Boa Hancock

The Pirate Empress Boa Hancock (海賊　女帝　ボア・ハンコック) is the only female member of the Shichibukai and was first mentioned by one of the Risky Brothers while he was talking about Mermaids to Sanji and Brook. She is the Snake Princess (蛇姫) of Amazon Lily and rules over it with her two younger Gorgon sisters, Boa Marigold and Boa Sandersonia.

Appearance
Compared to the abnormal appearance of her sisters, Hancock is a slender, tall woman with long black hair and eyes that have long, voluminous lashes. When first introduced she wore a revealing red blouse and loose sarong that exposed her long legs with the green symbol of the Kuja adorned on them. Currently, she has an elaborate light-colored dress with a thick, hooded cloak. In either outfit she has always worn a pair of earrings that look like snakes and high-heeled shoes; her attire is also adorned with the emblem of the Kuja. Her beauty is noted by many throughout the world: to one of the Risky Brothers, her beauty is second only to that of the mermaids, while others like Marguerite and Hannyabal claim she is the most beautiful woman in the world. She is also almost always seen with a very large snake, which despite the skull it wears, is usually smiling.

Along with her sisters, on her back is what was believed to be a pair of Gorgon eyes which would petrify anyone who sets eyes on it. However, it turned out to be a lie; what is really on her back is later revealed to be the slave mark of Tenryuubito, and she is willing to kill, or petrify, anyone (other than her sisters, Elder Nyon, and currently, Monkey D. Luffy) who sees it, to keep it a secret.

Personality
Whether I kick a kitten... Tear off your ears... Even slaughter innocent people... The world will never cease to forgive my actions! Why, you ask? Why it is because I am... Beautiful!!!

-Hancock's justifications for her actions.

Hancock is a very complex woman. At first glance, she appears to be selfish, pompous and spoiled, and is used to having her own way, although she does lie to the World Government about her agreement to wage war with Whitebeard simply to get them off her back temporarily. She also can be arrogant and cruel, usually justifying her less than admirable actions with her apparently unmatched beauty and thinks that she can get away with anything because the world will forgive her. Her sister Sandersonia cheerfully calls her personality "twisted". She has also proven that she is a very skilled liar, and excellent at fabricating stories, and her confidence leads her to never consider the consequences of her actions.

While a member of the Shichibukai, Hancock doesn't think much of the World Government and would rather keep her title but not go to war or perform certain duties if she had to. Part of this is because of her past dealings with people who are part of what they stand for, such as the Tenryuubito. She doesn't think twice about killing her so called Marine allies. She also seemed not to think much of the Kuja tribe either as she comments to Elder Nyon that she doesn't care if the island is destroyed or not since everyone will forgive her anyway because she is beautiful.

However, it was revealed the reason for Hancock's lies and attitude towards life was that because of her horrible past, she didn't want to ever show weakness again to anyone, harboring a great fear of getting close to anyone other than her own sisters, and would even go as far to deceive all of the other Kuja. This caused her surrogate mother Nyon to fear that Hancock had truly turned as cold as ice and it wasn't until Hancock confessed everything to Luffy did she finally show emotion, breaking down in tears from reliving her painful memories. As a matter of fact, Hancock deep down inside is rather sensitive and even vulnerable, and that part of her was only first shown for several years in front of Monkey D. Luffy. She has since then befriended (and fallen in love with) Luffy, even agreeing to venture to the land of her suffering from her days of a slave, at his request for his brother.

Despite her complexity, Hancock has shown to be very sly and crafty when the situation demanded it. This was particularly evident when she aided Monkey D. Luffy into discreetly breaking through Impel Down's outer defenses, as well as manipulating the great prison warden, Magellan, to her whims before relaying a secret message to Luffy's brother Ace, whom Luffy is trying to rescue.

Because of her beauty and powers, she is used to seeing men and women whether young or old fall instantly in love with her. As a result, people forgive her when she acts cutely apologetic or reminds them of her beauty. However, as proven when Luffy comes along, she cannot bear the existence of someone completely immune to her powers.

