One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

Recalling the hellish life of slavery from nineteen years ago, Hancock's body involuntarily trembled slightly. 

It was a past she dared not confront, a secret that absolutely must not be known by outsiders!

If this secret were to be exposed, even to the ends of the earth, she would hunt them down relentlessly!

"Everyone! Get out of here immediately! No one is to stay!" 

Granny Nyon also recognized the severity of the situation. Without bothering to verify whether what Mr. 3 said matched her thoughts, she immediately started driving out the members of the Kuja Pirates from the hall.

The female warriors initially resisted, but once Granny Nyon swung her snake staff and started knocking heads, they quickly fled, clutching their heads and leaving in a hurry.

Before long, the vast hall was left with only Mr. 3, Hancock, Granny Nyon, and the snake sisters.

"I know this is very important to you, so, so don't be too nervous. If I had malicious intentions, I would have used this to threaten you long ago, not wait until today, after all these years," Mr. 3 panted, his slightly more handsome face turning bright red after the close encounter with Hancock.

Don't get the wrong idea; this wasn't some over-the-top reaction of excitement, but rather…

A massive Conqueror's Haki emanating from Hancock's grip had a tight hold on his collar, almost choking him on the spot! 

His words only confirmed Hancock's suspicions.

The intense emotional turmoil nearly drove her to the brink of madness, her terrified eyes bloodshot, with only one thought remaining in her mind:

She absolutely had to strangle this man who knew her secret!

"Snake Princess, calm down. Let him finish speaking first." 

In the end, it was Granny Nyon who stepped forward, lightly tapping Hancock's head with her snake staff, which was wrapped in Haki, pulling her back from her frenzied state.

"Granny…" 

Once she regained her composure, Hancock slowly released Mr. 3, who had been suspended by his collar.

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough!" 

Mr. 3, nearly suffocating and flushed, hurriedly coughed a few times, greedily gasping for air.

He had calculated every scenario, but never imagined that the closest he would come to death would be in such a situation!

Hancock, in her irrational fury, was far too terrifying; under the pressure of her Conqueror's Haki, even something as simple as using his Wax-Wax Fruit abilities felt impossible!

Indeed, there remained quite a gap between him and a renowned powerhouse like the Empress…

Mr. 3 couldn't help but reflect on the near-death experience he just survived.

"Well then, tell me, in what kind of place and situation did you see me all those years ago?"

Across from him, Hancock had returned to her usual domineering and confident demeanor, but the tremor in her voice revealed her underlying anxiety.

"Sister…"

Sandersonia and Marigold, the two sisters, moved closer to Hancock, their eyes filled with fear and unease. 

They, too, remembered that horrifying memory.

"That was truly a terrible time..."

Faced with the tense and hostile glares from the others, Mr. 3 raised his trembling hands and slowly began to remove his shirt. He awkwardly turned around, exposing his thin back to them.

He struggled through each movement as if these simple actions required all his strength and courage! His performance was strikingly real!

As Mr. 3's back, which twitched like he was having a seizure, was fully revealed, the brand of the Celestial Dragon's slave mark—the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon—gradually came into view for Hancock and her sisters.

"Ah!"

Seeing that nightmarish symbol, the three sisters clenched their fists and instinctively took several steps back.

As the eldest sister, Hancock had over twenty years of experience that had forged her into a strong person.

But her two younger sisters were much weaker; one lost her balance and fell to the ground, her eyes flashing with terror.

Seeing the long-healed brand on Mr. 3's back made their own backs feel hot with dread.

This mark would undoubtedly haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Mr. 3, having shared a similar experience, felt the same way.

From the way he hurriedly put his shirt back on, unwilling to pause for even a second, it was clear!

A sense of empathy began to grow in the hearts of the snake sisters.

Little did they know, Mr. 3's swift movements were driven by fear that the fake brand on his back would be discovered, resulting in him being turned into a pile of meat!

"I believe that upon seeing that mark, you already have your answer," he said.

After putting on his clothes, Mr. 3 turned around.

Due to overwhelming fear, beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.

In the depths of his flickering eyes, haunting memories swirled, hard to bear.

"After escaping from Mariejois all those years ago, I accidentally hit my head due to overwhelming fear, which caused me to forget many things."

"However, your outstanding beauty left a deep impression on me. When the slaves scattered in panic, I nearly bumped into you three sisters. So, when I saw your faces in the newspaper, I recognized you immediately."

He cleverly covered up his memory loss with a convenient "amnesia" excuse, to avoid raising suspicion if he couldn't answer questions later.

Theoretically, the Hancock sisters would never bring up those dark times voluntarily!

"I never expected to encounter victims from that time after more than twenty years..."

Hancock looked up at the sky.

In her eyes, the lavishly decorated ceiling suddenly transformed into a giant projection screen, displaying the chaotic scene of slaves desperately fleeing under the blazing fires of Mariejois.

Among them, she could vaguely make out the lecherous figure of Mr. 3.

So many years had passed, and considering how focused she was on survival at that time, how could she remember all the details? As for whether Mr. 3 was lying, the slave mark on his back spoke volumes.

No more than five people knew the secret of the three sisters!

"So now, do you understand why I'm so eager to recruit you?" 

Seeing the moment was right, Mr. 3 took a deep breath and boldly expressed the grand ambition he hadn't managed to voice earlier.

"Although this might sound a bit fanciful, I've always wanted to be like Mr. Fisher Tiger, the hero who freed all slaves!"

"One day, I will break open the gates of Mariejois with an incredibly heavy candle, annihilating those wicked, cursed Celestial Dragons, and thoroughly liberate all the slaves who have been oppressed, bullied, and toyed with worldwide!"

"In the past, during the ambiguous period when the Marines, the Seven Warlords, and the Four Emperors were in a delicate balance, achieving this was almost impossible. But now that the Seven Warlord system has been completely abolished and the balance of the seas has been shattered, the world is on the brink of unprecedented chaos. This is the best and only opportunity!"

"For this reason, even if it means we have no place to die, we, the Buggy Pirates, will completely overthrow this world!!!"

At this point, Mr. 3 clenched his fists tightly, his features twisting irregularly with intensity.

Anger was etched across his face, and a resolve to die in pursuit of his goals filled his emotions, making his determination to topple the Celestial Dragons evident!

What a true performer!

His gaze was unwavering, locked onto Hancock across from him.

"So, to achieve this goal, we need you, Hancock, the unparalleled strength of the Pirate Empress!"

"Please! Join the Buggy Pirates and lend us your strength!!!"

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