The Serpent Empress

by The Sinful

In one world, Boa Hancock was enslaved, force-fed the Love Love Fruit, and eventually became a Warlord. In another, she willingly ate a different Devil Fruit to save her sisters, and eventually became an Emperor.

1. And So It Begins

The Serpent Empress

"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Bounty or Newspaper Headline"

AN: This is a minor rewrite of the original, because me and Primordial Vortex think with our dicks too much. Also, spoilers for chapter 1059 if you're not up to date.

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Twelve-year-old Boa Hancock flew as fast as she could through the city. While the colors were washed out, the people blurred, and the sounds muted, one thing rang out clear as day: Her little sisters' screams. They pleaded for mercy and cried for Hancock to save them. But no matter how fast or far she flew, their voices grew ever more distant. Even flapping until her wings screamed in agony didn't allow her to close the distance. Eventually, Hancock's wings gave out. She crashed face first into the ground, her momentum carrying her forward and bloodying her face on the cobbled road below her. Then, even as she struggled to stand, the young amazon heard a pair of blood curdling screams. Screams that cut off in choked gurgling. Despite her lungs burning for more oxygen, she howled in anguish, "SONIA! MARY!"

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Hancock shot awake in her bed, biting back a scream. Cold sweat dripped from her body as she untangled herself from her sheets. It had been nearly a week since her younger sisters disappeared on what should have been a routine voyage. The trio had been so proud when they were allowed to join the Kuja, even if only as apprentices. Hancock was the oldest and she was only twelve. Nobody else had ever joined as young as she and her sisters. Admittedly, their heritage likely helped. They were much stronger than the average human, after all. But then, she got separated from them. Marigold and Sandersonia simply disappeared without a trace. Not even those Kuja skilled in Observation could sense them nearby. The crew spent three days searching the island before giving up, declaring her sisters to have "honorably fallen against the enemies of Amazon Lily", allegedly to spare them the shame of having died so ignobly.

But Hancock? Hancock knew they were still alive. And she'd burn the world to save them. That's why she was going to commit heresy tonight. Even as she snuck out of her quarters, she wasn't worried. Nor as she crossed the city and approached the temple. Those on patrol each night would use their Observation sparingly to conserve it. Even if she were sensed, she was a known presence on Amazon Lily and wouldn't draw attention. Still, she kept her flames suppressed so she wouldn't stand out like a beacon. Perhaps if the temple were more heavily guarded, she'd be in trouble. But so deep in Amazon Lily, itself deep in the Calm Belt? No, the temple only had an honor guard during the day. At night, it was deserted.

The preteen did her best to keep herself calm as she entered, knowing if anyone who sensed her felt her true emotions, they'd instantly be on alert. The cavernous main chamber ended with a massive mural of their goddess. And before the mural was an altar, a fruit placed atop it. The fruit resembled the passionfruit found elsewhere on the island, albeit in a vivid jade color with patterns that brought to mind slithering serpents. This fruit was said to be the embodiment of the goddess' power. Any who attempted to consume it would be judged by the goddess. If they were found unworthy, they'd be turned to stone instantly. Still, Hancock had to try. For her sisters. Grabbing the fruit from the altar, she quickly shoved it in her mouth and consumed it before she could rethink her actions. And almost retched; the fruit tasted like stone and burnt snake meat. It was vile!

As the seconds ticked by and she remained unpetrified, Hancock realized she'd done it. She had taken the goddess's power for herself! Now she could find and rescue her sisters! …But first she had to get out of the temple and off the island.

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Four years. Four years she'd been searching for her sisters. Searching, and training to be strong enough to save them when she did find them. Hancock had grown in that time as she'd transitioned from an adorable girl into a young woman: More beautiful, more powerful, more deadly. Unfortunately, finding two particular girls who could be anywhere in the world was no simple matter, even if they stood out as much as her sisters did. Plus, the world outside Amazon Lily was filled with dangers Hancock had never dreamed of. One in particular was her own heritage and how sought after it was. As such, she'd taken to keeping most of her form hidden. Taking cues from a group of desert dwellers she'd met, Hancock kept her hair hidden beneath a turban and wore a large cloak to conceal her body. These, along with a simple veil, made her just another traveler. Given the places she'd had to visit, no one thought much of someone trying to hide their identity. But now, she was finally close! Hancock finally had a concrete lead. Somebody in Sabaody Archipelago had seen two teenage girls matching her sisters' descriptions being led around by a World Noble. Now she merely needed to find a way into their "holy land" of Mary Geoise. And kill everyone and everything that stood between her and being reunited with Sandersonia and Marigold.

As Hancock was lost in her thoughts, a stranger approached her. He was a massive man, standing nearly three times her not inconsiderable height. His vivid salmon pink skin and the dorsal fin protruding from the back of his head marked him as a Fish-man. "You're the one who's been asking a bunch of suspicious questions? About Mary Geoise?" His voice was deep, but his tone wasn't quite threatening.

The teen glared at the Sun Bream Fish-man and she replied, "What if I am?" Her power lurked right beneath the surface, itching to be unleashed upon a potential enemy. Still, she held back. He was only a potential threat at the moment.

Crouching down, the Fish-man lowered his voice, "My name's Fisher Tiger and I think we both have an interest in, shall we say, breaking some chains in Mary Geoise."

Her attention caught, Hancock looked him over further, assessing Fisher Tiger. Her Observation wasn't as strong as her Conqueror's, but his Voice felt honest to her, with no hint of deception to be found. Relaxing her glare into more intrigued interest, the teen responded, "I'm listening."

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The time had come. Hancock had taken a huge risk and revealed herself to Tiger. But in doing so, she was able to fly him to the top of the Red Line, saving the Fish-man considerable time and energy, both of which he'd need for the assault. Her disguise was gone now; she was clad in a simple red shirt (the back torn to allow her wings to fit) and gray pants. Now they were ready to launch their attack. While freeing slaves in general wasn't her goal, Hancock could certainly get behind the idea. Tiger would draw most of the attention with a loud and obvious attack while she ran around liberating slaves. A large explosion drew her out of her thoughts. Tiger's attack had begun; it was time she got to work.

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After raiding far too many mansions, and liberating far, far too many slaves, worry was turning into panic in Hancock's mind. She still hadn't found her sisters, nor had any of the other slaves known of them. Not helping her mental state was the number of people she'd had to kill so far, including slaves too far gone to accept freedom. Or perhaps too fearful of what would happen if they were caught. Smashing through the door of the most recent mansion, the Kuja resumed her mission. Every slave she found, she petrified and shattered cuffs and collars. Anyone else was dealt with. The flames on her back burned brightly, causing any attacks against her to simply stop dead against her skin.

It was as she broke into yet another set of slave quarters that Hancock finally saw them. The both of them were locked in a separate room, the door sturdy and its sole window barred. They were older than she remembered. Leaner too, their white hair limp and lifeless. But still, they were undeniably her sisters. Hancock snarled as she grabbed the door and ripped it clean from the wall with a tortured groan of metal. Sandersonia and Marigold huddled before her, fearful of this new intruder. At least, they were until Hancock stepped forward and doused the flames on her back. No longer framed against their race's fire, the pair recognized their oldest sister.

"Sonia..." Hancock's eyes watered, both in joy and relief as well as unstoppable rage. "Mary!" Her sisters were gaunt, and their eyes looked haunted. Their clothes were mere rags. Brown bits of cloth that did almost nothing to preserve their modesty. She could see welts and cuts all over both of them. Welts that could only have been caused by whips. Even their wings were damaged: clumps of feathers missing or sticking out at odd angles.

It took everything she had to not simply explode in fury.

Their eyes watered as they saw her, "S-sister?" Marigold rasped, her voice clearly rough and worn.

"I'm here." Hancock's voice wavered, and she dropped to her knees, pulling the two into her embrace, "I'm sorry!" She pleaded with them for forgiveness. "Sorry I couldn't find you sooner!"

Sonia started crying anew, "Hancock… you're really here!" She clutched the oldest like a lifeline, "But-" She hiccupped, "But these chains. We have no idea where the keys are."

Hancock pulled away, her face a rictus of fury. Both younger girls flinched, "I will tear their flesh from their BONES for what they have DARED do to my sisters." Hancock snarled, reaching out with a hand that was not just blackened with Armament, but flaming red with her Conqueror's as well. She grasped the chains and immediately flinched as the seastone went to work, but they weren't fully seastone. She had strength enough for this. She tore the cuffs as if they were made of paper, drawing gasps from her sisters due to her sheer degree of mastery over her Haki. She reached out and grasped the collars as well, but both girls grabbed her wrists.

"W-wait!" Sonia called in panic, and Hancock froze. She almost had a panic attack that her sisters would be like them. Those who had to be put down to be free. Hancock… Hancock wouldn't be able to handle that.

Mary told her, "Ours are special." She wet her dry lips with her tongue, "Th-they-" She couldn't continue.

"They had men come who… did things. Took things… from us." Hancock's rage reached new heights, "They said that when we were old enough…" Sonia said, her eyes dead. "They wanted more Lunarians…"

"If our collars are removed without the keys," Mary started to cry, "Or we leave this room without removing them, they'll..."

Hancock wouldn't hear another word. Fueled by her hatred, Hancock's Conqueror's Haki lashed out at her surroundings. Though her sisters were untouched, everything around them simply fell apart. The earth rumbled beneath her feet as the walls and ceiling shattered. Even the collars around her sisters' necks crumbled into worthless scrap. The second they were off, Mary and Sonia embraced her, Hancock's haki simply disappearing as though it was never there to begin with. "You're free." She said, hugging the two, "And you'll never have it taken away again." Hancock hissed in apoplectic rage, "This I SWEAR!"

They clutched onto her and sobbed, thanking the gods for their wonderful, strong sister.

"We'll have time to embrace later." Hancock whispered into their ears, "All the time in the world." She stood, pulling them to their feet, "But now, we must GO!"

