One Piece : Strongest Vice-Captain Mr. 3!

"With our joining, the battle on Karai Bari Island will surely end very soon."

Hancock crossed her arms, her posture proud and confident, and asked, "Although this may not be the best time, I must ask, Mr. 3, which of the remaining Shichibukai are you planning to recruit next?"

After realizing Mr. 3's ambitions, Hancock, who had already been curious about this matter, became even more interested.

Among the remaining old and new Shichibukai...

Hawkeye Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman, is a loner whose strength rivals that of the Four Emperors. The possibility of successfully recruiting him is as slim as conquering the Navy Headquarters.

Edward Weevil, claiming to be Whitebeard's biological son, though somewhat mentally unstable and easily deceived, is a violent and unpredictable monster. His ally, Miss Buckin, is a ruthless opportunist. The risk of recruiting him is incredibly high — in fact, it's more like a ticking time bomb.

As for Crocodile, once Mr. 3's direct superior, with his pride and lofty ambitions, it would be a pipe dream to get him to serve under Mr. 3. Even Buggy the Clown wouldn't be able to manage that.

Among the rest, Moonlight Moriah is too weak and lacks any real forces, while the transformed Tyrant Kuma and imprisoned Doflamingo at Impel Down aren't practical options either.

So, it seems the easiest to recruit would be the relatively recent addition to the Shichibukai, the supernova, Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death.

In terms of pirate crew strength and Devil Fruit abilities, Trafalgar Law barely qualifies.

"The next Shichibukai to recruit..." 

Mr. 3's expression remained calm as he glanced at the curious yet deliberately aloof Hancock. He gave a mysterious smile and countered, "If it were you, which one would you choose?"

Although Hancock currently belongs to the Buggy Pirate Crew, placing her at a slightly lower status, Mr. 3 wouldn't dare treat her like a subordinate. 

As a small power in the New World, Hancock's suggestions are still highly valuable.

Hancock's elegant brow furrowed slightly. As the Pirate Empress, she disliked this feeling of being led, especially when it was coming from a man.

Despite her displeasure, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "The supernova Trafalgar Law?"

"Law?" Mr. 3 was momentarily stunned, clearly surprised.

In his mind, someone like Hancock, an arrogant and powerful figure, would usually consider collaborating with the seasoned and powerful old-school Shichibukai first.

Trafalgar Law... now that's an unexpected choice.

Or rather, even Mr. 3 himself hadn't considered Trafalgar Law at all.

With his "God's-eye view," he was fully aware that Law was currently engaged in a bloody battle with Kaido in Wano, and there was no time for him to sit down and listen to his nonsense—ah, no, his reasonable recruitment offer.

Even if Law had the time and interest, Mr. 3 wouldn't have considered him as a second recruitment target.

Going to Wano, where the battle between the Four Emperors and the Supernovas was taking place, wasn't that basically throwing his own life away?!

Hancock quickly saw the clear "impossible" written all over Mr. 3's face.

This made her already bad mood flare up even more.

*Crash!*

The sturdy merchant ship's deck was suddenly punched through by her, leaving a hole. Hancock took a step forward, her voice cold as she asked, "So, who is it?"

"I-I'll tell you, don't be so impulsive!" 

Mr. 3, who had initially planned to build some suspense, was startled by her reaction and quickly discarded any thoughts of dragging things out.

After all, Hancock was someone who could kick a cute little cat or dog flying without hesitation—her patience was clearly quite limited...

After a few seconds of hesitation, Mr. 3 slowly spoke and revealed the name of the Shichibukai he intended to recruit.

The sea breeze blew toward them, just in time to mask Mr. 3's words, leaving only Hancock, who was standing directly across from him, able to hear.

The familiar name entered Hancock's ears, and even she couldn't help but show a look of disbelief, her eyes filled with astonishment as she looked at Mr. 3.

"This... are you serious?"

Mr. 3 nodded lightly, confirming, "Whether it's his strength and experience, or his influence and charisma, he is one of the most crucial people the Buggy Pirates need right now!"

