Promise

The boy's hand blocked the slap. She was way taller and he had to levitate in order to reach her wrist which he held tightly.

*RUMBLE!!!*

His conqueror Haki was released and without feeling the slightest shock, he sensed hers as well. Two wills shocked erratically and made the rest of them feel weak on their knees.

"Conqueror Haki? You're quite something, boy" She smirked, trying to overpower by coating her arm in thick Armament Haki that much to Veyron's shock, didn't lose against his mother in quality. She was still leagues below the strongest swordswoman, but this woman was not a pushover by any means.

The last thing the empress was expecting was that this feeble-looking boy actually possessed a Haki that made her sense him as a threat. Then again, he had come all the way to this island flying, his methods were already peculiar.

For his part, Veyron held nothing but disregard for the woman in front, all of her peak beauty and delicious traits seemed to vanish and be replaced by the darkness of a shallow and unfeeling heart in his eyes. She was no longer attractive.

"And you're a horrible human being. Your daughters experienced years of slavery and now that they're finally free, this is how you receive them?".

The woman's eyebrows flinched as her gaze drifted from him to her daughters who were hiding at the back.

"I told the three of them that they weren't strong enough to join the crew. They didn't hear me. Whatever happened to them, they can only blame themselves!"

Those words were not coming from the heart, they were coming from the ire. But to Veyron that was enough to lose whatever respect there could possibly be.

He threw a fist forward and she countered with a kick.

*BOOOOOMMMM!!*

The Kuja Pirates covered themselves from the showers of red lightning that shrouded the clash, the fight between two possessors of Conqueror Haki. Veyron's fist was received by her kick, both coated in Armament.

In the end, the Empress gasped when she sensed herself get pushed back, 'He's actually stronger than me!? no... his Conqueror Haki vastly outstrips mine, who is this boy!?'.

"Stop!"

The elder, Gloriosa, shouted loudly and the woman groaned, stepping back with a jump while Veyron continued to levitate, not having broken a sweat. She was strong, but she was far from being able to compare to the likes of Garp or his mother. He imagined she could perhaps give Kizaru a good fight but she'd still lose that fight.

His Conqueror Haki was stronger than hers by far!

'But his Armament Haki is weaker, his body can't keep up with it' The empress analysed all she could learn with a single clash.

"Hebihime, don't make a scandal. This man has saved members of our tribe selflessly. Boy, state your request. I'm afraid due to the rules of our tribe, you can't be here for long but we're willing to compensate you appropriately for this favour".

The elder, Gloriosa, was a lot more polite and reasonable, unlike the cold ruthless mother of the three girls. She hoped he'd understand. Even if the three of them were the daughters of the empress, they were no different than the majority of women on this island.

Veyron had already seen everything that he needed to see. He stepped forward and made his decision.

"I'll take these three away with me".

!!!

The shocked Kuja Pirates watched their empress whose hands were clenched and shaking, "I won't allow that".

This time, Primrose wasn't having it... an outsider had just come and he was now making demands about taking her daughters away. If necessary she'd fight for it.

*RUMBLE!!*

Their conqueror Haki readied up again, ready for another bout. But this time it was Hancock, Sandersonia and Marigold who made a move, aware that if they didn't, things wouldn't end well.

"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry" Hancock hugged him first, so tight, as if she wanted to impregnate all of his smell on her body.

"Hancock, I can take you three-" He was confident enough that they could live in Rusukaian with him. He didn't know how much that would change the story nor did he care. These girls deserved a better home. But the condition for that to happen was that they were willing to come along.

"Please leave…" Hancock said coldly, refusing to look him to the eye. Just as he had made his decision, she had made hers.

!!!

The three sisters then walked to their mother's side, leaving him completely aghast and confused.

"Why?" Was all he could ask.

"Because we're Kuja. Veyron, please wait for me. I'll become the Hebihime and look for you at Rusukaina, alright?~" Hancock resisted the urge to cry uncontrollably, she had known true freedom and now she had to let it go again.

'If I can't even achieve this… then I can't stand by your side... I promised your mother that I'd take care of you, but I can't even take care of myself. Please say you will wait for me'.

"Please wait for us!" Marigold and Sandersonia weren't as strong. They wanted to go away with him but Hancock was pulling their wrists so hard that they knew they didn't have another choice.

"You heard them, boy. Thanks for saving my daughters… but you must leave now. Wait until Hancock becomes the empress".

Primrose took her daughters' wrists and pulled them back to the island. All of the ladies followed behind her, leaving only Veyron and Gloriosa.

"Would you like to have some tea, boy?"

"…"

Veyron, downcast, followed her. He was willing to wait as long as necessary for them, but he still believed this was not the right place for them to be.