Big Mom's."
"It's just a pity that the chef chose the Marines. Otherwise, all Four Emperors would be our own people—now that would be interesting!"
While Doflamingo was pondering life in the dead of night, Monet, with her grass-green hair and golden-yellow pupils, draped in a veil of emerald gauze, stepped out from behind him.
"Young Master, what are you thinking about?"
"Monet."
Doflamingo handed the red wine in his hand to her.
"Didn't I tell you, there's no need to call me 'Young Master' anymore?"
"But in Monet's heart, Young Master will always be Young Master."
Monet took the wine and drank it without hesitation. With her amber-like sparkling eyes, she looked at Doflamingo with boundless adoration.
"Monet firmly believes in her heart that Young Master will surely become the Pirate King!"
This heartfelt flattery pleased Doflamingo to no end.
This was truly his devoted little fan!
Fortunately, he had stopped Trafalgar Law from transforming Monet into a bird-person; otherwise, he would surely be heartbroken right now.
Pulling Monet's slender waist closer, Doflamingo lowered his head, feeling a stirring urge.
Monet seemed to sense something as well, her face flushing as she shyly lowered her head.
But the next moment, Nico Robin, awakened by the two's commotion, spoke up from behind them in a rather annoyed tone.
"You two, what are you doing at this hour? Get back here and go to sleep!"