"I'm not concerned about the person himself, but how many lives you're willing to throw away," Hancock said seriously, voicing her concerns.

Mr. 3 patted his chest confidently and said, "Only one."

"Then I hope you don't die too miserably."

"Before coming to Amazon Lily, that's what I hoped for as well."

"Seems like you're confident you can recruit this person?"

"If it were just me, the hope would be slim. But with someone as powerful as you joining in, all the difficulties will be easily solved."

"Heh, I won't deny that, just as I won't deny that you're a disgusting, sycophantic fool," Hancock responded, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Hearing such unique words, Mr. 3 shrugged helplessly and said, "Well, I guess I should thank you for agreeing with me."

"It's your honor," Hancock replied, tilting her head arrogantly.

Seeing the situation, Mr.3, well aware of the other party's temperament, wisely decided not to say anything more and subtly changed the topic.

"By the way, Hancock, how long does it typically take to fully master the Conqueror's Haki once it's awakened?"

He suddenly remembered the side mission that appeared after successfully recruiting Hancock.

[Side Mission (Hancock's Submission): Fully surpass Hancock in Conqueror's Haki.]

[Mission Reward: A copy of the Eight Gates technique.]

Clearly, this mission couldn't be completed anytime soon, but if it were to be achieved, his combat power would be drastically enhanced.

After all, the Eight Gates was said to be the pinnacle of physical combat!

"It varies from person to person, and the time it takes depends on one's comprehension. Of course, if someone guides you, the time needed can be significantly shortened."

Hancock looked at Mr.3, her voice laced with an air of superiority. "For me, it only took a month to master the Conqueror's Haki from its awakening to being able to control it freely. And I did it all by myself, through self-exploration and practice!"

"I can understand your eagerness to master the Conqueror's Haki quickly," she continued, her tone implying some mockery. "As an ally, if you kneel and beg, I could consider offering you guidance and special training. But with your aptitude, it's impossible without at least two or three months of effort."

She thought she had seen through Mr.3's intentions.

This wasn't surprising. Conqueror's Haki was the highest, rarest, and most powerful ability in the world. Anyone who awakened it would be desperate to master it!

*Cough, cough.*

Mr.3, feeling somewhat awkward to be on the receiving end of Hancock's seemingly generous offer, scratched his head.

"Uh, well, I really appreciate your offer, but to be honest, I think I might already be able to control the Conqueror's Haki at will..."

"What did you say?!"

In the blink of an eye, Hancock's face went from a somewhat reluctant expression to one of shock. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.

If she weren't the composed type, her eyes might have popped out in sheer surprise!

Mr.3 wasn't surprised by Hancock's reaction. Noticing the doubt in her eyes—one that screamed 'impossible'—he closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the insights he had gained after undergoing seven days of devilish training under Rayleigh.

*Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.*

A powerful aura gathered around Mr. 3, like the thunderstorm clouds before a violent storm, carrying a suffocating sense of pressure.

When the Conqueror's Haki inside him reached its peak, Mr. 3 suddenly opened his eyes.

Boom!

The entire aura exploded in an instant, turning into a massive mental shockwave that swept through the surroundings!

"Hancock, release your Conqueror's Haki! Let me see the difference between us!" 

In the center of the aura, Mr. 3's hair flew and his clothes billowed, standing tall like a king of the world, challenging Hancock.

Seeing that Mr. 3 had actually mastered the release of Conqueror's Haki in less than a day, Hancock bit her crimson lips, deeply shaken.

A few seconds later, realizing she had been provoked, she took a heavy step forward. A cold gleam flashed in her eyes, and with a wide stance, she unleashed all of her Conqueror's Haki without holding back!

Zzzz!

The moment the two powerful auras clashed, a dark red lightning storm exploded violently. As they intertwined and collided, it seemed as if the very space around them was about to be torn apart!

This... was the true clash of Conqueror's Haki!

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