One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 118: Hancock!

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Hancock!

When Claudius heard the words and looked at the three figures, he paused for a moment, a slight smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

The three figures were young girls, appearing to be around twelve years old. One had bright emerald green hair, and another had reddish-brown hair. There wasn't much to say about those two; they were plain in appearance, nothing particularly striking.

But the last girl, slender with flowing black hair, stood out. Even at a glance, it was clear, she would grow up to be a stunning beauty.

And from what the female Celestial Dragon had just said, all three girls had consumed Devil Fruits, and two of them could transform into snakes. Claudius quickly pieced it together: the third girl must have eaten the Paramecia-type Love-Love Fruit.

These three, without a doubt, were the Boa sisters from Amazon Lily—Boa Hancock, Boa Sandersonia, and Boa Marigold.

"So, I've stumbled upon three Devil Fruits right here—what a stroke of luck," Claudius thought, a smile playing on his lips.

He had to admit, these three sisters were quite promising, especially Hancock.

While Sandersonia and Marigold might not have seemed exceptional at first glance, Claudius knew they were skilled fighters, having seen how they were overshadowed by Luffy's wild escapades, much like Crocodile. Back then, they were seasoned Haki users and top lieutenants under a Warlord of the Sea. They couldn't have been that weak, right?

"If I train them properly, even if they don't reach the top tier, they should still become formidable warriors," Claudius mused.

As for Hancock's Paramecia-type Love-Love Fruit, Claudius considered it to be one of the most broken abilities out there. Among Paramecia Fruits, it ranked highly in his opinion, though it came with significant drawbacks.

The Love-Love Fruit fell under what he called "rule-type" abilities, similar to the Heat-Heat Fruit or the Gravity Fruit. However, unlike the straightforward nature of those powers, the Love-Love Fruit had a peculiar condition: if an opponent felt even a hint of desire or fascination toward the user, they would be affected and potentially petrified.

This power essentially bypassed brute strength; as long as the opponent's will wasn't strong enough, they would fall prey to it.

The catch was that it required the user to be highly charismatic. If someone unattractive ate the fruit, it would be almost useless unless they underwent some kind of transformation. But if the user was charming, the fruit's power could be nearly unstoppable.

Claudius figured there were only two people in the world who could maximize the potential of this fruit. The first was Hancock herself, and the second, theoretically, was Cavendish.

Hancock was already a given.

As for Cavendish, known as the most handsome man in the world, Claudius found it ironic. He didn't see himself as particularly charming, not even a bit. But Cavendish, with his unnaturally striking looks, had inadvertently caused chaos in his homeland. Women were so infatuated with him that the kingdom's marriage and birth rates plummeted because no one wanted to marry anyone else. In the end, his own father had to exile him on the grounds of being "too handsome."

Claudius chuckled to himself, "Imagine being charged with that. I'd take that accusation any day. Come on, give me that problem—I'll take one for the team."

But that was neither here nor there. In the end, Hancock would use her ability to become a Warlord of the Sea and earn the title of "Pirate Empress," rivaling even Charlotte Linlin in status.

Claudius had always thought that while Hancock's beauty was unparalleled, her combat skills had always seemed underwhelming.

Yes, she was powerful, but she never quite exuded the full force of being a "Pirate Empress." Even during the Marineford War, Sengoku, the then-Fleet Admiral, specifically mentioned that Hancock's involvement would increase their chances of victory. And yet, Hancock's actual performance was lackluster, more focused on her own agenda and distracted by her obsession with Luffy. It was as if she was merely going through the motions.

Until the chaos surrounding Douglas Bullet, that is. When Luffy, Sabo, Crocodile, Lucci, Smoker, Usopp, Buggy, and the other Supernovas were struggling against Bullet's monstrous combined form, Hancock was the one who delivered a decisive kick that disrupted Bullet's synthesis. It proved she was a "thinking" fighter, not just someone going through the motions.

Her previous mediocre performances hadn't been due to a lack of skill but a lack of focus.

With such a prime candidate, not to mention the two other decent options, how could Claudius pass this up?

Plus, he knew that one day, Hancock would grow to become the world's most beautiful woman.

As a man, how could he not be interested? Even if he had no ulterior motives now, having the world's most beautiful woman as an ally or subordinate would be a serious flex.

"I have a soft heart; I can't stand to see others suffer. These poor girls need rescuing, and as the wise and benevolent Claudius, it's my duty to pull them from the depths," Claudius thought, finding solace in his own justification.

After a pause, he turned to Nia. "Let's take a look at those three slaves who ate the Devil Fruits. I have a feeling it'll be worthwhile."

Nia, the ever-loyal butler, was taken aback. Claudius had never shown any interest in slaves before. Why the sudden change?

But Nia had one unwavering trait, she never questioned Claudius. No matter how unusual the decision, she supported it fully.

"Yes, Your Highness," Nia replied with a nod.

They approached the female Celestial Dragon from behind. She was wearing an air of superiority, but when she turned and saw Claudius, her eyes widened, and her expression shifted to excitement.

"Saint Claudius! What an unexpected pleasure to see you here. It's an honor," she said eagerly.

"Um..." Claudius was momentarily caught off guard. He didn't know her name and felt a bit awkward being greeted so warmly without knowing how to respond.

"Your Highness, she is Lady Corinnelu," Nia whispered helpfully.

Claudius's eyebrows raised in realization, and he offered a polite smile. "Ah, Lady Corinnelu, I didn't expect to see you here. You're looking as radiant as ever."

Corinnelu's face lit up at his words. "Thank you, Claudius. You're too kind."

It was true that among the Celestial Dragons, the upper middle class was generally well-kept and presentable. They didn't carry the lethargic air of indulgence that some of the lower-tier nobles did. This held especially true for the women, who took great care with their appearance. At the very least, they weren't unpleasant to look at.

Perhaps it was just natural for women to care about beauty, and the Celestial Dragons were no exception.

Plus, there was the matter of their lineage.

Celestial Dragons only accepted the best, generation after generation, which meant the gene pool stayed strong.

Look at Claudius himself. He'd gone from an overweight child to a strikingly handsome man.

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