Queen of the Pirates

The Island of Women

I blink a couple of times to confirm the women is indeed real and not a figment of my imagination. After the last couple of days, I doubt I'll truly know how broken my mind is for a long time. The frustration is a spark that bursts through my body, and I have to take a deep breath to keep the scream from burst from my lungs.

Bepo, completely oblivious to the two new members on the deck after a check at the sea around us, looks directly at the large snake without a care in the world. "Oh, hi snake."

The Snake hisses in response, but it doesn't seem to have a malicious intent considering he's the one that was coiled around the Snake Princess back at Marineford.

"Snake!?" he terrifyingly screams as he stumbles back.

"What the hell!?" Penguin exclaims as he rushes forward with Shachi.

"Where did that thing come from!?" Shachi blurts out.

Nellie stifles a giggle as she shakes her head. "Sometimes I wonder how they aren't killed in battle with how they act."

The three Heart Pirates gasp as they look to see the Marine warship that has stopped next to us.

Hancock is still standing on the railing looking down on us with clear disdain on her face. I wouldn't be surprised if she's waiting to be verbally acknowledged before making her way down to our level.

"Not good!" Bepo groans as all three heads tilt upwards to see what Nellie and I have already glimpsed.

"It looks like a Navy ship!" Penguin exclaims.

"Hurry! Go tell captain!" Shachi orders.

"Quiet, someone's up there!" Bepo snaps.

I scoff, "She may be a warlord, but there's nothing to worry about. Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, isn't here to fight with us."

"Ah, you have some history with her?" Nellie asks, leading me over to the railing.

"You could say that."

The Empress's snake stretches out to help the woman down to our deck with an ease that says she's done this a few times before. She looks all business as she stares down Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. When she speaks up, it's like she's addressing the question that is whirling around all our heads.

"Don't worry," Hancock almost scoffs, like she can't imagine we'd think she'd lead a Navy Warship directly to us. "I've turned all the Marines onboard into stone. So...what is Luffy's condition? Is he going to be alright? Can I help in anyway?"

There's a prick deep within me, but it feels different than typical jealousy. I'm angry that she's come here to ask about Luffy. That she thinks she's the most important person in his life, so she has to come and make sure that he's going to live another day. That she thinks she can help more than Trafalgar Law, or even I, could. She has to be there whenever he wakes up to be the first person he sees. And that makes me angry not in the sense that I think Luffy would leave me to be with her, but that she doesn't understand she's not loved back by Luffy.

"How did you know where we'd surface?" Bepo asks. "I thought you were the Navy!? I broke out in a creepy cold sweat."

"I had Salome follow you from under the sea," Hancock motions to the snake happily shimmying behind her. "And don't change the subject on me, you worthless beast!"

I sneer at the woman who so heartlessly berates Bepo.

"Excuse me," Nellie angerly breathes out.