Chapter 95: The Will of a Conqueror

Chapter 95: The Will of a Conqueror

In response to Meng Zhi's command, the Feilong's starboard cannons opened fire, creating a loud, thunderous sound that echoed through the bodies of everyone onboard. Unfortunately, despite receiving a full broadside, the Perfume Yuda barely took any damage. It was one of the few ships whose hull and keel were constructed from wood harvested from the Treasure Tree Adam, so ordinary cannonballs could barely leave a scratch on its surface.

Undaunted by the failure of the first volley, Meng Zhi ordered the ship's sharpshooters to open fire on the Kuja warriors gathered on the Perfume Yuda's deck. At the same time, several of the more fearless members of the Kuja Tribe attempted to board the Feilong by leaping over, weapons in hand and snakes wrapped around their bodies. The barrier protecting the ship was designed to repel fast-moving projectiles, so they had no trouble passing through.

Fortunately, at least for the crew of the Feilong, what awaited the Kuja boarding party was a group consisting of Thomas, Caenis, Benienma, and Artoria. The trio of Heroic Spirits had been asked to avoid lethally injuring their opponents, but that didn't stop Caenis from being her usual brutal self, grabbing members of the Kuja Tribe by the hair before throwing them back to their ship like humanoid cannonballs, willfully aiming for the bright pink 'mansion' that occupied much of the deck.

Seeing how easily their boarding party was repelled, two of the more 'distinct' members of the Kuja Pirates stepped forward. The first had leaf-green hair and an oversized head that sat atop a shapely figure, while the other had orange hair styled to resemble horns and a body whose shape could be compared to an egg.

At 453 and 432 centimeters, the two caped, bikini-clad women were among the tallest members of the Kuja Tribe. They also commanded the respect of the other members, causing the embattled Kuja to shout out, "Lady Sandersonia!" and "Lady Marigold!" like fangirls spotting their idols exiting a venue.

Recognizing the duo immediately, Thomas, guarded by Benienma and Artoria, approached the taffrail of the Feilong to shout, "Sandersonia! Marigold! We're allies of Shirou Emiya!" using Mana to amplify his voice.

As Thomas was already in the limelight as one of the people repelling the boarding party, Sandersonia and Marigold were paying close attention to him. When they heard his words, the two sisters briefly exchanged glances before the egg-shaped Marigold turned around and retreated to the mansion.

While Marigold presumably went to report to Hancock, Sandersonia ordered her women to stand down before approaching the taffrail of the Perfum Yuda, questioning, "What's your name, human man?" with crossed arms and a skeptical look on her face. Shirou had informed them about Thomas, but as the latter had a completely different appearance, she was incredibly suspicious of his words.

Raising his hands to show he meant no harm, Thomas replied, "Thomas D. Jensen," in a calm, assertive tone.

Flicking her snake-like tongue, Sandersonia remarked, "You don't look like Thomas D. Jensen. From what I've seen and heard, you're supposed to be around 220-240cm tall with a mane of brown hair, broad shoulders, and a muscular frame. How did you get so tiny?"

Smiling wryly, Thomas answered, "The same way I got so big in the first place. I used Magic to modify my size and appearance."

To demonstrate his point, Thomas channeled Mana through his artificial Magic Circuits, causing his body to swell gradually and his hair to slowly change color. He couldn't change too much due to the restrictions of his clothing, but his final appearance was fairly close to the one shown on his Bounty Poster.

Raising her brows, Sandersonia remarked, "That's a really useful ability." Then, with a casual gesture of her right hand, the tensions that had been present among the Kuja Pirates promptly disappeared, replaced by smiles and expressions of relief. They reveled in naval and land warfare, but the power demonstrated by Caenis made them feel helpless.

Half-turning away, Sandersonia said, "Though it is typically forbidden for men to board our ship without bindings, you and two of your friends are welcome to come aboard. I cannot guarantee your protection, but if you truly are an ally of Lord Shirou, you shouldn't be made to suffer."

Following Hancock's assertion, an oppressive aura surged outward, filling the chamber, encompassing both ships, and spreading several kilometers in all directions. As it passed through his body, Thomas felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer directly to his brain. Fortunately, at that exact same moment, the Teiwaz Rune on his headband surged to life, exuding a fiery blue energy that made him feel like someone had poured cold water over his brain and body.

Similar to someone that had been dunked into an ice bath, Thomas felt compelled to shout at the top of his lungs. As for what he said, well, he glared back at Hancock and shouted, "What the fuck is your problem!?" while gesturing for Caenis and Artoria to stand down. They had yet to attack, but both had their armor equipped and weapons in hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Seeing Thomas weather her Conqueror's Haki, a modicum of surprise colored Hancock's face. Based on his initial reaction, she assumed he was the same as the majority of men and women she encountered, becoming completely smitten with her at first sight...

Staring at the Rune glowing on Thomas's forehead, Hancock narrowed her obsidian-black eyes and muttered, "So, that's how it is...you've reinforced your mind using a Magic Spell. It seems you aren't as incompetent as you appear..."

Directing her gaze to Sandersonia, Hancock narrowed her eyes further as she added, "Though, I suspect you had some assistance..."

Raising his hands, Thomas attempted to speak, getting out, "Look, can we jus-" before Hancock snapped back at him, stating, "Leave now, and I will spare you. Stay, or continue to interfere in mine and Shirou's affairs, and I will see to it that you spend the next ten years collecting sediment at the bottom of the sea..."

Furrowing his brows, Thomas asserted, "I didn't come here to meet with you or interfere with your relationship with Shirou. I honestly don't give two shits what the two of youare you fucking kidding me!?"

Before Thomas could finish what he initially planned to say, Hancock made a heart shape with her hands and fired a similarly shaped beam of pink energy. Thomas counteracted it with his Rho Aias, a seven-layered magical barrier that resembled a pink flower in full bloom, but his anger had reached its peak, compelling him to shout, "Fine! You want to fight!? Let's fucking go...!"

In response to Thomas's words, Caenis bounced across the hall, her eyes blazing crimson as she shouted, "Now you're speaking my language!" with a vicious grin. Marigold attempted to intercept her, transforming into a massive humanoid serpent using her Hebi-Hebi-no-Mi: Model King Cobra. However, despite wielding an enormous polearm that could slice through ordinary ships like a hot knife through butter, Caenis smashed through it with her bare fist before tackling the much larger woman like a linebacker crushing a kindergartener.

At the same time that Caenis leaped forward, Sandersonia transformed using her own Devil Fruit, the Hebi-Hebi-no-Mi: Model Anaconda. She had promised to stand beside her sisters no matter what, so even though she didn't believe they should be fighting Thomas and his friends, she didn't hesitate to charge at them from behind.

Having been keeping an eye on Sandersonia since the beginning, Artoria charged to meet her, declaring, "I'll be your opponent." in an eerily calm tone. The disparity between her size and Sandersonia was even greater than the one between Caenis and Marigold, but the green-haired warrior immediately realized she was the one at a disadvantage when Artoria hit her with a physical 'column' of magical energy, batting her to the side and sending her crashing through a pillar with tremendous ease...

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(A/N: Hancock's haughtiness knows no bounds x_x...)