One Piece : Wild Hunt

After returning to the Feilong and setting sail, Thomas asked, "So, what did you think?" to the woman standing next to him.
"She's a lot stronger than that sandy cunt," replied Caenis, adding, "Her spiritual energy is much more potent. Not quite at the level of a God, but closer than anyone else we've met thus far."
Nodding his head, Thomas remarked, "Well, she is regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world. Even people in the Four Blues are aware of her, so it isn't surprising that she has accumulated a bit of faith..."
Tearing his eyes away from the increasingly distant Perfume Yuda, Thomas looked down at Caenis and asked, "Could you defeat her if you went all out?"
Snorting, Caenis replied, "I could defeat her now if you didn't care about the means. Her Strength, Endurance, and Agility are only around B-Rank, even with her Haki. That petrification ability of hers is a problem, but if I kept my distance and used a shield and spear made from that Poneglyph material, I could easily claim her head."
Though he didn't think it would be 'easy,' Thomas didn't doubt Caenis was capable of defeating Hancock. However, while Hancock was undoubtedly a pain in the ass, she was still an ally. She sure as hell didn't act like it, but that was one of the downsides to working with individuals who possessed Conqueror's Haki. Once they made up their minds, the only way to change them was to defeat them...
Placing his left hand around Caenis's shoulder, Thomas pulled her closer as he stared at the Perfume Yuda, now a dot on the horizon. Such public displays of intimacy would usually earn him an elbow to the ribs. Instead, Caenis just lightly bumped him with her shoulder, as, despite his efforts to keep it hidden, she could sense the fury burning deep within him...
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With Hancock making it clear they weren't welcome on Amazon Lily, Thomas retired to his cabin with Caenis, helping the latter replenish her Mana while Benienma snuck over to the island to deliver a message. His original plan was to swim over with Caenis, but, to his surprise, she shot down his proposal immediately. They 'were' in the Calm Belt, after all. If a colossal Sea King attacked them midway through the journey, there was a very good chance he would be taking a timeout in its stomach.
"Master, I have returned," said the familiar voice of Benienma, appearing in Thomas's cabin despite the fact he and Caenis were currently in the middle of a 'Mana Transfer.'
Though he had gotten used to Benienma dropping in on him, Thomas's movements slowed a bit as he asked, "What did they have to say? When will Astolfo be returning?"
Bowing her head slightly, Benienma replied, "Shirou-san said he would speak with the Snake Princess once she returned from her trip. As for Lady Astolfo, she is resting in her room..."
Before Thomas could respond, Caenis abruptly locked her legs around him and said, "You can go play once we're finished..."
Meeting Caenis's fierce aquamarine eyes, Thomas began to quicken his movements as he linked their fingers together and pinned her to the bed. She could easily overpower him and break free. Instead, she adopted a toothy grin before snapping her teeth, daring him to kiss her.
Though she had bitten him on more than one occasion, Thomas didn't hesitate to lean forward and seize Caenis's lips. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, she closed her teeth threateningly. When he didn't back away, she returned the favor, pressing and intertwining their tongues as she put a little more strength in her legs...
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As it was out of the ordinary for Astolfo not to visit him immediately after her arrival, Thomas knew something was up before he reached her room. He even had a pretty good idea of what it might be. However, even with time to prepare, Thomas was still left dumbfounded by what awaited him in the cabin next to his own.
Sitting atop the bed she typically shared with Chloe and Illya was Astolfo. Instead of her usual attire, however, she was wearing what could best be described as a reverse bunnysuit, complete with bunny ears and a large, bushy tail...
If it were just Astolfo in the room, Thomas wouldn't have been able to contain his smile. He may have moved on from his days as an Otaku, but he still had a deeply ingrained fondness for cosplay.
