Amazon Lily, the island of the Kuja.
The sunset's lingering glow spilled over the palace's golden roof, bathing this secluded nation of women in a melancholy orange-red.
On the throne, the newly crowned empress, Torch Lily, propped her forehead on one hand. Worry filled her features as she stared blankly beyond the hall.
"Has the Snake Princess's condition... still not improved?" An aged voice came from beside her.
Leaning on her Snake Staff, Gloriosa slowly approached. Concern covered her deeply wrinkled face, and a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes as she looked at Torch Lily.
Roger had died at fifty-three, and now she, the first empress, had grown old as well.
Especially now that she had lost her spirit, her aging had become all the more apparent.
"You're asking me?" At Gloriosa's words, Torch Lily snapped her head up, her voice choked with tears.
"You and Shakky just walked away back then and dumped the entire burden of the Kuja on my sister!
"She held everything together alone for all those years. And now you've come back, but she..." Torch Lily's voice abruptly cut off.
Because those words were also an accusation against herself.
She had always believed her sister was strong, so she had followed Gloriosa and Shakky to the New World.
And the Snake Princess had always looked at her with a gentle smile and said, "Go, don't worry! I'll take care of the Kuja!"
But now that gentle, powerful woman had fallen.
"Torch Lily." After a moment of silence, Gloriosa sighed deeply. "We left back then to find a new path for the Kuja.
"The situation in the New World was complicated. We had no choice but to..."
"Enough! Stop making excuses! When all's said and done, wasn't it just for men? I know that perfectly