Boa Hancock

I was never going to be a marine. You should have known that from the start. If what a strong marine is what you are then that's not what I wanted to be. If a dedicated marine is what the Fleet Admiral is then I don't want to be that either. I just want to live my life the way I want to every moment of every day and every step of the way.

"You're asking for my approval," pointed out Hancock. The man sitting in front of her simply shook his head. It was strange seeing something like that coming from a man shorter than her. Usually they were taller.

"I'm asking for your consent," repeated Luffy his black coat hanging behind him, "I'm asking if you want to be my partner."

"Ha!" scoffed Hancock as she looked up to the ceiling, "That is the dream of every man the seas. After all I am beautiful."

Luffy mentally questioned himself for a moment. There was no way this was the pirate empress? Then he mentally slapped himself. Despite how casually Hancock seemed to be taking his offer, they both knew that a fight could easily break out upon the decks of this palace. Not that Luffy was worried. If needed he could butcher every single person here; just like in Hew.

"I'm not here because you're beautiful," stated Luffy calmly as he took a sip of black coffee; cream but absolutely no sugar.

"That's what they all say," smirked Hancock before pointing at Luffy, "Mero Mero Mellow!"

Luffy made no move to avoid the pink heart shaped beam. In fact he didn't seem fazed that Hancock attempted to use such an attack upon him. He could feel Felicity and Varendick tensing up outside, despite attempting to alleviate their fears beforehand. Yet they didn't attempt to move to his defence ... precisely because the beam had no effect on him.

"What!" shouted Hancock, "I'm beautiful?!"

No man or woman had been able to deny her. Any hint of desire and lust would turned them to stone. Against the very emotions that made people human there was no devil fruit stronger than hers.

"You should be turned to stone?" questioned Luffy cheekily finishing her thoughts and taking a bite out of the avocado.

"Your fear!" she shouted in denial, "Your fear should be what's keeping you from petrifaction!"

"If you believe that then hit me," argued Luffy, "Go ahead. I'll wait for you to doll up."

Hancock raised a finger at Luffy accepting the challenge. This up jumped rookie who hadn't even sailed to the New World would know her wrath.

"Very well," Hancock pondered momentarily before slyly smirking, "You are feeling my body softly lying against yours in my bed chambers. Neither of us are wearing anything."

Then she send a beam of pink energy at the steadily munching pirate.

"Mero Mero Mellow!" she shouted.

Once again there was no effect. The beam seemed to just pass throw or disintegrate upon impact, having no meaningful effect once again.

"Then ..." she sputtered. There could only be one explanation as to why the pirate wouldn't be effected by her charms.

"I'll get the explanation out of the way," sighed Luffy as he put down his coffee cup, "I've studied your devil fruit before I came to this island. You think I would come here without a plan?"

Hancock remained silent, just waiting for me to respond. If her fruit did have a weakness that could be exploited it would be best to get it out of the way immediately. Especially when she was so deep in home territory.

"Before you say it, no I am not a homosexual and I am not asexual either," Luffy admitted as he stared at her, "I'm just a healthy seventeen year old man. But that's something that should be slim pickings am I correct?"

I could sense that for the first time, since the letter, that Hancock was treating me seriously. I wasn't just an average man in her eyes now. It was clearly seen in the ponderous look. I was something else, like a new toy or utility that she had never seen but understood the capabilities of. Finally the two of us had each other's undivided attention.

"Quite a puzzle isn't it," admitted Hancock as she patted Salome; a sign that she was nervous, "What makes a man sail across the seas for any hope to be my partner but not with any hint of lust or desire."

"I do have a desire," disagreed Luffy as he noticed Hancock attempt to shift seductively. She would have to do much better than that to turn him into stone, "I simply am not attracted to you at the moment. I came here because you were on the list of women who wanted to choose as my spouse."

Hancock quirked her eyebrows at that statement.

"I was first on the list," queried Hancock, "I feel honoured. But if you're looking for a spouse why not a crew-member you can trust? That swordswomen seems very loyal to you."

She had also been observant about the very limited crew he had brought onto Kuja Island. While Monkey D. Luffy knew the risks he never stepped foot in a location without a plan. After all it was Hancock who did invite him here.

"Since you're asking and I am almost certain that you will accepted", illuminated Luffy before replying to Hancock's surprised face, "Yes I can see that your coming around to the idea if nothing more than to see me as a plaything for the future."

"Anyways, the reason why I'm asking for you to bear my children," informed Luffy continuing onwards, "You are currently equal to me in rank. If I were to marry a civilian I would risk the children suffering from what my dear 'brother' did with his mother. Having all the islands infants killed."

Hancock noted that this brother was quite a sore topic for Luffy. Perhaps something she would investigate at a later date. Mentally though she was chastising herself for not looking into this new Warlord for more details.

"The reason why I chose not to marry another pirate is because I wanted to find the most powerful match. Yet on the other hand there are several women who are stronger than you are. Big Mom is such an example," stated Luffy.

"You do not like be indebted to anyone," finished Hancock, "What you want to do is live your life on your own terms."

You do not like being indebted to people.

The former Empress had once said that to her when she had save the lives of herself and her sisters. It was something that made Hancock growl. That they had to live with such an idea was beyond what she could take. She wasn't weak. She was a Lady of War and a mighty pirate at that. Yet that didn't stop her from saying what was on her lips

"Just like I have." Echoed that tender red labium.

"Marrying Big Mom or even one of her daughters would be an excellent boon," admitted Luffy as he glanced into the coffee. He had brought the coffee as a token of goodwill. Tribes were enslaved for such quality, "But I want an equal. Whether I rise or fall I want to make sure that my spouse was at least of similar status during our consummation. I also want my children to be strong."

