"Heh."
On the deck of the Kuja Pirates' ship, the Snake Princess watched coldly as the Daz Pirates were swallowed by cannon fire. A faint arc of disdain curled at the corner of her lips.
"Trash like that thinks they're qualified to compete with me for spoils?" she murmured under her breath.
Her right hand gently stroked the colossal flame serpent coiled around her arm. In its slit pupils, the burning wreckage scattered across the sea was reflected in flickering crimson light.
Suddenly, her brows knit together.
She sensed it—a faint, elusive feeling of being watched.
It was like the brush of a razor's edge against bare skin, subtle yet sharp, instantly putting her on edge.
"Who's there?"
She snapped her head around, eyes flashing like lightning as they swept toward the distant merchant ship.
But that presence vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, like an illusion that had never existed at all.
"…Just my imagination?" Toritoma narrowed her eyes, yet a trace of vigilance rose unbidden in her heart.
And then—
Splash!
The sea churned violently. The gigantic swimming serpent that had been gliding smoothly through the waves suddenly shuddered, letting out a low, uneasy hiss.
The Kuja warriors reacted at once. Bows were drawn taut, blades slid free of their sheaths, and every gaze snapped toward the bow.
There—atop the serpent's head—
At some point, a figure had appeared.
Black hair fluttered lightly in the wind. The sleeves of a black shirt were casually rolled up, revealing solid, well-defined arms.
The man sat cross-legged, posture lazy and relaxed, yet radiating an undeniable pressure that made the air feel heavy.
What shocked them even more was the serpent itself—
A beast ferocious enough to tear apart an ordinary warship—
Now trembling as if it had encountered its natural predator, utterly still, not daring to move.
"If you were to rob that merchant ship…"
Gern Reginald Sigmar slowly lifted his gaze. His pitch-black eyes collided with Toritoma's in midair.
"…I'd be very troubled by that."
"Ladies of Kuja Island," he continued calmly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it rang clearly in every person's ears, as if striking directly against their hearts.
At that sight, the Snake Princess's heart skipped violently.
That unique vibration…That lazy yet lethal aura…
There was no mistaking it.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened, squeezing the flame serpent until it hissed and flicked its tongue.
Her expression, however, remained as cold and proud as frost. Inside her chest, her heart was pounding so hard it felt as though it might burst through her ribs.
Blood roared in her ears, drowning out even the reports from her subordinates.
Calm down, Toritoma!You are the Kuja's "Snake Princess"!
She drew in a deep breath, forcing herself back into a dignified, authoritative stance.
Yet the moment she realized that Gern was looking directly at her—
Her world froze.
Black hair.Black shirt.And at his waist, that black blade wrapped in ash-gray bandages.
The man sitting cross-legged atop the serpent raised his head and gave her a lazy smile.
Especially those words—
If you were to rob that merchant ship… I'd be very troubled by that.
The sound drifted past her ears like a sea breeze, leaving her mind utterly blank.
"It really is him!!! And his voice is so gentle!"
Her nails dug deep into her palm, pain the only thing keeping her outward composure intact.
Yet her cheeks burned uncontrollably, even the tips of her ears flushed red, as if dyed by the evening clouds.
Calm down! Calm down!You're in front of your subordinates right now!
Setting aside the Snake Princess's inner turmoil, the reality was—
The Kuja warriors stood as if facing a mortal enemy. Arrows and long blades were all trained on Gern, yet not a single one of them dared to strike rashly.
"Snake Princess-sama… this man is—"
"Yes. This man is a Marine Vice Admiral…"
Her red lips parted slightly. In a cool, authoritative tone, she pronounced his identity, word by word.
"'Heaven-Shaking' Gern Reginald Sigmar."
Oh no—I actually said his name out loud!Will he think I'm strange?!
"Oh?" Gern raised an eyebrow slightly, looking genuinely surprised."I didn't expect my reputation to have reached even a future candidate for Kuja's Empress. I'm honored."
He smiled at me!!! Aaaah!!!
Toritoma felt her knees go weak.
She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, leaning her body firmly against the serpent, terrified that she might collapse to her knees if she lost her balance.
"T-the Kuja Pirates and the Marines have no longstanding grievances," she said, struggling to maintain her authority, nearly biting her tongue in the process."We sank that pirate ship merely to clear away an annoying pest.As for the merchant ship… we have no interest in it."
What am I even saying?! That sounded so stupid!
"No interest? Snake Princess-sama?!"Hearing their leader's words, the Amazon warriors all wore expressions of utter disbelief.
"Weren't you the one shouting the loudest just a moment ago, my Snake Princess?!"
"Is that so?" Gern tilted his head, assuming his reputation had simply intimidated them. He continued smiling."Then that's wonderful. I wouldn't want to raise my hand against beautiful ladies, either."
He said I'm beautiful!!!
Toritoma's face instantly felt like it was about to burst into flames.
Her head felt as if it were smoking. She could only lower it desperately, making sure no one noticed the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably.
"How dare you!"One warrior, unaware of the situation, shouted angrily as an arrow whistled through the air.
Toritoma snapped her head up, pupils shrinking.
"Stop—!"
But it was already too late.
Gern didn't even lift his eyelids.
The arrow froze abruptly half a meter from him, as if it had struck an invisible wall, then—
Crack.
It snapped cleanly in two.
"Externalized Haki…? No—vibration?" Toritoma watched in astonishment, curiosity flashing through her mind before being swallowed by panic.
No, no, that doesn't matter right now!What matters is… he's not angry, right?He won't dislike me because of this, will he?!
Her eyes reddened with anxiety as she hurried to explain—only to see Gern gently pat the serpent's head.
That ferocious beast immediately lowered itself obediently, carefully setting him down on the deck.
"Relax."Gern slipped his hands into his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings before finally settling on the Snake Princess.
He's looking at me!He's walking toward me!
Toritoma felt as if her breathing had stopped entirely.
"No need to be so tense…"Gern paused slightly, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his lips."I just came to say hello. And while I'm here…"
Toritoma's mind exploded into countless pink bubbles.
He wants to talk to me!He wants to be alone with me!!!He wants to have my children!!!
"I'm willing!"
The words burst out of her mouth without a single thought, so loud that even she herself was startled.
The very next second, she realized what she had said. Her entire face flushed crimson.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, the Kuja Pirates' usually dignified and icy "Snake Princess"—
Collapsed straight forward like a felled redwood tree.
"Toritoma-sama?!"
"Damn it! This Marine used Conqueror's Haki to knock out the Snake Princess!"
"The Snake Princess has been captured?!"
"So this is the legendary 'Heaven-Shaking' power? Just a single look and—!"
The female warriors descended into chaos, bows and arrows snapping back into place, all aimed at Gern.
"Huh?!"Gern caught the falling Snake Princess with a baffled expression, blinking in confusion.
"What in the world is going on? Did I even release Conqueror's Haki just now?"
He looked down at Toritoma in his arms—and immediately wore a look of utter disgust.
Because this was the first time in his life he had ever seen such a perfectly textbook love-struck idiot grin on a woman's face.
Even worse—
Even while unconscious, she was still using one hand to feel up his chest muscles… and she was clearly about to grab even more.