"Heh!" On the deck of the Kuja Pirates' ship, the Snake Princess watched coldly as cannon fire swallowed the Dars Pirates, a contemptuous smile curling her lips.
"Small fry like them think they can fight me for spoils?" she murmured.
Her right hand gently stroked the giant flaming snake coiled around her arm, its serpentine eyes reflecting the burning wreckage on the sea.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed as she sensed the faintest hint of someone watching her.
The sensation was like a sharp blade brushing her skin, instinctively putting her on edge.
"Who's there?" She whipped her head around, her piercing gaze sweeping toward the distant merchant ship.
But that presence abruptly vanished like an illusion, as though it had never existed.
"Was I imagining it...?" Toritoma narrowed her eyes, though a flicker of wariness rose within her.
Just then-Splash!
The waves churned, and the giant Sea Serpent that had been cruising steadily suddenly shuddered violently, letting out a low hiss.
The Kuja Pirates' warriors went on alert, drawing their bows taut and unsheathing their blades as every gaze snapped toward the bow.
At some point, a figure had appeared atop the normally ferocious Sea Serpent's head.
His black hair fluttered gently in the wind, and the slightly rolled cuffs of his black shirt exposed his sturdy forearms.
The man sat cross-legged, his posture languid yet radiating an unmistakable pressure.
What shocked them even more was that the Sea Serpent, powerful enough to tear an ordinary warship apart,
was now trembling all over, frozen as though it had encountered its natural predator!
"If you robbed that merchant ship..."
Gern slowly raised his eyes, his dark gaze meeting Toritoma's. "That would be quite a headache for me."
"Ladies, warriors of Amazon Lily." His voice was quiet, yet it reached everyone's ears