"Genetics!" howled Hancock as she balled her fists. Slamming her hand down she screeched, "Is this what's it's about?"

The surprised and worried look Salome gave her was easily brushed off. Her bleeding hand would heal in less than a few minutes anyways.

"Do you want strong children or not?" proposed Luffy, before widening his eyes before the realization occurred to him. The thought made him laugh for a few moments.

Luffy himself couldn't belief the very words that uttered from his mouth, "You want to marry someone you love! The man hating pirate empress who has the ability to enslave men and shackle women with her devil fruit wants to bear the children of the men they love."

This was heading into completely new territory. Boa had very little experience with dealing with men outside of actually petrifying them or treating them with loathing. Something Luffy initially was capable of doing but was slowly wearing her down of.

Hancock growled, "Yes. Yes I do! Are you going to think less of me Merchant Prince?"

"I just can't find anything more ironic," he chuckled before calming down from the look in her eyes. It showed agony.

"Men over the world, and even some women, have always come for me for five different reasons when they offer to be my partner in life," responded Hancock as she started a triad, "Five. No more, no less."

Five fingers were raised from her right hand.

"There's the political marriage. When someone hopes that by marrying someone of my status for the protection or the power that comes with it."

One finger dropped leaving four.

"The breeding marriage, one which makes me feel like a broodmare. You are one of such men. People that want to sire children with me due to the numerous great qualities that the children may produce."

Another dropped, leaving three. Luffy continued to pay attention to both Hancock and the hand itself.

"The plotted marriage, in hopes of gaining titles or securing a claim upon an island. I can honestly respect these fools because at least they don't want what I have."

Only two left now.

"Familiar marriage; from people who come from all over the world claiming to be distance relatives of mine. The very same people that come to play out their sick fantasies in order to keep their bloodline clean."

Wait, people actually did that? However judging from the clenched look on Hancock's face that was certainly true.

"Then there are those of passion, men and women who lust and rave. They are people that want me nothing more and nothing less but my body."

Nothing and then another fist came crashing down on the table. The cutlery jumped and nearly spilled the coffee if Luffy hadn't grabbed the cups in time.

"Can you guess what happens to these people?" she inquired staring at the man in front of him.

But Luffy already knew. He had read the history, the files in marine headquarters and even visited Impel Down to talk with former cell-mates.

"You throw them into the seas after petrifying them but not before releasing the stone curse right before they die."

It was a horrible way to die. Gasping for air that wasn't there and would not come but it was Hancock's way of showing how much she loathed the opposite sex.

"Precisely," Hancock exclaimed.

"That's an unnecessarily cruel way to kill people," admitted Luffy, "Some people deserve to die no doubt but unneeded cruelty is not completely appropriate."

While he did do what was completely necessary that was it. Personally Luffy hated cruelty for the sake of cruelty. Pragmatism always won out.

"Hypocritically isn't it?" grumbled Hancock, "It pains me to believe and accept that the one man who may be immune to my devil fruit is only interested in my genetics."

"That's life," reminded Luffy bluntly.

They both knew that. Hancock's own hopes and dreams laid out in front of him at the very moment yet he couldn't find himself to care. Was there any such dream in the first place. After all it would be impossible for a man to feel passion for her and yet not be turned to stone.

"Like I said," shrugged Luffy as he finished the cup of coffee, "I came for your consent."

Then his eyes suddenly became sharp the moment he dropped the cup on the floor causing it to shatter into eight pieces, "I won't force you into a situation which you don't desire."

Hancock knew that she was becoming very close to accepting the Merchant's offer. He completely undesirable, physically wise. Underneath the coat was almost certainly incredibly tense and well defined muscle. Then there was the Naginata which he carried around with him at all times which pulsed in a soft purple glow. Yet there was certainly more than what met the eyes for Luffy.

Shuffling his feet in a deliberately slow manner Luffy turned to Hancock. It was now or never.

"Whether you agree with me or not I promise to keep your secret with me to the ends of my days."

Hancock eyes widened. It took all she could to not to attack her fellow Warlord. He had come prepared for her Love-Love Beam. There would be no doubt that he would be just as prepared for whatever she would plan to do. But why?

What was the point? She had no doubt that if he knew that he could easily blackmail her. And yet even if she did manage to kill him, which was certainly possible, the story would be on the front page of every newspaper in days. He had her cornered.

"Then why come for me?" she croaked hating herself for showing weaknesses, "If you know that I'm a slave why choose me? You could have forced me to be your concubine from the few abilities you have demonstrated. That would have been the quicker option!"

It would have made things much more easier and straightforward. She would have grown to be disgusted by his indifference. But here he was offering her a choice. But the next few words shocked her.

"If I said that I wanted my children to grow up strong and free from the burdens of this world ... would you laugh at me?" softly responded Luffy.

He sadly smiled at Hancock. It was such a nice smile as well.

"Do you think you can be a good father?" questioned Hancock tentatively as she tenderly walked over to the coat hanger to grab Luffy's coat.

The gesture wasn't lost upon either of the occupants in the room.

"I see," sighed Hancock and Luffy remained silent, "I'll give you my answer in a few days. Is there anything else you wished to talk about?"

Gingerly she gave him the coat.

"Yeah," admitted Luffy walked closer to Hancock. He had to look up a little to prevent his nose from touching her skin, "If you want some closure for what happened in your past come to my ship. Consider it a dowry if you accept. After all ..."

Pulling her down he whispered into her ear.

" wouldn't you want to finally confront the man and woman who enslaved you."