What prevented Thomas from immediately pouncing on Astolfo was a perky tanned bottom and wolf-like tail, beneath which was a piece of thin red leather. Thomas's eyes were drawn to the bottom by instinct, but he couldn't help frowning. He was something of a 'connoisseur' when it came to asses and thighs, so while he could appreciate the butt's perkiness, its size left a lot to be desired.
Tearing his eyes away from the perky ass, Thomas locked gazes with the primary source of his befuddlement, a young-looking girl with black hair and golden eyes. She was wearing a purple animal-theme outfit that left very little to the imagination, but Thomas wasn't in the mood to admire it as he asked, "What's going on here...?"
Though she noticed Thomas the moment he entered the room, Astolfo waited until he had spoken to wave her hand, an awkward smile on her face as she replied, "Surprise...?" in an uncertain tone.
Rising to a seated position, allowing Illya a chance to catch her breath, Chloe wiped a bit of drool from her mouth before musing, "You sure took your sweet time. We were starting to think you were a no-show."
Resisting the urge to turn around and leave, Thomas ran his fingers through his hair, a coping mechanism he had developed after having Vivi caress his head on numerous occasions. This outcome wasn't completely outside his expectations, so he took a deep, steadying breath before opening his eyes, meeting Chloe's gaze, and asking, "Care to explain the situation?"
Spreading her fluffy, paw-covered hands, Chloe gave a nonchalant shrug as she replied, "To be honest, I'd rather you just went with the flow and enjoyed the moment. The more questions you ask, the more awkward this becomes for everyone."
Though he furrowed his brows, Thomas didn't immediately retort Chloe's words. Instead, he observed the red markings on her chest and around her navel. He vaguely recalled something similar in one of the doujins he read in his previous world, but the pattern was different, reminiscent of the markings on Caenis's body. More notably, similar markings could be seen on the navel of the girl with glossy black hair, Miyu...
Setting aside his other question, Thomas stared directly into Miyu's eyes as he asked, "Does Shirou know you're here...?"
As she hadn't had time to get accustomed to conversing with Thomas, Miyu promptly averted her eyes from his gaze. She did, however, respond to his question, stating, "Onii-san understands..."
Before Thomas could ask what exactly Shirou understood, Chloe exhaled an exasperated sigh, adopting an accusatory deadpan as she explained, "Unlike the people of this world, our bodies are comprised of Mana. When we're running low, our body's 'instincts' trigger, compelling us to look for a means to replenish it..."
Caressing the thigh of the girl lying next to her, Chloe's expression and tone softened as she added, "Just providing me with enough Mana to live places a tremendous burden on Illya and Miyu. When you appeared a few months back, I thought I had finally found a 'solution' to relieve them of that burden..."
While Chloe and Illya were staring into each others' eyes, Miyu decided to chime in, her expression pouty as she appended, "Illya and I can't stand it when Chloe regards herself as a burden or attempts to sacrifice herself to protect us. So, when you first appeared at Amazon Lily, we decided that if you could be trusted...we would share the burden together..."
Taken aback by Miyu's earnestness, Thomas closed his eyes and exhaled a defeated sigh through his nose. He wasn't particularly enthused by how things had developed, but he had been preparing himself for the past two and a half weeks. He suspected that was the reason they hadn't returned to the ship sooner, but it didn't really matter. Not anymore.
Opening his eyes, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he asked, "So, who's first...?"
Catching Thomas a little off guard, Chloe and Miyu simultaneously replied, "Illya." Then, before he could say anything, Chloe adopted a mischievous grin and asked, "Why do you look so surprised? Illya and I are fundamentally the same person. We have the same wants and needs. I'm just a lot more honest with myself..."
Moving to the side, Chloe revealed Illya lying on her back in an incredibly skimpy cat costume. Her face was completely red, but there was a hungry look in her eyes as she stared back at him through the gaps between her paw-like gloves. More notably, her legs were splayed in a classic M-pose, her otherwise exposed crotch covered by the apparently prehensile tail of her costume...
