"Men aren't good for anything, sister. You should understand that too," the Empress said warmly to Hathaway, shedding all her usual arrogance and untouchable demeanor.
Like her, Hathaway bore the unaltered slave mark of the Celestial Dragons on her back. The Empress understood—it was a reminder, a self-imposed discipline.
Though painful and frightening, some things could not—and should not—be forgotten.
"What do you mean? I'm not interested in women," Hathaway said. She felt it wasn't just her imagination; the attitude of a pirate Empress being so submissive toward her was hard to ignore.
"Actually, I… don't really know. I just can't fully control myself either," the Empress smiled at Hathaway , her wet long hair cascading over her shoulders.
Hathaway...
"I suppose I should head back."
"May I ask you one more question?" the Empress stood, her expression slightly serious.
"What question?"
"Why would you choose to stay with a pirate crew? He's done you favors, but you're the ruler of a nation. Even in other ways, you could repay him, even help him," the Empress asked curiously.
She had tried multiple times before, but Hathaway had no interest in joining the Kuja Pirates.
The Empress sensed the aura around Hathaway—full of dominance. She wasn't sure if Hathaway had the potential for Conqueror's Haki, but such a person shouldn't easily submit.
Yet Hathaway did submit, which the Empress found unworthy.
Perhaps that man was indeed strong, but they were not weak either.
"I just don't want him to lose his life because of mistakes I made. That's all," Hathaway said firmly.
"But he should be stronger than you."
"True, but he only recently became stronger. When I decided to board his ship, he wasn't that strong yet," Hathaway admitted. At first, she had resented this—her passion and training for combat matched Rosen's, yet he had grown faster.
After this war, however, she realized the gap wasn't in skill but in mindset.
This man feared nothing—not the World Government or kings of nations, figures revered as gods by the world.
When he focused on a target, it was as if he faced an ordinary person. He wasn't bound by the world's rules—a state even Hathaway struggled to achieve.
Though strong, wild, and battle-hungry, Hathaway feared power while despising it. He did not—nor did he waver.
Perhaps that was why she could follow his lead. Most obstacles seemed blocked by him. Despite many battles and strong enemies since leaving port, Hathaway felt a relaxation she had never known. On Lantis Island, she had always been at the front, making all decisions and bearing the weight of others' lives.
Now, she only needed to swing her sword—and she genuinely felt ease and joy.
Could this be what it means to be "protected"? Hathaway had never understood or been told before.
Had the Empress not brought it up, she might never have realized it.
"No, I can't think such reckless thoughts. All along, the only one who can protect me is myself." Even this thought made Hathaway uneasy.
"Are you all right?" The Empress noticed Hathaway' face shifting—from relaxed and happy to wary and anxious—and wondered if she had said something wrong.
"I..." Hathaway started, but the Empress suddenly changed expression.
"Who?!" The Empress sensed someone approaching. Though separated by a wall, it wasn't her sister. She reacted instantly, pressing a finger to her lips and forming a small heart-shaped projectile.
"Kiss Gun!" Her finger pointed toward the wall; the heart-shaped projectile shot forward with a dull thud, piercing the wall and Rosen's line of sight outside.
Hathaway , having just been distracted, reacted immediately. She grabbed the sunlight blade by the pool and instinctively slashed, the blade slicing through the entire wall.
"Hathaway, have you been drinking? You didn't even sense my presence…" Rosen, walking down the corridor, was struck by both attacks, frowning. Were these women drunk? Otherwise, even a careful observation with Haki should reveal the intruder.
Before he finished thinking, Rosen froze. With the wall collapsed, he naturally looked toward them—and two exposed, alluring figures appeared before him.
The Empress stood fully visible, while Hathaway was half-risen, holding her sunlight blade in an enticing stance.
"Excuse the intrusion." Rosen froze for three seconds, leaving both women stunned. Then he casually turned away.
"You saw everything?!" The Empress' face darkened instantly.
"If you mean the mark on your back… I didn't see it…" Rosen's words faltered, realizing the impact of what he had just witnessed. The mention of a question reminded him subconsciously of the slave mark on the Empress' back.
"Big fragrant feet!" The Empress wrapped herself in a nearby cheongsam and exploded with Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki covering her pale legs. She swept a foot, her face fierce.
Though Rosen didn't want to look, the Empress' combat stance revealed everything in full detail.
But such an explosive opening? Wasn't this a move from the Barrett fight? Forget it—better not argue with an enraged woman.
Rosen vanished from the tavern window in a flash.
"Unforgivable!" The Empress pursued in anger. Hathaway, seeing Rosen flee, considered intervening—but despite being exposed, she wasn't panicking like a young girl.
But the pirate Empress valued her slave mark above all; revealing it would have been catastrophic, and she had even deceived an entire nation to protect it.
"Let's go check," Hathaway decided. Seeing Rosen fleeing for the first time, she thought it might be interesting. Though he feigned composure, he likely panicked slightly.
Hathaway rose but froze—had she also been fully seen just now? Better to approach slowly.
"Sister," Sandasonia and her sister arrived late. Hearing the explosion, they knew trouble was afoot. Even without seeing the slave mark, their sister's body wasn't for ordinary eyes.
The street erupted with explosions.
"Should have calmed down by now," Rosen sighed, watching the Empress. Though her attacks didn't hit, why was he running? Technically, they broke the wall. If not for her hypersensitivity and exceptional Observation Haki, he would have simply knocked.
"Calm? I am calm—calm enough to bury you underground!" The Empress bit her lip, fierce, wet, and beautiful like a water lily.
Rosen still couldn't associate her with the word "ferocious."
"If you fight, fine, but battling like this exposes you to onlookers." Many had noticed the commotion. Seeing the utterly seductive Empress, the crowd was already captivated.
"Sweet Wind!" The Empress summoned countless stone statues around her without hesitation.
"Seems she won't stop…" Rosen thought, realizing she wouldn't yield further. She was unreasonable, like a child who refused to grow up.
Thus, battle erupted in the streets…
(End of Chapter)