Disclaimer – One Piece is written by Eiichiro Oda and published by Shueisha.

[Back to the Present, One Hour Later]

Every time Hancock slept, she dreamed of marrying Luffy. His eyes would meet hers. Her heart would pound as he lifted her veil. Before his lips could touch hers, he would disappear as she awakened. What could she do to make this more than a dream?

"WAKE UP!" said Elder Nyon.

Hancock lay in bed. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, and flame-lit torches crackled and illuminated the room. Beside her, castle guards tugged at Elder Nyon's arms. The old woman meant well but chose the worst times to annoy her.

"What do you want?" asked Hancock. "I thought I told you not to disturb me when I am sleeping."

"You fainted," said Elder Nyon, "after you nyon turned Luffy to stone."

Hancock clutched her bedsheets. "It wasn't a dream? Luffy, where is he?"

"He fought to stay by your side—WAKE UP!" said Elder Nyon, when Hancock fainted again. "He left for the dining hall after we offered him meat, but he is nyot our biggest concern."

"What do you mean?"

"It's Salvia. She nyon has returned."

The room went still.

"Why now?" asked Hancock. "Where is she?"

"She's been waiting aboard her ship while you've been dreaming about Luffy."

Hancock chewed her lip. Salvia's arrival coincided with Luffy's, though he had been shipless on Rusukaina Island. Now he had affections for—she blushed and resisted another fainting spell.

She wanted to speak to him, but seeing him so soon would be too much for her heart. Then there was Salvia. Doubtless, she played a role in Luffy being here. If she had done anything to him…

Hancock stood. "Take me to her."

"Let me remind you," said Elder Nyon, "Salvia's crimes threaten the safety of Amazon Lily. You must nyot miss this opportunity to—"

"I believe I have heard enough."

"I nyon was leaving anyway." Elder Nyon broke free from the guards. "I pray you remember your role as Snake Princess and handle this accordingly."

With a "Hmph," she and the guards left the room.

Hancock exhaled as she changed clothes. Arresting Salvia would maintain her title as Pirate Warlord and satisfy her duty as Snake Princess. Still, it made her sick to her stomach to punish someone she had once called a friend. Their relationship would change for the worst, and she dreaded every part of it.

Once dressed, she and Salome hastened outside Kuja Castle to the ship canal and boarded the Perfume Yuda. The crew unfurled its sails, and the two Yuda—giant poisonous snakes anchored to the bow—hissed and swam, drawing the ship and its crew in their wake.

They traversed the canal and crossed through the village gate to the outskirts of Amazon Lily. Offshore, the marine vessel Salvia had stolen and redesigned idled in the ocean, and its crew of marines lounged on deck. They munched on grilled fish, guffawed at jokes, and clacked wooden swords together in sparring matches.

As the Perfume Yuda came to a rest, a Kuja Pirate voiced the question on Hancock's mind, "Are those marines wearing swim briefs?"

"Never knew Salvia was a pervert," said another. "Look, here she comes."

Salvia stepped in front of the marines, who floated with hearts in their eyes.

"Welcome, Captain Salvia-chwan!" they said in unison. "Will you marry us?"

"Kyukyukyukyukyu," laughed Salvia. "Come, let's give respect to the Snake Princess."

"Aye-aye." The marines kneeled.

Salvia followed suit, and her glasses fell and clattered over the deck. Blushing, she groped the planks, and nearby, Vice Admiral Doron reached for her glasses.

"Let me—"

"It's called stretching," said Salvia.

Doron backed off, and after a lifetime of "stretching," she seized her glasses and returned them to her face.

"Snake Princess," she said, "sisters, long time no see. How do you like my ship, the Stolen Heart?"

Hancock bent backward and pointed down at Salvia. "Do not mock us, you have caused our people much trouble, and now you return in an eyesore of a ship and kneel in feigned respect?"

Salvia smiled. "It's been forever since we've last seen each other, but it seems you want to get straight to the point."

"When our people are sent from this island, it is to find a man and bring back children. Instead, you stole a marine ship and crew and committed even more crimes."

"I've lost interest in bringing children home. I found a new—"

"You are a Kuja warrior," Hancock interrupted. "Your crimes are my responsibility and threaten my status as Pirate Warlord. I've sent summons for you to return home, yet they've gone missing. What have you done to them, and why, after nearly two years, have you returned?"

"I'll tell you that and more, but why don't we talk somewhere more private?"

"There will be no negotiation. You will come with us, or we will take you by—"

"Even if it's about Straw Hat?"

"L-Luffy?"

"Notice anything different about him?"

Hancock seized up.

"I know a way for you to make him love you forever," said Salvia, "but if you threaten me, you might not get this chance again."

"What did you do to Luffy?"

"I'll answer your questions, but only if you agree to talk with me one on one."

"You expect me to trust you?"

Salvia unbuckled her quiver and knives, and they clattered onto the deck. "You can search me further. Let's talk. I promise we'll resolve things peacefully."

