Anime Girls are Moist

Chapter 1135 - 1,134: Princess of Wano, Kozuki Hiyori

The main hall of Amazon Lily's royal palace stood above the jade-blue sea of the Calm Belt.

Coiling around the gilded pillars were lifelike serpent carvings. Noon sunlight streamed through the ornate archways, casting mottled patterns over a crimson Persian carpet. Salty sea air—threaded with a faint hint of ambergris—rolled through the cavernous chamber, and far away came the muted sound of waves striking reef stone.

Boa Hancock sat on her throne.

The white fox fur draped over it made her skin look even more luminous. A vivid red court gown traced the lines of her figure, and her fingers idly toyed with a hair ornament set with a pigeon-blood ruby.

Rei Ao walked in first—yet beside him was a woman Hancock didn't recognize.

Hancock's brows tightened almost imperceptibly, a flash of wariness passing through her eyes. But the moment her gaze landed on Rei Ao, she smoothed it back into a gentle smile.

The woman wore a plain kimono that had been washed pale with age. One sleeve was torn, smudged with faint traces of soot. Her long hair was loosely pinned back, a few strands fallen along her cheeks, and fear still lingered on her face—panic that hadn't fully faded.

She gripped her sleeve so tightly her knuckles went white, scanning the hall with guarded eyes, like a young deer that had wandered into a predator's territory.

"Rei Ao-sama… who is she?"

Hancock angled her body slightly, naturally leaning into him. She rested a hand lightly on his arm, voice softened to a sweetness that was reserved for him alone.

Yet from the corner of her eye, she never stopped watching the stranger—quietly sizing her up.

She and Rei Ao had returned from Wano together, and she hadn't even noticed when an extra person had joined them.

Rei Ao slid an arm around Hancock's waist, his palm settling on her slim midsection. He ruffled her hair with a casual, possessive ease.

"Picked her up on the way back—when we wiped out the Beast Pirates."

His tone was offhand, as if it were nothing worth mentioning.

"Princess of Wano. Kozuki Hiyori."

Kozuki Hiyori's whole body jolted.

She snapped her head up, staring at the unfamiliar man. The fear already in her eyes flooded instantly with disbelief. Her lips trembled; even her voice shook.

"The Beast Pirates… you mean Kaido…?"

This man had just said—lightly, in passing—that he ended the nightmare called Kaido?

"Otherwise, why do you think you'd be standing here safely?"

Rei Ao raised a brow and turned to her. He reached out, gently pinching her chin and lifting her face with a firm, unmistakable authority.

Hiyori's eyes reddened at once.

She tried to lean back—instinct, terror, the pressure of a strange place and stranger people. But his hand looked casual while holding an iron strength; she couldn't move even an inch.

And the weight in his presence—cold, crushing, absolute—made her shake all over.

"W-what do you want from me?"

She bit her lower lip, forcing back tears, trying to hold onto the pride of the Kozuki name.

"Where is this? I want to go back to Wano!"

Rei Ao didn't engage with the panic. He released her chin and straightened his cuffs as if he were done with the topic, then looked to Hancock.

"Take care of her. Keep her safe, and teach her the rules here so she can settle down."

The words were calm—yet carried the kind of certainty that didn't invite argument.

Hancock paused.

The faint sting of jealousy in her eyes evaporated in an instant.

So this wasn't a rival—just someone he'd brought back, a guest under his protection.

She lowered her head and dipped in a respectful curtsey, voice obedient and composed.

"Yes, Rei Ao-sama. I'll handle it."

Then she looked back up at him, her gaze full of reliance, her voice softer—careful, testing the waters.

"Then… shall I arrange a room for her right away?"

"No rush."

Rei Ao adjusted the slightly rumpled hem of his clothes.

"I'm going out again. I'll bring back a few more people who need shelter."

As the last word fell, the space around him warped subtly. The air rippled like water disturbed by a pebble.

Hancock barely had time to speak—his figure vanished from the spot, leaving only the faint trace of his presence behind.

The atmosphere in the hall cooled at once.

The gentle smile on Hancock's face faded, piece by piece, until nothing remained.

She turned and sat back upon the fur-draped throne, becoming once more the empress who looked down on all beneath her—aloof, untouchable, sovereign.

She flicked a glance at Hiyori, who still stood frozen in place.

That look was cold and indifferent, the gaze of someone judging an object's place in the world.

Hiyori stiffened, taking a half-step back as a cold sweat rose along her spine.

"Guards."

Hancock lifted a hand and tapped the armrest lightly. Her voice held no warmth.

The doors opened immediately.

Two Kuja warriors in scaled armor strode in, dropped to one knee, and bowed in perfect unison.

"Take her to bathe. Give her clean clothes. Place her in the west side hall."

Hancock's tone was level, but the authority in it was absolute.

"Keep watch. Don't let her wander unsupervised. If anything goes wrong, you'll answer for it."

"Yes, Empress."

The warriors rose, moved to Hiyori, and took her gently but firmly by the arms.

"Let go—!"

Hiyori panicked, struggling instinctively, trying to pull away—

But against veterans of Amazon Lily, her resistance meant little. The warriors didn't react, simply escorting her out.

Her cries faded down the corridor, the shaky edge of tears thinning into silence, until she disappeared beyond the long colonnade.

The hall doors opened again.

Nami, Nojiko, and Nico Robin entered side by side.

Nami walked in front, holding a freshly drawn sea chart, curiosity plain on her face as she spoke first.

"Hancock, we saw someone being taken down the corridor—a girl in a kimono, crying her eyes out. Who was that?"

Hancock lounged back against the throne, one leg casually propped on the armrest—lazy, proud, and unmistakably imperial.

She lifted her eyes and swept them with a dismissive glance, her lips curving into a faint, sardonic smile.

Her voice was light—yet sharp as a needle.

"Who else? Another person Rei Ao-sama decided to protect."

The words dropped into the hall like a stone.

Silence followed—dead, heavy silence—broken only by the sea wind whispering through the archways.

The smile on Nami's face froze.

She scratched her cheek awkwardly, eyes drifting away. Her mouth opened, then closed again—nothing came out.

Nojiko lowered her head slightly, fingers tightening on the edge of her clothes, the tips of her ears tinting red with embarrassment. She avoided Hancock's gaze, unable to hide how uncomfortable she felt.

Robin paused too.

Her mouth twitched—almost a smile, almost not.

In the end, she said nothing.

Only a flicker of complicated emotion passed quickly through her eyes.