The sea surrounding Amazon Lily was unnaturally still.
A wall of mist curled like living silk, blanketing the jungle-shrouded island in silence. No birds. No insects. No welcome.
The Abyss Walker cut through the Calm Belt, untouched by Sea Kings—either out of fear, or Darius's growing presence.
He stood at the bow, coat rippling, eyes locked on the hidden landmass ahead. His voice was calm, low.
"We're being watched."
Selene adjusted her scope, her Lunarian eyes narrowing. "At least twenty archers in the trees, all women. Observation Haki confirms it."
"They won't strike," Darius said. "They're waiting for her."
---
On the highest peak of Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock stood barefoot on polished stone, her robes flowing around her like a storm held in check. The latest newspaper was in her hands.
DARIUS D. XEBEC: THE ABYSS STIRS
Bounty: 1,340,000,000 Berries
Her hands curled around the paper as she read the words again.
"He didn't conquer a Marine base," she muttered. "He dissected it."
Sandersonia and Marigold stood nearby, tense.
"Sister… are you sure it's wise to let him land?" Sandersonia asked.
"I'm not letting him land," Hancock replied. "I'm inviting him."
---
Darius stepped off the rowboat as it touched the white sand. His boots crunched across the untouched shore, and behind him, Selene stayed near the boat, her spear planted firmly in the ground.
A Kuja warrior stepped forward. "The Empress will see you."
He followed in silence, guided through winding jungle paths and into the marble-walled city carved into the cliffs of the island. Hundreds of eyes followed him—archers in trees, warriors on balconies, girls clinging to their mother's arms. Fear, awe, curiosity.
And at the center of it all, she stood.
Boa Hancock.
---
The Grand Hall was quiet. No guards. No interruptions. Only him and her.
Hancock sat lazily on her throne, one leg draped over the other. Her crimson gaze swept over Darius with a mixture of disdain and calculation.
"So," she said smoothly. "The son of Rocks walks free. I expected someone… louder."
Darius gave a slight nod, expression unreadable. "Loud men rarely change the world. They just burn out."
Hancock smirked. "And what are you here for? To charm me? Threaten me? Or recruit me?"
"None of those," Darius replied. "I came for truth."
---
She blinked. "Truth?"
Darius stepped forward slowly, never breaking eye contact.
"You have knowledge passed down from the Void Century. Inherited from women who served during the fall of the Old Kingdom. Stories hidden in Kuja bloodlines, or carved into stone where even the World Government won't look."
Hancock's smile faltered. Her fingers flexed at the edge of her throne.
"You speak of things men were killed for."
"Then let them try," he said.
---
A long silence hung between them. The tension was thick—but not hostile. Not yet.
"Tell me," Hancock said at last. "Why should I help the son of the man who nearly destroyed the world?"
Darius's expression darkened. "Because the world should have been destroyed."
He took another step closer. "What Rocks D. Xebec failed to do, I will finish. Not for glory. Not to sit on a throne. But to end the system that crushes everything it touches."
Her heart skipped a beat at the conviction in his voice.
---
"You sound like a tyrant," she said.
He nodded. "Maybe. But I'd rather be a tyrant to tyrants than a slave to kings."
For the first time in a long while, Boa Hancock didn't know what to say.
---
Outside the throne room, Selene waited silently, hands on her weapon. A group of Kuja guards watched her closely, whispering behind their spears. She ignored them. Her eyes remained locked on the door, waiting for a scream, a crash, a fight.
Instead, the door opened.
Darius stepped out—calm, untouched.
Behind him, Hancock stood, her expression unreadable.
"He's… to be treated as a guest," she said flatly. "No harm is to come to him or his crew."
The Kuja gasped, but obeyed.
---
Later that night, in a private chamber overlooking the moonlit sea, Hancock poured two cups of hot tea and set one down across from her.
Darius accepted it wordlessly.
"I haven't offered a man hospitality in over a decade," she said. "Consider it... curiosity."
He took a sip. "Curiosity often leads to understanding. Or regret."
Hancock leaned forward, studying him.
"I hated men. I still do. But you… you're not like the ones I've met."
"I'm not," Darius replied. "Because I've never begged for permission to change the world."
---
She stared at him a long moment. "And if I refuse to help you?"
"I leave," he said. "I don't conquer allies. I destroy enemies."
She smirked. "How charming."
But her tone lacked mockery now. It held something else—respect, however begrudging.
---
That night, as Darius walked back through the empty corridors of Amazon Lily, Selene joined his side.
"Did she give you what you wanted?" she asked.
"Not yet," he said. "But she's thinking. That's the first step."
Selene gave him a sideways glance. "She looked at you like a puzzle she can't solve."
Darius chuckled lowly. "Then let her try. I'm not hiding anymore."
Above them, the stars shimmered—and the abyss stirred.