One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

"Stop!!!"

A sharp cry echoed across the battlefield.

From the distance, a shadow darted forward at lightning speed, placing itself firmly between Roman and the furious Empress of Amazon Lily.

Roman's gaze remained calm, hidden beneath his hood. He merely watched in silence.

The current Empress's eyes widened. "G-grandma Gloriosa?!"

The woman who had appeared—none other than Elder Nyon—was once the ruler of Amazon Lily, a predecessor two generations removed. Though long retired, her prestige still overshadowed that of the current Empress.

Only the future Empress, Boa Hancock, could one day hope to surpass her.

Gloriosa stared the current Empress down, her tone absolute.

"You cannot harm this man."

The Empress looked stunned, almost disbelieving. "But... but Grandma Gloriosa, he's a man! Amazon Lily forbids any man from stepping onto this island!"

Gloriosa's expression didn't budge. "He is the one who saved our people!"

"But even so! According to the ancestral laws—no man may leave alive!"

Hearing this, Hancock tugged at Roman's cloak uneasily, anxiety flickering in her eyes.

Gloriosa turned, her voice rising. "And what if I told you that this man… is the one who slew the Deep Sea Serpent King spoken of in Amazon Lily's legends? The very creature our ancestors feared for generations!"

She paused, then added word by word:

"According to the decree passed down by the sixth Empress—anyone who slays the Deep Sea Serpent, regardless of gender, must be treated as the most honored guest!"

The battlefield suddenly fell into stunned silence.

Every warrior of Amazon Lily, including the Empress, stood rooted in place, their eyes wide.

"Impossible... That terrifying sea beast, thousands of meters long, was killed by... him?!"

"That's insane! No one has ever defeated it!"

"This is amazing. We've finally avenged our ancestors!"

One after another, the warriors began to whisper, voices rising with shock and joy.

The Empress herself turned pale. "Is that true...? Did he really...?"

The Deep Sea Serpent had haunted Amazon Lily for centuries. It preyed on their ships, took the lives of countless warriors, and even claimed the lives of former Empresses. No one had ever returned from a battle with it.

It was their curse.

That's why the sixth Empress had passed down an ancestral commandment—anyone who slew the Deep Sea Serpent must be received with full honors.

Roman tilted his head, glancing at the girl by his side.

"Hancock," he said softly, "you knew about the Sea Serpent King being a legend, but didn't know about this law?"

Hancock blushed in embarrassment and gave a tiny nod.

If she had known, she would have said so immediately. None of this chaos would have happened.

Now convinced, the Empress stepped forward, bowing deeply.

"I apologize. We acted rashly. Please, allow us to hold a royal banquet in your honor."

But Roman merely shook his head.

"As I said—I only came to return them home to their island. If you truly wish to thank me... then take care of them. That's enough."

Gloriosa nodded solemnly. "Do not worry. We will spare no effort. We will raise them with all the strength this island has to offer."

Amazon Lily was a land where only the strong were revered.

Gloriosa had already seen a glimpse of Hancock's potential—if nurtured, she could become the strongest Empress in the island's history.

Of course, the true reason Gloriosa was so resolute... was because of the connection she sensed between Hancock and Roman.

She had traveled the Grand Line, heard countless rumors of this mysterious man.

When she tried to investigate him, she found nothing. It was as if Roman had appeared out of thin air.

That alone made him dangerous—and intriguing.

Which was why she made her vow before him. The island would give Hancock everything it had to increase her strength.

Roman was left satisfied with her answer.

"Hancock," he said softly, "even if I'm not here... you must train. Train to always push yourself. Become stronger."

Hancock nodded seriously, her eyes shimmering.

Then she looked up, voice trembling with determination.

"Roman... If I become Empress, I'll make you my Queen!"

Roman blinked, then burst out laughing for the first time since arriving in this world.

"You mean you'll be the Queen."

He froze, then frowned.

Wait, was he saying... she'd be his queen?

Catching himself, he flicked her forehead.

"You really are cheeky," he said. "Let's meet again someday—on the seas."

With those final words, he turned and walked toward the warship.

The night wind stirred the jungle's leaves. The moon shone faintly, its light dancing across the sea's surface.

Hancock stood still, her gaze locked on his retreating back. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Roman...! In the future... can I come find you?!"

Roman paused.

"…Yeah. Of course you can."

His voice was soft—but to Hancock, it carried the weight of the world.

"Then... you have to wait for me! Wait until the day I find you!!!"

By the time she shouted this, her voice had broken into sobs.

Roman said no more.

He raised his hand, triggered his Rooster Talisman, and simply returned back aboard the ship.

He knew—if he stayed even a second longer, Hancock wouldn't be able to let go.

She stood there long after he vanished, holding her tears in.

In her heart, she made a vow.

I will train and I will grow stronger. Then, I will awaken my Devil Fruit—and I will chase him across the sea!

One Day Later — Aboard the Warship,

Roman had already left the Calm Belt.

Inside the captain's cabin, he opened his system inventory and withdrew a strange looking fruit—the one he had received earlier.

The Maboroshi-Maboroshi no Mi — the Illusion-Illusion Fruit.

A Devil Fruit that could create illusions—all capable of combat, deception, or large scale battles. A power with limitless potential.

Roman took one look at it and made his choice.

He would eat it.