Empress

"Hey! I never agreed to this in the first place!" Shakki rubbed her forehead helplessly, her eyes full of exasperated amusement as she looked at Milim and Gloriosa, who were still tangled up with each other.

"Did that happen? How come I didn't hear a thing?" Milim wore an innocent, confused expression, as though she had genuinely never heard of it—her Dragon Ears had selectively malfunctioned again.

Still struggling in Milim's tight embrace, Gloriosa shouted angrily, "How long are you planning to hold me? Let me go already!"

Milim still had a bright smile on her face, but her tone carried an irrefutable stubbornness. "Give me the Armament Haki training method, and I'll let you go."

"Over something so trivial?!" Gloriosa glared at Milim, her eyes full of disbelief.

She had only seen a meteor fall into Shakki's bathroom, so she had rushed over in a panic and failed to recognize Milim at first.

Although Amazon Lily's inherited Armament Haki training method was indeed unique, allowing even those with weaker physiques to master the basics, Armament Haki still had to match a person's strength and will.

If one's foundation was insufficient, even after learning the method, they would be unable to unleash its true power.

"I agree, so let me go already!" Being held by Milim like this was extremely uncomfortable for Gloriosa.

"Gloriosa, you really are such a generous person." Milim released her and promptly smacked Gloriosa on the back.

"Don't touch me so casually again." Gloriosa immediately moved farther away, coming to stand beside Shakki.

Milim looked at the two standing side by side, and a strange glint suddenly flashed through her eyes. Her gaze made them both uncomfortable. Gloriosa frowned and glared at her. "What are you looking at? What's so interesting?"

"Of course there's something interesting to look at," Milim said with a grin. "Everyone says that the most beautiful person in the Nine Snake Pirates isn't the captain, but Vice-Captain Shakki."

At those words, Gloriosa's expression darkened slightly. She was clearly the captain of the Nine Snake Pirates, yet both in beauty and popularity, she fell behind her vice-captain, Shakki. Proud as she was, an indescribable bitterness welled up within her.

However, Milim's next words left Gloriosa completely stunned.

"But in my opinion, Gloriosa, you're more my type! You and Lingling are both absolute beauties!" Milim said, flashing a toothy smile and giving her a thumbs-up.

Milim's smile was like a small stone that landed in Gloriosa's heart with a thud.

In her eyes, Milim's whole image suddenly seemed to change—the air around her somehow filled with tiny pink bubbles, and even the air itself appeared to be tinged with sweetness.

Shakki stared at Gloriosa's reddening cheeks, her eyes wide with disbelief. This sign... it was clearly the precursor to the love sickness that none of Amazon Lily's Empresses throughout history had been able to escape!

But Milim was a woman! Shakki had never heard of such a precedent! Her mind was a complete mess, as though countless thoughts were whirling through it.

Was Milim showing affection toward her? Gloriosa's heart raced, and the blush on her cheeks deepened further.

They were both women, but so what? If she truly liked someone, what did gender matter?

As the captain of the Nine Snake Pirates, she had always seemed dim beside Shakki's brilliance.

Whenever anyone saw the two of them, their gaze always fell on Shakki first. That disparity had allowed insecurity to quietly spread through Gloriosa's heart like creeping vines.

But Milim was different. She was the first person to choose Gloriosa without hesitation when faced with her and Shakki.

Milim's smile was clean and open, without the slightest falsehood, like a beam of light shining directly into Gloriosa's heart.

And that was simply how the Empresses of Amazon Lily were—their feelings came fiercely and directly, and once their hearts were moved, they fell without reservation. That single affirmation had already shattered the defenses in Gloriosa's heart.

Had things followed their original course, perhaps she would have fallen for Pirate King Roger in the future. Yet Roger's eyes had always followed Shakki as well.

But now, Milim's arrival was like a wild gale that blew away the shadows of the past, leaving Gloriosa utterly immersed in this sudden stirring of her heart, unable to look away.

At some point, Milim had already moved close to Gloriosa and gently poked her scorching-red cheek with a finger.

"Gloriosa, are you okay?"

Looking at Milim so close before her, the blush on Gloriosa's face nearly spread all the way to her ears. Her head was like an overheated steam engine, letting out hot puffs of steam.

"Milim... are you worried about me?" Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, carrying a tremble she did not even notice herself.

"Of course I am. You obviously look like you're suffering." Milim's tone brimmed with energy, yet it struck Gloriosa's heart like a gentle, heavy hammer.

