"Sigh! I never agreed to this!" Shakky said, holding her forehead in exasperation. She looked at the still-entangled Milim and Gloriosa, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Is that so? I don't recall hearing anything like that," Milim said with a look of pure innocence, her dragon ears conveniently failing her once again.
Held tightly in her embrace, Gloriosa was still struggling, shouting angrily, "How much longer are you going to hold me? Let me go, now!"
Milim's smile was still bright, but her tone was shamelessly insistent. "Give me the training method for Armament Haki, and I'll let you go."
"For such a trivial matter!" Gloriosa stared at Milim, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She had only seen a meteor land in Shakky's bathroom and rushed over in a panic, not recognizing Milim at first.
Although the Armament Haki training method passed down in Amazon Lily was indeed unique, allowing even those with weaker constitutions to grasp the basics, Armament Haki ultimately had to match a person's strength and will.
If one's foundation was insufficient, learning this method would be useless in bringing out its true power.
"I agree, now let me go!" Gloriosa felt extremely uncomfortable being held by Milim like this.
"Gloriosa, you really are a generous person," Milim said, releasing her embrace and patting her firmly on the back.
"Don't you dare touch me so casually," Gloriosa immediately stepped away, moving closer to Shakky!
Milim looked at the two of them standing side-by-side, and a strange light flickered in her eyes. Her gaze made them both feel uneasy. Gloriosa frowned and glared at her, "What are you looking at? Is there something to see?"
"Of course, there is," Milim said with a grin. "Everyone says the most beautiful one in the Kuja Pirates isn't the captain, but the vice-captain, Shakky."
Hearing this, Gloriosa's expression darkened slightly. She was the captain of the Kuja Pirates, yet in both beauty and popularity, she was second to her vice-captain, Shakky. The ever-proud woman felt an indescribable bitterness well up inside her.
However, Milim's next words stunned Gloriosa.
"But in my opinion, you're more my type, Gloriosa! You and Linlin are both great beauties!" Milim said, grinning and giving her a thumbs-up.
Milim's smile was like a small pebble, landing with a "thump" in Gloriosa's heart.
In her eyes, Milim's appearance suddenly changed—tiny pink bubbles seemed to float out of thin air, and even the air itself felt sweet.
Shakky stared, her eyes wide with disbelief, at Gloriosa's blushing cheeks. This sign... it was clearly the precursor to the lovesickness that no empress of Amazon Lily could escape!
But Milim was a woman! There had never been such a precedent! Shakky's mind was in chaos, a thousand thoughts swirling at once.
Is Milim showing affection for me? Gloriosa's heart pounded, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.
So what if they were both women? If it was true love, what did gender matter?
As the captain of the Kuja Pirates, she always felt overshadowed by Shakky's brilliance.
Whenever anyone saw the two of them, their eyes would always land on Shakky first. This disparity allowed a vine of insecurity to quietly grow in her heart.
But Milim was different. She was the first person to, without hesitation, choose her over Shakky.
Milim's smile was pure and open, without a hint of falsehood, like a beam of light shining directly into her heart.
Besides, the empresses of Amazon Lily were like this—their feelings were passionate and direct. Once smitten, they would fall completely. That single affirmation had already shattered her defenses.
If things had followed their original course, she might have fallen for the Pirate King, Roger, in the future, but Roger's gaze had always followed Shakky.
And now, Milim's appearance was like a gust of wind, blowing away the shadows of the past, allowing her to completely drown in this sudden infatuation, unable to look away.
Milim had, at some point, moved closer to Gloriosa and gently poked her burning red cheek.
"Gloriosa, are you alright?"
Gazing at Milim, who was so close, the blush on Gloriosa's face nearly spread to her ears, and her head felt like an overheating steam engine, puffing out hot air.
"Milim... is she worried about me?" Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, trembling with a tremor she herself didn't notice.
"Of course! You look like you're in a lot of pain," Milim's energetic tone was like a gentle, heavy hammer, striking Gloriosa's heart.
This final blow was too much for Gloriosa to handle. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. The next second, with a blissful smile on her face, she completely passed out.