Taking advantage of Thomas's stupefaction, Chloe licked her lips before musing, "We got bored just waiting around, so we took matters into our own hands. Now, as I'm currently topped off, how about you give Illya a nice steamy load of your Mana~?"
Seemingly spurred by Chloe's words, Illya reached down with one of her gloves hands, spreading herself beneath the covering of her tail as she steamily appended, "Illya wants Master's semen..."
Though several flags were immediately raised in his mind, Thomas set aside his rationality and attempted to strip. Before he could undo the first button, however, Chloe asked, "What are you doing?" before following it up by stating, "Just come over here and lie down. We'll take care of the rest."
Removing his hands from his top button, Thomas made his way over to the bed, getting a much better view of the petite cat girl staring at him like a piece of meat. It was a stark contrast to how Illya usually behaved, at least in front of him, but Thomas ignored his other questions to remark, "I can't exactly lie down if you're in the way..."
"Ah...!"
Realizing she was in the place they had designated for Thomas, Illya ceased trying to entice him and promptly moved out of the way. The outfits that she, Chloe, and Miyu were wearing made them a lot more susceptible to their baser instincts, so she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. It didn't help that Chloe had spent the past half an hour getting her good and ready for Thomas's arrival...
With Illya moving out of the way, Thomas did his best to get comfortable. He noticed that the spot where Illya had been lying was warm and moist, but he didn't mind. The far more concerning thing was the smell. It wasn't unpleasant, but the subtly sweet yet musky aroma caused him to heat up and feel a little muddleheaded...
While Chloe and Astolfo flanked him, pressing their bodies against him and using their oversized paws to massage Thomas's chest, Illya and Miyu did something he never expected to experience outside the pages of a Doujin. The two lined themselves up as if they were about to perform tribadism, but instead of rubbing against one another, they sandwiched his cock between their hairless pussies and began to grind against him in concert with one another. Miyu still had on her thong-like panties, but the fabric was so thin and biting that it didn't make much difference.
As Thomas burned the sight into his eyes, Chloe whispered something into his ear that caused a shiver to run along his spine, her voice low and reverberating like the purr of a cat as she mused, "I'll be counting on you from here on...Onii-chan..."
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(A/N: I have nothing to say.)

With the crests on their bodies linking their senses, it wasn't long before Illya and Miyu began trembling, unable to keep up the rhythm they had established. Chloe also fidgeted at Thomas's side, but she had an easier time as she wasn't being stimulated directly.
"My head feels all fuzzy..." said Illya, her gaze unfocused as she leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
Since Illya had stopped moving, Miyu also stopped, asking, "Should I...should I go first...?" in a panting tone. She was still a bit trepidatious about the current situation, but she figured she could get over it by taking the plunge. Her body was certainly ready.
Coming back to his senses, Thomas asked, "Are you sure? There's no going back once we cross that line..."
Adopting a faint smile, Miyu asserted, "Illya and Chloe are my best friends...I love and always want to be with them..."
As if to demonstrate her conviction, Miyu pulled aside her almost string-like thong to reveal a sight that made Thomas question many of his life's decisions. For a brief moment, he considered calling the entire thing off. Instead, he watched in silence as Miyu tentatively lined up her entrance with his glans...
"I think I got it..." said Miyu, confirming her suspicions by lowering her hips. To the surprise of Thomas, his tip slid inside her without issue. He expected it to require a bit more 'force,' but while Miyu's body was a lot hotter than he expected, the snugness of her inner walls wasn't all that different from some like Astolfo.
Noticing the slight incredulity in Thomas's eyes, Chloe used the nail of her oversized paw to caress his nipple as she explained, "It's thanks to Ruby and Sapphire. Unlike my outfit, Illya's and Miyu's aren't just for show. The two are currently linked to versions of themselves that are more 'adapted' to this kind of thing..."
