One Piece: I am the Empress, and the more sycophants I have, the stronger I become.

After establishing her authority at the bar, Hancock did not linger.

Her Observation Haki allowed her to vaguely detect several unique auras hidden throughout the Sabaody Archipelago.

Those are the supernovas with bounties exceeding 100 million.

She decided to take the initiative to visit one of them.

Guided by intelligence and aura, she arrived at a relatively quiet mangrove area.

She found her target under a huge Yarkiman mangrove tree.

Basil Hawkins, the Magician.

Hawkins was sitting cross-legged on a flat tree root, with a black cloth spread in front of him, on which tarot cards and a scarecrow were scattered.

His expression was calm and serene, as if all the disturbances of the outside world were irrelevant to him.

Even as she sensed Hancock's undisguisedly powerful aura approaching.

He merely raised his eyelids slightly.

"What brings you here uninvited, Your Majesty?"

Hawkins' voice was flat, without any emotional fluctuation.

Hancock stopped and looked at the man known as "the Magician" with great interest.

She remembered that in the original story, Hawkins' ability was quite troublesome; the Straw-Straw Fruit allowed him to have multiple "lives".

It can also perform divination and predictions, and even Kizaru's Flash Kick couldn't take him down on the spot.

You might be able to win against this kind of opponent by launching a direct attack, but it would be very troublesome.

Moreover, it doesn't align with her goal of "developing sycophants."

A high-quality, rational potential simp...

Hancock assessed the situation in her mind and decided that she needed to outsmart the opponent.

She didn't immediately exude charm, but instead looked at Hawkins with a scrutinizing gaze, her red lips slightly parted.

"Basil Hawkins, bounty 249 million Berries. I am very interested in you... and your divination abilities."

Hawkins expressionlessly drew a tarot card and glanced at it.

"The Empress card upright. It represents the arrival of a powerful woman who embodies charm, abundance, and control. Your Majesty, your arrival was already part of the game."

"Oh?"

Hancock took a few steps forward, closing the distance.

An invisible queenly aura and the attraction field of [Group Charm (Intermediate)] quietly spread out.

"Did your cards tell you why I came here?"

The air around Hawkins seemed to ripple slightly, but he remained as steady as a mountain.

The speed at which the cards were drawn increased slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He drew a few more cards, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"The Chariot reversed, the Devil upright, combined with the Empress... foreshadows conflict, temptation, and potential constraints. Your Majesty, your motives seem to be more than just pure."

Hawkins calmly analyzed the cards.

"According to the divination, if I were to confront you head-on, my chances of winning are... less than 10%."

He frankly stated the unfavorable divination result for himself, demonstrating a strong sense of rationality.

However, Hancock keenly noticed that after she deliberately exuded charm and closed the distance.

A very subtle ripple seemed to flicker in the depths of Hawkins's usually calm and collected eyes.

His breathing rate also underwent a barely perceptible change.

Hawkins infatuation level +5

"It works!"

Hancock was secretly delighted.

No matter how rational Hawkins may be, he is still a man at heart.

It's impossible to remain completely unmoved by her charm, which has been enhanced by the system and is practically a human weapon.

However, his rationality and divination abilities acted like a thick layer of armor, suppressing this instinctive reaction to a minimum.

"Less than 10%?"

Hancock chuckled softly, her laughter as melodious as a wind chime, yet carrying a hint of danger.

She did not continue to approach, but gracefully turned to the side and leaned against the trunk of a nearby mangrove tree.

This pose perfectly showcases her curves, yet maintains a distance that is neither aggressive nor overtly seductive.

"Hawkins, do you believe in fixed fate?"

She suddenly changed the subject, her eyes becoming somewhat profound.

"Just like your tarot cards, does the result you draw necessarily represent the final outcome?"

Hawkins paused for a moment before replying.

"The cards represent the highest probability of a scenario. Fate is like a river; though it has branches, the main course is generally determined."

"Yeah?"

Hancock's lips curled into a captivating smile, and a faint pink light flashed in her eyes as she quietly activated [Enchanting Eyes (Advanced)].

But this time it's not direct seduction, but rather the idea of ​​possibility and variables.

Like a seed, it attempts to be planted behind the barriers of Hawkins' rationality.

"What if... I am the biggest variable?"

Her voice had a strange magnetism, as if it could directly pluck at the heartstrings.

"Your cards suggest a low win rate, perhaps not because of the matchup, but because... another option might offer a higher survival rate, or even... unexpected gains?"

Her words were full of implications, coupled with her ever-present, fatal charm.

Like the sweetest poison, it began to erode Hawkins' psychological defenses.

The divination told him of danger, but the very existence of the woman before him was an unconventional and alluring variable.

Hawkins' fingers paused on the deck of cards.

He drew a card again, and this time, the card became blurred, displaying rare contradictory symbols.

"The Wheel of Fortune begins to turn... The Lovers card looms in the distance..."

Hawkins muttered to himself, a hint of seriousness and confusion finally appearing on his usually composed face.

For the first time, his divination was subject to such great uncertainty due to the direct influence of one person.

This means that the existence of the empress before us is itself a massive variable capable of disrupting the trajectory of fate.

He looked at Hancock's stunningly beautiful face, those alluring eyes that seemed to see through everything, and reason told him he should stay away from this dangerous woman.

But a deeper, more instinctive attraction to charm and uncertainty also sparked an unprecedented desire for exploration in him.

Hawkins infatuation level +5

"Ding! Detected that 'The Magician' Basil Hawkins has developed a high level of interest and deep fear of the host. A fierce conflict has arisen between rational judgment and instinctive attraction, causing his special attention to the host and his sense of destiny to increase dramatically! Meets the initial criteria for an [Elite Simp]! Simp energy absorption in progress..."

Upon hearing the system notification, Hancock knew that the time was almost right.

Too much of a good thing can be bad. For a rational type like Hawkins, it's necessary to erode his abilities slowly and not rush things.

She straightened up, toned down some of her outward charm, and resumed her haughty demeanor as an empress.

"It seems your cards can't give you a definite answer either. Interesting. I'll be staying in Sabaody for a few more days, and I look forward to your divination providing a clearer direction when we meet again."

After saying that, she didn't linger, turned around and left, her red figure disappearing into the dappled light and shadow of the mangrove forest.

Hawkins was left alone, staring into deep thought at the now chaotic and contradictory tarot deck.

The image of Hancock was deeply etched in his heart.

A beautiful, powerful, and extraordinary being who can disrupt his divination of fate...

During this "visit," Hancock did not directly subdue Hawkins.

But he has successfully made himself the most unpredictable variable in his equation of fate.

It planted a seed for the future.

And this is exactly the result she wanted.