One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"Mm, ah..."

"Stop..."

"It hurts..."

Tears welled in Hancock's eyes as she lay on the table, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Each time the pain struck, Hancock's body would shudder slightly. The involuntary gasps of pain only deepened her humiliation.

Thankfully, it was just her and Karl in the room—no one else was present.

Because Hancock had adamantly refused to be alone with Karl, Rayleigh and the others had all left the bar, leaving the two of them behind.

The moment everyone stepped outside, Hancock was like a little lamb cornered by a predator. There was no escaping Karl's grasp.

The sound of smack smack echoed repeatedly.

Karl maintained just the right amount of force—enough for Hancock to feel the pain but without causing actual harm.

To preserve Hancock's dignity, Karl restricted the punishment to her palms alone. Nothing untoward had happened beyond that.

As for why Hancock ended up lying across the table—it was simply because she instinctively tried to distance herself from Karl during the palm-striking punishment, only to climb onto the table inadvertently.

"That's fifty in total. I hope this teaches you a lesson—don't just run your mouth carelessly. If it were someone else, you wouldn't have gotten off so lightly."

After the punishment was over, Karl released Hancock's now-red and swollen hands and sat back in his chair.

Hancock sat cross-legged on the table, tears brimming in her eyes as she rubbed her sore hands, shooting Karl a look full of grievance.

"There's some ice over there. Go get some to soothe your hands. We have serious matters to discuss, so I hope you'll listen carefully, future Empress of Amazon Lily, Miss Hancock!"

"How do you know I'm going to become the Empress?"

Hancock's eyes widened in surprise at Karl's words.

Her future as the Empress of Amazon Lily was something only she, her two sisters, and Elder Nyon knew about. It had been decided internally, but Hancock had only been back for less than half a year since escaping. She still needed more experience and strength before she could truly become a qualified leader.

Given that no one else knew about it, Karl's statement left her shocked.

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Elder Nyon (Gloriosa) was once the Empress, and the current Empress mysteriously disappeared.

According to our Marine intelligence network, Amazon Lily still hasn't chosen a new ruler.

Combine these pieces of information with a bit of reasoning, and it's obvious—you're the next Empress.

Why else would I seek you out for a private conversation?"

Karl wore a mock-serious expression as he explained, only to receive an eye-roll from Hancock.

"Hmph! You're just lusting after my beauty, aren't you? I'm the most beautiful woman in this world—a goddess unmatched in her splendor. And with the power of the Love-Love Fruit, my beauty is only amplified further.

You're no different from other men. Seeking me out like this must be your excuse to indulge your indecent thoughts. Men are all the same—even you."

Clearly, she didn't believe Karl's last statement in the slightest.

"You? Please. You've got no curves, no figure—there's nothing there at all. Who in their right mind would be interested in a little brat who hasn't even developed yet?"

Karl shot her a dismissive glance.

Hancock rolled her eyes again at Karl's retort, clearly unamused. For a good ten seconds, the two of them exchanged nothing but exasperated looks.

Finally, Karl smacked the table with enough force to bring the conversation back on track.

"Enough nonsense! We're talking about serious matters here!"

"You? Serious? You don't seem like a serious person, so what's there to talk about?"

Another eye-roll from Hancock.

Karl had enough. He grabbed Hancock's small hand again and gave her palm another resounding slap.

SMACK!

The pain elicited an involuntary gasp from Hancock.

"Ouch!!!"

Meanwhile, outside the bar...

Elder Nyon and the others heard Hancock's cry and collectively sighed.

"Young folks really are full of energy," Elder Nyon muttered wistfully. "We old-timers couldn't keep up even if we wanted to…"

"True. Ah, to be young again." Shakky lit a cigarette as nostalgia crept into her voice.

Rayleigh sat crouched on the ground, doodling circles with his finger, while Hancock's two younger sisters clasped hands nervously, glancing back toward the bar every now and then, worried that something might have happened to her.

Back inside, Karl had finally managed to bring Hancock into line.

For now, at least, she wasn't daring to argue back.

Karl proceeded to explain the Seven Warlords of the Sea proposal in simple terms, carefully detailing its advantages and consequences.

Although Hancock was still young—only about fifteen or sixteen years old—the harsh environment she had grown up in had forced her to mature early.

The abuse she suffered at the hands of the Celestial Dragons had shown her the world's darkest depths. As a result, Hancock was far more mature than most people her age and had developed her own worldview—albeit a slightly twisted one.

"Karl, so the reason you wanted to talk to me alone is this Warlord proposal, right? Let me be honest—I have no interest in joining the Warlords. But... if it's your invitation, then I'll accept."

After a moment's consideration, Hancock gave Karl a relatively clear answer, though she made sure to state her personal feelings on the matter.

Karl understood her reasoning perfectly.

"Good. That's all I needed to hear. But there's still time before the Warlord system is established, so you'll have plenty of time to strengthen yourself.

However, I have one request: when you form your pirate crew, refrain from pillaging and violence.

I have legitimate trade routes I can connect you with, which can help Amazon Lily sustain itself."

The trade routes Karl referred to were connected to Capone Bege's Red Church.

Though Bege had only recently established himself on the Grand Line, it wouldn't be long before his name—and the Red Church—became known far and wide.

Plus, sending Bege to Amazon Lily to facilitate trade would also serve as a useful experience for him.

Hancock nodded in agreement. When it came to matters of Amazon Lily's survival, she was exceptionally serious.

But as soon as the serious discussion ended, Hancock's expression turned sour. She shot Karl a look of disdain before bolting out of the bar.

Karl watched her retreating figure with a helpless sigh, then turned to call out to Rayleigh and the others.

"I've said everything I needed to say. I've got other matters to attend to, so I'll be going now."

With that, Karl swiftly left, ignoring the strange looks from Elder Nyon and the others.

As he passed by a nearby auction house, a sudden explosion erupted. Curious, Karl stopped to investigate—only to be greeted by a face full of sand.

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