In the middle of Chloe's explanation, Miyu closed her eyes and managed to swallow nearly seventy percent of Thomas's cock in a single go. There was no pain, blood, or the feeling of something tearing. Instead, Thomas could feel Miyu's heart racing as her vaginal walls slowly drew him further inside.
While Illya curled into a ball near Astolfo's feet, Chloe placed her hand on her abdomen and remarked, "I can feel you inside me..." with a reddening face. The crests on their bodies didn't simply link their sensations; if Illya were to pinch her cheek, both Chloe's and Miyu's cheeks would stretch as if pulled by an invisible force. As Miyu lowered her hips, the vaginal walls of both Illya and Chloe also parted, their insides filling with the warmth of Thomas's cock...
After catching her breath, Miyu opened her glossy golden eyes, staring down at Thomas as she said, "I'm going to try moving..." Then, without waiting for a response, she leaned forward slightly, placing her paws on his lower abdomen before tentatively raising and lowering her hips.
Though it wasn't necessary to narrate everything, Miyu's jaw quivered as she muttered, "It feels...good..."
With Thomas at a loss for words, Chloe exhaled an impish snicker before remarking, "This is just the beginning. This big lug can go at it for days on end when he feels like it. If he gets serious, who knows? We might not be able to live without him..."
Hearing Chloe's words, a slight frown marred Miyu's face. She suspected the former was just fooling around, but the pleasure radiating through her body and the fluttering of her heart made her feel giddy in a way she had never experienced. It didn't help that Illya was fiddling with herself at the side.
Piggybacking off of Chloe's words, Astolfo nestled closer to Thomas and said, "Don't worry. Even if you completely submit yourselves to pleasure, Master won't take advantage of you. Even now, he's more focused on not hurting you than enjoying himself. He's not like most men."
Though Astolfo's words weren't meant to be an insult, Thomas couldn't help smiling wryly. In truth, Miyu's slow and inexperienced movements were beginning to annoy him. A part of him wanted to grab her hips and give the wayward trio the ride of their life, but he restrained himself and allowed her to go at her own pace, concerned with scaring or leaving her with a trauma.
Seemingly interpreting Thomas's thoughts, Miyu asked, "Should I...move faster...?"
Maintaining his smile, Thomas replied, "Just move in the way that makes you the most comfortable..."
Catching Thomas a little off guard, Miyu's expression morphed into a pout as she stopped her movements and said, "Tell me what to do. You should feel good as well..."
Giggling at Thomas's side, Chloe mused, "Careful now. Miyu is a very earnest and headstrong girl. If you don't at least try to enjoy yourself, she'll end up taking it personally..."
Adopting a frown of his own, Thomas retorted, "You're the one who told me to lie down and leave everything to the three&mdash;make that the four of you..."
Bringing her lips closer to Thomas's ear, Chloe whispered, "That's one of your problems. You have all these dreams and ambitions, but you're quick to do as others suggest. In these circumstances, you should just focus on enjoying yourself. Even if you get a bit carried away, I can assure you that no one here would mind..."
Punctuating her words, Chloe pressed her lips to Thomas's cheek before moving away from him and sitting upright. Astolfo promptly did the same, so Thomas found himself 'alone' with Miyu, the latter staring down at him with a resolute look on her face.
Exhaling through his nose, Thomas held Miyu's gaze for several seconds before asking, "Are you sure you want me to take charge...?"
Nodding her head, Miyu left Thomas a little taken aback as she said, "I know you don't find us very attractive. It took Chloe a long time to convince you to come this far. That's why...even if it's scary, I think it's okay if you're a little rough..."
Recovering from his momentary stupor, Thomas adopted a serious expression as he said, "First, let me clarify something. While you're not exactly my preferred type, all three of you are adorable. If I were ten to twenty years younger, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of you..."
Placing his hands on Miyu's slender waist, Thomas adopted a wry smile as he added, "In other words, it's not that I don't find you attractive...it just didn't feel right for me to make a move on you. Now that we've come this far, I have no more reason to hold back..."