Her oddest trait seen so far is that when she looks down on people, she leans backwards so she faces the ceiling (or the sky) above her, apparently "looking down on people so much she's looking up." She also appears to dislike small animals, which becomes something of a running gag, in which she angrily asks who left the animal in front of where she's walking, before kicking it away, no matter how cute it is. A Kuja amazon responsible apologizes while the offended animal snarls at her and Hancock advises her to be more careful in future.

Monkey D. Luffy
Originally antagonistic towards him, Hancock saw Luffy as a man who she couldn't bear to allow to exist, being the only one to be immune to her charms. She refused to believe him for being sent to the island by Bartholomew Kuma, and ordered his execution. She also thought he was just like all men in the world, selfish and arrogant. However, she was moved by his acts of selflessness. Luffy is actually possibly the only one outside her family she truly considers a friend. She quickly befriended him upon learning that he went as far to strike one of the World Nobles and that he did not scorn her because she had been a slave. As such, Hancock has fallen in love with Luffy causing her to have "love sickness" which had been the cause of death of the previous Empresses. However, Elder Nyon says that all the previous Empresses died because they tried to suppress their feelings whereas Hancock will survive by going with Luffy. Due to her feelings, Hancock has a hard time looking Luffy in the eye and tends to blush in his presence (much like a young girl with a crush) and requests he call her Hancock as opposed to her title. She is also prone to daydreams of Luffy. Comically, she nearly fainted when Luffy called her by her given name, "Hancock". Moments later, she actually did faint after believing that Luffy said "I love you" (あいしてる aishiteru) when he actually said "Thank you" (ありがとう arigatou).

Enemies
Despite being a Shichibukai, Hancock considers the World Government to be her enemy, and like Nico Robin, she stated that she detests the government and those in their complete obedience. Much of this comes from her past with the Tenryuubito, who tortured her and her sisters from a young age, until they were able to escape. Even as a Shichibukai, she refuses taking orders from them, despite claiming agreement with carrying them out to simply get them off her back temporarily. In some cases, her friction with the World Government has reached dangerous levels, to which even Elder Nyon criticizes.

Marigold & Sandersonia
Hancock is close to her sisters because they went through a lot together as slaves. The three of them have a strong bond and support each others' actions. Such was the case that when she became Empress, she allowed her sisters to rule alongside her, and entrusts them with her authority when she leaves for Impel Down. Initially, when Luffy requested for Hancock to travel to Impel Down, Marigold & Sandersonia vehemently disagreed with the idea, however, when Hancock accepted his request, without disagreement, they respected her wishes, as well as her infatuation with Luffy (eventually), and wishing the best of luck for them.

Elder Nyon
Hancock takes the role of the ungrateful brat to Nyon, even though Nyon helped her and her sisters get back to Amazon Lily. Hancock likes to make sure that Nyon remembers she is considered a traitor to the Kuja, despite the fact had Nyon not been at sea at the time, she and her sisters would have nowhere to go, and Nyon treated them as though they were her own daughters. Even still, the relationship between the two, is akin to a teenage daughter and a mother, despite their differences. It appears Hancock does have a degree of respect for Nyon as she went to her to help her understand the confusion of her sudden feelings. In return, Nyon supports and is proud of Hancock's decision in helping the object of her love, instead of allowing it to consume and kill her.

Others
Fisher Tiger freed her, Marigold and Sandersonia, along with many other slaves during his rampage at Mariejois. Having met (or at least seen) him only once, she was shocked by his recklessness, and terrified of his brutality. However, she has stated she owes him a debt which cannot be repaid.

