One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

Boom!!!

The loud explosion echoed throughout the entire hall, flames shooting into the sky.

After the candles burned intensely, thick white smoke rolled out, enveloping the area in a suffocating fog.

Swish, swish, swish! 

Countless burning pieces of candle scattered everywhere, with some dripping onto the floor, flickering with tiny sparks.

The wall of candles that had blocked the members of the Kuja Pirates completely melted away under the terrifying blast and high temperature, leaving behind a scene of chaos.

The fierce female warriors of the Kuja Pirates were left dumbfounded, standing frozen in place, unable to utter a word.

Following their incredulous gazes, one could see Sandersonia and Marigold, the powerhouses of the Kuja Pirates, had reverted from their snake forms. They were now kneeling on the ground, panting heavily.

Although they looked somewhat disheveled, a closer inspection revealed that aside from the severe burns reddening their skin, neither had sustained any life-threatening injuries.

The main characteristic of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users is their tough skin and resilience. Coupled with their strong Armament Haki, they could withstand Mr. 3's own developed technique, the "Grand Candle Eruption"! 

However, judging by the level of destruction across the venue, it was clear that this technique was indeed powerful.

If not for most of the impact being concentrated on the Boa sisters, the structurally sound and extravagant hall might have been completely demolished by that attack!

"Huff…"

Opposite Sandersonia and Marigold, Mr. 3 was not in good shape either.

His right arm, naturally drooping at his side, was slightly reddened, with sturdy candle debris continuously falling from it.

Even though he had covered his entire right arm with Armament Haki during the full-force use of Candle Inferno and had fortified it with the hardest solid wax, he still couldn't completely shield himself from the high-temperature blast resulting from the explosive interaction of the candle and explosives.

This technique had a major flaw: it required a certain amount of time to use and could potentially harm the user.

Of course, in terms of power, Mr. 3 was quite satisfied!

'Given this, the next direction for my strength increase should focus on mastering the Wax Fruit and refining my Armament Haki…'

Through this battle with the Boa sisters, Mr. 3 successfully identified his current goals.

As for Observation Haki, that could be postponed a little.

After all, if your offense and defense can't keep up, even if you can foresee the future, it's just a few seconds of watching your own demise!

"That's quite an exaggerated fruit ability…" 

Sandersonia shook her head, dispelling the lingering dizziness, and slowly stood up.

Beside her, Marigold also picked up her large blade, her gaze locked fiercely on Mr. 3, clearly ready to continue the fight until a victor emerged.

Seeing the increasing fighting spirit on their faces, Mr. 3 felt a headache coming on.

Zoan-type users are indeed difficult to deal with! 

Of course, if it comes to a fight, he wasn't afraid!

Just as both sides assumed their stances, ready for another clash, Hancock, perched high above, waved her delicate hand and spoke to stop them.

"Sandersonia, Marigold, that's enough. The purpose of the test has been achieved; we can already gauge the strength of the Buggy Pirates from this man."

For the knowledgeable and battle-hardened Pirate Empress, although Mr. 3's recent punch was impressive and bore some resemblance to Admiral Akainu's techniques, it was merely that—impressive, but not enough to truly shake her.

In the New World, powerful foes are plentiful; there are many who can cause that level of destruction.

What prompted Hancock to end the "test" early was Mr. 3's decision to use his candle walls to isolate the other pirates.

Strength is undoubtedly important, but forming a so-called "alliance" with a ruthless individual who uses their powers without restraint only adds unnecessary complications!

"Yes, sister!" 

A hint of regret flashed across Sandersonia and Marigold's faces before they withdrew their intense fighting spirit.

Clearly, they weren't satisfied with the fight.

But they would unconditionally obey their sister's command.

"Well then, as I said…"

Hancock, sitting confidently in her high position, supported her head with one hand, her long, sleek black hair cascading naturally down.

She shifted her gaze from her two younger sisters to Mr. 3, who stood further ahead.

"After testing the waters, I, as the Empress of Amazon Lily and the captain of the Kuja Pirates, hereby agree to the alliance proposed by the Buggy Pirates!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the old woman beside the empress, Granny Nyon, let out a sigh of relief with a smile on her face.

