One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

[Former Warlord Empress Boa Hancock recruited. 

Current Objective: Successfully recruit at least one Warlord into the Buggy Pirates — Progress: 1/1 Complete.] 

[Objective Reward 1: Devil Fruit Development Capsule, Rayleigh's Haki Masterclass, +15 Appearance Points] 

[Objective Evaluation: A (Though not perfect and nearly fatal, the overall performance was excellent. Physical stats slightly improved.)] 

[Rewards have been delivered to system storage.] 

[Main Quest Phase 2 Unlocked.] 

[Side Quest Unlocked: "Hancock's Surpassing."] 

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[Strongest Vice-Captain System] 

- Host: Mr. 3 

- Appearance: 70 

- Physical Stats: B+ 

- Luck: E+S (Buff applies only while within Buggy's crew; disappears upon leaving.) 

- Abilities: Wax-Wax Fruit (Unawakened), Armament Haki (Beginner), Observation Haki (Beginner), Conqueror's Haki (Recently Awakened – Passive) 

- Items: Aokiji's Sea Bike, Devil Fruit Development Capsule, Rayleigh's Haki Masterclass 

Main Quest: 

Recruit at least one Warlord (past or present) into the Buggy Pirates to strengthen the crew and secure the position of Buggy's second-in-command. 

- Reward 1: Completed, Grade A 

- Reward 2 (For recruiting two Warlords): Devil Fruit Development Capsule, Alternate Dimensional Ability Training Manual, Upgrade One of the Three Haki Types, +6 Appearance Points 

Side Quest – "Hancock's Surpassing": Completely surpass Hancock in Conqueror's Haki mastery. 

- Reward: Advanced Martial Arts Manual 

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Even though Mr. 3 had unexpectedly been turned into a stone statue, he could still sense the system notifications deep in his mind. 

When he saw that his appearance score had finally reached 70, surpassing the average threshold, he couldn't contain himself and felt overwhelmed with joy: 

"I finally became handsome! It wasn't easy, but I finally did it!" 

Of course, as a statue, no tears would flow down his stone face… but the sentiment was real. 

Regardless, the completion of the first phase was a great success. Whether it was his Devil Fruit ability or Haki mastery, both were bound to improve. There was much to look forward to! 

However, Hancock wouldn't allow Mr. 3 to remain petrified for too long. 

With a flash of pink light reversing the effect, Mr. 3 felt his body lighten, and he regained his freedom. 

"So... do I still need to call you Dear?" 

Hancock's expression was cold and indifferent as she asked her icy question. 

Hancock was inwardly shocked by how strangely handsome Mr. 3's face had become. 

In just a few seconds, the impression he gave off had shifted dramatically. 

Even the scruffy beard on his face, which once looked untidy, now somehow added a rugged charm and carefree masculinity! 

"Could it be… my Love-Love Beam also has a beautifying effect?" 

A sudden illusion crossed Hancock's mind. 

Earlier, when Mr. 3's demeanor subtly changed, she had assumed it was due to the influence of his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki. But now, thinking it over carefully, before Mr. 3's awakening, he had indeed been hit by her Love-Love Beam and petrified! 

If this were true, it was quite an interesting discovery. 

Hancock's gaze drifted toward Granny Nyon, who stood nearby. 

"Perhaps I should test it on this old woman when I get the chance!" 

Not only Hancock, but her snake sisters and Granny Nyon also noticed the shift in Mr. 3's appearance. 

"Maybe… it's because he polished his face with his wax?" 

Unlike Hancock, who possessed the powers of the Love-Love Fruit, the others naturally attributed Mr. 3's transformation to his Wax-Wax Fruit abilities. 

Regardless, it was a trivial matter, and none of them paid it much mind. 

"There's no need, really, no need," Mr. 3 said with a dry laugh, shaking his head repeatedly. 

Meanwhile, he cursed internally: Damn it, how can there be such a terrifying Devil Fruit ability?! 

Completely forgetting, of course, that he himself was the pervert. 

"Now, we need to begin relocating the people of Amazon Lily," Granny Nyon urged, leaning on her snake-headed cane. A trace of concern flickered in her eyes. "If we don't act soon, the Marines outside might really break through!" 

