One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 313 First a sweet treat, then a slap

"I am truly honored that the Snake Queen of Nine Serpents knows my name." Roman nodded slightly.

As expected of Hancock, the captain of the Kuja Pirates and possessor of Conqueror's Haki, she actually noticed that the fragrance on her body had a bewitching effect.

There was no way around it; Hancock possessed a captivating beauty that could mesmerize a group of people without her uttering a single word. She absolutely couldn't fall for it.

Otherwise, why would she wear an eye veil?

She really didn't dare to look Hancock in the eye.

Roman believed that Hancock's existence was no less significant than that of Medusa in Greek mythology.

One look and it's deadly.

She released a pleasant fragrance to minimize Hancock's hostility towards her.

However, she was very vigilant and saw through it immediately.

That makes sense. After all, having been abducted by human traffickers before, one is naturally extra cautious about anything unusual.

"It's truly astonishing that a mighty Black Dragon would resort to such low-level tricks. Also, hurry up with the program; I can't stand being here for another minute." The Snake Queen's arrogant voice rang out again.

Just hearing the sound makes me feel a tingling sensation.

Roman shook his head, then perked up again.

“I understand your worries, but there’s no need to be so distant. I come from the Land of Flowers, and you come from the Island of Daughters. If we trace our origins back a hundred years, these two countries are from the same source, aren’t they?”

"To actually bring up those old stories to try and build connections..." Although Snake Princess's words were still filled with annoyance, her attitude was slightly better than before.

That's right, Hancock's nationality is set as Chinese.

Her cheongsam is a traditional Chinese ethnic costume.

In the world of One Piece, the Land of Flowers is modeled after China.

Moreover, Roman wasn't just making things up.

The Flower Country and the Island of Daughters do indeed share the same origin.

Both the Flower Country and the Island of Daughters have a tradition of naming women after flowers.

For example, Margaret, who rescued Luffy on Amazon Lily, has a name derived from a flower.

Therefore, if we had to use a metaphor, the relationship between the two countries would be like that between a continent and a small island.

“I think we are quite destined to be together. In our culture, dragons and snakes have an inseparable relationship. I think we will get along very well.”

"You really do try to curry favor with everyone, don't you?" Hancock remained haughty.

"Anyway, it's more in line with my style to use connections if I have them. Alright, I won't waste any more time on small talk. I know you want to get started and finished as soon as possible, so let's get straight to the formal process."

Hancock snorted, seemingly satisfied with the result.

Roman and Hancock then began negotiations on their terms.

First, there are the rights that Hancock enjoys.

Firstly, Hancock's Kuja Pirates, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea recognized by the World Government, possess the privilege of legally plundering and are not subject to pursuit by the Navy and the World Government.

Secondly, Amazon Lily retains its national sovereignty, and the World Government cannot interfere in its internal affairs. Furthermore, its naval warships can only remain within three kilometers of Amazon Lily at the moment.

Thirdly, Hancock has the privilege of accepting any pirate, and the Navy cannot issue arrest warrants for any pirate who joins the Kuja Pirates.

Of course, rights and obligations are commensurate.

Since Hancock enjoys the rights, she naturally needs to bear the corresponding obligations.

So the first issue is taxation.

Since your plundering is legal, it becomes your main source of income, and therefore you are naturally required to pay a certain percentage of taxes.

Secondly, since you have accepted the World Government's investiture, it means that you recognize the World Government's rule and are required to participate in any events it convenes.

Third, you cannot form an alliance with other pirates.

……

"That's about it. We hope that Snake Princess will abide by these rules. If there are any serious violations, we will strip you of your title and reissue the warrant for the arrest of the Kuja Pirates."

"I will be forgiven no matter what I do, because I am as beautiful as a fairy."

emm...

Even with her eyes covered, Roman could imagine the expression on her face when she said those words.

After all, her surroundings...

"Ahhh, Lady Hancock, I forgive you."

"That's right, that's right, you should be forgiven no matter what you do."

The sailors still in the conference room were already completely bewildered by Hancock.

Of course, we can't blame them for this.

My reaction upon seeing Hancock's face is probably (??v?v??)...

Let's be more tolerant.

However, since his face was not clearly visible, Roman knew what to do.

She had already softened her stance before, so now she naturally had to be firmer.

"Snake Princess..."

"You're going to spout nonsense again..." But, Hancock clenched her fists as she suddenly sensed the murderous aura in the air.

In Hancock's perception, the Navy before her seemed to be covered in thousands of swords, constantly attacking her, causing her to break out in a cold sweat.

It's Conqueror's Haki. That Marine actually has Conqueror's Haki just like me.

Moreover, her domineering power surpasses even his own.

"I hope you take what I just said seriously. As you know, the Science Department has made a major breakthrough, and the Calm Belt is no longer an insurmountable barrier. I hope you can recognize your current situation."

"We are not begging you to inherit the title of Shichibukai, but only because you are suitable for it at the moment, so you'd better not let us find any flaws."

"Otherwise, we can replace the person at any time."

Do you understand?