"Enough!"
At last, Gern lost his patience. On the Kuja pirate ship, he drove the Snake Princess back with a震荡-infused slash, forcibly opening distance between them.
Toritoma steadied herself, the tip of her blade touching the deck as she breathed lightly. Her eyes were still burning with intensity, yet her tone returned to its usual haughty calm.
"What's wrong? Is that all the strength the mighty Marine 'Heaven-Shaking' has?"
"That's because I've never seen a swordsman whose combat style is rubbing herself all over the opponent!"
"And why not?" she shot back coolly. "Isn't that a form of offense too?"
"..."
"Tch." Gern sighed and sheathed Eight Desolations. "I'm not interested in playing this kind of game. Leave."
Seeing that Gern had withdrawn and clearly wasn't going to take advantage of her, Toritoma bit her lip—then suddenly raised her voice.
"Gern Reginald Sigmar!
"As the current second-in-command of the Kuja Pirates, I formally challenge you!
"If you win, I submit myself to your disposal; but if you lose…"
She paused, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
"…then you come back to Kuja Island with me!"
Gern: "...?"
The Kuja warriors collectively covered their faces. But after a second thought—wasn't this actually a viable plan?
This was Heaven-Shaking, after all!
One of Marine Headquarters' top combatants, second only to the Admirals!
If Heaven-Shaking really went back with them—
"Snake Princess-sama is sacrificing herself to make Kuja Island great again!"
"Something even Lady Gloriosa and Lady Shakuyaku never achieved—could it finally succeed?!"
"No, wait—Snake Princess-sama is Kuja Island's only Great Swordsman! It might actually work!!"
Watching this unfold, Gern rubbed his temples, his gaze sweeping over the cool, proud swordswoman before him.
If not for that… intimate contact earlier, who would have guessed that this seemingly icy Snake Princess was actually a hardcore love-struck type?
Just as Gern was about to refuse, his brows suddenly knit together.
Through the subtle tremors of his Observation Haki, he sensed something off.
The woman's heartbeat in front of him was racing at an absurd rate—far faster than even during their heated exchange.
"I see…" Gern let out a soft, knowing chuckle, understanding flashing through his eyes.
Toritoma's heart jolted when she saw that look. She forced herself to raise her chin defiantly.
"Enough talk—take this!"
Before the words fully left her mouth, her blade was already descending.
This time—
Gern did not move at all.
And the Snake Princess's cold, gleaming blade halted perfectly, trembling just an inch from his throat.
"Y-you…" Toritoma's grip on her sword quivered. "Why didn't you dodge?"
"Because…" Gern met her eyes directly, his voice calm yet absolute."I knew you wouldn't swing it down."
"H-how dare you gamble on that?" Her imposing presence collapsed in an instant, though her face remained stubbornly aloof."I might really have struck you just now…"
"Your heartbeat betrayed you." Gern shrugged, then his gaze sharpened."And also…"
In the next instant—
Dark violet Conqueror's Haki exploded outward like a tidal wave!
Before the Kuja Pirates could even react, they fell one after another like wheat before the scythe. Only Toritoma remained standing, her pupils violently contracting.
Gern walked slowly up to the frozen Snake Princess, leaned down beside her ear, and whispered. Warm breath brushed against her burning earlobe.
"If I truly wanted to make a move…"
His low voice carried an unquestionable pressure.
"Then from the very beginning, all of you would already be dead."
As the words fell, Gern's body dissolved into fine particles of vibrating light, shimmering briefly under the sun before dispersing into the sea breeze.
The very next second, his form reassembled on the merchant ship's deck.
On the Kuja pirate ship, once he was gone, Toritoma took a deep breath, the sea wind cooling—yet somehow fueling—the heat in her flushed cheeks.
Rather than retreating under the crushing pressure she'd just experienced, she locked her blazing gaze firmly onto that tall, upright figure on the merchant ship.
"Th-that feeling…" she murmured softly, her fingers unconsciously brushing her still-burning face.
Those sharp eyes were now filled with infatuation, her lips curving into a dazed, intoxicated smile.
"Strong… dangerous… and yet so irresistibly captivating…"She cupped her cheeks with both hands, excitement seeping through the crimson between her fingers.
"Like a rose with thorns… the sharper it is, the more I want to touch it myself~"
One by one, the Kuja crew members slowly regained consciousness.
But the moment they opened their eyes, they were greeted by the sight of their normally cold and dignified Snake Princess staring dreamily toward the distant merchant ship—looking every bit like a少女 experiencing first love.
...
Meanwhile, aboard the merchant ship—
Gern's figure finished reassembling on the deck. Before he could even steady himself, he was met with Lipo's sparkling eyes and Tessoro's deeply meaningful expression.
"Gern!" Lipo bounced over excitedly, completely forgetting about the carrot in her hand."Was that pretty big sister trying to kidnap you and make you her husband?"
"Lipo," Tessoro said, one hand on his forehead, "that would be 'kidnap you as a son-in-law'… no, that's not the point."
He turned to Gern, a teasing glint in his eyes."Vice Admiral Gern, wasn't your little 'Conqueror's Haki warning' just now a bit… gentle?"
Gern rubbed the back of his neck helplessly."I couldn't exactly knock them all out and toss them into the sea to feed the fish, could I?"
"But you could've just left immediately…" Tessoro pouted."Instead, you leaned in and whispered into her ear…"
He deliberately dragged out his tone.
"Doesn't that count as a… different kind of flirting?"
"Pfft!" Lipo suddenly burst out laughing, carrot crumbs almost flying into Tessoro's face."Gern's blushing!"
"I am not blushing!" Gern grabbed Lipo's twitching rabbit ears, only for her to laugh even harder and squirm under his hand.
Watching the two of them fool around, Tessoro lowered his voice.
"Joking aside, that Snake Princess isn't weak.Great Swordsman-level strength, plus the Kuja Pirates' background… If she gets serious, she won't be easy to brush off."
Gern released Lipo's ears and looked toward the Kuja pirate ship, which still hadn't departed.
Toritoma stood at the bow, the sea wind lifting her flame-colored hair. Even at a distance, her burning gaze could be felt clearly.
"Let her be." Gern shrugged."The mission report isn't going to include 'being pursued by a female pirate.'"
"But Admiral Sengoku reads the newspapers," Tessoro added quietly."Especially the gossip column in the World Economic Journal. Don't be fooled by how serious he usually looks…"
Gern froze.
Lipo suddenly raised her hand."I bet 100 Beli! Tomorrow's headline will be—'Shocking! Marine Vice Admiral and Kuja Female Executive Flirt at Sea!'"
"LIPO!!"
...
Elsewhere, aboard the Kuja pirate ship.
"Snake Princess-sama… are we really not going after him?" a warrior asked softly.
Toritoma gently rubbed her still-warm earlobe, a confident smile curving her lips.
"What's the rush?"
She turned and walked toward the cabin, her skirt fluttering behind her.
"A hunter pursuing prey… must always allow a little breathing room.
"And besides, after that fight, I'm… I'm a bit tired."(I need to take the lingering 'Gern scent' on my body back to my pillow~)