I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

Hancock was in her cabin, playfully engaging with Bonney, her somewhat amusing servant, when a sudden chill swept through the room. 

"Cold air?"

Hancock raised an eyebrow in surprise. At that moment, Salome, whom she had been using as a backrest, hissed uneasily and flicked its tongue, clearly disturbed by the drop in temperature. 

Furrowing her brows, she extended her Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) just a bit, and her expression shifted instantly. She quickly slipped on her high heels and sprang to her feet, rushing toward the door. 

"..." Bonney, who had tumbled to the floor, was panting heavily, her cheeks flushed and her lips glistening. She looked back in confusion, only to hear Hancock's cold voice as she exited the room: "Stay here. Do not move without my command." 

Salome hissed and flicked its tongue, coiling up at the doorway, fixated on the pink-haired woman. 

Bonney wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, touched her cheek, ignored the snake, and silently lowered her head. 

Hancock strode out of the cabin, her long legs carrying her swiftly, and the cold air hit her face. What she saw was a scene as if everything had been encased in ice!

On the deck, dozens of Kuja warriors had been transformed into ice sculptures, each frozen in different poses: some held their snake bows, aimed at nothing, their faces frozen in panic; others had drawn their swords, fiercely striking at an invisible foe... 

What had transpired?

Among the humanoid ice sculptures, Hancock's two younger sisters were also trapped in ice! 

Marigold appeared to have not yet transformed into her snake form before being encased, her expression one of shock beneath the ice; Sandersonia, with her snake tail and wings, spread as if ready to take flight, was frozen mid-motion. 

Her gaze was directed toward the cabin, locking eyes with Hancock, and Hancock could see the unwillingness etched on her frozen face!

What shocked Hancock the most was the ice sculpture of Giorno among the others! 

He was frozen in a pose as if reaching out to grasp something, his cold expression completely sealed in ice... Even Giorno?! 

Hancock was filled with astonishment and a surge of boundless rage.

She followed the direction of Giorno's frozen hand and saw, by the ship's railing, a tall man in a white suit radiating cold air. He stood over a woman, pinning her to the icy deck with his pristine white leather shoe. The woman's shoulder and half of her body, where his shoe pressed, were covered in ice.

It was Robin. 

She looked as if she had fought valiantly and was now exhausted, her head hanging low as she gasped for breath. 

Kuzan had several ice holes in his body, which were slowly healing. 

"Jolyne!" Hancock's voice rang out. 

Pressed beneath the cold leather shoe, Robin weakly looked up at Hancock upon hearing her voice. 

"Well, well..." Kuzan spoke, his words accompanied by a visible chill. "I didn't expect to find another lovely lady aboard this ship. Care for a cup of tea?" 

He spoke casually, but as he turned his head, he heard Hancock's voice, cold and dangerously sharp: "Was it you... who turned them... into this?" 

'Death.' 

Kuzan suddenly felt a strong premonition. 

If he continued to turn his head, he would meet his end. 

In the instant he almost fully turned, he could almost smell the stench of death. 

Kuzan forced himself to stop, realizing the danger this woman posed! 

However, in Kuzan's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) perception, Hancock's aura wasn't particularly strong, about the same as Giorno's. 

Was she some kind of special Devil Fruit user? 

In a flash, the experienced Kuzan had several thoughts racing through his mind. 

Outwardly, however, he remained lazily calm, bending down to grab Robin by the collar and lifting her up in front of him. 

"Let her go!" 

Hancock stepped toward Kuzan, each step cracking the ice beneath her feet. 

Her black hair transformed into snake hair, swirling in the cold air, her already flawless face now even more coldly enchanting, her dark golden snake eyes filled with lethal intent. 

"What if I don't let her go..." 

Kuzan, with one hand in his pocket and without turning around, extended the hand holding Robin over the ship's railing. 

Robin, half of her body frozen, dangled perilously in the air, her feet above the endless sea. 

"What will happen then?" 

"You will die!" Hancock gritted her teeth, but her movements gradually slowed. She was a Devil Fruit user, and so was Jolyne. If this ice-wielding man truly threw Jolyne into the sea, there would be no hope; Jolyne would drown, and she would be powerless to help. 

"I don't think so," Kuzan replied, still not turning around, one hand in his pocket while the other held Robin aloft, his lazy eyes carefully examining the face of this pirate captain... 

Aside from her eyes, which bore some resemblance to Nico Robin's, her features were entirely different, lacking any signs of the characteristics Robin had as a child. 

Had she undergone plastic surgery? No, there were no signs of artificial modification on her face... 

Or could it be that Nico Robin had developed her Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) powers to alter her appearance? 

As Kuzan pondered this, he suddenly heard a loud cracking sound behind him, like ice shattering. 

Bang! 

Ice shards flew as Liam broke free from the ice sculpture, his skin glowing red-hot, emitting scalding steam. He crouched down on the ice and suddenly charged at Aokiji. 

While Giorno was in motion, Hancock, not having time to feel surprised at his escape, immediately launched an attack, no longer hesitating, joining him in the assault against the ice man.

Liam clenched his fists, black Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) enveloping his hands. 

Hancock kicked up, her foot glowing with Haki.

Kuzan did not turn around, casually tossing Robin over the side. 

She fell toward the sea, while Liam's Haki-infused fist and Hancock's Haki-laden kick struck Kuzan's back simultaneously— at the moment of contact, Kuzan's back was enveloped in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). 

Bang! 

Kuzan was hit and flew off the deck, his body shattering into shards of ice as he fell toward the sea. 

"Is he dead?" Hancock leaned against the ship's railing. 

"No," Liam replied, watching the ice fragments fall onto the sea, which was also freezing over. "He's a Logia; it's not that easy to kill him!" 

Saying this, he stepped on the ship's railing and jumped off with all his might. 

Pā pā pā! Liam used Geppo to soar toward the frozen sea.

"Jolyne..." Hancock leaned over the railing to look down, seeing a splash of water leap up. 

Kā kā kā... The ice layer on the sea continued to spread toward the Kuja pirate ship. A mass of ice rose, forming a humanoid shape, which was none other than Marine Vice Admiral Kuzan. 

As Kuzan reformed, he looked up to see Chopper and Giorno approaching, with a foot enveloped in intense Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) ruthlessly aimed at his head.

(End Of This Chapter)

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