Hancock also has a complex relationship with her Kuja subjects, protecting them from the World Government, but refusing to continue protecting them by working with the latter. She also destroyed a doll of her, made by a little girl, simply because it was made from mud, petrified three Kuja warriors (Marguerite, Sweet Pea and Aphelandra) simply for allowing a man (Monkey D. Luffy) to enter the island and defending his "crime", which even the fellow Kuja expressed sorrow. However, there has been no Kuja who doesn't love and admire Hancock, and agrees with every decision she makes (apart from Elder Nyon, to an extent), although this is mostly because of her Devil Fruit ability. Even Marguerite showed no hard feelings towards Hancock after she was unpetrified. Hancock likewise actually cares what they would think of her if they knew she was once a slave, even though she is now an Empress, and fears she will bring shame onto the tribe if they were aware of her past. So she lied to them to protect herself and her sisters. She even referred to them as her brethren, as opposed to her subjects.

Abilities and Powers
Ruling beside her sisters, Hancock has power over Amazon Lily and the rest of the Kuja women. As the Empress and Captain of the tribe, she is most likely the strongest Kuja warrior. In fact, her strength is so great that it has even been acknowledged by Fleet Admiral Sengoku of the Marines.

Devil Fruit
Apart from her great beauty, Hancock has the ability to turn people into stone. This occurs when her hands form a heart shape, and beams are shot out of the shape. Anyone with "dirty thoughts" will be turned into stone as long as they do not have a means to block it out emotionally like with fear or pain. The Kuja tribe believed that it was a curse given to her by killing a Gorgon monster. However, the truth is that this power is the Devil Fruit Mero Mero no Mi that was fed to her by the World Nobles who enslaved her, as a form of entertainment.

Haki
She also can use the Haoushoku Haki, an ability that one in a million people can use. From the example shown by Luffy, it can be assumed that she can knock out a large number of individuals (with the exception of strong-willed people) with a massive burst of Haki. This perhaps is also a reason why she is both adored and feared amongst the Kuja. Her level of mastery of it, however, is currently unknown.

Weapon
She carries an extra large Snake Weapon with her. However, she has yet to use it in battle.

Horrific Past
When Hancock was twelve years old, she and her sisters were captured by slavers and sold to the Tenryuubito. During her time as a slave, Hancock was fed the Mero Mero no Mi to entertain her captors. The three suffered the greatest horrors imaginable, until four years later, a man by the name of Fisher Tiger appeared and while his goal was simply the liberation of the Fishman slaves, he freed as many as he could without discrimination. Left with nowhere to go, the sisters were eventually rescued by Elder Nyon and brought home, but the Hoof of the Celestial Dragon, the symbol of the Tenryuubito was burned deep into their flesh. Hancock chose to hide the mark and her Devil Fruit powers, and disseminated to the fellow Kuja that it was punishment for slaying a gorgon, with her, Marigold and Sandersonia collectively gaining the nickname: The Gorgon sisters, for if the truth is revealed, the three sisters would have nowhere to go. Unfortunately, despite being freed, the experiences that Hancock went through corrupted her innocence, and she would later grow up to distrust everyone (with the exception of her sisters) and men especially. She also especially hates the World Government, in particular: the Tenryuubito. Over the years, despite Elder Nyon's love and mercy, Hancock became cold, burying any warm feelings, kindness and sensitivity deep within her, and although she would later become the Empress of the Kuja, she was selfish, and uncaring towards her people. At some point later on, at least eleven years prior to the current timeline, she became an infamous pirate still at a young age, and caught the attention of the Marines and even, the World Government who were frightened of her potential as she had earned a large bounty after only one campaign. Hancock later opted to join the Shichibukai in order to protect her fellow Kuja, by forming a treaty to protect their homeland from the government, preventing them from entering there.

Amazon Lily Arc
Hancock's first appearance is two days after Bartholomew Kuma had sent Monkey D. Luffy flying on her island (not to her knowledge). After sailing with her all-female crew, they met upon a Marine ship led by Vice Admiral Momonga, who told Hancock that the Shichibukai were being summoned to prepare for the upcoming war against Whitebeard, due to the execution of Portgas D. Ace a week from then. However, Hancock refused, stating that she would not obey the World Government, even though she fancied her Shichibukai position. When Momonga threatened to revoke Hancock's position if she didn't comply to the summoning, she came up with a make-believe story: The Marine crew would have turned into stone mysteriously.