Hancock scowled. What did Salvia mean by making Luffy love her forever? Isolating herself with Salvia posed a risk, but she needed to get to the bottom of whatever she was plotting. The Kuja, the marines, and now even Luffy were involved. She could get answers by force, but she would rather avoid hurting her childhood friend.

"Stay on guard," said Hancock, to the Kuja Pirates. "Salvia, we will have our talk."

"Are you sure?" asked Marigold. "Don't you see this is a trap?"

"If she tries anything, I will turn her to stone."

"Kyukyukyukyukyu," laughed Salvia. "I promise it won't come to that."

Once Salvia boarded the Perfume Yuda, she and Hancock walked into the mansion-like structure on the ship. They entered a room on the second floor where torches crackled with fire. Past empresses had used this room, but now it was Hancock's place to conduct meetings when at sea. She sat at her desk, and Salvia stood across from her.

"Satisfied?" asked Hancock, as she petted Salome. "What did you—"

A bow and arrow appeared in Salvia's hands. "CUPID-CUPID ARROW!"

Hancock started, and the arrow shot wide right and pierced Salome. The snake hissed, and hearts appeared in her eyes. She slithered to the opposite side of Peony, who was coiled around Salvia's right arm, and rubbed her head against Salvia's left shoulder.

"Kyukyukyukyukyu!" Salvia petted Salome. "After I left Amazon Lily, I ate the Cupid Cupid Fruit and became a cupid woman."

"That arrow, don't tell me…"

"It controls the desires of whomever is struck by—that's right," said Salvia, after reading Hancock's expression. "Straw Hat's under my Devil Fruit's power."

A pang shot through Hancock's heart. Luffy was being forced to love her.

"The warriors you sent to find me are affected, too," said Salvia. "I shot them with Cupid-Cupid Arrows, and they told me about your love for Straw Hat and where he was hiding. I've no interest in women, and they're my sisters, so I made them fall in love with men at a certain village."

Hancock exhaled. "What are you after?"

Salvia ran her fingers over the smooth skin of both snakes. "I want to steal the hearts of the strongest and most handsome men and make them join my harem."

Hancock stood, her chair clattering the floor behind her, and she bent backward and pointed down at Salvia. "What a selfish and pitiful dream. If that's the case, why make Luffy l-love me?"

"I knew you'd come find me. I'd rather not fight you nor the Gorgon's curse, so I thought, why not give Straw Hat to you as a peace offering?"

She was right. It had gotten to the point where Hancock would have to deal with her personally. Though, Hancock was hung up on one thing Salvia had said.

"Give Luffy…to me?" said Hancock.

"For you to overlook my crimes and let me to do as I please, I'll give you Straw Hat. My powers will make him love you more than anything, even his goal to become the Pirate King, and his love will last forever."

Hancock scowled. "Don't take me for a fool. Devil Fruit powers don't last that long."

Salvia raised two fingers to her glasses lens, and next to Salome appeared three locks and chains and a heart.

"When I shot a man with a Cupid-Cupid Arrow for the first time," she said, "he told me he couldn't remember being shot, and that he loved me." She paused as one chain locked around the heart. "He served on my crew, and as he fell deeper in love with me, one by one, those chains wrapped around a heart just like this one until all three had set.

"My crew are just stand-ins until I replace them with better men for my harem, and he was no exception. But when I undid my powers on him, he wasn't supposed to love me anymore."

"What are you saying?" asked Hancock.

"After those three locks, his love became permanent." Salvia petted the snakes. "Love is strong and persistent. It doesn't fade away that easily. I think you'd understand as much."

"How many locks does Luffy have?"

Salvia lifted two fingers. "It could take months or days or hours to reach that third lock. I'd say it's up to you and your feelings to help him get there. Take my offer, and Straw Hat will love you more than anything for the rest of his life."

Hancock bit her lip. Her duty was to arrest Salvia for her crimes and return the marines their ship and men, but if she did this, Salvia would undo her powers on Luffy.

Conversely, if she turned a blind eye to Salvia, she would lose the respect of her people, and the treaty she signed with the World Government to protect Amazon Lily would be nullified. It classified all Kuja as pirates, and she would be held responsible for Salvia's crimes as her captain. Still, Luffy would love her. Forever.

She seized her chest. Before, her feelings had been one-sided, but at the sight of her beauty, Luffy turned to stone, and after she had fainted, he fought to stay by her side—what more could she want in this world than for Luffy to love her back?

"Do as you wish," she said. "I will no longer pursue you."

"Kyukyukyukyukyu, you desire Straw Hat that much?"

"Go, before I change my mind."

Salvia snapped her fingers. The chains, locks, and heart disappeared, and Salome slithered back to Hancock.

"The women you sent after me are also back to normal," said Salvia, before she shared the village where they could be found.

Hancock nodded and planned to send someone to bring them home.

"Glad we came to an agreement," said Salvia. "I'm happy for you, and Straw Hat will be, too."

Hancock turned away from her. "Be gone."