The sun was mercilessly scorching. A naval ship, resembling a majestic palace, slowly entered Crescent Bay, anchored, and lowered the gangway.
"We're finally here!" Karl exhaled, addressing Nelson and Ain, who were walking behind him. "Nelson,I leave the further maintenance of the ship to you. Rest when you finish it all."
Nelson saluted militarily:
"Yes, sir!"
"Ain, wait here."
"Alright!"
After that, Karl headed to Hancock's private quarters, preparing to take her to the Navy headquarters.
Knock-knock-knock!
"Hancock, dear? Are you alright?"
"Just a moment, darling!"
Inside Hancock's room, confirming she still looked stunning, she asked Salome, who stood beside her:
"Do I look good?"
Salome dared not disagree, nodding. Hancock was satisfied and allowed Karl to escort her.
Opening the door, Hancock stepped out, dressed in a classic suit. Karl smiled:
"You look absolutely charming today!"
Hancock's face flushed; Karl's compliment was evidently quite pleasing to her.
"Darling, as long as you're pleased!"
"Then let's go! Remember, once we leave the ship, don't call me 'darling.' Address me as Major General Karl, and I'll call you Miss Hancock, understood?"
Hancock's face suddenly darkened:
"Oh! I understand..."
In fact, according to her current views, she should be announcing to the world that Karl is the man she loves and they are a couple. Unfortunately, he seemed to have some reservations.
"Let's go!"
Thus, as if Karl were her bodyguard, he walked beside Hancock as they left the ship, followed by Ain.
A patrolling Marine widened his eyes upon seeing Hancock:
"Hey! Isn't that! The Shichibukai Boa Hancock! Are all the Shichibukai coming?"
Another Marine was mesmerized:
"Yes! The fastest Shichibukai is the tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, and then there's this..." She's so beautiful!
"She truly deserves to be called the most beautiful woman in the world!"
Ain and Karl, walking alongside Hancock, were completely ignored. Her charm was simply irresistible.
This is exactly why Karl didn't allow Hancock to appear on the way to the Navy headquarters.
As they approached the headquarters building, more and more people gathered to catch a glimpse of Hancock, creating the feeling that she was walking down a red carpet.
"Oh my goodness! What beauty!"
"Yes! Did you notice how they perfectly complement each other, she and Rear Admiral Karl?"
"One is the most handsome man in the world, and the other the most beautiful woman. If they were together! Oh! How thrilling!"
Hancock seemed to hear this and looked at Karl with affection, but he just stared ahead, pretending not to notice anything.
Finally reaching the headquarters building, the number of curious onlookers behind them decreased, but the number of Navy officers increased.
"Hello, you must be Miss Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! I am Navy Chief of Staff Tsuru, you can call me. Welcome to Marineford."
Tsuru greeted her, but her facial expression and tone of voice showed no warmth.
Essentially, this is normal. A significant portion of high-ranking Navy officials detest the Seven Warlords of the Sea system. In their eyes, the so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea are just pirates.
One cannot expect friendliness from them!
Hancock wasn't foolish, and she sensed the coldness in Tsuru's tone. Although angry, she gradually understood Karl's intentions.
"When will the Warlords of the Sea meeting begin? I can't just stand here and wait, can I?"
Tsuru calmly replied:
"Don't worry. The Navy headquarters certainly won't neglect guests who have come from afar."
Tsuru took out a document and handed it to Karl:
"Here's the VIP room for Miss Hancock. Please escort her there!"
"Miss Hancock, since you've arrived early, I ask you to wait a little. The meeting will only commence once all the Seven Warlords of the Sea participants have arrived."
Hancock nodded expressionlessly, indicating Karl:
"While waiting, I want him to serve me."
Tsuru frowned:
"Impossible. When you are in the VIP room, you will naturally receive services. Karl is a Rear admiral at headquarters; he is not obligated to do this.
"Then it doesn't matter to me. I only know him. If anyone dares to enter my room, they will face the consequences!"
Faced with such an uncompromising Hancock, Tsuru could only express her powerlessness and cast a glance at Karl, leaving him to handle the situation himself.
Karl instantly understood and responded coldly:
"I can agree to your request, but remember, I won't do anything too extreme!"
Ain, standing nearby and observing this overly emotional exchange, scoffed to herself. How much they love to play games! Even from a distance.
Since Karl agreed, Tsuru said nothing more, only whispering to Karl:
"Thank you for your work! After you escort her to the VIP room, don't forget to report to Sengoku."
"Yes, don't worry, I'll be there soon!"
...
After escorting Hancock to the VIP room and closing the door, Hancock immediately stopped pretending and threw herself into Karl's arms.
"Darling, can you stay with me today?"
"No problem, but I need to report to Sengoku first. Wait here a little while, okay?"
Hancock obediently nodded, closed her large eyes, looked upward, and pouted. Karl smirked, embracing Hancock's slender waist...
Ten minutes later, in the Fleet Admiral's office.
"Karl, you're already here! Have a seat."
After Karl sat down, Sengoku folded his hands and looked at him with a smile:
"You handled this very well. Hancock is an extremely complex individual. I didn't expect you to bring her to Navy headquarters so quickly."
"I was right about you!"
Karl nodded seriously. Indeed! She's so clingy! If Hancock hadn't been mentally prepared, he would have had to drag her here by the waist.
"I just heard from Tsuru that I've made you run around a lot lately. Sorry for the trouble."
Karl immediately patted his chest:
"Don't worry! Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I promise to ensure her safety until the meeting is over."
Hearing this, Sengoku nodded with satisfaction:
"After the meeting concludes, you can escort her back to Amazon Lily, and then take some rest yourself."
"You've been busy fighting pirates for several months without rest. It's necessary to relax properly."
"How about this! I'll give you a month's leave. Anywhere you want, except for the New World, you can go wherever you wish! What do you say?"
Karl was stunned. Leave! A month-long leave!
If it were Garp, he'd be jumping for joy to the ceiling, but Karl was so overwhelmed that he could hardly breathe!
Why? Because leave wasn't considered a time for idleness!
Everyone we back at it , had some stuff that's been keeping busy for more than intended to ,but I'm back with good news
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