Punctuating his words, Thomas bucked his hips, causing a sonorous yelp to emanate from Miyu's throat as she collapsed forward, catching herself by placing her paws on his chest. She then attempted to right herself but quickly gave up when he began pistoning into her from below, eventually forcing her to lean against him for support.
Though she could feel everything Miyu was feeling, causing her face to redden and body to glisten with sweat, Chloe playfully remarked, "How enviable. I always thought I would be the first among us to receive a proper pounding..."
No longer concerned with the consequences of his actions, Thomas snorted through his nose and retorted, "Oh, you'll get what's coming to you. That's a guarantee..."
Undaunted by Thomas's words, a massive grin developed across Chloe's face as she replied, "I'm looking forward to it. Until then, Astolfo and I will be playing with Illya. Feel free to come and join us once you've given Miyu her first creampie."
Before crawling away to pounce on the defenseless Illya, Chloe gave Miyu's bottom a light smack, softened by her paw-like gloves. A part of her wished she could swap places with Thomas. After all, she loved Illya and Miyu more than anyone. Unfortunately, she 'really' enjoyed being a girl, and, more than that, she didn't want to corrupt her two friends any more than she already had...
After staring at the place where Thomas and Miyu were connected for several seconds, Chloe swallowed the saliva building in her mouth before shifting her focus to Illya. The sight of the latter's vaginal walls expanding and contracting was a sight to behold, but the thing that truly sent Chloe over the edge of Illya willfully spreading her legs the moment their gazes overlapped...
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After blowing his first load in Miyu, causing a chorus of sonorous moans to emanate through the cabin, Thomas caressed her head before shifting his attention to Illya and Chloe. The nearly identical girls were currently overlapped, making out and grinding against one another with reckless abandon, so Thomas briefly hesitated before inserting himself into the equation by sinking his cock into Illya.
Though the sensation was nearly identical to what was transmitted to her through Miyu, Illya could tell the moment Thomas inserted his cock inside her. For a brief moment, it was like their Mana Circuits had become one, causing sparks within her mind as a feeling akin to being electrocuted ran up her spine. Her body, particularly her legs, began to spasm, but instead of feeling pained, her eyes rolled back as indescribable pleasure wracked her body before being transmitted to Chloe and Miyu.
With Illya's interior walls clamping down on him like a vice, Thomas nearly blew his load within seconds of sinking his cock into her depths. Instead, he clenched his teeth, enduring the intense suction for nearly a full minute before Illya's body abruptly went slack, followed by Chloe collapsing atop her. Both girls were panting heavily, but Thomas only afforded them a few seconds to collect themselves before he began grinding Illya's violently trembling insides.
Seemingly compelled by instinct, Illya wrapped her arms and legs around Chloe as if the latter were the one fucking her. At the same time, however, she stared over Chloe's shoulder, her carmine eyes focused on Thomas as her pupils contracted into animalistic slits. Her 'switch' was so thoroughly flipped by now that she couldn't, or, more accurately, didn't care to speak. Instead, she let her gaze communicate everything with a single desirous glance.
Realizing what Illya wanted, Thomas momentarily pulled out to flip the intertwined lolis and get a better angle. Illya released Chloe at the last moment to avoid having her hands and legs pinned, so she ended up on her hands and knees, staring down at her dark-skinned counterpart as Thomas grabbed her hips and guided her along the length of his cock.
As it was usually her pinning down Illya, Chloe felt a combination of fear and excitement at having their positions reversed. When Thomas began moving, causing a rhythmic clapping sound to echo through the room, her pussy clenched so hard the former could feel it through Illya.
Trembling in the wake of an intense orgasm, Chloe's jaw quivered as she weakly muttered, "I'm beginning to think...overlapping these seals...was a bad idea..."