Shakky's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Milim. "This is bad! This is really bad, Milim! How are you so good at flirting?"
"Gloriosa is completely done for, she's turned into a complete fool. I guess Amazon Lily will have to choose a new ruler." Shakky could already picture herself being forced to become the next empress of the Island of Women.
Milim stared wide-eyed at the fainted Gloriosa, quickly scooped her up into her arms, and turned to the stunned Shakky, yelling, "Shakky, what are you standing there for? Didn't you see her faint?"
Shakky snapped out of her daze and immediately led Milim, who was carrying Gloriosa, towards the royal palace.
The kingdom's exclusive physician quickly arrived. After just one glance at the unusual flush on Gloriosa's face, the physician's expression changed dramatically. He cried out in shock, "This is terrible! It's the precursor to lovesickness! Once afflicted, if she cannot see the one she loves, she will grow weaker day by day until... until she dies!"
"And for this illness, there is no cure!"
Standing to the side, Milim suddenly realized something. Don't tell me Gloriosa has fallen for me?
The more Milim thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Milim knew that in both her past life and this one, her heart had always belonged to those unchanging 2D characters.
Even now that she was in an anime world herself, her preferences hadn't changed.
This was getting a bit tricky. Milim thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution.
Finally, she tilted her head and gave up thinking altogether. It was best to let troublesome things like this run their course. She decisively chose to take it one step at a time.
The sleeping Gloriosa slowly opened her eyes. Her first words were urgent, "Where is Lady Milim?"
Milim stepped out from behind the crowd, her expression neutral, and said cheerfully, "Gloriosa, you're finally awake! You really scared me back there."
"I am so sorry to have worried you," Gloriosa said, her cheeks flushing as her voice became exceptionally gentle.
"It's fine, we're friends, after all," Milim said, waving her hand dismissively.
"We're... friends now?" That single sentence filled Gloriosa's mind, and all sorts of thoughts began to spiral out of control. Friends on the first day we meet... then in another day or two... could it be... The more she thought, the more excited she became, and steam started puffing from her head again.
Seeing this, Shakky quickly interjected, "Gloriosa, we still have official business to discuss with Milim!"
"Right, right!" Gloriosa snapped back to reality and immediately sat up straight. "The business partnership with Totto Land is effective immediately."
"We can be responsible for transporting goods across the Calm Belt."
Shakky covered her face, unable to watch. She was at a complete loss with this lovesick version of Gloriosa.
"Also, make a copy of Kuja's exclusive Armament Haki training method for Milim to take with her," Gloriosa said, her eyes locked onto Milim, the affection in them impossible to hide.
This time, even the carefree Milim was a little flustered.
She belatedly thought to herself: So this is what it feels like to be liked by someone who's lovesick?
"Lady Milim, is this arrangement acceptable to you?" Gloriosa asked timidly, her eyes full of anticipation.
Milim grasped her hand, nodded firmly, and said with exceptional sincerity, "Thank you so much, Gloriosa!"
She looked into Gloriosa's eyes and said seriously, "From now on, no matter what trouble you're in, just come find me. I'll definitely help you solve it!"
"It's alright..." Gloriosa looked at their clasped hands, her face so red it looked like it might bleed, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "As long as I can be by your side, Lady Milim, I am content."
"But I have to go back to Totto Land. I can't stay on Amazon Lily forever!" Milim said, looking troubled.
Gloriosa's face grew even redder. "That's fine. I will accompany you back to Totto Land, Lady Milim, just like a wife." As she spoke, she lowered her head further and further.
Seeing that Gloriosa was about to run off with Milim, Shakky couldn't hold back any longer. "Gloriosa, you are the empress of Amazon Lily! You can't just leave with someone like that!"
Gloriosa's expression turned cold the moment she saw Shakky. "I've had enough of being the empress anyway. Besides, you can be the empress, can't you?"
"Absolutely not! I have no interest in being the empress," Shakky said hastily. If she had wanted to be the empress of Amazon Lily, she would have become one long ago.
She certainly wouldn't have waited until now.
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