Hancock's smooth, fair back bore the red mark of the Heavenly Dragon's Hoof at its center.
The milky-white bath towel barely wrapped around her waist, leaving her slender figure half-revealed.
Sanders paused for a moment, a surge of anger rising in his heart.
The sight of that loathsome brand, proof of past torment, made the steamy atmosphere of the bathhouse feel even more suffocating.
Did she really need to take off that much…?
As Sanders remained frozen in thought, Hancock, sensing the lack of action, asked:
"What's wrong?"
"Is it impossible to remove?"
Her voice trembled slightly, a mix of anxiety and deep anticipation.
She turned her head and found Sanders staring intently at her back. His gaze flickered, his face slightly flushed, and his breathing a little heavy.
Seeing this, Hancock was momentarily stunned, then her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Do you like what you see?"
"...Yes."
Sanders answered instinctively before realizing what he had just said.
He coughed lightly, attempting to compose himself.
"Ahem… It will look even better once that disgraceful mark is gone."
There was no attempt to hide his admiration as he spoke, his tone filled with appreciation.
Then, he reached out, his hand glowing with a soft green light, and gently pressed his palm against Hancock's back.
The warmth of his hand against her skin made Hancock tremble slightly. She bit her lip and turned her face away.
A soothing energy spread from his touch, and Sanders' calm voice reached her ears:
"Healing: Restoration!"
As Sanders activated the power of the Healing Fruit, the red mark on Hancock's back gradually faded.
It shrank, becoming smaller and fainter, turning into tiny red specks—until it vanished completely.
A wave of exhaustion crashed over Sanders, his face turning pale.
It was a sensation akin to recovering from a severe illness, his strength seemingly drained away.
He understood this was the consequence of using the full potential of the Healing Fruit.
The ability to restore objects and living beings to their original state in an awakened form came at a cost—temporary weakness.
The greater the restoration, the longer the period of weakness.
For instance, regenerating a lost finger would leave Sanders weakened for three days.
Removing Hancock's brand, however, would only leave him fatigued for half a day.
During this time, his strength would be halved.
"...It's done."
Sanders withdrew his hand, his voice faint, his gaze carrying a hint of reluctance.
"Really?!"
Hancock immediately turned her head to look at her back—the part of her body she had never dared to face.
And there it was—nothing.
The brand that had once haunted her, the source of her deepest shame, was completely gone.
Her once-marked skin was now as flawless and smooth as fresh milk.
"It's… really gone!"
An indescribable joy surged within her.
For a moment, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
She reached out, her fingertips brushing against the now-spotless skin, as if making sure it wasn't an illusion.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Thank you, Sanders!"
Without hesitation, Hancock turned around and threw herself into Sanders' arms.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears—tears of liberation, of relief.
Finally…
She had severed ties with the past.
The brand was gone.
The one who branded her was dead.
And besides those she trusted, no one would ever know what had been done to her.
She no longer had to live in fear.
She no longer had to create clumsy lies to hide her shame.
She was free.
Caught off guard, Sanders found himself frozen, his mind replaying the events of the last few moments.
…And the sight he had just witnessed.
The fragrance of her hair filled his nostrils, and a soft sensation spread across his chest and neck.
"Pfft!"
Two streams of blood spurted from Sanders' nostrils.
He felt even weaker!
At this moment, Hancock finally noticed his weakened state, her almond-shaped eyes filled with concern.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine."
Sanders looked at Hancock's breathtakingly beautiful face, which was now just inches away. His gaze subconsciously lowered.
"Pfft!"
Another two streams of blood sprayed out.
Seeing this, Hancock lowered her head to where Sanders was staring. Realizing the situation, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, and she leisurely put on her clothes.
Sanders quickly averted his gaze. In his current weakened state, the more he looked, the weaker he became—he couldn't afford to look any longer.
"Using the healing fruit's restoration ability leaves me weakened for a period of time," he explained weakly.
"Luckily, my fruit has awakened," he added. "Otherwise, it would have consumed my lifespan."
"Lifespan?!"
Hancock seemed to have ignored everything else he had said, only catching the part about him sacrificing his lifespan to remove her mark.
She cupped her face, her eyes filled with deep emotion.
"Sanders is willing to sacrifice his lifespan for me?"
"I'm truly… so moved."
Looking at the love-struck Empress, Sanders felt that everything he had done so far was worth it.
He wasn't surprised that Hancock had fallen for him.
In the manga, Luffy had won Hancock's heart just by not discriminating against her past as a slave and daring to strike a Celestial Dragon.
And what he had done went far beyond that.
He had met Hancock in her childhood, helped her find Rayleigh and Shakky, allowing the three sisters to return to their homeland instead of living in fear as fugitive slaves.
After escaping from prison, he had made a promise to remove her brand.
Later, he had even mercilessly slaughtered a Celestial Dragon.
And now, he had captured the very Celestial Dragon who had tormented Hancock in the past and had used his own strength—at the cost of temporary weakness—to erase her accursed mark, severing her ties with the past completely.
Forget about Hancock's love-struck tendencies—if Sanders met a beautiful, strong woman who had helped him during his lowest moments, he would fall for her too.
Suddenly, Sanders reached out and pulled Hancock into his embrace.
"Hancock, be my woman."
"From now on, let me protect you."
His abrupt action made Hancock's body stiffen for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. She nestled against Sanders' chest, pressing her body against him.
She lifted her head to look at Sanders, her cheeks flushed, eyes shimmering.
A soft gulping sound broke the silence.
A flicker of excitement flashed in Sanders' eyes.
After everything he had done…
It was time to reap the rewards.
He swiftly pressed Hancock onto the sofa.
Extending his left hand, he aimed at the damaged doors of the castle, which Hancock had kicked open.
A surge of freezing cold air shot from his fingertips.
The shattered doors were instantly frozen over, a massive chunk of ice sealing the entrance.
He had no intention of letting anyone barge in and ruin his moment.
As for his weakened state?
What weakness?
He was the man who could defeat Whitebeard.
There was no weakness—none at all!
Heavy breathing filled the bathhouse.
"Hancock."
"Mm?"
"Don't act like a shy little girl. You're the Pirate Empress!"
"You prefer that?"
"Yes, exactly! Think about how you are with others—so proud, so arrogant!"
"That's it! That look in your eyes, like you're staring at trash!"
"I love it!"
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T/N:
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