Though most of his attention was on Illya, Thomas managed to pick up Chloe's words. He didn't know if it was because of the months of teasing or something else entirely, but the moment he heard her words, it was like a fire had been lit within him. Illya was the first to notice the change, but Miyu and Chloe quickly realized he had plunged over the edge when they felt something swelling within them. Thomas had reduced his size quite a bit to avoid harming them. Now that the last vestiges of his restraint had disappeared, he intended to give them a taste of the 'real' him...
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Eleven hours after he parted ways with Caenis, Thomas was kicked back with a contented smile on his face, arms around the shoulders of Astolfo and Miyu as Chloe and Illya gave him a thorough clean-up blowjob. They no longer hand on their bestial garments, but the two resembled drunken cats as they cleaned every micrometer of his cock. Thomas hadn't asked them to, but after being 'forced' to climax well over a thousand times, the duo was practically on auto-pilot...
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(A/N: When life gives you lemons...)

Despite witnessing her sisters be defeated, Hancock remained in her initial position with an apathetic look on her face, coldly staring down Thomas.
"Where are you looking!?" shouted Caenis, appearing next to Hancock as if she had teleported.
Raising her head, Hancock bellowed, "Impudence...!" before twister her body and unleashing a whip-like kick to Caenis's metallic armguard. To the latter's surprise, she actually felt an iota of pain as the metal of her armguard, the leather beneath it, and the outer layer of her skin gained a stony texture. She was also launched backward like a projectile fired from a railgun, but she managed to flip herself over and land against the wall as if it were flat ground rather than being smashed into it.
Looking down at her petrified armguard, Caenis adopted a toothy grin as she remarked, "Well, would you look at that? Looks like I can't completely ignore the effects of Devil Fruits. Or is this the result of your Haki...?"
Raising her head even higher, so much so that she had to look down her nose to meet Caenis's gaze, Hancock declared, "I am Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress. Know your place!"
Spurred by Hancock's words, a somewhat unhinged smile developed across Caenis's face before she burst out laughing. While Hancock's power and speed were certainly commendable, she had traded blows with monsters like Heracles in the past.
Furrowing her brows, Hancock muttered, "How distasteful..." before pressing her left index finger to her lips and pulling it away to create a large, balloon-like heart. Then, with her right index finger and thumb, she grabbed the elastic material of the heart and pulled it back as if she were firing a bow.
"Slave Arrow...!" shouted Hancock, unleashing dozens of fast-moving, heart-shaped projectiles.
Manifesting her spear, Caenis's grin strained the muscles of her face as she cut down each of the arrows with extreme speed and accuracy. The moment the barrage began to let up, she kicked off the ground with such speed and strength her body appeared to elongate, stretching across the room as she appeared before Hancock in an instant.
Though the pupils of her eyes contracted, Hancock maintained a proud, unperturbed look as Caenis's crimson spear aimed to graze the left side of her abdomen. Even with Advanced Observation Haki, she was unable to dodge in time. However, the moment the spear's edge came in contact with her skin, it abruptly turned to stone before breaking down further.
Undaunted by the failure of her attack, Caenis followed up with a heavy punch to Hancock's unblemished abdomen. Intense pain shot up her arm, accompanied by her hand and forearm turning to stone, but the smile on her face remained as she bellowed, "Eat shit...!" before following through and sending Hancock hurtling through the air.
Similar to Caenis, Hancock flipped over and attempted to right herself like an experienced gymnast. She would have succeeded, but Caenis caught up to her mid-flight, striking with her petrified fist despite several cracks appearing on its surface.
Crossing her arms, Hancock braced for impact while attempting to block Caenis's punch. Unfortunately for her, Caenis possessed A-Rank Strength by default, and it was only going up. Even with Advanced Armament Haki, Hancock could feel her bones creaking under the strain of Caenis's blows.
