One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

The mark of the Flying Dragon's Hoof on Boa Hancock's back was gone, replaced with smooth, flawless skin. Not even the faintest trace of the brand remained.

Hancock stood before a tall mirror, twisting to look over her shoulder. She touched the spot, her expression frozen between disbelief and joy.

"It's… really… gone…"

Tears welled in her eyes. She covered her mouth, unable to stop the sob that escaped.

"Vane sama… this concubine… I don't even know how to thank you…"

She sank to her knees, tears streaming freely down her face.

"The mark on onee-sama's back… it's gone!"

"What happened?!"

Sandersonia and Marigold, her younger sisters, stared in astonishment. That nightmare-like scar had been part of their lives for so long — yet now it had vanished.

How could this be?

That night, the palace of the Snake Princess on Amazon Lily was brightly lit. Only five people were present: Rhett Vane, Hancock and her two sisters, and Elder Nyon, the former empress.

No one else on the island knew that a man had arrived — let alone the youngest and most feared Emperor of the Sea. Vane had descended from the sky, just as he once had when visiting Fishman Island, avoiding all attention. He knew the chaos an unannounced arrival could cause. On Fishman Island, his sudden appearance had drawn tens of thousands of curious merfolk. Here, on Amazon Lily, a man suddenly appearing would have led to immediate conflict.

After removing Hancock's brand, Vane had done the same for her sisters. In less than two minutes, his super-speed regeneration and life energy had restored the damaged flesh, replacing it with unblemished skin.

The burden they had carried for years was gone. They would no longer need to shut down the city and guard the baths just to hide their scars.

"Incredible…"

"Truly…"

"Thank you, Vane sama!"

The sisters bowed their heads, gratitude shining in their eyes.

"I never imagined it could be true," Elder Nyon murmured, her voice low.

Her sharp gaze studied the young man. He was said to be the strongest pirate alive, with a bounty of six billion Berries — a number unheard of in history, far surpassing even Gol D. Roger at his height.

But Roger had never done what Vane had. Not long ago, he and Kaido had stormed the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, slaughtered a group of Celestial Dragons, and freed all the slaves.

When Fisher Tiger had freed slaves in the past, he had done so mainly for his fellow fishmen, and he had never dared harm a Celestial Dragon. Everyone knew the rule — when you saw a Celestial Dragon, you bowed. You obeyed without question. Even the slightest defiance was punishable by death.

Vane did not follow those rules. If anything, it was the Celestial Dragons who should fear him.

Elder Nyon didn't know the true number of lives he had taken — over a hundred Celestial Dragons had perished by his hand. The World Government had covered it up, reporting fewer than twenty deaths to prevent panic. If the truth had been known, the shockwaves would have been even greater.

"She wasn't lying after all," Nyon thought, glancing toward Hancock. "She said Vane valued her, and I didn't believe it. But now…"

At a low table before them, dishes from all over the island were laid out — the work of the palace chefs, who had been stunned by the Snake Princess's request for such a feast. Some had even watched her cook with her own hands, still unaware that the guest was one of the Four Emperors.

Five months ago, when Hancock had spoken of her bond with Vane, he had not yet been named the Fifth Emperor. Nyon had dismissed her words, thinking the man was toying with her. But seeing him now, relaxed and laughing with the sisters, she could no longer deny it — he did value her.

He carried none of the oppressive aura she associated with the other Emperors. Big Mom and Kaido radiated power so overwhelming it crushed the will of those who stood before them. Whitebeard's presence had been even heavier, a living legend from the old era whose very gaze could strip away hope. Shanks, in Nyon's eyes, was the least menacing of them all — but even he had a weight about him.

Vane, however, was different. Despite his terrifying reputation, he sat comfortably among them, speaking with ease.

Hancock's gaze softened. At some point, she had stopped thinking about the future of Amazon Lily… and started imagining a future with him.

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