She led the two of them out of the ruins that used to be a mansion but were met with knights outside. "FREEZE!" They roared, hefting their halberds. "Submit to the might of the Tenryuubito and you just may survive this."

"Survive?!" Hancock snarled, "You monsters will thank every one of your gods if you do not survive ME!" She geared up to transform, but Sonia grabbed her wrist. She turned, and smiled when she saw the focused look of hate on Sonia's face.

"I have been waiting for this moment for foUR" She started transforming and growing before their eyes, "YEARSSSS!" She hissed, many heads bursting from her body like a massive hydra. The heads whipped forwards, drawing screams of terror from the knights before them as her fangs crunched through armor and flesh alike with the same great ease.

"DIE!" Marigold also transformed, becoming a massive snake with feathered wings that rippled with flame, wind, and lightning. She flapped her wings and the few knights that had escaped Sonia's many jaws were picked up by a cyclone. Mary opened her own maw and spat out a stream of fire, turning the tornado into a flaming cyclone. The screams didn't last too long after that.

A vicious snarl of sheer glee marred Hancock's beautiful face, as she transformed as well, moving past her two sisters, "Let's go!" She called, and the three slithered away at speed.

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A few days after the daring raid on Mary Geoise, the reunited Boa sisters were hidden away in the lawless portion of Sabaody Archipelago. In front of them were the newest bounty posters. Four in particular had caught their eyes. "Fisher Tiger the Adventurer. Wanted Dead or Alive. 320,000,000" along with "Serpent Empress Boa Hancock. Wanted Only Alive. 300,000,000" for their attack on the Tenryuubito and presumably her Lunarian heritage. Presumably, Tiger's was greater due to him being more visible, having acted as the distraction. Though perhaps worse were the other two bounties: "Boa Marigold. Only Alive. 150,000,000" and "Boa Sandersonia. Only Alive. 150,000,000." All three sisters shuddered at the implications of why they'd be wanted alive. "What do we do, sister?" Sandersonia wailed. She had always been the most emotional of the three.

Biting her thumb, Hancock thought carefully. "The first thing we're going to do is get rid of those cursed marks. Next, we'll return home. Finally, we're going to take command of the Kuja Pirates and have our revenge." At her sisters' confused looks, the young woman attempted a reassuring smile. "Fisher Tiger shared with me his plan to rid his people of their brands. It won't be pleasant, but you'll never see those marks on your backs again."

Marigold looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "Of course, sister. We trust you. Though how will we get back to Amazon Lily without any Yuda or even a Log Pose? I don't think any of us could fly the whole way even if we knew which way to go."

A nearby voice spoke up, "I could help with that, young Kuja."

Looking up, the trio saw a woman they'd only ever seen in an old portrait back home, though she was wearing a pink A-Shirt with a spider print on the front and short black pants, rather than traditional Kuja clothing. "Yo-you're…" The former empress merely smirked around her cigarette at the three girls.

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'It's good to be home,' All three of the sisters thought. They had not seen their home in over four years. Four years of hell for each of them, if in different ways. The ship former empress Shakuyaku (Shakky, she'd insisted) and her husband had given them was small, the cabin barely large enough to hold them but it had a (extremely illegal) seastone coating on the underside. Between it and an Eternal Log Pose to Amazon Lily, they could slip past the Sea Kings inhabiting the Calm Belt and finally reach their homeland. At first, the three had considered rowing once they had reached the Calm Belt, but Marigold's Devil Fruit had proven invaluable. Though it took her a few tries, she had created a steady wind to fill their sail. Currently, the sisters stood at the approaching island of Amazon Lily. All three were topless save for the bandages covering the fresh burns on their lower backs, the injuries too fresh to make clothing comfortable.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" A ship, one pulled by a pair of Yuda, approached their own.

Hancock shouted back, "I am Boa Hancock, returned after these many years of searching for my sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold! We've come home at last!"

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, their welcome didn't improve with their identities revealed. "You've a lot of nerve coming back after what you did, blasphemer! Did you think we would forget your theft of the goddess's gift?!"

Though far better educated about the world and Devil Fruits than she had been all those years ago, Hancock still believed the mythos that the one she had consumed was a gift from the goddess. She leapt from her tiny ship, landing on the deck of the much larger vessel. "'Stole'? I stole nothing! The Great Serpent herself gave her blessing in my quest! She granted me her power to do what no one else would!" A wave of Conqueror's washed over the ship, leaving all aboard feeling as though they were wrapped in the coils of a hungry serpent. The wood beneath her groaned under her Haki, then groaned further as her body transformed. Towering above them all, Hancock hissed, "I have come, not to be tried for my crimes, but to challenge the empress for the throne!"

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Within the colossal Pangea Castle, the Five Elder Stars met in the Room of Authority as they reviewed the newest thorn in their side: Boa Hancock, a woman with a bounty of 700 million. More importantly, she and her sisters were three of four surviving lunarians in the world. The only other Lunarian was King, Kaidō's first mate and an impossible target. The youngest member held Hancock's bounty poster in his hand, "This one is proving to be quite the nuisance. A single campaign and she's already wiped-out G-7 Marine Base, including the Vice Admiral in charge. There wasn't a single survivor." That was an understatement. The entire island had been destroyed down to the bedrock. All except for a single flagpole that had been left standing, from which flew the Kuja Pirates jolly roger.

Another Elder, one with a massive mustache commented, "Worse is her theft of those two slaves. We should have had them kept on Punk Hazard like we did the other one, not locked in some brat's basement." He had in fact argued rather vigorously over that, insisting two female lunarians were far too important to be wasted on some hedonistic idiot who had to be prevented from sawing their wings off for his own amusement. Honestly, he couldn't fathom that level of wastefulness: Paying an Emperor's bounty to purchase something unique then destroying the very thing that makes it unique?

"So you've mentioned," Grumbled a third Elder, this one completely bald, wearing a robe and polishing his sword. He put down the rag he was using for a moment to inspect the blade. Finding no imperfections, he resheathed the weapon and turned his full attention back to the meeting. "Just as you insisted that we should vet what Devil Fruits the Celestial Dragons are allowed access to."

"Those fruits would be more useful in the hands of the Marines or Cipher Pol!" The mustached man argued.

"What does it matter?" The tallest of the group asked from where he sat next to the swordsman, "Those slaves all die soon enough anyway, putting the fruits back in circulation. It's not worth the tantrum those brats would throw."

The final member, a man with gray dreadlocks and a scar on the left side of his face pointed out, "Except those fruits can reincarnate anywhere when their user dies. Not to mention when something like the disaster from two years ago occurs and valuable Devil Fruits end up in the hands of criminals." The taller man nodded, conceding the point. Devil Fruits in general weren't hard to get ahold of, but specific ones were much harder to find, sometimes taking decades to locate (or centuries in the case of one particular fruit). And they had lost two Mythical Zoans, a Logia, and a particularly valuable Paramecia due to Fisher Tiger and Boa Hancock. Though at least one of them had turned up again; in the East Blue of all places. The so-called Honey Queen had made quite a nuisance of herself there before recently heading to the Grand Line. Though in all likelihood, she'd end up in the New World soon enough, thinking herself invincible. Logia like her tended to be arrogant little shits, at least until they met someone who knew haki. The dangerous ones were the ones who survived long enough to learn the lesson.

The youngest Elder spoke up again, "Back on the subject of the lunarians. Should we send them a Warlord invitation?" Should she accept, it'd give the World Government rather easy access to the trio. Vegapunk's scientists had harvested quite a bit from the two subjects while they'd been enslaved, but one thing they hadn't gotten was viable eggs. Even a handful would, combined with the samples taken from King, give Vegapunk enough material to create an army of full-blooded lunarians. Combine them with the cybernetic research the scientist was also conducting, and there'd be no need for Warlords as the balance of power irreversibly shifted in the favor of the World Government. Even the Emperors would no longer be untouchable.

The dreadlocked man shook his head and thumped his cane against the ground. "There'd be no point. She knows what we did to her sisters. What she did to G-7 is as clear a declaration of war as any."

"And any of the admirals would be too likely to leave their bodies in too poor a state to be of any use," The swordsman among the group stated. Granted, they could insist on the trio being captured alive, but each of the three admirals were known for both their overwhelming strength and being somewhat careless with collateral damage. If all they cared about was executing the prisoners, it'd be no problem but the lunarians had to be in reasonably good condition if they were to be properly useful as experimental subjects.

The tallest Elder grunted his agreement. "For now, let them enjoy their freedom. They'll be brought to heel eventually."

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"They want what?" Hancock's voice was incredulous. Surely, she must have heard wrong. Yes, the Kuja Pirates had built quite a reputation over the last few years, even in the New World, but this was wholly unexpected.

"The people of the island wish to become a tributary to Amazon Lily," Ran repeated. She had been a member of the Kuja Pirates for two years now and had quickly gained notice for her calm demeanor and diplomatic skills, earning herself an officer position. Like all Kuja Pirates, she had their Jolly Roger branded onto her back, a tradition started by the Gorgon Sisters themselves. "They would pay us tribute regularly and in turn, we would defend them."

"I know what a tributary is!" The captain of the Kuja Pirates snapped irritably. "I want to know why!"

Unbothered by her captain's outburst, Ran explained, "Apparently, they're a rather prime raiding target for Paradise crews. In their minds, it's better to just have to pay a single crew rather than get ravaged over and over by any captain that decides it'd be fun. Given we're one of the most notorious crews in the world and the only one that operates in Paradise to any significant extent, they must have decided we were the best option. That we're all women probably made them assume we're less likely to rape their womenfolk."

Hancock pinched the bridge of her nose at that last tidbit. "Very well. We'll work out the details later. Have them given a copy of our Jolly Roger, to be flown from their tallest building. If they want our protection, they can start by declaring their allegiance."

