Hearing that Jaygarcia Mersaint was already considered dead in the eyes of the World Government, Hancock vaguely understood something.
A sense of gratitude toward Sanders rose in her heart.
But on the surface, she still maintained her proud demeanor.
Sandersonia and Marigold, unable to contain themselves, rushed toward Jaygarcia Mersaint.
Their faces were filled with hatred and fury, their eyes burning with rage.
Ignoring the Celestial Dragon's screams, they each grabbed one of her legs and dragged her away.
Watching her sisters take away the detestable figure of their past suffering, Hancock remained expressionless.
Only after confirming they had left did she take a step back, lean against the wall, and slide to the ground.
Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her fair cheeks.
Soft sobbing echoed through the silent castle hall.
Facing her past tormentor, Hancock was far less composed than she had seemed.
Inside, she had already reached her limit.
She had only forced herself to remain strong in front of the Celestial Dragon, refusing to show weakness or fear.
Sanders walked over and spoke gently, "It's all over now, Hancock."
"When I remove the mark on your back, no one will ever discover your past again."
"You won't have to deceive your people with lies anymore."
"You can live with your head held high, with dignity."
His voice was clear and soothing.
Hancock raised her tear-streaked face, her expression full of grievance.
The world's most beautiful woman making such a vulnerable expression… Even Sanders, with his strong will, felt his heart tremble for a moment.
He quickly bit the tip of his tongue to stay alert—he didn't want to risk getting "petrified."
"Thank you, Sanders!"
Hancock's voice was hoarse.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, she asked worriedly, "Was abducting that Celestial Dragon really okay?"
The Celestial Dragons were supreme, trampling on the lives of others at will.
Any slight offense against them would lead to the full pursuit of the Marines and the World Government.
Sanders had saved Hancock and her sisters before.
And now, he had gone as far as to provoke the Celestial Dragons for her revenge.
He had even found a way to remove the mark on her back.
She didn't want him to get into trouble.
"Don't worry, Hancock~"
"I'm Sanders, after all!"
Sanders said confidently.
Thinking of his current title as one of the Great Sea Emperors, Hancock felt slightly reassured.
Just as she was about to say something else, Sanders grinned and added:
"I mean, I just attacked the Celestial Dragons' holy land, Mary Geoise!"
Hancock froze for a moment.
Then she saw Sanders pull out a newspaper from his pocket, unfold it, and point to a corner of the article.
With a smirk, he said, "Look, I literally dropped an entire island on Mary Geoise, killed who knows how many Celestial Dragons, and even took down one of the Five Elders."
"But look—does the World Government dare to announce this to the public?"
Hearing the shocking words from Sanders' mouth, Hancock was momentarily stunned.
Attacking Mary Geoise?
Killing Celestial Dragons?!
And even beating up one of the Five Elders—the highest authority in the World Government?!
If it were anyone else saying this, Hancock would never believe it.
But coming from Sanders, it was likely true.
This was the same man who had defeated Whitebeard!
He had also killed Celestial Dragons before and had no reason to lie.
"R-Really?!"
Even so, Hancock still found it hard to believe.
"Of course it's true!"
That was the very heart of the world!
"The World Government can't do anything to me, so of course, they have to cover up this humiliating news."
"So there's no need to worry about a single Celestial Dragon."
"I've killed plenty of them already."
"Besides, like I said, in the eyes of the World Government and the Marines, that woman is already dead. No one will ever know she set foot on Amazon Lily."
Sanders said with a smile.
Looking at the newspaper in her hands—reporting a "meteorite" crashing into Mary Geoise—Hancock was in a daze.
She felt like she no longer recognized this world.
The once-untouchable Celestial Dragons were being slaughtered one after another, and the World Government was covering it up just to save face.
For someone who had lived for over twenty years under the shadow of their tyranny, it felt unreal.
"...Thank you."
Hancock expressed her gratitude once more.
"No need to thank me."
Sanders crouched down, reaching out to gently brush Hancock's still-damp hair.
Her soft, silky strands carried a faint, elegant fragrance.
Hancock flinched slightly, as if resisting, but a blush crept onto her cheeks.
Her heartbeat began to race.
Thump, thump.
Even without using Observation Haki, Sanders could hear it clearly.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Now, let me help you remove the mark on your back."
Hancock's eyes lit up.
She quickly wiped away her tears and grabbed Sanders' hand, pulling him toward the inner chambers of the castle.
She was eager to erase that mark of humiliation and sever ties with her past once and for all.
As they stepped inside, the humid scent of the bathhouse mixed with a faint fragrance drifted into Sanders' nose.
He casually glanced around.
At the center of the chamber was a large bathing pool, with varying depths—some parts barely reaching the ankles, while the deeper sections would be around Hancock's waist.
Scattered across the floor were pieces of clothing.
Most notably, a red cheongsam… and some smaller, more intimate garments.
Seeing this, Sanders' mind involuntarily pictured Hancock in that cheongsam.
His nose suddenly itched.
Rubbing it discreetly, he stole a subtle glance downward and let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness… No nosebleed.
Otherwise, it would've seriously damaged his strong and dignified image.
Perhaps because she was too eager to remove the mark on her back, Hancock's expression was somewhat anxious.
It wasn't until she had walked to the sofa inside the castle that she finally remembered to ask how exactly Sanders planned to erase the Heavenly Dragon's Hoof.
"This mark isn't easy to remove," Sanders said calmly.
"I tried many methods, but none of them worked."
Hancock hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… how do you plan to remove it?"
Her eyes carried both curiosity and a trace of apprehension.
"The power of a Devil Fruit."
Sanders raised his right hand.
A soft green glow emerged from his palm, radiating a gentle and soothing aura.
"The ability of the Healing Fruit—a Paramecia-type power."
"It can restore objects or living beings to their original state."
"Even if a limb is lost, it can regenerate completely."
Sanders explained.
Hancock's eyes lit up.
"You even obtained such a powerful ability?"
Newspapers had long since spread the news that Sanders possessed multiple Devil Fruit powers.
So when he used his freezing ability earlier, neither she nor her sisters had been too surprised.
"Then let's begin."
Without hesitation, Hancock turned her back to Sanders, kneeling beside the sofa.
She shed her bathrobe without the slightest reservation, exposing her smooth, flawless back to him.
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T/N:
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