She also demanded all the treasure on Momonga's ship (which the Marine rookies happily and absent-mindlessly complied to), and justified her selfish actions by claiming herself to be "beautiful", which everyone present (save for Momonga) vehemently agreed with. Then, she preformed a special move that mysteriously turned the Marines to stone, save for Momonga, who had stabbed his own hand to avoid the effects of her attack. As her crew sailed away, Momonga remarked that he would wait for two days, and if she didn't follow him, the treaty with the Kuja would be null and void. She arrogantly told him to "Do as [he] pleased".

Upon returning to Amazon Lily, Hancock was greeted with pleasantries though concerned that the warriors were not around, due to them chasing after a "monkey". She speaks with Elder Nyon (herself a former Kuja leader) about the danger that would befall Amazon Lily if she does not comply with the Government orders, but she remains arrogant and confident that both her power and beauty will allow her to get her way, throwing Nyon out of a window to prove she was right. When deciding to take a bath in privacy, she unexpectedly encounters Luffy, who falls down into her private area while looking for the person in charge, wanting to borrow a boat. He manages to see the symbols on her back and comments that he has seen them before. She attempted to petrify Luffy, but Luffy, being simple-minded, mistook the beam for a Noro Noro Beam (which Foxy used to slow Luffy down several times) and panicked. The beam did not have any effect on him though. Luffy attempted to run away, but ended up captured and thrown in the arena.

In the combat arena, Hancock shows no mercy to Luffy or anyone who tries to defend him, turning Marguerite, Sweet Pea and Aphelandra to stone for attempting to defend him after they admitted to bringing him to their country. At first she attempted to have Bacura execute Luffy, but he knocks it out with a single punch, and after she realizes that Luffy is not attracted to her in any way, and is in fact disgusted by her behavior, she nearly collapses and, out of desperation, sends her younger sisters to attack him in the arena ordering them to bring back his head. After Sandersonia attempted to shatter Marguerite, Luffy released a very high level of Haki, which caused some Kuja to faint, Hancock noted that Luffy has achieved the level of Haki that she herself has. After Luffy defeated Hancock's younger sisters, when Sandersonia's back is about to be revealed to the audience, Luffy sympathetically covered her back as he tries to protect the rest of the Kuja populace. In response, Hancock ordered everyone to evacuate the stadium immediately. The Snake Princess was then seen crying silently to herself.

After the other Kuja evacuate the arena, Hancock decides to test Luffy. She offers Luffy the choice between de-petrification of the three women or a boat home to safety. However, Hancock and her two sisters are shocked to find Luffy, without a moment's hesitation, down on his knees with gratitude upon hearing that the three women can be recovered. Hancock had been expecting Luffy to be selfish and immoral like all the other men she had encountered.

She later shows Luffy the symbol on her back, and tells him of her painful past. After many years, Hancock revealed the side of her that had been buried until then, crying from the painful experiences. After hearing that Luffy also hates the Tenryuubito, Hancock cheered up and she offered him use of her ship.

Hancock has also taken ill; Elder Nyon diagnoses the disease as fatal, but revealed that Hancock has love sickness. Presumably, Hancock has grown infatuated with Luffy; she happily agrees to answer the World Government's summons so that Luffy can sneak aboard a marine vessel in order to get to Impel Down and save Portgas D. Ace from execution. Wearing a large robe around her body with Luffy curled behind her rear, Hancock leaves the Kuja to board Momonga's ship, agreeing to the government's summons but ordering the Vice-Admiral to go to Impel Down while reviving the men of his crew with her Devil Fruit power.

Current Events
On the warship, Hancock hid Luffy in her room, while punishing and ordering Marines around, with demands like ordering 100kg meals five times a day (to feed Luffy) and petrifying anyone daring to peep on her. She also daydreams about hand-feeding Luffy, even embarrassing herself by taking responsibility for Luffy's food related outbursts. After four and a half days of sailing, Hancock and Luffy arrive at Impel Down. Because the Marines consider the Shichibukai to still be pirates, Hancock will have to wear Seastone handcuffs and be subject to a full-body search. Although this puts Luffy's objective in danger, he merely tells Hancock he'll think of something and that she should press on.