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Marguerite nervously looked towards her captain. She knew Hancock was strong; she was the Serpent Empress after all. But they were facing one of the Four Emperors. "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin had sought their strength and so had "offered" a marriage between Boa Hancock and her son Charlotte Daifuku. As Linlin couldn't use her normal tactic of threatening a loved one, Hancock had violently refused, killing most of the crew sent to the Kuja's ever-growing territory. Now Big Mom herself was coming for retribution and she was bringing her strongest underlings with her. Marguerite had proven strong enough to join the Kuja Pirates a little over a year ago and had seen many amazing things she had never imagined while on Amazon Lily. Among those was the sheer power of the Emperors, pirates who possessed such otherworldly strength that even the World Government feared them.

"Calm yourself, Marguerite," Came the confident voice of her empress. "We'll show these fools the might of Amazon Lily. They'll regret the day they dared attack our home."

"Y-yes. Yes! You're right Hebi-sama!" Hancock's confidence inspired her own. They were the Kuja! They could win! They would win! In the distance, the blonde watched the Queen Mama Chanter sail ever closer to Amazon Lily. "Let them come," She growled, her teeth lengthening to fangs.

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Aboard the Queen Mama Chanter, Charlotte Linlin's eldest child, Perospero reported to his mother, "Mama, we're within firing range! Shall we commence the bombardment?" He was eager to punish the upstarts that dared to insult his family. Hopefully, enough would survive the initial attack for him to turn them into candy statues.

"Mamamama!" Linlin laughed in response, "No, we're going to crush them directly. Full speed towards the shore. I'm going to kill them personally! If that upstart and her sisters won't join my family, then they'll join my collection! Zeus!" With a great leap, she landed upon her sentient cloud. "To Amazon Lily!" Zeus sped off, ferrying his mother towards the subjects of her ire, Prometheus following alongside.

As she drew near, Big Mom reached up and took off her bicorn, Napoleon. In her hand, it transformed into a massive seax with a vicious face along the cutting edge. Immediately afterwards, Prometheus ignited Napoleon. "Happy Mother's Blaze!" Linlin shouted as she swung her burning blade downwards at the island beneath her. However, her blade was intercepted. A leg, covered in bronze scales and infused with Conqueror's, stopped her attack, easily absorbing both the swing and the fiery explosion it caused. Linlin's grin of sadistic triumph morphed into a snarl of fury. "You!"

"Me," Hancock smirked. In her hybrid form, she had grown to nearly five meters tall. Her newly grown tail along with her arms and legs were covered in bronze scales. As her wings flapped behind her to keep her airborne, Hancock's hair rose up, seemingly forming serpents that struck out at her enemy.

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"'A Fifth Emperor? Pirate Empress Boa Hancock Clashes With Big Mom Charlotte Linlin. In an awe-inspiring battle, the Big Mom Pirates invaded Amazon Lily, home of the Kuja Pirates. Yet, defying all expectations, the Kuja Pirates successfully drove off the Emperor and her forces. Eyewitnesses report that Big Mom was forced to retreat after being grievously injured by her fellow captain. Further rumors suggest-' Dammit it all." Sengoku ceased his rereading of the week-old newspaper. Morgans had certainly kicked up a fuss with his special report. They'd had no choice but to increase Boa Hancock's bounty once more and as far as anyone was concerned, she truly was an Emperor now. Of course, the newer marines didn't truly comprehend what a disaster this was. Less than three years ago, the only "Emperors" were former members of the Rocks Pirates. While unfortunate, it was understandable they'd acquire so much power and influence. Then "Red-Hair" Shanks was recognized as the fourth Emperor. Again, unfortunate, but he was a former member of the Roger Pirates, the strongest pirate crew ever. At least he seemed to be the only member of the crew to still be sailing. Everyone else had either vanished off the face of the earth or were content with a quiet retirement. The only member who still caused any trouble was Silvers Rayleigh who, for some unfathomable reason, would sell himself into slavery every couple years, only to escape when he grew bored.

Now this thrice-be-damned no-name pirate had risen up to the same level in less than half the time as Red Hair. 'How many? How many more "Emperors" are going to arise before the World Government is overthrown? And how many will die in the resulting war between them?' What Hancock represented was far worse than what she could do as an individual or as an Emperor. She represented the idea that more pirates powerful enough to take over an entire sea would be on the way.

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"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Monkey D. Luffy shouted as his three-day journey finally approached its end. He could finally see land beneath him and it was coming up way too fast! Noticing the city beneath him, Luffy suddenly stopped screaming. "Oh hey, a town. Maybe they can give me a ride back to Sabaody Archipelago? Wait… wasn't there something- oh crap!" With that, he crashed right into the tallest building in the city, the royal palace. The roof put up minimal resistance before his body broke straight through, sending him tumbling down… into a pool of water. The water broke apart into the form of a paw shape around his body, before the bubble popped and the water raced to fill the gaps once more. Unable to swim thanks to his Devil Fruit, Luffy struggled valiantly to reach the surface, thrashing this way and that as he tried to fight gravity's harsh pull.

Or rather, that's what he did until he realized the water wasn't as deep as he'd thought. Standing up, the water didn't even reach his knees. "Oh. It's shallow." Around him, the steam clouds parted, escaping through the hole he accidentally opened in the ceiling. As the air cleared, he could see a figure standing on the far side of the pool. Wading in the pool was a woman unlike any he'd ever seen. Not for her curves, of which she had plenty. Nor even for her long white hair nearly reached her perfect peach of an ass or her chocolate skin. No, what was truly unusual about her was the massive pair of black wings sprouting from her back and the roaring fire burning between them. As she turned towards the noise, she revealed a hauntingly beautiful face and a pair of massive, heavy breasts. Of course, Luffy being Luffy, he didn't really register any of this beyond the fact he had apparently interrupted her bath. "Ah, sorry about that… say, you have a boat I could borrow?"

The next thing Luffy knew, he was impacting the stone wall hard enough to crater it. Before he could fall to the ground, she quite simply materialized in front of him. Her entire leg up to nearly her hip was blackened as it pinned him to the wall. Standing before him imperiously and uncaring of her nudity, Boa Hancock demanded, "What are you doing here, man?! You know your kind aren't allowed outside the port island! Who sent you?!" Rather than answer, Luffy was too busy trying to understand why he apparently wasn't rubber anymore.

All of a sudden, the doors slammed open and her younger sisters burst in, each as skyclad as she was. Both had grown immensely over the years, each now standing more than twice their sister's height. Though Sandersonia had maintained her seemingly delicate, curvaceous figure, Marigold had bulked up, becoming a veritable wall of perfectly defined muscle. "Sister!" Marigold exclaimed, "We heard a commotion!" Both paused as they took in the form of the man their older sister had pinned to the wall. "What is a man doing here?!"

"What he's going to be doing is feeding Bacura!" Hancock growled, "Sisters, gather the tribe. We're going to have an execution."

From his position against the wall, Luffy asked, "Uh… don't I get a say in this?" All three women gave him a Look, one that would be instantly understood by almost anyone with a working brain. Naturally, Luffy asked, "Is that a no?"

Rather than answer, Hancock addressed her previously unnoticed lady's maid, "Enishida." Dutiful and well trained as she was, the diminutive woman didn't need any further instruction. Raising her arm, a bright purple, viscous liquid flowed from her hand and engulfed Luffy as Hancock removed her leg. The fluid almost instantly hardened as it came in contact with the young man, holding him fast despite his efforts to escape.

"Hey what is this stuff?" Luffy cried. "Hrng! Why can't I break it?" The remaining fluid formed a rope, which Enishida used to drag him along behind her towards the coliseum. As he was pulled along, Luffy struggled to break free or at least regain his feet. "Oi! Let go! I gotta get back to my crew!"

-]|[-

Amazon Lily's coliseum was absolutely packed with spectators. Word had gotten around that an outsider was to be executed and everyone who could, quickly came to witness the spectacle. While the arena saw plenty of usage, it was normally just simple competitions and spars between the Kuja. An actual execution was something new. Plus, if the rumors were true, the condemned had tried to assault the Empress in her own private chambers. The condemned was a man, something most of the non-pirates had never even seen before. He was entrapped in Enishida's sticky syrup and laying on his side in the middle of the topmost ring in the arena. Up on a special platform above the stands, Boa Hancock sat upon her pet snake Salome, her two sisters standing on either side.

With a minor pulse of Conqueror's haki, Hancock silenced the jeering crowd. Without rising, she called down to Luffy, "Man, before you are sentenced, how did you come to Amazon Lily? What are your intentions here?"

Confused, Luffy shouted back, "I was flying through the air after fighting this huge guy and the next thing I knew, I was here! I just want to leave! Hey lady, you're the boss here, right? Give me a ship!"

The audience roared in outrage at the disrespect shown to their empress. Another quick pulse of Conqueror's quieted them down again. "Hmph. Very well, if you will not answer, then you will simply die." Hancock addressed one of the guards next, "Release Bacura!" Turning back to Luffy, she said, "Here on Amazon Lily, strength is beauty. Fight as hard as you can and die honorably for our entertainment." From out of a gate leapt a massive black jaguar, towering over Luffy. "Bacura here will serve as your executioner, much as she has for countless before you." She nodded to Enishida, who released her control over her Devil Fruit and allowed Luffy to stand. Hancock swept her hand imperiously, "Begin!"

The gigantic beast pounced at Luffy, who quickly leapt to the side and punched her in the face with a Gum-Gum Pistol. Yet all he accomplished was briefly staggering the jaguar. She shook off his attack and swiftly lashed out with a swipe of her paw. Rather than dodge, the young pirate counterattacked. Drawing his arm back, he twisted it around over and over before punching Bacura's paw with a shouted, "Gum-Gum Rifle!" The rapidly spinning punch knocked Bacura's attack away, drawing a pained hiss from the great feline. Luffy's arm rebounded and threw him off balance, and he was slower to recover than Bacura. The jaguar furiously bit down on him, fitting the whole of Luffy's body within her mouth.