"Mr. 3, earlier you mentioned using petrification combined with your wax to transfer people through the seabed. I assume you've already come up with a solid plan?" 

She looked up at Mr. 3, awaiting confirmation. 

Hancock and her two sisters also turned their gaze toward him. 

They both belonged to the type who solved everything with their fists—battle-hardened fighters, not planners or strategists. 

"This is only natural." 

Mr. 3 tucked away his excitement, suppressing the urge to inspect the promised rewards. He slowly laid out the plan that he had carefully devised long ago. 

… 

Meanwhile, in the Navy warship's command room. 

"Rear Admiral Koby, there's still no response from Hancock. Should we take further action?" 

A concerned naval captain voiced his unease. "The Buggy Pirates are already surrounded at their base, yet they still sent someone like Mr. 3 to meet with Hancock. That doesn't seem like a good sign." 

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room erupted with opinions from the other officers, filling the space with heated discussion. 

At the head of the table, Koby—now fully capable of standing on his own as a leader—raised his hand to silence the chatter. His expression remained stern beneath the "Justice" cloak draped over his shoulders. 

"The fact that the Kuja Pirates have stayed quiet for this long suggests that there's a plot brewing." 

"We cannot just stand by and do nothing. Effective immediately, dismiss the reporters stationed on the ship. If there's still no response from Amazon Lily within the next five minutes, then..." 

Koby's sharp gaze darkened with determination. 

"We'll preemptively launch an operation to capture Pirate Empress Boa Hancock. Secure the safety of the island's residents, and either apprehend or eliminate the Kuja Pirates!" 

This was Koby's first major mission since his promotion to rear admiral. He had to succeed—to prove himself worthy of the faith and expectations that Vice Admiral Garp had placed in him. 

Unfortunately, failure was the bitter lesson that awaited him. 

"Rear Admiral Koby! There's movement from the Kuja Pirates!" 

A marine intelligence officer rushed into the room, urgently delivering the news. 

"What is it? What's the situation?" Koby asked immediately, his voice sharp with anticipation. 

"They haven't responded to the matter with Mr. 3. Instead, they…" 

The marine faltered, glancing nervously around at the stern faces of the assembled officers. Under the weight of their expectant gazes, he finally steeled himself and reported loudly: 

"They're demanding that we withdraw two nautical miles from Amazon Lily and send a formal letter of apology, as per the original Warlord treaty. If we fail to comply, the Kuja Pirates will launch a full-scale attack at sunset!" 

"Unbelievable! Does she still think she's a Warlord of the Sea? And now she wants us to write an apology letter?!" 

The scar-faced colonel slammed his hand down, shattering the table in front of him into pieces. 

The other officers wore dark expressions, simmering with anger. The atmosphere in the command room grew tense, heavy with unspoken fury. 

Whoosh. 

A gust of sea breeze slipped through the window, whipping the cloaks of the gathered officers. The bold word "Justice" stitched onto the fabric flapped dramatically. 

Whoosh-whoosh! 

Sensing the suffocating tension in the room, the wind wisely picked up and fled, leaving silence behind. 

At last, Koby, seated at the head of the table, spoke up. 

"It seems likely that Hancock has reached some kind of agreement with Buggy's pirate crew. Otherwise, she wouldn't be acting so defiant." 

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the officers around him. 

"But this works in our favor. Since she made the first move, we won't have to fabricate an excuse later for going after the former Warlords." 

Koby stood slowly, his expression cold and determined as he addressed the room. 

"Notify all ships—enter combat readiness immediately. If the Kuja Pirates' ship leaves the island and shows even the slightest hostile intent, launch a full-scale counterattack!" 

"Yes, sir!" The officers rose in unison, standing at attention and saluting. 

Excitement surged through the room, visible on every face. Their fighting spirit burned fiercely, eager for the opportunity to clash with the notorious Warlords. 

This would be a battle of great historical significance—one that would guarantee them eternal fame and glory. 

What none of these high-ranking Navy officers, including Koby, could have expected, however, was that far away on Amazon Lily, things were moving in a very different direction. 

Thanks to Mr. 3's scheming, the Kuja Pirates were quietly executing an elaborate trick—an old strategy of creating a diversion to hide their true intentions. 

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