When Hancock is allowed to enter, she is told by the "Vice-Chief of the Great Impel Down" Hannyabal and Domino how the prisoner gets treated when they arrive. During the full-body check up, she uses her charm and successfully petrified the Vice-Jail Head, Domino, along with the vigilant snail. Luffy immediately comes out of her robe. Hancock shows her concern towards Luffy and nearly fainted when he calls her, "Hancock". She is then sent to Ace's prison while praying for Luffy's fortune. Afterwards, when Luffy decides to say thanks by using lips sync, Hancock mistook it as "I love you" and fainted.

Finally, Hannyabal takes Hancock and Momonga to the Chief of Impel Down: Magellan, to allow them their request to see Portgas D. Ace. Thanks to the antics of Monkey D. Luffy and Buggy The Clown, the prison guards report to him that there is an emergency situation, Hancock decides to buy more time for Luffy by using her charms to insist on having them taken to the level he's kept in, and an enamored Magellan complies. Upon reaching Level Six, she visits Portgas D. Ace and Jinbei's cell. Many of the prisoners ogle her, as she tells Ace and Jinbei that she's joining the fight against Whitebeard, but cryptically tells Ace that his brother is coming to rescue him before leaving for Mariejoa

She is currently en route to Marineford due to Vice-Admiral Momonga being made aware of the current situation with Whitebeard.

Early One Piece
Hancock's earliest seen design appeared initially on the front cover of a 1999 issue of Shonen Jump, and later was reprinted in Color Walk 2. When the Straw Hats entered the Grand Line, Oda was asked by his editing department to draw villains that would appear from there on. He agreed to and drew their backs for the Shonen Jump cover. While some parts of Hancock's have definitely changed since then, Oda fully intended at the time for the design to be her.

Trivia

 * She is the only female Shichibukai.
 * Her character has several references to Greek mythology:
 * Similarities to Medusa include the ability to turn people into stone (although the methods are very different), the general snake theme, and most obviously, both are one of three Gorgon sisters. In some versions of the Medusa myth, she was turned into a monster against her will; similar to how Hancock was forcefully fed her Devil Fruit by her captors.
 * The situation where Luffy was the first one to ever really resist Hancock's charms that caused the latter to fall in love with him, mirrors the story on how Odysseus resisted Circe's charms that eventually caused her to fall hopelessly in love with the him.
 * Her ability to seduce men is similar to the Sirens, who would seduce sailors and lure them to a watery doom. An irony is that, being a Devil Fruit user, Hancock herself cannot swim.
 * She is one of two women who have claimed to be the "most beautiful", the other being Alvida, who has also grown infatuated with Luffy though Hancock is perhaps the first character in the entire series who has feelings identified as romantic love.
 * Her last name Boa comes from the Boa, a group of constricting snakes. It is possible that her first name comes from the scientific name of a snowberry, a plant known for its showy flowers, Symphoricarpos Chenaultii Hancock.
 * While it is impossible to see the Tenryuubito who abused the Gorgon sisters when they were slaves, the only ones shown are Roswald's family, who happen to have the same hair-style as Hancock's owner. Of the family, the only one who matches it exactly is Roswald himself.
 * She is the first Shichibukai to befriend a Straw Hat Pirate, Jinbei being the second.
 * She is one of the few pirates whose bounty was not revealed at her introduction box when she made her debut, but instead was mentioned later by Elder Nyon.
 * She has the lowest former bounty within the Shichibukai. Nico Robin now holds the same bounty. Of particular note is that Hancock's former bounty was also her starting bounty.
 * She is the only Shichibukai who was shown to have family members.
 * She, Gecko Moria, and Crocodile all have reptile based themes (a snake, a gecko, and a crocodile).