The audience cheered at witnessing the man's defeat, even if he had put up a bit more of a fight than expected. However, those more skilled with Observation (particularly the Serpent Sisters) didn't join the ruckus. A few seconds later, their reasoning became clear. From within Bacura's mouth came a muffled, "Gum-Gum Cannon!" and three of her teeth were knocked out by a pair of outstretched hands. The rubber man leapt out of the gap in the jaguar's mouth, even as she yowled in pain. Staring up at the beast, Luffy declared, "You're a tough one, aren't ya? But I'm not gonna lose!"

Within the stands, the Kuja were shocked that this… this man had escaped Bacura's jaws. The black jaguar had served as Amazon Lily's executioner for generations and had never had so much trouble devouring a prisoner. Above them all, the Serpent Sisters watched in curiosity. They had assumed this man to be some no-name, yet he was putting up a much better fight than expected. "Tell me sisters, is this man familiar to either of you?" Hancock questioned, her gaze never leaving the continuing battle below.

Sandersonia took a moment to consider before answering, "I can't recall seeing him before." She rubbed her chin, "Hold on, he actually does sound kind of familiar now that you mention it. The straw hat and rubber body… doesn't he match the description Red Hair gave of that kid he knew? What was his name?"

Marigold was the one to respond this time, "Monkey D. Luffy, I believe. Red Hair wouldn't shut up about how he was going to make it to the big leagues one day. Seemed to genuinely think he'd become the Pirate King."

Hancock groaned minutely at the reminder. While Shanks was undoubtedly the least… offensive… of the other Emperors, he was still a headache to deal with. If it wasn't drinking or partying, he wasn't interested. Some days she wondered how he could have possibly become an Emperor. The Serpent Empress made to address Enishida before realizing her lady's maid was no longer present. Frowning, Hancock reached out with her Observation, only to smile slightly as she found Enishida escorting Nerine to her. 'Such a dutiful servant. Knowing what I require before I even ask.' Once they arrived, Hancock merely stated, "Monkey D. Luffy."

Nerine, the newest recruit to the Kuja Pirates, pulled out her ever-present notebook and quickly flipped to the right page. "Monkey D. Luffy, a rookie pirate captain out of East Blue. Ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. Has the second highest bounty of this year's Super Rookies at 300 million. Notable feats include defeating "Desert King" Crocodile, escaping the G-8 Marine base, and storming Enies Lobby and escaping without losing a single crewmember or ally."

That last one caught the sisters' attention. "Truly?" Hancock asked in interest. At Nerine's confirmation, Hancock frowned slightly. "... He is performing well. I see no Haki, which means he's fighting Bacura with mere brute force. Maybe Red Hair has a point about his potential. He may be useful if he survives."

Down below, Luffy brought his right hand up to his mouth and bit down on his thumb before declaring, "Gear Third!" To the shock of the entire audience, his arm inflated massively until it was larger than even Marigold or Sandersonia. He then jumped high into the air with Bacura leaping after him. With his arm raised above his head, Luffy shouted, "Gum-Gum Giant Pistol!" His fist, as big as Bacura herself, collided with the giant jaguar's face, sending her hurtling to the ground. She impacted with enough force to reduce the topmost ring of the arena to rubble, leaving her sprawled out body on the ring beneath.

The entire audience fell silent in their shock as Luffy deflated, and shrunk even further, as he landed near the downed beast. His voice high-pitched and squeaky, he shouted up at Hancock, "Oi! We done here? Can I have that boat now?"

Mutterings broke out among the Kuja. Some were wondering what that technique he used was, while others questioned if all men could do that. A few others also recognized that he used raw power rather than Haki to defeat Bacura. As they watched, Luffy grew back to his normal size as the side-effects of using Gear Third wore off. Atop her coiled snake, Hancock addressed her sisters, "Sonia, Mary." Both nodded and easily leapt down to the arena with a single flap of their wings, landing with a surprising amount of grace. Raising her voice, Hancock shouted, "We're not done until you're dead, outsider! Sisters! Show him the war dance!" Honestly, just one of her sisters was overkill, so this was mostly for their amusement.

The guards at the gates lifted Bacura and dragged her out of the arena. Luffy stared up at both sisters, one unarmed and the other wielding a polearm. "So, I have to beat you two now, right?" All who heard his question laughed uproariously, shouting how funny he was. Luffy ignored them. A lot of his opponents had laughed at him before; none of them were laughing after he beat them. Neither would these two.

The crowd erupted in cheers as both women transformed. Sandersonia's skin turned green as her neck elongated and her mouth filled with fangs. Seven more heads grew from her shoulders as a scaly tail grew from her backside. Marigold's muscular arms fused with her wings as red feathers covered her body and a serpentine tail grew behind her. In mere moments, both stood before Luffy in their hybrid forms. "Ah, they're so beautiful, especially in their blessed forms!" One particular Kuja loudly gushed.

Luffy looked her way in confusion. "Blessed forms? They're just Devil Fruits, aren't they?" In place of an answer, he instead received a smack from one of Marigold's wings, sending him hurtling into the wall surrounding the arena. He then immediately had to dodge as Sandersonia's many heads lunged towards him. Left, up, righ- no left, down. Luffy landed atop one of Sandersonia's necks and quickly started running down it towards her body. Too late did he remember Marigold's presence as she swooped down from the sky and plucked him off her sister with her tail before throwing him down to the arena floor.

The sisters coiled around the arena until they stood before Luffy, completely encircling him with their bodies. "You're not putting up much of a fight, Straw Hat. I had hoped for more after your defeat of Bacura," Sandersonia taunted. Admittedly, she hadn't expected that much more. A 300 million bounty was enormous for Paradise, but on an Emperor's crew, you'd be lucky to be an officer at that level. Especially without Haki, like this rookie.

"Gum-Gum Gatling!" Luffy's arms blurred as he threw dozens upon dozens of punches in mere seconds. In reply, Sandersonia casually danced around each and every one aimed her way, cheekily laughing all the while. When his attack ended, Luffy doubled over, panting lightly as he noticed a shadow above him. Looking up, he saw Marigold flying overhead. 'This time, I'll get her.' Taking a deep breath, he utilized Gum-Gum Balloon, something that actually made both sisters as well as the audience stop and stare. Preparing for the next part of his technique, Luffy twisted his body around tightly then blew out all the air within him down at the ground, launching himself upwards at the airborne amazon. "Gum-Gum Storm!" The pirate roared as he threw a flurry of punches, even faster than his Gum-Gum Gatling. Marigold folded her wings in front of her body right as Luffy's fists collided with her. Though he pushed her backwards, his barrage accomplished little else, not even displacing her feathers. With a single wing, she smacked him back down to her sister.

"Sisters!" Both women froze at their eldest sister's voice, "How long do you intend to keep playing with him?"

While everyone else stopped at her words, Luffy didn't. Both women were too fast for Gear Third so there was only one option left. Pumping his legs, Luffy massively increased his blood flow until his body turned pink and his sweat started evaporating off his skin. "Gear Second. I won't lose!" Faster than most could see, Luffy appeared above Marigold, "Gum-Gum Jet Lance!" Both of his feet speared into the brunette's back, catching her unaware and sending her crashing to the ground.

Once he landed, Luffy faced both women down before leaning forward and throwing a truly ludicrous number of punches at them. For much of the audience, it was as though his arms disappeared, leaving only countless circles of airbursts. At the top of his voice, Luffy roared, "Gum-Gum! Jet! GATLING!" The assembled amazons gaped in shock at the man's raw speed and power, unable to comprehend that he might be able to defeat two of the Serpent Sisters.

Up above, Hancock's interest grew. Yes, she could see why this man was a Super Rookie. A versatile power and creative application, along with impressive will. Although his survival instincts were… less than impressive. And if Nerine's information was accurate, he'd received his first bounty less than a year ago, making him a true rookie, unlike those who played around in the weaker seas for a few years. 'Hm, if his crew is similar (and given that they didn't lose a single crewmember attacking Enies Lobby, they should be), these Straw Hat pirates could be a useful subordinate crew.' Down at the fight, Luffy's attack finally ended. When the dust cleared, it revealed both sisters still standing. Marigold once more had her wings folded in front of her, while Sandersonia showed off her superior Observation by continuing to dance around his attacks.

Luffy panted in exhaustion as the two snake women approached him. He hadn't been in top condition before the fight, what with having not eaten since before the fight on Sabaody. Not that it would have mattered if he had been. "Be at peace, Straw Hat," Marigold consoled him as her tail wrapped around him, "You fought bravely and your death will be swift." She raised her polearm high and blackened it with her Armament as she prepared to deliver the final blow.

Struggling within the veteran pirate's grasp, Luffy fought with every last bit of energy he still had in him. "Didn't you hear me before? I… said… I WON'T LOSE!" A raw, uncontrolled wave of power washed over the coliseum like a storm. Its presence was like a wild, uncontrollable beast, and the weaker warriors among the audience passed out, their eyes blank and their mouths foaming. Those still awake stared in shock, including the three Serpent Sisters.

"T-that was… Conqueror's haki," Sandersonia muttered in awe.

"This boy is a natural king?" Marigold questioned, her coils loosening their grip on her prey.

Upon her throne, Hancock was little better. Conqueror's haki was exceedingly rare, only one in several million possessed it. Not counting herself, she knew of only ten people in the entire world with it. Over half of whom were either an Emperor or affiliated with one. 'For this rookie to have it as well…' Looking closer, she realized he didn't even know what he had done. The boy probably didn't even know of Haki, let alone the rarest form of it. He was barely on his feet now. 'I can use this. I should use this.' Standing from her throne for the first time, Hancock announced, "The war dance is over! All of you return to your work! I shall speak with the man in private."

Even confused as they were over their empress's decision, none gainsaid her. Those still conscious gathered up those who weren't and left the coliseum posthaste. Scratching his head, Luffy watched as everyone left and his opponents reverted back to human form. "Hey, where's everyone going? Is the fight over?" Privately, Hancock let out a little smirk. His intelligence seemed about on par with his self-preservation.

