You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/marvel6395
As long as I reach 200 dollars on my Patreon, I will post 10 extra bonus chapters per month in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 300 dollars then I will post 15 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 400 dollars then I will post 20 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. So come and support me.
“Hancock, being so proud is not good. You might suffer for it in the future.”
The female warriors on the deck of the ship turned their heads upon hearing this, seeing a blonde woman standing over two meters tall. She was wearing a red dress, accompanied by a giant, fierce-looking snake.
Despite the snake’s intimidating presence, the woman herself exuded a calm and gentle aura, which seemed as tranquil as water.
“Snake Princess!”
“Snake Princess…”
The Kuja warriors greeted their Empress in unison.
The black-haired girl, Hancock, who claimed to be 11 years old (her name derived from the Snow Fruit), however, showed no reaction. Instead, she stood with her hands on her hips and dismissively said, “I’ll suffer? Impossible.”
“Hancock! That’s too rude…”
“How could you speak to the Snake Princess like that?”
The female warriors expressed their dissatisfaction. After all, the Snake Princess was their revered Empress, the strongest warrior, and the most beautiful woman on Kuja Island.
The Snake Princess approached Hancock with her snake, bent down, and gently stroked the little girl’s soft cheek, smiling warmly. “It’s fine, Hancock is so cute and beautiful. Please forgive her.”
Hancock thought to herself, “Isn’t that only natural?” She pushed the Snake Princess’s hand away from her face.
The other female warriors laughed, “The Snake Princess is right! Hancock is just too cute…”
“She’s so pretty; of course, we should forgive her.”
A tall woman, resembling a giant, wearing a hat with the Kuja emblem, a white Marine-style cape, and a long sword strapped to her back, named Everlandra (her name derived from the Zebra Flower), smiled and said, “Hancock might grow up to be the most beautiful woman in all of Kuja one day.”
Hancock quietly glanced at her, thinking, “Is there even a doubt?” She mentally noted Everlandra’s words.
At this moment, the two giant black-bearded sea snakes pulling the ship slowed down and gently came to a stop at the shore.
“Alright, the archery trial is about to begin.”
The Snake Princess led a group of well-trained Kuja warriors off the ship and onto the shore.
All of these warriors, including the 11-year-old Hancock, had their own partner snakes.
Once they landed on the island, the warriors reached out and grabbed their snakes. The snakes, in perfect synchronization with their partners, tensed their bodies and transformed into longbows.
Their necks and tails were connected by taut bowstrings, and the transformation was so skillful that it was impossible to see how the bowstrings were attached…
Hancock followed the warriors into the island, and although it was still in the sea near Kujaisland and lacked the “wind” she longed to feel, the different scent of the forest excited the young warrior.
The Snake Princess led the group, explaining as they walked, “The sea around Rusukaina Island has a very peculiar magnetic field… The climate on this island changes every week, which is why it’s called the ‘Island of 48 Seasons.'”
Some of the female warriors who had never been to this island were amazed. Could there really be such a strange climate on an island?
They had thought that the weather on the Grand Line was already bizarre enough…
The Snake Princess reminded her people, “And the animals that have survived the natural selection on this island are extremely fierce and dangerous. Some of the giant-scale beasts are so powerful that even I don’t have absolute confidence in defeating them…”
“What…”
“Even the Snake Princess can’t defeat them?”
“That can’t be true…”
The female warriors looked incredulous, making the Snake Princess laugh. She said gently, “There are many incomprehensibly powerful monsters in this sea. And I’m not just talking about beasts… The same goes for humans!” After a pause, the Snake Princess added, “So, for this archery trial, focus on practicing your archery. Competing with each other isn’t important. As future defenders of our nation, what you need to practice this time is unity and cooperation… Understand?”
“Yes!”
“Don’t worry, Snake Princess!”
“We’ll work together.”
“And what about Hancock?”
The one speaking was Belladonna (her name derived from Belladonna). She was still quite young, only about 15 or 16 years old, but she was already skilled in combat. More importantly, she had a talent for herbal medicine and was a good doctor.
So, she had been brought along to the archery trial on Rusukaina Island, not so much to treat injuries (the warriors’ strong bodies hardly needed treatment for minor wounds), but to help in case the female warriors encountered any toxins or poisons on the island.
Upon hearing Beladonna’s reminder, everyone realized that Hancock had disappeared.
“Seriously, she’s so reckless.”
“Still so stubborn… But what can we do? She’s so beautiful, we just have to go find her.”
“Do you think she’ll be in any danger by herself?”
“Don’t forget, Hancock is very strong,” Snake Princess reassured the group with a calm smile. “Even though she’s young, how many of you can honestly say that your Haki is much stronger than hers?”
The female warriors thought for a moment and had to agree.
Beautiful people really are powerful.
Hancock was so extraordinarily beautiful that it was impossible to even be jealous of her, and her strength was just as extraordinary.
“Everlandra, since your vision is the best, could you go find Hancock?” Snake Princess gently asked the tall female warrior. “Be careful as well. If there’s any trouble, send a signal with a warning arrow.”
“Understood, Snake Princess.” Everlandra bent down in a respectful salute, then, with one hand resting on the giant sword strapped to her back, she set off with her long legs, calling loudly, “Hancock, where are you…?”
Meanwhile, Hancock, holding her pet Salome, who had transformed into a taut snake bow, heard the faint calls coming from behind. She rolled her eyes dismissively, not bothering to respond.
As she ventured deeper into the forest, she suddenly saw a giant beast lying by the side of the path ahead.
Hancock drew her bow and notched an arrow with skill and ease.
The snake head of Salome at the top of the bow flicked its tongue, sensing a force known as Haki, as it entwined around the arrow in Hancock’s hand.
With a powerful “twang,” the arrow shot out at high speed.
The arrow struck the massive beast lying by the roadside with precision, but instead of silently embedding itself in the target like a normal arrow, it exploded upon impact, blowing a large, bloody wound in the beast’s body, deep enough to expose bone…
Hancock furrowed her beautiful brows. “Salome, was it already dead?”
If it hadn’t reacted to her arrow, at the very least it should have cried out in pain when it was hit.
The snake bow hissed in response.
Hancock approached, feeling the wound and the flesh around it. The meat was already cold, and the stench of rot filled the air. The giant beast lying by the roadside had indeed been dead for some time.
“What is this…”
Hancock discovered a very distinct fist imprint on the head of the deceased beast.
Under the fist imprint, the giant beast’s skull was slightly caved in, with blood flowing from its seven orifices. The blood had already turned black and coagulated.
Could someone have smashed this massive beast’s skull with a single punch?
Hancock pressed her fist against the imprint to compare. It wasn’t much bigger than her own fist.
…
“Are these marks left by someone who came here before?”
One of the female warriors curiously examined the corpse of a black buffalo that had died by the side of the path. Its horns were bent, and its spine seemed to have been crushed by something, leaving it caved in.
—
…
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/marvel6395
As long as I reach 200 dollars on my Patreon, I will post 10 extra bonus chapters per month in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 300 dollars then I will post 15 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. If I reach 400 dollars then I will post 20 extra bonus chapters in batches of 5 for that month. So come and support me.
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/marvel6395
Support me on Patreon for extra chapters