One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

"……grandmother."

Hancock stammered out the shout towards the flame flower in front of her.

Her two younger sisters, Sandasonia and Marigold, were taken aback at first, but quickly recovered and called out the titles.

Flame Flower's face relaxed, her lips curved into a gentle smile, and a warm feeling welled up inside her. She smiled broadly.

The regret she could never let go of in her life was that when she was young and impulsive, she abandoned the entire Amazon lily and went to the sea alone, leaving behind her homeland and her people.

This guilt has been weighing on her heart since the day she left, and it has not dissipated in the slightest for decades.

Years later, she returned to her country after many twists and turns. Even though the current empress publicly pardoned her for fleeing the country and spared her all punishment, she never truly let go of the self-blame and torment in her heart.

Sometimes, even when she was secretly regarded as a traitor who had abandoned the country by her clansmen and was shunned and alienated by others, she actually felt better.

At least this criticism can offset some of the sins of his willful and reckless behavior back then.

Even at this moment, though she was simply following the plan and pretending to be a family, she couldn't help but feel excited.

Finally, I have the opportunity to make up for the regrets of that year.

Flameflower was immersed in this rare warmth when Rayleigh's casual and nonchalant voice inadvertently reached her ears.

"Oh, old lady."

Hearing that familiar yet irritating tone, Flameflower instantly withdrew the warmth from her eyes, turned her head and looked at Rayleigh, who was leaning against the ship's railing, giving him a fierce glare.

This old woman, having lived most of her life, still acts like a carefree scoundrel, without a shred of propriety, and she even dares to casually call her an old woman.

In an instant, old memories surged up in her mind again. Flame Flower quietly looked away and sighed softly in her heart.

I wonder if Xia Qi is living a peaceful or difficult life now.

When she was the captain of the Kuja Pirates, Shakky was always by her side, and she was the first mate she trusted most.

The two shared a deep bond, so how could there be no ties between them?

It's all because she was too impulsive and willful back then, stubbornly abandoning everything and leaving the entire burden of the country to Xia Qi, while she went far away alone.

Xiaqi was left to bear all the hardships alone, and she remembered this debt for the rest of her life.

"Xia Qi is doing well now, living a peaceful and comfortable life, and everything is fine."

Rayleigh saw through the desolation and guilt in Flameflower's eyes at a glance. He spoke calmly and accurately, capturing the deepest concerns in her heart in just a few words.

Upon hearing this, Flameflower remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slightly without saying another word.

In the open space on the deck, Kitahara Tsuneo stood quietly to the side, watching the heartwarming scene of "grandfather and grandson" recognizing each other and old friends reuniting. He nodded slowly, his eyes full of relief.

He couldn't help but secretly calculate how much his recognition would increase if Hancock successfully became the new Amazonian empress two years later.

After a moment, Kitahara Tsuneo slowly withdrew his gaze, turned to look at Rayleigh beside him, and his thoughts instantly turned back to reality.

but……

In the original story, with the full support of Rayleigh, Shakky, and Fireflower, Hancock smoothly returned to Amazon Lily. She only claimed to the outside world that she had single-handedly killed the serpent Medusa and was also burdened with her own curse.

From beginning to end, not a single piece of information about Raleigh was revealed to the public.

Kitahara Tsune pondered to himself, wondering if his assistance this time would be deliberately concealed from him in the future.

Regardless of the eventual outcome, his assistance and support throughout this journey must have left a deep impression on the entire Kuja Pirates and, in the future, on Hancock herself.

This current level of "understanding" alone is already worth the price of admission.

He harbored a deep curiosity about the current empress, who had suffered from unrequited love for many years and ultimately passed away with regret.

Back when we were surfing the internet and chatting casually, many One Piece fans speculated that the deceased Empress was Luffy's biological mother, but there was never any concrete evidence.

The grandfather and grandson, having been separated for a long time, reunited without any unnecessary formalities or pleasantries.

After a short rest, the group set off in unison, climbing onto the broad head of the giant snake beside them. Carried by the snake, they swam smoothly back to their boat, which was moored in the windless zone in the distance.

Rayleigh also lied, claiming to be Hancock's father, and went with the snake.

As for how he gets back to Chambord, he can just swim back.

Who can blame Rayleigh for being the King of the Underworld? He's just that strong.

The naval fleet under Kokichihara Tsune's command also readjusted its course and slowly returned to normal, embarking on the established route to the naval headquarters, Marineford.

"Commodore Kitahara, previous military orders clearly stated that you must return to Naval Headquarters within three days..."

"How are we going to explain this to the boss now that the trip has been delayed?"

Hina asked the question in a serious tone.

She usually looks down on the practices of the World Government.

However, being in the Navy, Hina still has to abide by the rules on the surface.

Otherwise, the consequence would be like Smoker, who is still only a major.

Upon hearing this, Kitahara Tsune sighed softly in resignation.

He reached up and unbuttoned the collar of his suit jacket, pulling out a certificate from inside—a CP9 agent's exclusive document symbolizing his clandestine identity.

"CP9 agents are currently carrying out a top-secret mission for the World Government. This change in itinerary is not due to unauthorized disobedience."

His voice was low, his tone calm and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, as he lightly instructed the two people beside him:

"This is a secret order directly under the World Government. Not a word of it may be revealed to outsiders. After returning to headquarters, remember to keep quiet and not make a sound."

Seeing Hina and Smoker freeze instantly, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Kitahara Tsune was aware of his own predicament.

On the surface, he was a promising naval commodore. Since officially taking office, he had always been disciplined and meticulous in following all instructions from the Navy Headquarters.

To outsiders, it is undoubtedly a clean-rooted, promising, and highly valued new navy with a bright future.

He knew perfectly well that Sengoku was a meticulous strategist who would never fully trust someone like him, a special personnel transferred from the CP9 intelligence department to the navy.

Currently, the brigadier general rank is secure, but it is extremely difficult to advance further and reach the lieutenant general level. There is even a high probability that there will never be an opportunity for promotion.

On the other hand, within CP9, the positions had long since reached a bottleneck, with no hope of further promotion.

The current Supreme Commander of CP9 is Spandam, a man who practices nepotism and is extremely power-hungry.

The next commander position had already been decided in advance for his son Spandam; the high-level structure was set in stone and there was no room for change.

To break the deadlock and get promoted smoothly within the naval system, relying on conventional military merits and following the established procedures is simply not feasible.

They had no choice but to seek alternative shortcuts and take risks to find a way out.

For example, becoming Zefa's disciple.

Therefore, revealing my special identity to them now makes little difference to me.

It might even improve their understanding of Kitahara Tsune.