One Piece: I am the Empress, and the more sycophants I have, the stronger I become.

When the ship docked, Hancock finally felt stuffy on board.

Under the protection of Aria and several other close female warriors, they leisurely set foot on the port town of this Alabasta subsidiary island.

Her arrival was undoubtedly a bombshell in this relatively isolated town.

Her stunning beauty, her aloof and elegant demeanor, and the fully armed Nine-Headed Serpent Warriors behind her.

Pedestrians quickly made way for them, and whispers rose like a tide.

"My God... that's the Kuja pirate flag! It's the Pirate Empress's territory!"

"How did they get here?!"

The news spread like wildfire, naturally reaching the ears of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, who were forcibly collecting "management fees" at the market.

Princess Vivi, who was disguised as a commoner, heard this and her expression changed slightly. She whispered a reminder.

"Gentlemen, it seems the Kuja Pirates have arrived. Should we..."

"Um?"

Mr. 5 snorted dismissively and picked his nose forcefully.

"A flag is enough to scare you like this? They're just a bunch of women."

Miss. chimed in with a sweet laugh on Valentine's Day.

"Exactly, what's with all this talk of empresses and emperors? Do they think they're more prestigious than our Baroque Works?"

They were used to lording it over Alabasta and didn't take the rumors seriously at all.

Just then, several navigators and cooks from Kuja came to the market to buy fresh ingredients and fresh water.

"Boss, we'll take all of this fruit and water."

The Nine Serpent Warrior pointed to several baskets of the best-quality supplies and said.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Mr. 5 immediately barged in with his men, shoving the stall owner aside.

"Don't you know the rules? The best stuff in this market already belongs to our Baroque Studio! If you want to buy anything, you'll have to wait until we've picked out the leftovers!"

There has to be a first-come, first-served order.

The navigator of Kuja frowned and retorted, his tone already displeased.

"First come, first served?"

On Valentine's Day, Miss lightly tapped the other person with the tip of her parasol.

"Here, we are the rules! If you don't want trouble, get out of here!"

Conflict is imminent.

Although the Kuja warriors have not revealed their identities, their dignity as Kuja warriors cannot be trifled with.

As the two sides shoved each other, the atmosphere instantly became tense.

The commotion in the distance naturally caught Hancock's attention. She approached slowly, her cool voice carrying a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.

"What's all this commotion about?"

"Lord Snake Princess!"

The Nine Serpent Warriors immediately bowed in salute.

Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine looked over upon hearing the sound, and when they saw Hancock's face clearly...

The two were visibly taken aback, their eyes flashing with amazement.

However, their long-standing arrogance prevented them from immediately realizing the seriousness of the problem.

"Oh, another even prettier one has arrived?"

Mr. 5 smirked, instinctively reaching for his nose again. "What, you want to too...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Hancock didn't even bother to look at her again and waved her hand lightly at Arya.

"It's noisy. Get rid of it."

"yes!"

Arya stepped forward instantly.

Mr. 5 instinctively pops out a booger bomb, while Miss. Valentine's Day giggles and floats into the air.

"The Floating Fruit, the 10,000-Kilogram Guillotine!"

However, their movements were full of flaws in Arya's eyes.

"Entanglement and Noose!"

An invisible force burst forth, precisely ensnaring the booger bomb and flinging it high into the air.

Before the flames from the explosion had even dissipated, even more power coiled around their bodies like serpents.

Mr. 5 tries to ignite his entire body, while Miss. wants to intensify her fall on Valentine's Day.

But the binding force was incredibly strong, tightening instantly!

"Bang! Bang!"

The two high-ranking agents, who had just been so arrogant, were suddenly bound by an invisible giant python and slammed heavily to the ground.

A cloud of dust was kicked up, leaving them in a sorry state.

"How is this possible?!" The two were utterly horrified.

They finally saw the face of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Boa Hancock, clearly.

Miss. Valentine's Day reaction was a bit quick.

Using its Devil Fruit powers, it managed to break free from a slight restraint and crawled backward on its hands and feet, wanting only to escape immediately.

Just when she thought she could escape by sheer luck.

An invisible and intangible, yet terrifying pressure that seemed to originate from the depths of the soul descended with a deafening roar, like a massive tsunami.

The air seemed to freeze, and the surrounding noise instantly fell silent!

"Hmm!"

On Valentine's Day, Miss felt her mind go blank and her heart feel like it was being gripped by an icy hand.

The power he had just gathered instantly dissipated, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his whole body trembling violently uncontrollably.

Mr. 5, standing to the side, rolled his eyes back and almost fainted.

Hancock didn't even move a step.

His mere cold gaze and the hint of domineering aura he exuded were enough to terrify the two men.

She stepped forward slowly, looking down at the two agents who were slumped on the ground, pale and lifeless.

"Baroque Studio?"

Hancock's voice carried a hint of cold mockery.

"Crocodile's dog, just like its owner, doesn't know any manners."

When the name "Crocodile" came out of her mouth.

Mr. 5 and Miss. were completely stunned on Valentine's Day. As high-ranking agents, they had always suspected the boss's identity, but they never expected to be directly exposed by the Empress.

Even Vivi, who was trying to keep a low profile, suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock!

How...how did she know the boss's true identity?!

Hancock ignored their shock and gave the order directly to Arya.

"Search them. Take all their valuables—Baileys, jewelry, weapons—as compensation for disturbing my mind and wasting my time."

"yes!"

Arya immediately took action, swiftly looting the two of them.

[Ding! Target 'Vivi' witnessed the host's powerful strength and domineering style, feeling shocked and filled with complex admiration. She was also shocked and glimmered with hope by the host's handling of the Baroque agents and exposing Crocodile's identity. Infatuation value +15! Current Infatuation value: 15/100. (Note: Target's identity is special, potential to be evaluated)]

Hancock noticed Vivi's eyes, which were filled with struggle and longing.

She seemed to see a possibility and wanted to ask for help at all costs.

However, the system notification sounded again.

[Ding! Side quest triggered: 'The Princess's Plea']

[Mission Requirements: Listen to and grant Princess Vivi's request to help Alabasta escape internal strife and Crocodile's conspiracy.]

[Mission Rewards: Vivi's loyalty greatly increased (Infatuation +30), Alabasta Royal Family Friendship, Random Item x1.]

[Mission Penalty: None.]

Hancock glanced at it quickly.

The rewards are minimal, and the punishments are almost nonexistent.

Help a country quell internal strife?

How do we deal with that sand crocodile?

It's time-consuming, laborious, and utterly uninteresting.

Just as Vivi's lips trembled and she was about to speak, Hancock's cold gaze swept over her, extinguishing her hopes in advance.

"I have no interest in your country's troubles."

Weiwei felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, and her face turned deathly pale.

Hancock's gaze returned to the trembling agent on the ground. She parted her red lips and dropped a number that left everyone speechless.

"Go back and tell your boss to prepare 100 million Berries as compensation. Otherwise..."

She paused, her tone carrying an undeniable threat.

"I wouldn't mind going to Yudi myself to 'have a talk' with him."