I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

The two towering black pillars shattered into pieces, falling with a deafening crash and landing all over Smoker's head and face.

These pillars, created by the Cage-Cage Fruit, were tougher than steel but not metallic, so Liam's Magnet-Magnet Fruit couldn't manipulate them.

Hina, who was assisting Vice Admiral Bastille to sit up, stared in disbelief, muttering, "He actually destroyed the cages made by the Cage-Cage Fruit…"

"His Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)…" Smoker, his face pressed to the ground, had bloodshot eyes as he gritted out, "It's… so strong!"

Liam weighed the iron staff in his hand. Normally, after the force of such an impact, even with the reinforcement of Busoshoku Haki, an ordinary iron staff would've bent. But with Liam's Magnet-Magnet Fruit, the magnetic force infused into the staff not only kept it from bending but also made it denser and harder under invisible pressure.

Its quality had probably been upgraded from the "Ryo Wazamono" level to the "Ō Wazamono" level after being strengthened by magnetic force! Holding it felt satisfying in his grip.

Bastille gasped for air, wiping blood from his chin and touching his mask. His head felt like it was on fire, and he wondered if the mask had been forced into his skull.

He glanced at the stone statue of Vice Admiral Momonga behind the stunned woman in the distance… If Momonga hadn't been caught off guard and taken down in an instant, the battle might not have turned so one-sided…

Hancock, observing this, muttered in frustration, "You're too soft, Giorno!"

She looked at the stone statue of Vice Admiral Momonga, which remained completely unharmed, not even a scratch. It was clear that Giorno had no intention of destroying it.

With that thought, she turned and kicked, intending to smash the annoying stone statue.

Whoosh— Liam descended from the sky. "Spare the statue!" He extended his "Ō Wazamono" iron staff to block Hancock's black boot and then grabbed her long leg, scolding, "What are you doing?"

Hancock flushed, twisting her leg in his grip, and snapped, "Let go of me!"

"Then keep your foot under control and don't kick randomly, alright?" Liam said, unamused.

Hancock wanted to protest shyly, wondering why she should listen to him. But sensing others approaching, she whispered, "Fine, I won't move…" Only then did Liam release her.

The Kuja warriors sheathed their weapons. As they passed, even those with severed limbs or swords embedded in their shoulders desperately made their way, leaving blood streaks on the ground… 

The pirates and Marines, shaken by the nightmare they had just witnessed, stared in terror at the backs of the Kuja women, especially at the man they were walking toward.

Sandersonia passed Hina, who seemed to have been granted a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability by Giorno and was unharmed amidst the downpour of blades.

Hina watched her warily, and Sandersonia smiled. "Still want to fight?"

With that, Sandersonia walked past Hina, stopping by Smoker's head to admire the "pair of hands and a living head" on the ground. She clicked her tongue in amusement before moving on.

Smoker's face darkened as more Kuja women passed by his head, each pausing to glance down at him and clicking their tongues…

When Robin returned to Liam, Hancock, and the others, Marigold voiced her confusion, "Why not just shatter the statue? He's a Marine, our enemy, right?"

Liam, however, patted the stone statue of Vice Admiral Momonga, frozen in the moment he locked eyes with Hancock, his expression showing a trace of awe at her beauty. Liam smiled. "Sometimes, the living are more useful than the dead. And sometimes, those who are neither fully alive nor dead are especially useful."

Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold, the three Boa sisters, tilted their heads in unison, puzzled looks appearing over each of them.

The other Kuja warriors were equally confused, but Robin, after a moment of thought, realized and reminded them, "Only Hancock can restore this stone statue…"

If Vice Admiral Momonga were simply killed, it would be over. The Marines would lose a Vice Admiral, and that would be a heavy blow, but it would end there.

However, if what they sent back was a stone statue that was neither alive nor dead, and only Hancock of the Kuja could restore it… then the Marines would be the ones in a bind.

Ignoring the stone statue of Vice Admiral Momonga?

That would not only go against the Marines' sense of justice, but the loss of such a seasoned Vice Admiral's combat power would be too significant to ignore!

"I get it," Sandersonia and the others, now understanding, chuckled at the thought of the Marines' dilemma. "If they want to revive this statue, they'd have to attack Amazon Lily Island and capture Hancock to force her to undo the petrification. But…"

The girls shook their heads, smiling. Not to mention the barrier of the Calm Belt, the Marines had no ability to attack Amazon Lily Island. Even if they could, trying to take Hancock from Amazon Lily would be no easy task.

Hancock alone was enough to give the Marines a headache. If they couldn't figure out how to counter the Medusa Fruit or understand how Vice Admiral Momonga was instantly petrified, then no matter how many Marines came, they'd only be sending more statues back to Marine Headquarters!

"So, if they want to undo his petrification, they'll have to beg Hancock for help," Marigold said with a grin.

"Who cares?" Hancock lifted her chin proudly, her expression full of defiance.

Liam gave her a reproachful look. "You need to start thinking like an Empress. You might not care about the Marines' flattery, but Amazon Lily Island might."

"If I'm the Empress, shouldn't the entire nation cater to me?" Hancock looked completely puzzled. If the nation didn't cater to the Snake Princess but instead expected her to cater to the nation, what was the point of being the Snake Princess?

It was a willful argument, very much in Hancock's style. However, the other Kuja warriors showed no displeasure and instead fully agreed, clearly intoxicated by Hancock's beauty… Liam and Robin exchanged a glance, both helpless in the face of these love-struck Kuja warriors…

"Giorno seems more like a leader! Too bad you're not a woman…"

The girls chatted and laughed as they followed Liam, preparing to leave. When they passed Smoker, Liam stopped and looked down at him with a smile. "Hey, still stuck?"

Smoker resisted the urge to look up— it would be too humiliating.

Hina was tending to the injured Marines from a distance, while Vice Admiral Bastille, holding his head, staggered over, watching the group with caution and seriousness.

"I'd advise you not to provoke them any further. I can control myself, but I can't control these girls," Liam kindly reminded the Marine Vice Admiral. "And I definitely can't control my Captain. If she goes berserk, even I'd be scared!" Bastille stayed silent, his eyes serious as he glanced at Kujo Jolyne standing beside Hancock. 

This female pirate was not only powerful and difficult to deal with, but also completely unpredictable…

Robin kept her composure, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Liam.

(End Of The Chapter)

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