Making use of the throne room's incredibly durable walls, Caenis gleefully bounced Hancock several times before clicking her tongue as her left arm abruptly crumbled from the elbow down. Hancock's Devil Fruit seemed to convert shockwaves into petrification energy. Her Divine Core of the Sea God should have allowed her to resist the effects, but Hancock's Haki was slowly permeating her body like the energy of a Curse.
With Caenis finally letting up on her assault, Hancock stared back at her for several seconds before pulling out a handkerchief and wiping a trace of blood from her lips. Seeing it caused her brows to furrow, but she didn't immediately attempt to counter. Instead, she remarked, "Things weren't supposed to go this far..."
Before Thomas could ask what she was talking about, Caenis waved her petrified stump and replied, "You're the one that chose to play the part of stuck-up, arrogant bitch. Now, you better prepare yourself. I'm about to go shoulder-deep in your ass."
Narrowing her eyes, Hancock remarked, "You're like a wild animal..." before raising her obsidian-black foot to meet Caenis's charge. This time, however, she infused Conqueror's Haki into her attack, not just Armament Haki. As a result, Caenis's right fist stopped several centimeters from the heel of her foot, almost like they were two magnets being forced together along repelling poles. At the same time, threads of black lightning spread through the chamber, fracturing the ground, walls, and ceiling.
Though she tapped into the energy of her Divine Core, Caenis's right fist, parts of her face, and much of her armor gradually turned to stone as she failed to break through Hancock's attack. Since she was still in her 'base' form, she could only tap into a fraction of her original power. Her C-Rank Magic Resistance and D-Rank Mana Reserves also weren't doing her any favors, so she was slowly succumbing to the influence of Hancock's Haki.
Seeing Caenis refusing to back down, a resolute expression developed across Hancock's face. She was originally just planning to teach Thomas and his friends a lesson, not because she genuinely disdained them, but to prove to Shirou that he could rely on her. She didn't plan for things to develop this far, but her pride as an Empress made it impossible for her to be the first to back down.
With the intent of bringing the fight to an end, Hancock declared, "Only Conqueror's Haki can oppose Conqueror's Haki..." Then, while increasing the amount of Haki in her attack, she unleashed a laser-like beam of black energy from her foot, tinged with the same pink hue as her other attacks. When it eventually faded, everything in its path had been turned to stone, Caenis included.
Exhaling the faintest of sighs, Hancock lowered her foot before combing back a few strands of hair and turning her attention to Thomas. She half-expected him to panic or charge her after seeing one of his allies turned to stone. Instead, he was staring at her with a grim look, no trace of the 'infatuation' that had been there previously.
Feeling strangely discomforted by Thomas's gaze, Hancock returned her attention to Caenis, crossing her arms as she asserted, "She brought this on herself. Don't worry. Once we have had a chance to talk, I will turn her back to normal. As for her arm...such is the price of hubris..."
Unclenching his jaw, Thomas's voice was deep and penetrating as he said, "You really are touched in the head...we're supposed to be allies, comrades in the fight against the World Government. Even if this was some kind of 'test,' you took things way too far. And for what? Shirou may have asked me to help assemble the Install Cards, but I told him I would only search for them once I completed my journey. I haven't done a damn thing to get between the two of you, so tell me, what was the purpose of this conflict? What the actual fuck is your problem?"
Instead of interrupting him, Hancock waited for Thomas to finish speaking before calmly stating, "When Shirou and I discussed you, he assured me you had the potential to overthrow the World Government and liberate the entire world from their tyranny. Even without Haki, I expected you to have a bearing and disposition befitting a King. Instead, the only thing I sense in you is mediocrity..."
Returning her gaze to Thomas, Hancock narrowed her eyes as she added, "A person who stands idly by while others fight at their behest cannot free this world. Even if you had no chance at victory, you should have stepped forward to face me directly. Without that level of conviction, how could you possibly hope to stand against an enemy that has ruled uncontested for the past 800 years?"
Shaking her head, Hancock preempted Thomas's answer, stating, "Those who only fight when they are assured of their victory can never attain true strength. I'm certain you will become very powerful one day, but you will never stand on the same level as the Yonko. Not as you are now..."