-]|[-

Within Hancock's private chambers, Luffy, Sandersonia, and Marigold sat patiently on the floor. Well, Marigold and Sandersonia sat patiently; Luffy fidgeted and wondered if he'd get something to eat soon. Finally, Hancock entered with her pet snake, Salome, who quickly coiled into a chair for her mistress to sit on. Once seated, the empress addressed Luffy directly, "You said you flew through the air after fighting someone huge before arriving here, Straw Hat? How exactly did that happen?" Before addressing the elephant in the room, it was important to know if she should expect any future… visitors in the same fashion.

Luffy nodded, "Yeah! He was this huge guy like a bear-"

"Bartholomew Kuma?" Sandersonia cut in. If so, she couldn't help but wonder how many of his crew survived. Kuma was not only a Warlord, but arguably the most dangerous (though not the most powerful) for his tenacity and ruthlessness. The other Warlords ran the gamut from the weak Moria to the unpredictable Doflamingo. But Kuma? Kuma got the job done quickly and efficiently.

"I dunno," Luffy shrugged. "He was really big and pushed stuff with paws on his hands." All three sisters agreed; that was definitely Kuma the Tyrant. Also, seriously? He wanted to be the King and didn't even know who the world's major players were? No wonder he thought he stood a chance. "He showed up after we trashed that stupid slave auction and used his Devil Fruit on each of my crew and we went flying- Hey! If I landed here, did the rest of my crew too?!"

Hancock and Marigold glanced at Sandersonia. The middle sister took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reaching out with her Observation. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and shook her head regretfully. "You're the only new presence on Amazon Lily according to my Haki."

Luffy's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Haki? What's that?"

All three resisted the urge to facepalm. 'Rookies,' was their synchronized thought. It was a significant culture shock for them to realize most outside the New World only had (at best) some rather basic understanding of Haki. Usually they didn't even know the term. On Amazon Lily, only children who had yet to be trained in combat didn't know how to use at least one kind of Haki. It was only then that something Luffy mentioned clicked for Marigold. "What was that about trashing a slave auction?"

The rookie scowled as he remembered the events she was asking about. "One of our friends got kidnapped and was going to be sold as a slave. Nami was going to just buy her back but some Saint guy bought her instead and shot Hatchan. So I punched him in the face and sent him flying, even though Hatchan said he was some kinda Heavenly Lizard or something?" The last part came out like a question. Luffy hadn't paid much attention at the time. He didn't care who the jerk in the weird outfit was; all that mattered was he hurt one of Luffy's friends.

Sandersonia's voice was barely more than a whisper as she asked, "You punched a Celestial Dragon?" She sounded awestruck. Her two sisters were no better. None of them had ever gotten close enough to one of the detestable bastards to be able to do it themselves.

"Of course! He hurt my friend! I'd have punched him again if things hadn't gotten so loud!" To Luffy, it seemed the obvious response. Someone hurts your friend, you beat them up. Simple cause and effect. All the sisters teared up at his answer; Marigold and Sandersonia moved around him to hug each other as they cried, their wings encircling one another as well. Hancock herself was only slightly more composed. While her hell couldn't compare to theirs, she still remembered four long years searching desperately for any sign her little sisters were alive. Baffled, Luffy asked, "Hey, why're you guys crying that I punched that jerk?"

As the only one capable of speaking clearly, and simply not wanting her sisters to relive those days any more than they had to, Hancock tearily explained, "Seventeen years ago, my sisters and I were out on our first expedition with the Kuja Pirates. We were merely apprentices, but we were so proud of being made crew so young. But something happened… Someone stole them away and… s-sold them! To the Celestial Dragons!" The empress covered her eyes with one hand. "It took me four years to find them. Four years of unspeakable cruelties they had to suffer! At the hands of those MONSTERS!" Unconsciously, her Conqueror's haki pulsed throughout the palace at her despair and rage.

Without saying a word, Luffy's arms stretched and he pulled all three sisters in for a hug. Marigold quietly continued the tale, rubbing Sandersonia's back all the while, "We'd given up any hope of rescue when our sister finally found us. She freed us and took us away from that horrible place. She's the one who came up with the idea to rid ourselves of our brands, replacing them with the Kuja Jolly Roger." In her mind's eye, Marigold could see her eldest sister holding her hair out of the way as she insisted she be branded first. She remembered the smell of Hancock's flesh burning and how she refused to make a single sound of pain. "This is nothing compared to what you went through." Had been her words.

Looking up at the one person outside her sisters who had been allowed to see her vulnerable in over a decade, Hancock softly told him, "Our ship will take you wherever you need to go. But not today. Leave us." She paused for a moment, before saying something she hadn't said in even longer, "Please."

-]|[-

Luffy spent the night feasting with the Kuja, who readily accepted their empress's declaration that he was now a friend of Amazon Lily. Their reactions to him varied. Those who hadn't left the island before found him fascinating, with one enterprising Kuja Pirate charging others a fee to touch him. The Kuja Pirates largely found his antics amusing, such as painting a face on his belly then using Gum-Gum Balloon and dancing. A few, like that Kikyo lady, shouted at the others for imitating his shenanigans, but overall it was a great time. And today promised to be even better since Hancock promised to take him back to Sabaody!

Though Luffy wasn't aware of it, he had just taunted Murphy something fierce, as evidenced by him nearly tripping over Elder Nyon. So engrossed in her newspaper was she, that Gloriosa didn't pay any mind to the boy's scrambling to regain his footing. Once he regained his balance, Luffy actually noticed what she was up to. "Hey Granny, what're you reading?"

"Hm?" She looked up curiously, seemingly noticing him for the first time. "Oh, it's you. Well, it seems the World Government is going to war with Whitebeard. Their newest Warlord, some Blackbeard, apparently captured Whitebeard's 2nd Division Commander, Portgas D. Ace, and he's set to be executed in six days. I wonder how Hancock will-"

The elderly amazon's musings were cut off by Luffy grabbing her shoulders and lifting the short, old woman off the ground, "What do you mean Ace is being executed?!"

Nonplussed, Nyon remarked, "Well, he's one of Whitebeard's top underlings after all. The Marines would hardly get a chance like this again and Whitebeard wouldn't excuse their actions even if they let Portgas go."

"He's my brother! Ace is my big brother!" Luffy frantically shouted at her.

"WHAT?!" Gloriosa could hardly believe her ears. This boy was connected to two Emperors plus the Marine Hero Garp?! For once, she couldn't remotely fault Hancock's actions. If they could get the boy to ally with them, then Amazon Lily's position would be stronger than ever! Luffy reached into the band around his hat and pulled out a small burnt piece of paper, staring at it intently. "Is that Ace's vivre card?" Gloriosa couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah. It used to be ten times this size. For it to be this small…" Luffy trailed off, still staring at the vivre card. "I'm going to save Ace."

Just then, Enishida appeared in a burst of speed. "Elder Nyon!" She shouted urgently, "Come quick! The Serpent Sisters have all fallen ill!"

-]|[-

Atop a giant bed, Hancock, Marigold, and Sandersonia were all flushed and sweaty, gripping their chests in pain as their wings writhed awkwardly against the sheets. Worried Kuja stood around them as one of them, Belladonna, struggled to diagnose them. "I've never even heard of symptoms like this before! I have no idea what to prescribe them! There's nothing wrong with their hearts, despite them all clutching their chests, but they're in terrible pain and can barely move."

Gloriosa stared at the trio in confusion for a long moment before she had an idea. Quietly, she said, "Monkey D. Luffy will be leaving soon." All three sisters suddenly jerked in pain. The elderly woman put a hand to her forehead as she muttered, "Of course. And all three of them too."

"Do you know what this is, Elder Nyon?" Belladonna pleaded. Their leaders were dying and she couldn't even help them, but if the Elder knew, then maybe she could treat their illness.

"Yes, I've seen this before. Many times," Nyon replied. Stepping forward, she hopped onto the bed. The three sisters all looked at her weakly.

"Elder Nyon, it hurts…" Hancock uncharacteristically whined.

"Are we going to die?" Sandersonia asked in a small voice.

Unwilling and unable to hide the truth, Nyon answered, "Yes, this disease is usually fatal. Several empresses have died from it. I nearly did as well, though I survived by fleeing Amazon Lily." She paused for a moment, before testing her hypothesis. "Luffy is here with me and he wanted to ask you three a favor."

"What?! How can you bring up such things in their condition?!" The assembled amazons demanded.

Yet to their surprise, the trio sat up with apparent ease. Luffy hesitantly approached them from where he had waited by the entrance. "I needed a favor, but you three are sick. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Of course," Marigold insisted, "No illness could conquer us."

To the surprise of all, Luffy bowed to them in full dogeza. "The Marines are going to execute my brother, Portgas D. Ace, at Marineford soon. I can't save him in time on my own. Please help me get there before time runs out!"

Even as the various amazons expressed outrage at him asking so much of their leaders when they were deathly ill, Hancock cut them all off with a pulse of Conqueror's. "Everyone but Luffy, get out." Cowed by the empress's display, even when seemingly on her deathbed, the Kuja quickly fled the room, closing the doors behind them. Once they were alone, Hancock answered Luffy's request, "Of course we'll help, Luffy-kun. But we have a condition."

Lifting his head, Luffy beamed at the sisters. "Sure, what is it?"

-]|[-

A mere hour later, the Kuja Pirates were assembled for an announcement by their glorious and beautiful captain. Outside the palace, they all patiently waited for whatever news the empress would bring. Rumors of all manner flew through the air. The Serpent Sisters were dying. The man was secretly a king. The Great Serpent had withdrawn her blessing for allowing a man on the island. Whatever the truth was, they would know soon enough. Hancock stepped out of the main gate, her sisters and Luffy by her side. Everyone fell silent as they awaited her announcement. "Sisters!" Hancock shouted, "Ready yourselves, for the Kuja march to war! Ready the Perfume Yuda! We sail for Marineford!"

It took several seconds for the Serpent Empress's words to penetrate. Once they did, everyone gathered cheered and shouted in celebration. Their empress had recovered! They were going to war against the World Government! Truly, this was the most glorious of days!

