Love Hurricane

In the following days, the Empress habitually came to this secluded bay to practice.

And Shisui also came at the fixed time to teach the Empress.

It wasn't out of any particular thoughts.

It was just that Shisui had pretty much seen through the slight tsundere nature of her personality, and he didn't think there were any major problems with it.

Women, after all, were somewhat eccentric in their personalities; it was normal.

(Please remember to read Taiwan Good Books Selection Taiwan Novel Network, t̸̸w̸̸k̸̸a̸̸n̸̸.c̸̸o̸̸m̸̸ for super convenient website and fastest chapter updates)

Having been born into the Uchiha clan, dealing with eccentric people had become a habit for Shisui.

So, at the fixed time every day, the Empress would appear there, and Shisui would happen to pass by, after which he would begin his instruction.

At first, the Empress still maintained her arrogant demeanor.

She mostly responded to Shisui's guidance with a cold snort.

Her conversations were basically filled with phrases like "I already knew that" and "You're meddling" to mask her discomfort.

To this, Yoru was completely unfazed, always patiently repeating the key points.

For the past few months, Shisui had been primarily responsible for teaching the Kuja clan Chakra.

He already had extensive experience in teaching this group, who were accustomed to straightforward Haki, how to properly utilize the energy within their bodies.

Just as he treated the other Kuja warriors, Shisui treated the Empress with the same sincerity and gentleness.

This purity made the Empress, who was accustomed to outsiders' gazes of either reverence, greed, or infatuation.

Feel a sense of unprecedented... ease.

She didn't have to worry about her beauty attracting unwanted trouble, nor did she have to constantly maintain the pretense of an empress.

She could even feel a secret joy from a small improvement, such as standing steadily on the water for an extra tenth of a second.

She didn't have to worry about being looked down upon.

Gradually, the Empress's attitude improved significantly.

At least when she was alone with Shisui, she no longer put on a sour face but listened attentively.

Under Shisui's guidance, the Empress's control over that faint Chakra improved at an astonishing rate.

Finally, on the evening of the fourth day, as the setting sun dyed the sea surface a magnificent orange-red.

The Empress concentrated her mind, precisely and continuously covering the trickle-like Chakra within her body onto the soles of her feet.

One step, two steps...

She stood steadily on the sea surface!

Although her body still swayed slightly, this time, she didn't fall!

She succeeded!

An indescribable joy instantly washed away the frost on the Empress's face, and a smile as brilliant as the morning glow bloomed uncontrollably on her stunning features.

In this moment, the Empress forgot her status, forgot her previous embarrassment, and acted like a little girl who had finally learned how to use her beloved toy.

She walked back and forth on the sea unceasingly.

Shisui stood not far away, watching the Empress successfully walk on water, a happy smile also appearing on his face as he sincerely praised:

"Congratulations, Empress, you succeeded in just a few days, that's amazing!"

After a few days of interaction, Shisui now had a habit of speaking to the Empress in a tone that coaxed a child.

Actually, learning Water Walking in four days wasn't particularly impressive.

At least for Shisui, he had mastered the Water Walking technique in less than a day back then.

It could only be said that this kind of fine control of Chakra was indeed a bit difficult for people in this world.

Even a renowned powerhouse like the Empress needed a long time to adapt to using it.

"Of course, I am the most beautiful woman in the world, how could this little thing be difficult for me."

The Empress proudly raised her head, accepting Shisui's praise without any humility.

"Since Empress has grasped the knack, the rest is a matter of proficiency.

With your talent, you'll be able to use it freely very soon. So, my task is considered complete, and I won't disturb Your Majesty's cultivation any further."

Shisui bowed slightly, his tone still gentle and polite.

He then turned, and with a few leaps and bounds, disappeared into the deepening twilight.

Watching Shisui leave so cleanly and decisively, the Empress opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately couldn't utter it.

She stood alone on the shimmering sea surface, gazing in the direction Shisui had disappeared.

A strange sense of... emptiness filled her heart.

Returning to her luxurious yet somewhat empty sleeping quarters, the Empress felt that something was amiss.

Her body felt a little hot, and her heartbeat was faster than usual.

The image of the one-eyed man patiently explaining things, and the smile he gave when he finally left, flashed through her mind from time to time.

"How unbecoming of me, to still be so excited after learning such a trivial trick?"

Empress Hancock thought she was still excited because she had learned the Water Walking technique.

But Empress Hancock soon discovered something was wrong.

Because when she went to the usual spot to practice Water Walking the next day.

Even though she was more skilled at Water Walking than the day before, even able to slowly walk into the deeper water, showing great progress.

But standing on the sea.

Why did that inexplicable restlessness and unease still linger?

Empress Hancock looked up at the shore blankly.

Normally, someone would be standing there, but today it was empty.

A few days later, the experienced Granny Niu noticed Empress Hancock's abnormality.

She watched Empress Hancock occasionally stare out the window, sometimes unconsciously stroking her ankle that had been wet by seawater before.

Her cheeks bore an abnormal blush, and for the first time, she didn't fly into a rage over a minor issue.

Granny Niu narrowed her eyes, carefully observing the restless Empress Hancock, and suddenly spoke, as if she had discovered a shocking secret:

"Hime, you... you don't happen to have lovesickness, do you?"

"What?! How could I possibly like that one-eyed brat? Don't talk nonsense!"

Empress Hancock exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Then she abruptly stood up from her throne, left hand on her hip, right index finger pointing at Granny Niu, her body leaning back dramatically:

"Who do you think I am?! I am the most beautiful woman in the world, Boa Hancock!