That fatal blow was more than Gloriosa could bear. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor. The next second, wearing a blissful smile, she completely fainted.

Shakki stared at Milim with her eyes wide in disbelief. "This is bad! Really bad! Milim, are you seriously this good at flirting?"

"Gloriosa is completely done for. She's turned into a complete fool. The Amazon Lily Kingdom will probably have to choose a new ruler." Shakki could already picture herself being forced to become the next ruler of the Daughter's Country.

Milim stared wide-eyed at the unconscious Gloriosa, hurriedly scooped her up in a bridal carry, then turned and shouted at Shakki, who was already frozen stiff beside her. "Shakki, what are you standing there for? Can't you see she fainted?"

Only then did Shakki snap out of it. She immediately led Milim, who was carrying Gloriosa, toward the royal palace of the Daughter's Country.

The kingdom's personal physician quickly arrived at Gloriosa's side. The instant she saw the unusual flush on Gloriosa's face, her expression changed dramatically, and she cried out, "Oh no! This is the precursor to love sickness! Once someone catches this illness, they'll grow weaker by the day if they can't see the one they love, and in the end... in the end, they'll die!"

"And there's no cure for this illness at all!"

Standing nearby, Milim suddenly thought of something and abruptly realized it. Could it be that Gloriosa had fallen for her?

The more Milim thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Milim knew that, whether in her previous life or this one, she had always liked only those unchanging two-dimensional characters.

Even after coming to a two-dimensional world, what Milim liked was still two-dimensional characters within a two-dimensional world.

This was getting a little troublesome. Milim thought for a long while but could not come up with any solution.

In the end, Milim tilted her head and simply gave up thinking. She would just let this troublesome matter take its course. She decisively chose to take things one step at a time.

The sleeping Gloriosa finally slowly opened her eyes. Her first words were urgent: "Where is Lord Milim?"

Milim stepped out from behind the others. Her expression was nothing special, and she said lightly, "Gloriosa, you're finally awake. You really scared me just now."

"I'm truly sorry for making you worry about me." A blush rose to Gloriosa's cheeks, and her voice became exceptionally gentle.

"It's fine, we're friends, after all." Lord Milim waved her hand carelessly.

We... are friends already? Gloriosa's mind was instantly filled with those words, and all sorts of thoughts began bubbling up uncontrollably. They had become friends on the first day they met—then in another day or two... wouldn't they... The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and steam began puffing from her head again.

Seeing this, Shakki quickly interrupted, "Gloriosa, we still have important matters to discuss with Lord Milim!"

"Right, right!" Gloriosa suddenly snapped back to her senses. She immediately sat up straight and said to Shakki, "The commercial partnership with Many Countries can take effect right away."

"We can take responsibility for transporting goods through the Calm Belt."

Shakki covered her forehead in exasperation—Gloriosa's lovestruck state was truly beyond her help.

"Also, make a copy of the Kuja-exclusive Armament Haki training method and let Lord Milim take it with her." As Gloriosa spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Milim, unable to conceal the affection in her eyes.

This left even the easygoing Milim at a loss for what to do.

Only then did she belatedly realize: So this is what it feels like to be liked by someone with love on the brain?

"Lord Milim, do you think this arrangement is acceptable?" Gloriosa asked timidly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Milim grabbed her hand and nodded vigorously, her tone exceptionally sincere. "Thank you so much, Gloriosa!"

Looking into Gloriosa's eyes, she said seriously, "No matter what trouble you run into in the future, come find me. I'll definitely help you deal with it!"

"It's fine..." Gloriosa looked at their clasped hands, her cheeks red enough to bleed, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "As long as I can stay by Lord Milim's side, I'll be satisfied."

"But I'm going back to Many Countries. I can't stay on Amazon Lily forever!" Milim said awkwardly.

Gloriosa's face turned even redder. "It's fine. I'll return to Many Countries with Lord Milim, like a wife." As she spoke, Gloriosa lowered her head further and further.

Seeing that Gloriosa was about to run off with Milim, Shakki could no longer hold herself back. "Gloriosa, you're the Empress of Amazon Lily. How can you just leave with someone else?"

Gloriosa's expression instantly turned cold when she looked at Shakki. "I've had enough of being Empress anyway. Besides, can't you become Empress too?"

"How could I? I have no interest in being Empress," Shakki hurriedly said. If she had wanted to become the Empress of Amazon Lily, she would have done so long ago.

She wouldn't have waited until now.