-]|[-

It was the day of Portgas D. "Fire Fist" Ace's execution and the time was drawing near. From atop the execution platform, Sengoku stared out across the plaza. While he had ordered every spare marine (including every marine of admiral rank) to Marineford, he had no illusions about what they faced. Even five of the current Warlords weren't a guarantee of victory, though he would feel better if Jinbe wasn't imprisoned for refusing to fight Whitebeard and Blackbeard wasn't currently AWOL. Because within the bay was the Moby Dick, captained by the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard himself. Along with him were his entire crew and dozens of allied ships. "Golden Jaws" Bizarre, Ninth "the Third" (and damned if he didn't hate whoever chose that epithet), "Ice Witch" Whitey Bay, and so many more had answered Whitebeard's call. 'A lot of good men are going to die today.' Most of them would likely be the lower ranks, and for once "lower rank" meant anyone who wasn't at least a Rear Admiral. Barring a few notable exceptions, they were by and large mere cannon fodder in a battle of this level. While Sengoku would order them to their deaths a thousand times over if it meant stopping the spread of evil, he still pitied them.

However, before the battle could get underway, a massive sea serpent broke the water's surface within the bay, followed by another and another. In mere moments, half a dozen sea serpents glared down at the assembled armies. "No… she can't be here." Sengoku knew his words wouldn't change reality, but damned if he didn't pray they would. Two more Yuda rose from the depths, hauling a ship. A ship every major player in the world recognized. The Perfume Yuda had arrived, carrying the newest of the Five Emperors. Front and center on the deck were the so-called Serpent Sisters, their lunarian heritage making them stand out even more than usual.

Whitebeard was one of the very few unimpressed by either the entrance or the power of the new combatants. "Hmf. Pirate Empress, have you come for my head like Kaidō?" It hardly mattered to him either way. She'd fail like everyone before her. But her attempt might distract him while they were saving his foolish son.

Hancock scoffed. As far as she was concerned, Whitebeard already had both feet in the grave. Even if circumstances were different, she wouldn't bother with him. "Hardly. My sisters and I are merely here to pick up a betrothal gift for our beloved."

The entire plaza ground to a halt at the Empress's words. Boa Hancock, the infamous man-hater, had taken a husband?! Truly, it was a sign of the end times. What kind of man could possibly tame a woman like her? At that moment a certain figure hopped up into view. "Ace!" Luffy shouted, "Me and my wives are here to save you!"

has crashed. Would you like to reboot?

Ace, who had previously been trying in vain to make his comrades leave him to his fate, stared in complete bewilderment. His little brother was engaged. His idiot little brother (who had shown exactly zero sexual interest in anyone, ever,) was engaged?! Never mind the fact he was engaged to the "Most Beautiful Woman in the World".

Beside him, Garp wasn't any better. Worse, a thought occurred to him. 'Did anyone ever give Luffy The Talk? Makino maybe?' If no one had, yeah, he wasn't touching that. That was just, no.

Back on the Perfume Yuda, Hancock addressed the Fleet Admiral next. "Sengoku! Release my beloved's brother and I might leave your island standing!" Though truly, such decisions depended on Luffy. If he was fine with just getting Fire Fist back, then that'd be the end of it. If not, she and her sisters would happily go to war for him.

"If Whitebeard couldn't stop us, what makes you think you can?" Sengoku retorted. He might not like the man, but only a fool didn't acknowledge the power of the strongest man in the world.

Tensions between the three factions grew as every fighter prepared for the battle to truly commence. It seemed like everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move. A pressure weighed down on them until finally, Hancock broke it. "Kikyo, Marguerite? Do not allow any harm to befall Luffy-kun." Both of her high priestesses nodded. "Sisters, let's show them hell." As her sisters transformed, Hancock followed suit, becoming the very avatar of the Great Serpent's wrath: the Gorgon. Her face twisted inhumanly and her hair became a nest of snakes as bronze scales covered her body. Her wings turned bronze as her shapely legs fused into a long and powerful tail and she rose to stand a full seven and a half meters tall, her tail trailing behind nearly twice as long. Furiously hissing, she glared out at the assembled marines as her hair snakes all turned to follow her gaze. "Die!" From her eyes and those of her snakes came beams of fuchsia light that swept across the battlefield, turning all in their path to stone. And with that, the Paramount War had begun.

-]|[-

Luffy sprinted across the battlefield, heading straight for his brother and dodging around anyone he could while punching out those he couldn't. "Congratulations on getting this far, Straw Hat, but it's time to die!" Honey Queen shouted as she sprayed a wave of amber liquid at him. Luffy jumped out of the way and punched her in the face, only for his fist to go straight through. The Warlord's body turned to honey which then flowed around until she reformed with Luffy's fist caught in her hand. Her other hand morphed to form a spiked mace. "You're ten years too early to think of fighting at this level, Straw Hat." Before she could bring her hand crashing down on his skull, Honey Queen had to quickly dodge as a number of wind blades sliced through the air where she had been standing.

Looking to the side, she saw a giant black jaguar which lashed out at her again. "Jump on, Luffy-sama," Marguerite urged as she smacked the Warlord away. Luffy did as she asked and mounted Marguerite, letting her carry him closer to the execution platform.

Elsewhere, an entire battalion of marines had turned on their own, shooting and cutting down any other marine they could spot. They ignored the cries of their former comrades as they mercilessly slaughtered them all. Behind the group stood Kikyo, her hips undulating and shimmying along to a beat only she could hear. 'Yes, dance my puppets, dance! Embrace my Hip-nosis!' A blared warning through her Observation caused her to flip forward onto her hands, dodging Smoker's jitte by a scant few centimeters. Without missing a beat, the amazon spun on her hands, striking at the commodore repeatedly with Armament coated legs, sending him flying and breaking his jitte. However, the disruption of her dance had broken Kikyo's Hip-nosis, allowing the marines to regain control of themselves.

-]|[-

Ace was finally freed but now they had to actually escape with him. And as luck would have it, Akainu landed in front of both Ace and Luffy, cutting off their escape route. The pair stumbled to the ground, with Luffy's leg hitting an oddly smooth piece of rubble. "I will not allow Rogers' cursed bloodline to escape absolute justice! You and Dragon's son will burn together!" The brothers were in trouble. Luffy was nowhere near ready to fight an admiral level opponent, not to mention the exhaustion of the battle suddenly catching up to him, and Ace was still weak from prolonged exposure to seastone. With the two Emperors engaged in their own battles, Hancock destroying dozens of Kuma lookalikes while Whitebeard battled Kizaru, it would take a miracle to save them.

"That'ssss my husssband, dog!" A miracle like a pissed off Sandersonia. Akainu turned his body to magma on reflex but the numerous fang-filled maws biting into his body were all blackened with Haki, allowing her fangs to pierce his flesh. The pirate burned but held on regardless. The admiral hardened his body with his own Armament. Only to realize that while his Haki was spread out due to being attacked all over, his opponent had concentrated her Haki in her heads. Realizing this left her weak elsewhere, Akainu prepared to launch a Great Eruption at her body, only for a sudden weakness to overtake him. It lasted only a moment, but his Devil Fruit powers faded entirely for a brief second, allowing Sandersonia's heads to rip massive chunks out of his body, including an arm and both legs as well a chunk of his side. The last thing the admiral saw as his life faded, was a chunk of stone falling off his suit and Luffy's hand still outstretched from throwing it.

-]|[-

"And why exactly, would we allow you to take our beloved away from us for two years?" Hancock demanded of Silvers Rayleigh. She would, grudgingly, admit a respect for the man and his power. She didn't know if she could defeat him in a battle but she did know such a fight would destroy her entire palace and likely much of the city. Regardless, he demanded much of her while offering nothing in return. "While it's true that Luffy-kun needs training, we could easily train him ourselves here on Amazon Lily."

"And how much training would he actually receive? Or would he spend his days being fawned over by you three?" Rayleigh countered. All three averted their eyes at the uncomfortable truth. "I can take him away to be trained without any distractions and make him as strong as he'll need to be to survive in the New World." The retired pirate could see the sisters' desires competing within them. On the one hand, they wanted Luffy to be with them. On the other, they wanted him to be safe.

"Give us a moment," Hancock requested. Marigold and Sandersonia stepped close to her and all three engaged in a whispered conversation as they discussed the pros and cons of the situation. While they talked, Rayleigh looked around the throne room curiously. He had never actually been to Amazon Lily before, having only heard about it from his wife, even if he had given the sisters a boat all those years ago. The architecture reminded him vaguely of Wano, though there were obvious differences. The former Rogers Pirate idly wondered if the two kingdoms (well, Shogunate and Queendom) had any connection. After several minutes of furious whispering, the trio finally broke apart. "A compromise," Hancock suggested, "After our wedding to Luffy-kun, you will train him for one year. Afterwards, he'll return to Amazon Lily where we and our subjects will take over his training."

Rayleigh rubbed his beard for a few seconds as he thought. "Very well," he agreed. "But don't dawdle with your wedding. We only have so much time."

-]|[-

"Big News" Morgans had the presses running day and night, printing an entire series of papers covering the war. Those under him recognized that the man had taken a liking to "Straw Hat" Luffy due to his actions resulting in so many headline worthy articles. That the lad had even allowed a few pictures from his marriage to the Serpent Sisters only made things better. All around the world, people were reading the newspapers and reacting to the Paramount War and its aftermath. "Marines Humiliated at Marineford, Portgas D. Ace Escapes Execution," "Serpent Empress Boa Hancock Marries, Exclusive Photos Within," "Death of an Admiral, Remembering 'Akainu' Sakazuki," "Admiral 'Aokiji' Kuzan Promoted to Fleet Admiral" and more dominated the newspapers for weeks. From horror at the survival of the infamous Portgas D. Ace and the slaughter of so many marines, to jubilation at the World Government getting its nose bloodied; there wasn't a soul in the world who was indifferent to the stories they read. In particular, the celebration at Foosha Village was only eclipsed by that aboard the Moby Dick. Even Mayor Woop Slap, who hated the "infamy" having two notorious pirates brought to their town, was drinking with everyone else. Regardless of anything else, Ace and Luffy had survived, and that's all that mattered.