How could I possibly... possibly... be affected by mere a man..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt because that familiar palpitation struck again.

It made her dizzy, her body weak, and she almost couldn't maintain that signature backward-leaning pose.

Granny Niu, seeing Empress Hancock's reaction which was meant to hide rather than reveal, and her obviously abnormal physical state, understood.

She sighed and shook her head:

"As expected, is it that one-eyed kid? He does have decent character, but his strength is a bit lacking."

"Shut up! Don't mention him again!"

Empress Hancock's face turned completely red as she interrupted Granny Niu, feeling both ashamed and angry. "I... I just... just..."

She "just"ed for a long time but couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation.

That unfamiliar, uncontrollable emotion spread in her heart, making her feel unprecedentedly flustered.

But there was also a hint of secret sweetness.

She didn't understand why she was like this. Was it because that person was immune to her abilities?

Because he patiently taught her for a few days?

Or was it because of the way he looked at her, so clean, so pure?

Empress Hancock covered her hot cheeks, lost in immense confusion.

"No, Empress, why aren't you staying in your palace and instead coming to the seaside for a breeze?"

Uchiha Yoru looked at Empress Hancock, who was acting strangely beside him, with a look of surprise.

He himself didn't want to come to the seaside for a breeze, but he couldn't refuse this great Buddha who insisted on being here, so Night had no choice but to come along.

Otherwise, who knew if this Empress with unpredictable moods would suddenly go mad and fire a few Slave Arrows at the crowd.

Don't doubt it, Empress Hancock is capable of doing such a thing!

There were quite a few Uchiha clan members by the sea right now, and he, as the clan head, dared not gamble on Empress Hancock's character.

Empress Hancock, hearing this, a trace of imperceptible panic flashed across her peerless face.

But she immediately covered it up with even more exaggerated arrogance.

She slightly raised her chin, glanced at Night from the corner of her eye, and snorted:

"Hmph! I can go wherever I want! Every blade of grass and tree on Kuja Island belongs to me. Do I need to report to you just to take a walk by the sea?

On the other hand, you Uchiha are gathered here. Do you have any ill intentions?"

Night was rendered speechless by this accusation, half-amused and half-exasperated. Just as he was about to retort, his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure.

Uchiha Shisui was walking from the direction of the training grounds, seemingly preparing to return to the encampment.

Almost at the same time, the Empress also saw Shisui.

Her body stiffened almost imperceptibly, the aggressive aura she had directed at Yoru instantly vanished, her eyes flickered, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

She quickly adjusted her stance, casually tidied her hair, ensuring she was at her most perfect angle.

Shisui also saw them. As he passed, he nodded to Yoru:

"Clan Head." Then he looked at the Empress and greeted her warmly: "Empress."

"Mm."

The Empress let out a soft hum from her nose, trying to maintain a cool demeanor, but her slightly flickering gaze betrayed her inner turmoil.

She spoke casually, but her tone carried a hint of artifice:

"I was just taking a stroll and thought the scenery here was quite pleasant. Do you Uchiha usually train here?"

Shisui nodded and answered truthfully:

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Clan Head said that this world is full of oceans, and Uchiha clan members must get used to fighting at sea, so we moved our training grounds to the coast."

"What kind of things do you usually train?"

The Empress asked casually, her body involuntarily moving a little closer to Shisui.

"It's mainly about cultivating Haki."

Shisui thought for a moment; there seemed to be nothing he couldn't say.

Armament Haki indeed provided them with a significant boost.

Ninja bodies couldn't be called fragile; their physical fitness was certainly much stronger than that of non-ninjas.

But compared to their attacks, their physical condition was far inferior.

It was like the Space-Time Ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage of Konoha, Tobirama Senju, the Flying Thunder God Slash.

Tobirama used this move to defeat Madara's brother, Izuna, achieving great merit.

The difficulty of this technique lies in using Space-Time to teleport to a blind spot of the enemy marked with the Flying Thunder God formula, and then attacking the enemy's vital points with lightning-fast speed.

The final attack was essentially just a slash.

A simple, unadorned strike.

So, can you imagine the scene of the Second Hokage Tobirama fighting Vigol?

What if you dodge and weave? As long as my entire body is covered in Armament Haki, my entire body has no vital points, how can you attack?

Even if the Uchiha elites couldn't achieve full-body Armament Haki in a short period.

But even if Armament Haki was only applied to the vital points of their bodies, their ability to withstand attacks would change dramatically.

Not to mention that Haki greatly enhances attack power; covering it on a weapon and a casual strike would be comparable to the power of Explosive Tags.

For low-level and mid-level ninjas, Explosive Tags were a luxury that only high-level ninjas could afford.

Now, an ordinary attack could reach this level.

How could Uchiha ninjas not be addicted to this power?!

"No, you guys are wrong? When did you get so close?"

Seeing the Empress and Shisui chatting familiarly, and seeing the Empress's expression that practically displayed her infatuation, Yoru immediately sensed something was amiss.

"Uh, well, it's just okay."

Shisui smiled and scratched the back of his head, trying to brush it off.

Since the Empress chose to practice Water Walking alone in a secluded bay, she must not want more people to know that she was practicing in secret.

Although he didn't know the reason, Shisui instinctively chose to help the Empress keep this little secret.

"Ah~ Shisui... is so gentle to me~"

Seeing that Shisui hadn't revealed her secret practice, the Empress's cheeks turned red.

He must care about me!