For the proud Boa Hancock to take a step back and choose to ally with the other Seven Warlords is undoubtedly a significant guarantee for the safety of all residents of Amazon Lily!

"An alliance? Are we really going to ally with the Buggy Pirates?" 

"I can't shake this feeling of disbelief. I never expected we would actually have true allies…"

"But to be honest, Mr. 3 is indeed quite powerful. I just wonder how strong their captain, Buggy, really is?"

"Ah~ Lady Snake Princess's pose is just too beautiful, it's making me cry tears of joy QAQ."

…

The beautiful warriors of the Kuja Pirates also became restless.

Some felt excitement over the alliance between the two pirate crews, while others were worried about the upcoming changes in the world. Meanwhile, Hancock's loyal female fans had hearts in their eyes, looking genuinely delighted!

Regardless of their emotions, everyone unanimously believed that the alliance between the two pirate crews was a done deal and that nothing unexpected would happen.

However, as fate would have it, an unexpected twist was about to unfold!

"Um, sorry, Hancock. There may have been some misunderstanding due to my initial wording."

"Actually…"

Mr. 3 felt embarrassed as he looked at the excited Kuja Pirates.

Under Hancock's increasingly cold gaze, he steeled himself and revealed the true intent of his visit.

"I'm not here to form an alliance with the Kuja Pirates. Instead, I hope that you all will join the Buggy Pirates and become a part of our crew!"

His words stunned the room.

"Eh?!!!"

Including Sandersonia and Marigold, all the members of the Kuja Pirates who were murmuring suddenly froze, their eyes bulging in shock, displaying exaggerated expressions of disbelief.

"Ah, what…?" 

Granny Nyon widened her murky eyes, thinking she must have misheard.

To recruit the Kuja Pirates and make the Pirate Empress subordinate to someone else? 

Is Mr. 3 of the Buggy Pirates really living in a dream? 

How dare he?! 

In shock and realizing something was off, Granny Nyon quickly lifted her head to look at Hancock, who was seated atop the back of a giant serpent.

"Heh heh, heh heh, ah hahahaha!"

As if she had heard the funniest joke in the world, Hancock leaned on one hand, her delicate body trembling slightly as she let out a cold laugh.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she stood proudly, her impressive figure completely disregarding the image of the "most beautiful woman in the world," and threw her head back, laughing heartily.

"What a hilarious joke! I can hardly remember the last time I heard something so funny, hahahaha!"

"Mr. 3, are you sure you're not joking? Or did you just knock yourself out with your own candle punch?"

Seeing the serious expression on Mr. 3's face as he remained unflinching, Hancock paused, her exaggerated smile fading as she restrained her amusement.

With a flick of her cape, she slowly stood up and began to walk down from the platform.

Within the depths of her stunning eyes, a visible shadow and fury were brewing.

"Do you really want to recruit me?"

Feeling the terrifying aura hidden beneath Hancock's calm facade, every member of the Kuja Pirates immediately tensed up, not daring to make a move.

Some kind-hearted ones started to silently pray for Mr. 3, hoping he wouldn't die too painfully and at least leave behind a complete corpse.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence, only the sound of Hancock's high heels echoing against the wooden steps remained.

To Mr. 3, that sound was unbearably jarring.

Yet he had no other choice; he steadfastly kept his gaze fixed on the approaching Empress Hancock.

If he wanted to quickly become more handsome and stronger, he had to endure this kind of pressure!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of torment, Hancock stopped just under a meter away from Mr. 3.

Staring at the world's most beautiful woman so close, taking in her flawless eyes, exquisite nose, cherry-red lips, and the mysterious valley of her figure, Mr. 3 felt his heartbeat racing uncontrollably.

'So this is the might of a Conqueror's Haki? I didn't expect it to be so overwhelming; just being near her makes my blood race and my heart pound like this?!'

Mr. 3 couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of a conqueror.

Opposite him, Hancock noticed his flustered and excited expression and let out a cold snort, making her decision.

"Since you've managed to please me, I'll give you a chance."

After a brief pause, noticing that Mr. 3 was undoubtedly captivated by her beauty, Hancock confidently continued:

"If you can ignore my petrifying light without relying on the power of a Devil Fruit or the Armament Haki…"

"Then, we can consider the matter of recruitment."

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