Along with the newspapers also came new bounty posters, most notably, ones for each member of the Straw Hat crew. Due to their captain's new status and his participation in the Battle of Marineford, his bounty received a massive boost, all the way to 900,000,000! Similarly, each member of the crew received an increase of one hundred million. All except for one.

"Why is it still so low?!" Chopper wailed. Sitting in his newly acquired study, he had been pouring over medical texts when the news came in. He was ecstatic to hear Luffy was alright and that he'd saved his brother. And he'd already figured out his captain's hidden message, having spotted the obviously new tattoo stating 3D2Y on Luffy's arm. When the new bounties came, the doctor had gotten excited, hoping his would finally be higher. Technically, he got his wish. Staring up at him was a brand-new bounty poster. "Cotton Candy Lover Tony Tony Chopper. Wanted Dead or Alive. 500."

-]|[-

"Congratulations on your promotion, Gion," The newly minted Fleet Admiral Kuzan offered. Except for his new coat, his outfit hadn't changed with his promotion, though he did have some new scars from the so-called Paramount War. Among them was the ice prosthetic he made to replace his missing left foot and lower leg. At only 47 years old, he was quite likely the youngest fleet admiral ever.

On the other side of his desk stood Gion, or as she was now known, Admiral Momousagi. Only slightly younger than himself, the dark-haired woman was dressed considerably more casually than previous admirals. Rather than a suit underneath her officer's coat, she wore a pink vest with a frilled collar and dark brown shorts. "Thank you sir, but I think we both know I only made the cut due to my recent acquisition." As she spoke, Momousagi held up her right arm, which promptly turned into a black smoky cloud. And hadn't that been a shock for the World Government, finding out that their newest Warlord had broken into Impel Down for some unfathomable reason, only to run afoul of its head warden, Magellan. Whatever Teach's plans were, they would likely never know. Finding someone breaking into Impel Down had resulted in Magellan simply poisoning them immediately without bothering himself as to the 'Why' of the situation.

"Maybe," Kuzan acknowledged, "Either way, you and Issho are our new admirals now. Try not to end up like Sakazuki." The fleet admiral left it up to Gion's imagination as to whether he meant being a morally bankrupt marine willing to murder hundreds on the off-chance of killing a single criminal, or getting viciously ripped apart by an angry woman.

-]|[-

"You've never failed me before, Enishida. So I ask you, why would you require Aphelandra's help in teaching Luffy the art of pleasing a woman? She has never lain with a man, hasn't mastered Haki, and hasn't even proven herself strong enough to join my crew. What could she possibly bring to the table?" Hancock sat upon Salome, staring down at her diminutive lady's maid. She and her sisters had initially planned to take Luffy to their bed right away, but Gloriosa had been (frustratingly) correct that their husband had literally no idea what to do with a woman. Hence why Enishida was supposed to take a few weeks to "educate" him. Yet after only a single session, she was insisting she needed additional help?

An uncharacteristic blush on her face, Enishida attempted to explain, "Well you see, your majesty, Luffy-sama is very…" The young woman trailed off. Rather than finish her sentence verbally, she held up her hands a few inches apart, then spread them much further apart to the sisters' growing shock. To further drive her point home, Enishida then moved her hands over her body, showing exactly why she needed Aphelandra's assistance.

Silently, a blushing Hancock held her own hands the same distance apart and measured it against her own body. "Oh my~ *ahem* I mean, very well. Inform Aphelandra that she is to assist you in any way you require regarding our husband's education."

-]|[-

"You've come a long way, Luffy-sama," Ran complimented. Currently, said young man was sparing against herself, Daisy, Poppy, and Aphelandra all at once. Though he was panting with exertion, he still managed to fight them almost evenly without using his gears. "As such, it's only right that we fight you with our full strength." All four women removed their coats, each of which actually weighed several hundred kilograms. Divested of their weighted training clothes, they went on the offensive once more. While the other three charged in and engaged in melee, Ran kept on the move as she peppered Luffy with arrows from afar.

"Hey, how come you're all so much faster now?" Having been distracted, Luffy didn't really notice the heavy thuds their coats had made when they hit the ground, too busy catching his breath as he had been. After quickly buying some breathing room with Gum-Gum Gatling, Luffy stumbled across the answer. Or so he thought. "I get it! Being naked makes you stronger on this island!" Having 'figured out' the secret, the Super Rookie quickly stripped off his vest and shorts.

"Zahaha! Actually, we were wearing weightmfff." Daisy's attempted explanation was cut off by Poppy, the other amazon's eyes glued to Luffy's body.

"That's right, Luffy-sama. Nudity makes you stronger on this island," the ravenette amazon insisted. Ran and Aphelandra eagerly nodded in agreement.

-]|[-

Two Years Later

"Cat Burglar" Nami sat in a bar at the Sabaody Archipelago. It was finally the day of her crew's reunion and she couldn't wait to see them all again. Though she was only slightly taller than before, she had certainly grown in other places. Her hair had grown all the way down to her lower back and her breasts and butt were considerably larger and rounder than they had been two years prior. Both were particularly on display in her striped white and green bikini top and very low-riding jeans. But more than anything else, it was her strength and confidence that had grown, as evidenced by her casually ignoring some buffoon claiming to be an infamous pirate. The idiot's underling, a taller woman with a distinct potbelly, stuck a flintlock pistol in her face, "I'd be a little more polite if I were you. The captain's not one to cross and neither am I. Just between you and me, I've got a bounty of 116,000,000 on my head."

The old Nami would have cowered before such a person. Or at least sicced one of the Monster Trio on them while she hid. The new Nami didn't even look up from her drink. "Get that thing out of my face before I make you eat it." Proving that even complete idiots can reach the midway point of the Grand Line if they're lucky enough, her words went unheeded. Instead, the angered woman pulled the trigger, seeking to blow the arrogant bitch's brains out. In response, Nami proved just how much her ability to read her surroundings, particularly air pressure, had grown by simply leaning out of the way, dodging the incoming bullet by a hairsbreadth. In an instant, she reached out and ripped the pistol away from her would-be assailant before slamming the side of said woman's head into the bar. "I warned you. Now open wide!"

As she made good on her threat, a new voice called, "Green Star: Devil!" and a giant venus flytrap sprouted from nothing, quickly entrapping the fakes in its vines and jaws. "Hey Nami, long time no see!" Usopp cheerfully exclaimed. Like her, he hadn't grown much taller, but his hair and muscles more than made up for it. A surprised but happy grin on her face, Nami quickly abandoned her prey and hugged Usopp, overjoyed to see one of her friends again. Even as they hugged, a massive thunderbolt came down and electrocuted the fake Straw Hats.

-]|[-

Sentomaru stared at the obese moron claiming to be Straw Hat Luffy. While he didn't recognize the fool, he was rather surprised that the Kuja hadn't shown up to rip him in half yet. The fake must have just started his little recruitment drive recently. Really, claiming to be one of the most wanted pirates in the world was foolhardy enough. But specifically claiming to be the husband of one of the Emperors was little more than a very painful suicide. 'Good lord, is he still talking?'

"You better watch yourself, marine! I'm the 900 million Beli man, Straw Hat Luffy!" The fake boasted while waving a flintlock around.

Yeah, that was enough of that, Sentomaru decided. "Straw Hat isn't a piece of shit like you!" He roared as he flattened the idiot with the broadside of his axe. "PX-5, identify."

The eyes of one of the three Pacifista with him lit up as it faced the impersonator. "Target identified as 'Three-Tongued' Demaro Black, a pirate with a bounty of 26 million."

All of the recruits stared and shouted in shock at realizing they'd been tricked by a fake. At the same time, the rest of the fakes fled the scene as fast as their feet would carry them. Sentomaru however knew that the Pacifistas had previously identified Straw Hat, so he had to be somewhere nearby. "PX-5, PX-7, PX-13, spread out and find Straw Hat."

However, they didn't have to look long before a voice shouted, "Oi! I'm right here!" Taking off his 'disguise', Monkey D. Luffy stood atop a wall, staring down at them all. Copies of his wanted poster floated by from elsewhere, confirming for all that this was indeed the genuine article. "Hancock asked me to not cause too much trouble, so would you guys mind just leaving?"

"I can't do that Straw Hat!" Sentomaru shouted back. "Unlike two years ago, I'm officially part of the Marines now! And it's my job to take you in! PX-13!"

The Pacifista fired several lasers at the renowned pirate from both its hands and mouth, aiming at not just his body but also around him in case he tried to dodge. But Luffy stood calmly in place and oh so casually dodged each and every blast, moving only the bare minimum. "Slow," he muttered. As the Pacifista leapt at him, Luffy calmly waited for it to get close enough. With a leap of his own, he flew above the robot and launched a single fist at it. "Gum Gum Pistol!" The attack never touched the robot, yet PX-13 was knocked out of the air anyway, only for it to then explode into tiny fragments a moment later.

"Tch. PX-5, PX-7! Attack together!" Yet it was not to be, Zoro and Sanji, who had been drawn by the commotion, swiftly defeated the two remaining older model Pacifistas in a single attack each, leaving Sentomaru without his backup. All three Straw Hats quickly fled the scene, seeking to rejoin their comrades aboard the Thousand Sunny.

-]|[-

Aboard the Thousand Sunny, all the Straw Hats watched as the cannonballs fired at them from a trio of Marine battleships were blown off course by a sudden gust of wind. The Perfume Yuda suddenly sailed in between the two forces, carrying the legendary Pirate Empress herself, Boa Hancock. Atop the deck, Kikyo pulled out a pair of fire knives. Lighting the ends with the help of Marigold, she began her dance. She twirled the burning weapons with a skill and grace few could achieve, captivating both the Straw Hats and the marines. Unfortunately for the marines, this proved to be their downfall. When her brief dance ended, all three battleships instantly burst into all-consuming flames. Their screams were short-lived as the flames burned the ships and everyone onboard to ash in mere seconds. The Straw Hats watching gaped at the display, minus ever unflappable Robin and Luffy who was used to Kikyo's powers.