Finished with what she had to say, Hancock made an open-palm gesture as if she were blowing a kiss. As she did so, the stone covering Caenis's body began to recede, restoring her bronzed complexion and the hue of her armor.
Catching Hancock a little off-guard, Caenis's left arm abruptly grew back, followed by her bounding forward with the same intensity she had before being petrified.
"Enough!" shouted Hancock. However, despite her efforts to kick Caenis away, the latter continued forward, slipping through the Pirate Empress's guard like a wrestler going for a clinch. As a result, Hancock found her left leg in the nook between Caenis's neck and shoulder as the latter hooked one of her legs around the proud Empress's head.
"You&mdash;"
Though she tried to shout something, Hancock found her words muffled by Caenis's ass and thigh. She attempted to break free, but the latter was much stronger than she was, resulting in her eventually being taken to the ground. Caenis ordinarily would have had an absolute advantage at that point, especially with her body having similar properties to seastone, but Hancock quickly lost her patience, unleashing her Conqueror's Haki. As a result, Caenis was once again turned into a statue. Only this time, she had Hancock in a hold similar to a triangle choke.
"Get this 'thing' off of me...!" shouted Hancock, a rare vein bulging on her forehead. She attempted dislodging Caenis herself, but the latter was a lot more durable than the average statue. There was also the fact that, even while petrified, Caenis's body still possessed properties similar to seastone. Unless she got serious and made use of her Conqueror's Haki, Hancock couldn't break free.
Though he was tempted to let Hancock struggle for a bit, Thomas had grown weary of the inordinately beautiful woman's presence. Her words resonated with him, but he was still frustrated with how everything had played out. The sooner he could leave, reunite with Astolfo, and get the hell away from Amazon Lily, the better.
Interrupting Sandersonia's and Marigold's attempts to free their sister, Thomas said, "Remove the petrification, and I'll summon her to my side. After that, we'll return to our ship, retrieve our allies, and vacate Amazon Lily's territorial waters. I had originally intended to open an Enma-tei on your island to ensure you never ran low on supplies, but now that'll have to wait. Maybe forever..."
As she had no idea what an Enma-tei was, Hancock didn't feel a sense of loss hearing Thomas's words. Instead, she glared daggers at him as she asserted, "The Kuja Tribe has endured for centuries without any outside influence. We have no need for your pity."
Adopting a deadpan expression, Thomas retorted, "We both know that isn't the case. Even if it was, that changed the moment the Marines and World Government began constructing vessels capable of traversing the Calm Belt. You wouldn't be a Shichibukai otherwise."
Snorting through her nose, Hancock began to gradually 'thaw' Caenis as she said, "Just take your beast and get out of here as quickly as possible. Your presence here draws unnecessary attention to both Amazon Lily and my beloved Shirou."
Responding with a snort of his own, Thomas waited for Caenis to make Hancock croak before calling out to her. When she ignored him, he used a Command Spell to summon her to his side, restoring a bit of her sanity by grasping her hand and declaring, "That's enough, Caenis. Let's get out of here," in a firm tone.
Though her eyes retained their crimson hue, Caenis looked back at Thomas as if to ask, 'are you serious?' with just her gaze. She still had a 'promise' to keep with Hancock, but when Thomas pulled her close and whispered something into her ear, she calmed down surprisingly quickly. The reason being that Hancock was staring at them with a 'very' envious look on her face, evidently jealous of their intimacy...
...
..
.
(A/N: For those who think Hancock is depicted as 'too strong' in this scene, you might be surprised to learn she was actually holding back. Blackbeard and his crew were able to defeat Marco and the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates with relative ease, but Hancock was nearly able to fend them off entirely on her own. She isn't quite at Yonko level, but she is a forced to be reckoned with.)

Chapter 97: Crossing the Line