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

Life is often full of such coincidences.

The female warriors under Hancock's command, responsible for procuring fresh ingredients, traveled almost the entire port town in search of the best quality meat.

They eventually settled on a small restaurant hidden in a secluded alley, where the owner supposedly had exclusive access to high-quality seafood steaks.

At almost the same time, Ace, who had devoured three or four cheap restaurants with his amazing appetite but still felt unsatisfied, was also guided by a local gourmet.

With my stomach rumbling, I headed towards this secluded little shop, famous for its "generous portions and high-quality meat."

So, when Ace lifted the slightly worn curtain of the restaurant, he called out with a sunny smile.

"Boss! Bring out all the meat in your shop!"

They bumped right into several Kuja female warriors who were negotiating with the owner, trying to buy all the high-quality meat.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat tense.

The female warriors read many nautical logs before setting sail.

Upon recognizing the man, his eyes immediately filled with vigilance, and his hand unconsciously reached for his weapon.

Their mission is to ensure that Lady Snake enjoys the best resources and to not allow anyone to interfere.

Ace was also taken aback for a moment, after realizing that the other party was the Empress's subordinate.

He scratched his head, still wearing a hearty smile.

"Oh, it's you guys? What a coincidence. But... could I have some of this meat? I'm starving."

"I'm sorry, we've already pre-ordered all of this meat; it's for Lady Snake Princess."

The leading female warrior spoke coldly and refused to back down.

"Huh? All of them?"

Ace looked at the mountain of fresh meat, swallowed hard, and his stomach growled even louder.

"Can't you be a little more accommodating? I'll pay double!"

"no."

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, Ace's carefree personality was about to be replaced by hunger and a little impatience.

A cool and languid voice rang out from the restaurant entrance:

"Oh? It seems someone's eyeing my dinner?"

Hancock walked in slowly, protected by Arya.

She was just strolling around nearby when she sensed a conflict between her subordinates.

I just happened to be passing by and came to take a look, but I didn't expect to run into this Fire Fist kid again.

Ace turned around at the sound and saw Hancock's breathtaking face once again.

In the dim light of the restaurant, her beauty seemed to radiate a soft glow, causing him to pause involuntarily for a moment.

But he quickly came to his senses and gave an apologetic smile.

"So it's Your Majesty the Empress. I'm so sorry, I didn't know this was a reservation. It's just... I'm really starving."

According to Ace's past habits, when faced with this kind of "competition for resources" situation...

Especially when the other party seems intimidating, he might throw a "fire punch" first to show his attitude.

But for some reason, when faced with this unbelievably beautiful empress, he subconsciously suppressed his impulse.

She simply patted her rumbling stomach, her eyes clear and slightly innocent.

[Ding! Target Portgas D. Ace was momentarily captivated by the host's unparalleled beauty and subconsciously felt a sense of pity, abandoning any thought of force to seize her. This meets the criteria for special emotional fluctuations. Infatuation Value +2! Current Infatuation Value: 5/100.]

[Ding! Quest triggered: Fire Fist's Heart]

[Mission Requirement: Before leaving the Alabasta waters, raise the target 'Portgas D. Ace's' infatuation level to the beginner-level "simp".]

[Mission Reward: A three-month intensive training experience pack, which can be absorbed instantly and freely allocated to one or more abilities.]

[Mission Penalty: Abandoning the mission will permanently reduce the host's base Charisma attribute by a small amount. There is no additional penalty for failure.]

The system's prompt made Hancock's eyes light up.

The reward is a real and rapid increase in strength, while the punishment... reduces charm points?

This is like tearing out her heart!

Although there is no punishment for failure, she cannot accept the cost of giving up.

It seems I have no choice but to confront this Fire Fist brat.

Hancock made a decision in an instant.

Ace's personality is such that forceful methods definitely won't work.

His statement that he wouldn't lay a hand on a beautiful woman, though naive, represented a principle.

Her mind raced, and the icy expression on her face melted away like spring snow, instantly revealing a faint smile that could eclipse the sun and moon.

At the same time, a very subtle pink light quietly flickered in her deep, beautiful eyes.

[Enchanting Eyes], activated!

This is not the petrification effect of a Devil Fruit power, but rather focuses more on spiritual guidance and attraction.

Amplify the goodwill and amazement the other person already has in their mind.

"It's alright."

Hancock's voice softened considerably, carrying a subtle magnetism, and her gaze lingered on Ace's face.

"Since Lord Fire Fist is so hungry, I am not an unfeeling person. I will give you half of this meat."

Under the influence of [Enchanting Eyes].

Ace felt that the Empress in front of him was even more radiant and beautiful. Her smile seemed to shine directly into his heart, giving him a warm and dizzy feeling.

He instinctively wanted to nod in agreement, and even thought that this empress was really nice, beautiful and generous...

However, just as his eyes were about to become even more unfocused...

The unwavering will of the strong within him, along with a peculiar resistance derived from the "D" bloodline, suddenly jolted him awake!

He shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off that strange feeling.

With a look of confusion and pure dissatisfaction at being disturbed, she looked at Hancock and asked in a direct yet naive tone.

"Hey! Your Majesty! What were you doing just now?"

He touched his chest, seemingly still able to feel the strange heartbeat he had felt just moments before, and frowned, speaking very frankly.

"You are indeed incredibly good-looking, but you can't do this! Suddenly using strange abilities... this feels really uncomfortable!"

Hancock: "!!!"

The smile on her face froze instantly, and a look of disbelief flashed in her beautiful eyes.

[Enchanting Eyes] Although it was only a brief exploration.

But with her charm, how could she be so easily and bluntly exposed and revealed?!

This Fire Fist Ace is indeed extraordinary!

Not only are they incredibly strong, but their pure and unwavering will far surpasses that of ordinary people.

It seems that conventional charm techniques are not very effective in gaining his favorability, and may even backfire.

[Ding! Target Portgas D. Ace has become alert and slightly displeased with the host's use of charm abilities. Infatuation value -1! Current Infatuation value: 4/100.]

Seeing her infatuation level decrease instead of increase, Hancock's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

Very well, man, you have successfully caught my attention... and a little bit of my frustration.

She quickly withdrew her alluring abilities.

His expression returned to its usual haughty and indifferent state, as if nothing had happened, and he merely let out a cold snort.

"Ungrateful wretch. Arya, give him half of the meat and tell him to finish it and leave."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Ace and turned to leave the restaurant gracefully.

But no matter how you look at his back, it carries a hint of frustration at a thwarted plan.

Ace watched the Empress leave, scratched his head, still not quite understanding what that strange feeling was all about.

However, seeing the fragrant meat being divided up, he immediately forgot about this little incident.

With a cheer, they pounced on the food, beginning a new round of frenzied feasting.

However, even as he was enjoying his meal, the Empress's stunningly beautiful face would occasionally flash through his mind.

And those eyes that seemed to speak volumes, he muttered to himself.

It looks really good, but... there's something a little strange about it.

This fiery fist was even tougher to crack than she had anticipated!