Using his goggles to get a closer look, Usopp noticed something curious. "Why are there so many babies on board?" The others took out their own binoculars and spyglasses to check and indeed, there were several babies being carried by the various crew members. Hancock carried a winged child on each arm, both clearly no more than a few months old. Her sisters and a few other members were also carrying a child each. Not to mention a number had noticeable baby bumps, including Kikyo.

Unconcerned, Luffy commented, "Hancock said it'd be okay since they weren't going anywhere dangerous." To be fair, his grandfather let him face down tigers the size of elephants, so Luffy didn't have the best judgment of what constituted "dangerous".

It was Nami who put the dots together the fastest. Not that it was terribly difficult; her captain had apparently spent two years living and training with a society of warrior women. Then again, Luffy had so little interest in women that Nami had genuinely believed he was asexual. It was what kept her from even considering him as a romantic partner after he fought Arlong for her. Still, she had to ask, "Luffy, how many children do you have?"

While most of the crew stared in shock at the very idea, Sanji beat his fists against the ground, bawling his eyes out over the 'unfairness of it all' For his part, Luffy looked at her in confusion. "Nami, we both know I can't count that high." Sanji's cries redoubled in volume as everyone's worldview was flipped on its head. Monkey D. Luffy, their idiot captain, ignorant of all things romantic and sexual, was not only married, but had who knew how many children too.

"Ufufufu, Captain is so virile," Robin chuckled. As she spoke, Luffy felt the rather familiar sensation of someone groping him through his shorts. Looking down, he saw an arm growing out of his thigh, the hand cupping his crotch. Robin's duplicated hand gave one last gentle squeeze before dispersing into flower petals.

-]|[-

Omake

Fleet Admiral Kuzan (and did he ever regret taking that promotion) sat in his office going over reports, particularly focusing on the Emperors. The Red Hair Pirates were continuing to do little besides partying near constantly. Honestly, if half the pirates in the world followed their example, the Marines would have it easy dealing with the other half. Of course, if wishes meant a damn thing, the Paramount War would've never happened. Kaidō and Big Mom were being their normal problematic selves. Though they had recruited a number of the so-called Worst Generation. The Whitebeard Pirates were actually causing less problems than usual, seemingly due to their captain's declining health. But what really bothered him were the Kuja Pirates. "Puru puru puru." How convenient. Hopefully this would be some good news. Or at least enlightening news. Picking up the Den-den Mushi, Kuzan spoke into the receiver, "This is Kuzan."

"Fleet Admiral, sir. Agent Kalifa is here to see you," His secretary's voice came through the snail. 'Finally,' he thought. Kalifa had been sent undercover months ago. At least this should answer his question.

"Send her in." Moments later, the reinstated Cipher Pol agent walked into his office. Firing the whole of CP9 was probably the second dumbest thing Spandam had ever done, after initiating a damn Buster Call on Enies Lobby of course. It had taken more time and effort than Kuzan liked to admit to reinstate them, but he wasn't going to let the strongest generation of CP9 be wasted just because of a single failed mission. Doubly so when said failure was due the Straw Hats, a crew that had proven to have absolute bullshit levels of luck and determination. So yes, one of Kuzan's first acts as Fleet Admiral had been to spend considerable resources bringing them back into the fold. That Spandam did not survive their reinstatement was of little consequence as far as he was concerned. That man had been the worst sort of government official: Stupid, corrupt, and incompetent.

With a click of her high heels, Kalifa brought Kuzan out of his thoughts. "Cipher Pol Agent Kalifa, returning from Amazon Lily."

Nodding, Kuzan asked, "And what did you learn while undercover there, agent? Why have the Kuja Pirates been so… quiet… lately?"

"While my attempts to join the Kuja Pirates directly failed, I nonetheless gained employment working at one of the taverns on Amazon Lily." Though she tried to hide it, it was readily apparent to her superior that Kalifa was upset to learn she 'wasn't strong enough' to be a crewmember. If he had to guess, he'd say her haki probably wasn't trained enough, though there was always the possibility that it was her physical conditioning they found lacking. "Until eleven months ago, Straw Hat Luffy," Kuzan spotted Kalifa's eyes tightening at the reminder of the crew that caused her sole failure, "was training elsewhere under a veteran pirate, though the average Kuja didn't seem to know who. As of eleven months ago, Straw Hat returned to Amazon Lily where Serpent Empress Boa Hancock trained him personally along with her elites."

Kuzan frowned at that. While training her husband would take some time, surely that couldn't be why the Kuja were doing fewer raids on enemy and merchant ships. "That can't be all she's been up to. The Serpent Empress would be more active still if she was only training up Straw Hat."

Nodding, Kalifa continued, "No sir. The Serpent Sisters were also, ahem, consummating their marriage. They've actually given birth just over a month ago."

"Yes, I can see why they'd be spending more time on Amazon Lily then. Does that mean they're staying landbound for the foreseeable future?" He rather doubted it. Seas knew that Big Mom hardly let newborns keep her from pillaging. Or working on the next child for that matter.

"Actually sir, once she and her sisters had given birth to Straw Hats children, Hancock suggested he 'breed the next generation of amazons'." Kalifa adjusted her glasses, a slight dusting of pink the only sign she was embarrassed by the subject. "Before I left, he had apparently impregnated at least a few dozen Kuja."

Fleet Admiral Kuzan put his head in his hands. That was the last thing he needed: An entire generation of Kuja Pirates combined with the insanity of the Monkey family. Between Garp, Dragon, and Luffy, he could honestly say it was both genetic and bred true every time. 'Worse, their leaders will be half-lunarian as well. At least I have another fifteen to twenty years before it becomes a problem. Plenty of time to retire and leave some other sap dealing with that nonsense.' Outwardly, he simply said, "Any other urgent intel that can't wait for your written report?"

"Well sir, there is one other thing…" Kalifa trailed off, not speaking long enough for Kuzan to lift his head and look at her directly. The Cipher Pol agent folded her hands over her stomach and said, "I would like to request maternity leave."

-]|[-

AN: So, all three of the Boa Sisters have a mythical zoan fruit based around snakes. Hancock has Gorgon (based on both Greek mythology and Fate), Marigold has Quetzalcoatl, and Sandersonia has Yamata no Orochi (meaning Orochi doesn't). Because of chapter 1059, I decided to make the Gorgon Sisters Lunarians.

Why is Bacura et al so much stronger? For Bacura specifically, she's from Rusukaina. For the humans? Their leader is an Emperor who also has considerable territory to defend, rather than just being able to mostly stay on their one island. As such, they're all much stronger out of necessity.

How did they reach Marineford in six days when it should take over a week without using that special current? Marigold's winds plus extra Yuda to haul the ship. Honey Queen is one of the Trump Siblings from the second movie. I needed another warlord and she stuck out, so I made her far more badass and decided (given her theme) that the liquid she changed into was honey.

Yes, I did make Marguerite older, by about 5 years specifically, making her 21 when she meets Luffy rather than 16. Her Devil Fruit came from a bit of trivia that Oda originally planned to give her the Cat Cat Fruit, Model: Black Cat. Here, she's a melanistic jaguar, more commonly known as a black panther (fun fact: A melanistic lion, leopard, snow leopard, or tiger is also a black panther. Thank you Hood Nature). So while her claws and general strength would certainly be a threat, her greatest weapon would be her bite. Unlike other big cats which go for the throat, jaguars disable their prey by biting through the back of their skull.

What happened to Blackbeard? Same thing as canon; Magellan wrecked him and his entire crew. Only difference is, this time Shiryu hadn't been conveniently released to cure him. Bon Clay is eventually spirited away to Newkama Land. As for Jinbe? Whitebeard heard why he got incarcerated and went to Impel Down to break him out. Furious but left with no other options, Magellan agreed to release the one prisoner in exchange for Whitebeard not sinking his entire prison. Without Whitebeard dying at Marineford, Jinbe had no reason to join Big Mom to protect Fishman Island.

Timeline:

17 years before canon starts: Marigold and Sandersonia are captured and enslaved. Hancock eats the mythical zoan fruit, Snake Snake Fruit: Model Gorgon.

17-13 years before canon: Hancock searches for her sisters. Marigold and Sandersonia are force-fed the Snake Snake Fruit: Model Quetzalcoatl and Yamata no Orochi respectively.

13 years before canon: Hancock meets Fisher Tiger. The two assault Mary Geoise. Hancock frees her sisters and is given a bounty of 300 million. The Boa sisters brand themselves with the Kuja Pirate jolly roger and return home.

13-11 years before canon: Hancock becomes Empress of Amazon Lily and Captain of the Kuja Pirates. The "Serpent Sisters" wage war against the world government.

11-2 years before canon: Kuja pirates continue their crusade and gradually increase their territory. Hancock has a port town built on a small island near Amazon Lily and just outside the Calm Belt. Men are allowed to dock at said port town to trade with the Kuja. Marguerite and Kikyo join Kuja Pirates, rising to become officers. Marguerite eats Cat Cat Fruit: Model Jaguar. Kikyo eats Dance Dance Fruit.

2 years before canon: Big Mom tries to have Hancock marry her son. Hancock refuses, slaughtering the crew sent to make the "offer". Big Mom retaliates in force. Hancock fights Big Mom to a draw. Perospero is killed fighting Marigold. Daifuku fights Sandersonia, escapes but gains a nasty burn scar on his upper chest. Morgans declares Hancock the Fifth Pirate Emperor. Hancock's bounty increased to 3,604,000,000. Her sisters each hit 1.24 billion. Flying a Kuja jolly roger officially marks an island as off limits to others due to Hancock's new status.

2-0 years before canon: Marguerite and Kikyo become Hancock's "high priestesses" along with her sisters, the four women with authority second only to Hancock herself.