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**Chapter Serial・Big News 13・The Boiling Execution Begins!**
Grand Line, New World, Wano Country. A grunt from the Hundred Beasts Pirate crew sets down the latest newspaper and hurries toward the execution site — this spectacle was not to be missed!
—
Luckily, Hancock didn’t notice any dissonance while she was dreaming.
She experienced the somewhat distorted version of the story in the book with a mix of disdain and excitement, bidding farewell to familiar faces and heading alone to the wind-swept Grand Line. But then… what does it actually feel like to be in a place with strong winds?
When she realized she couldn’t even imagine it, she suddenly understood: she was dreaming.
And with that, the dream ended.
Lying in bed, clutching her blanket, Hancock stared intensely at the ceiling, her small mouth pouting as she sulked… Would she really have to wait until next month’s training trip out of the city to find that strange snail and visit that weird place to see those two odd people again, just to continue reading that fairly decent book?!
A whole month! How could anyone survive that long?
Sandersonia and Marigold, upon waking up, immediately sensed that their Nee San (Elder Sister) was in a particularly bad mood.
“This isn’t good, Mari,” Sandersonia whispered to her younger sister. “Nee San (Elder Sister) seems upset… did she have a nightmare?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sonia,” Marigold replied, reminding her sister that Hancock was far too proud to ever have nightmares. “Even in her dreams, she’s still the center of attention.”
Hancock’s voice suddenly came from behind them, “What are you two whispering about?”
The two younger sisters jumped, “We were just saying it’s time for training, Nee San (Elder Sister).”
“Then let’s get moving,” Hancock said, waving her hand. “Salome!”
The red and white-striped snake coiled up in the corner quickly followed its mistress out the door.
Sandersonia and Marigold also took their own pet snakes to join the daily training session.
They themselves had only just barely begun to grasp Haki. If they wanted to board the Kuja Pirates’ ship or join the ranks of the nation’s warriors, their current skill level wouldn’t suffice.
They weren’t like their Nee San (Elder Sister), who was born with exceptional talent. To even come close to keeping up with her, they’d need at least one or two more years of intense training.
And they wanted to stay by their Nee San (Elder Sister)’s side.
Their sister, born so different, had already lived such a lonely life.
As her blood sisters, they couldn’t let her always feel like she was alone.
—
At the training grounds, Hancock was half-heartedly going through the motions.
To be honest, just by virtue of her beauty, Hancock could slack off as much as she wanted, and no one would dare criticize her.
Moreover, anyone familiar with her situation — like Cosmos and the other veteran warriors — knew that Hancock’s progress in Haki training didn’t require their guidance or supervision.
So they simply turned a blind eye… After all, the fact that Hancock even bothered to show up for training was already considered a great courtesy. No one could expect more.
While the other girls trained hard, sweating profusely, Hancock was utterly bored.
She glanced at the girls working up a sweat, including her two younger sisters, and thought to herself: “They’re not even improving as fast as that armor…”
Although she was certain that the black armor hadn’t used Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) during their sparring yesterday afternoon, she could clearly feel that its Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) had been steadily improving throughout the battle.
She suspected that after one or two more fights, that strange armor might actually begin to master Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) too.
Cosmos and the other warriors glanced at Hancock, idling at the edge of the training field, feeling a mixture of shame and amazement. Why did it seem like Hancock was making more progress than everyone else, even though she wasn’t paying attention?
—
After the training was over, everyone dispersed and headed home.
“Nee San (Elder Sister), where are you going?” Sandersonia and Marigold asked, surprised to see their older sister straying from the usual route.
“I’m going for a walk by myself. You two go home,” Hancock said, waving dismissively, with her snake Salome wrapped around her arm, before walking off without looking back.
The two younger sisters wanted to follow her, but fearing they’d anger their sister, they reluctantly consoled each other and returned home.
Hancock wandered to the edge of the city and looked up at the towering city walls, feeling a sense of despair.
That wall was way too high; there was no way she could climb it.
She glanced at the snake coiled around her arm. “Salome, can you climb over it?”
Salome shook its head vigorously. It was a snake, not a gecko!
Feeling a bit frustrated, Hancock was still fixated on continuing that book. What would happen next to the protagonist?
She walked to the city gate, peeking over at the waterway cut off by the wall. She pondered if she could sneak out, wondering if people would forgive her… or definitely forgive her?
“Buru Buru…”
Hancock suddenly heard a familiar sound.
Both she and Salome’s heads turned in unison to spot a camouflaged Den Den Mushi hidden in a nearby bush, softly murmuring.
“How did you even get in here?” Hancock was completely bewildered, looking up at the towering city walls and glaring accusingly at her snake Salome.
Salome looked back at her innocently — it wasn’t a wall-climbing gecko either! Nor a Den Den Mushi…
Ignoring her snake, Hancock recalled yesterday’s events. She then took off her shoes, holding them in her hand, and placed her soft feet atop the odd camouflaged snail.
The Den Den Mushi seemed bewildered: why step on it?
—
“I! Want! To! Read!” Hancock shouted, and with a *whoosh* sound, she reappeared at the “Heavenly Bridge” of the standing city fort.
As soon as she appeared, she stood barefoot, holding her shoes, with hands on her hips, shouting loudly without an ounce of shame.
Liam and Robin were already waiting.
Or more precisely, Robin was waiting while Liam was busy sparring with the black armor, created by his Shiro Shiro no Mi (Castle-Castle Fruit) powers.
Liam was wielding an iron rod, attacking with vigor.
B.I.B. was focused, using Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) to predict the trajectory of Liam’s swings, dodging swiftly.
As soon as Hancock made her grand entrance, a white object flew over mid-air, solidifying into the book *The Room* and landed neatly in her hands.
“I’ll play with you all later,” Hancock said gleefully, hugging the book and sitting down. “I’ll read first!”
She opened the book, quickly finding the spot where she had left off.
Robin walked over and sat beside her.
Hancock glanced at her, puzzled.
“I won’t disturb you,” Robin reassured. “Go ahead and read.”
“How strange…” Hancock muttered but quickly ignored her, immersing herself back into the story.
The Grand Line, with its exotic islands and the long-awaited “winds”… The story didn’t disappoint, and her anticipation wasn’t wasted.
The protagonist, seemingly a personification of earthly goodness, remained adored and revered, just like her. Of course, she was still a little inferior to the real Hancock, which brought Hancock a smug sense of pride.
She continued reading, reaching the part where the protagonist Hancock was on a walk and encountered a man in a hurry seeking her help.
A man? Hancock realized this was the first time this mysterious species, a man, had been explicitly mentioned in the book.
She blinked and kept reading, learning that the man asked Hancock for help because his pet snake was injured, and he didn’t know what to do. He hoped Hancock could lend her expertise.
Men, it seemed, weren’t too stupid. Knowing she was a genius with snakes was a given! Hancock, feeling slightly proud, flipped another page.
Robin, watching Hancock’s reaction, clenched her fists a little tighter.
As Hancock continued reading, her expression started to shift…
(End Of Chapter)
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