Love Quadrangle

In the waters near Hachinosu,

a large ship pulled forward by two enormous sea serpents sailed across the sea. The vessel was crimson overall, with two decks of wooden cabins, while only its exterior hull bore a layer of green coating.

A massive skull emblem was printed on its sails, surrounded by nine white sea serpents.

Any pirate who saw this ship and its emblem would immediately recognize its owner as the most famous rising pirate crew on the seas today—the Kuja Pirates.

This pirate crew was renowned not for its strength, but because it was an all-female crew made up of women from the Amazon Lily kingdom on Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt. The ship was filled with beautiful women, and it even had Shakuyaku, hailed as the world's greatest beauty of this era, at its helm.

A small boat was lowered from the large ship. Two women of peerless beauty stood aboard it, one of whom was Shakuyaku.

"Gloriosa, have you really made up your mind?"

Shakuyaku asked the other woman. She was Gloriosa, the current captain of the Kuja Pirates and the current Empress of Amazon Lily, Flame Flower Gloriosa, known as the "Jungle Hunter."

Not long ago, she had withdrawn from the Kuja Pirates and stepped down as both their captain and the Empress of Amazon Lily, passing both positions on to Shakuyaku.

So now, it was more appropriate to call her the former captain of the Kuja Pirates and former Empress of Amazon Lily.

As for why she had done so, neither the Kuja Pirates nor the people of Amazon Lily understood. Only Shakuyaku knew the reason, which was why she still wanted to make one final attempt to persuade her.

"You don't need to try and talk me out of it anymore!"

But Gloriosa was utterly resolute and stopped Shakuyaku from continuing.

"This is my fate. That man is the demon star destined for me. Before, I could still endure the torment and remain aboard the ship, but now..."

As she spoke, Gloriosa pressed a hand to her chest. Whenever she thought of a certain man now, her heart would ache faintly, as though she might faint at any moment.

She understood that she had contracted the Love Sickness unique to Amazon Lily. As its name suggested, it was an illness caused by yearning. If one longed for someone they wished to see but could not meet them for too long, the agony would gradually weaken them until they were dragged down by their longing. In severe cases, it could even be fatal.

Under such circumstances, if she remained with the Kuja Pirates, her strength would only continue to decline. She would be unable to keep leading the Kuja Pirates across these seas. So, whether for herself or for her country, she had to leave and pursue the person she wished to pursue.

"So from now on, I'm leaving the Kuja Pirates and Amazon Lily in your hands. I hope you won't follow in my footsteps..."

Gloriosa voiced her final wish, then gave Shakuyaku a meaningful look.

She had fallen ill with the Love Sickness because of a certain man, but didn't Shakuyaku also harbor a longing of her own?

Gloriosa had seen it all clearly. It was also one reason she was determined to leave the Kuja Pirates. The two successive empresses could not both fall for men from the same pirate crew.

She was destined to pursue Roger. If she remained with the Kuja Pirates, then Shakuyaku would inevitably keep meeting a certain someone as well. She might even develop the Love Sickness herself.

What a cursed entanglement!

Gloriosa sighed, while Shakuyaku's face flushed red.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I would never be as pathetic as you, falling for a man and abandoning the Kuja Pirates and Amazon Lily!"

But Shakuyaku refused to admit her private feelings. She puffed out her cheeks and stubbornly protested.

"So cute!"

That tiny gesture was noticed by the crew members aboard the large ship, instantly charming a whole crowd of them. The ship was filled with little fangirls holding their faces in both hands, their eyes full of hearts.

"Hmph!

Roger, that bastard... the next time I see him, I'll make sure to teach him a lesson for you!"

Shakuyaku paid no attention to the crew's infatuated reactions. Instead, she abruptly changed the subject and indignantly stood up for Gloriosa.

Gloriosa was so devoted to Roger, yet Roger barely responded to her feelings. He even kept pestering Shakuyaku every time they met. It had long made Shakuyaku dissatisfied with him, and she swore she would teach him a lesson for Gloriosa's sake.

But upon hearing that, Gloriosa hurriedly waved her hands.

"Absolutely not! You'd better never run into that guy again for the rest of your life, and don't ever run into the Roger Pirates either!"

Rolling her eyes, Gloriosa felt that if Shakuyaku really went looking for trouble with Roger, she would be walking straight into a trap!

Right now, Shakuyaku only had a little affection for Rayleigh on Roger's ship. If they met often, forget teaching Roger a lesson—Shakuyaku herself would get drawn in too. Then she really would follow in Gloriosa's footsteps.

And besides...

"Roger is mine. See him less!"

Gloriosa was even more afraid that Roger would keep seeing Shakuyaku and become completely smitten with her, leaving Gloriosa with no chance at all.

More than anyone, she knew just how charming Shakuyaku was. Shakuyaku received a hundred times more love letters than she did, and every time Roger saw Shakuyaku, he looked utterly entranced. Gloriosa could throw herself at him, and he would not even notice!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Gloriosa poked Shakuyaku's smooth forehead with her finger.

"Swear to me that you'll never see Roger again for the rest of your life!"

The friendly, harmonious atmosphere from moments ago vanished completely because of one Roger.

"Who would want to see that Roger guy?"

But Shakuyaku rolled her eyes. She would have to be blind to want to see that thickheaded, sloppy Roger.

If she wanted to see anyone, it would be Rayleigh...

Every time they met, Rayleigh was impeccably clean. Unlike the other thickheaded people on the ship, he was always calm, sitting alone in a corner. There was always a hint of wisdom in the gaze behind his glasses...

Thinking of Rayleigh, Shakuyaku could not help blushing. She cupped her face in both hands.

"Enough. This is where we part ways!"

Seeing this, Gloriosa hurriedly ended the conversation. She did not dare let it continue, afraid that before either of them even met those two demon stars, she and Shakuyaku would both fall right here.

Just then, the lookout on the large ship called out with a report.

"Captain Shakuyaku, there's a small boat ahead!"

Hearing this, Shakuyaku snapped out of her reverie.

"A small boat?"

"Does it have any markings?"

She called up to him.

"No. Judging by its course, it should be heading for Hachinosu!"

After observing it, the lookout continued his report.

"Then rob them!"

Shakuyaku brushed back her beautiful hair, displaying a captain's Haki.

As pirates, all of the Kuja Pirates' income came from plundering, and they used those spoils to supply their resource-poor homeland.

Therefore, whenever they encountered a target worth plundering at sea, they never let it go.