"Hmm, how should I put this? It feels like it's been a long time?"
Nero crossed her arms, resting her chin on them, a scene that felt familiar.
"Ah, but in this regard, anyone would be quite inferior compared to Robin."
Hathaway made the same gesture. Both of them were in swimsuits, lounging on deck chairs, while only Kuina, as the massage therapist, was flustered and scrambling.
"The Flower-Flower Fruit is practically cheating in this area. And Kuina, don't forget the sunscreen on the soles of my feet!"
Nero bent her calves, and her two fair feet dangled in the air.
"Couldn't you do that yourself? It feels like it would smell."
Kuina showed a look of disgust. That jailer was quite beautiful, but she didn't have that kind of preference.
"Huh? My feet don't stink! If anything, they smell sweet. You could even put them in your mouth, no problem. If you don't believe me, try it and you'll know!"
"Who would do that?!"
Facing Nero's outstretched foot, Kuina took two steps back, her eye twitching.
"Hmm, just pretend you've been tricked, give it a try, lick it once and you'll know!"
Nero continued to stretch her leg, her words full of temptation.
"Never! I'll never fall for that trick in my life!" Kuina crossed her arms, forming a big 'X', her attitude very firm.
But Nero still didn't give up, trying to persuade her, "Just trust me this once. Your master's wife, Stella, on my wedding night, was holding…"
"Shut up! What are you trying to say to a young maiden?!"
Kuina's face, ears, and neck all flushed an unnatural red.
Strange knowledge violently rushed into her brain. Kuina had also seen Nero and her master's wife, Stella, talking on the den den mushi.
She had always thought of her master's wife as a gentle older sister, but now… a strange impression was deeply ingrained.
Forgive me, my master's wife, whom I've never met! I'm afraid I'll be looking at you through biased eyes from now on, Kuina covered her face with her hands.
"Your Majesty!" Hathaway also spoke up to stop her at the right time.
If Nero was allowed to continue, the topic would go in an unpredictable direction, although the previous conversation was already bad enough.
"I know, I know…" Nero waved her hand impatiently, "This kind of thing… there's a flaw!"
Nero's eyes suddenly lit up, and she kicked out, aiming for Kuina's face, "On the Grand Line, you can't trust anyone. That's the first lesson I'm teaching you for going out to sea!!!"
Kuina's expression changed frame by frame: disbelief, terror, and finally despair. With her agility, she naturally couldn't dodge Nero's attack.
Without realizing it, a few peanuts ended up in her mouth. The moment she realized what they were, Kuina immediately spat them out.
Then, disregarding her image, she sprawled on the ground, gagging. The most absurd thing was that when she tried to induce vomiting, she actually tasted a hint of sweetness between her lips and teeth.
Nero stood on the deck chair, arms crossed over her chest, head held high, "How was it? I wasn't lying, it smells good, right?"
Then Nero lifted her foot and shook it, "Hmm, and there's saliva, so gross~"
"Damn it~ Ugh~ You bastard! I'll kill you one day!!!" The last sentence completely broke Kuina, and all the etiquette Hathaway had taught her went out the window.
Hathaway herself, uncharacteristically, didn't point out Kuina's impolite behavior. Putting herself in Kuina's shoes, this was indeed a moment worth risking her life for.
"Mwahahaha! You'll need a million years for that!"
After Nero laughed with her hands on her hips, her gaze softened a bit, and she looked down at Kuina, speaking earnestly, "Hmm, now you'll remember that on the Grand Line, you can't easily trust anyone. There's too much deception and trickery. Since you don't have the power to break through everything right now, having a clear mind to distinguish right from wrong is even more important."
"But, you… this way…" Kuina still couldn't accept it, but such a memory was indeed unforgettable.
Just this once, the lesson Nero taught about not easily trusting others on the Grand Line, she would probably find it hard to forget.
"Second! You also realized…" Nero paused, waiting for Kuina's gaze to meet her own before continuing.
"You also realized… that even my feet really do smell good! Mwahahaha…"
"Die!!!"
… As the group was bickering, a large ship appeared on the horizon.
"Yue? How annoying, can't these guys just stay in their pigsty?"
The moment she saw the ship clearly, Nero's face immediately fell.
"What a magnificent ship, is it someone you know, Master?" Kuina asked Nero, holding a telescope.
"Acquaintances? I'm nothing like those pieces of trash!" Nero said unhappily, "Hathaway, where are we? This isn't the way to the Kingdom of Women, is it?"
"Ah, ahead is… Foosha Village."
"Foosha Village? What are we doing here?"
Nero stopped abruptly when she saw Hathaway's eyes.
Worry and determination – she had never seen such an expression on Hathaway's face before.
She let out a long sigh, "Hah~ Alright, then we'll take a look."
"Thank you…" Hathaway nodded. This was the first time she had disobeyed Nero's orders.
It seemed understated, but in reality, she had made a huge decision. She had seen Nero's changes.
This was not something she could resolve. The only two variables were Imu, the king of the celestial dragons, and Captain Roger and the Nika that many people were looking forward to.
Currently, the son of the revolutionary Monkey D. Dragon, who had eaten the Nika Fruit, undoubtedly posed no threat. Perhaps he could resolve some of Nero's inner problems.
With this thought, Hathaway had taken the liberty of changing the course to Foosha Village.
Nero's reason for not coming to see Nika was actually very simple: it wasn't that she wasn't interested, but that she was afraid of disappointment.
The fruit, which had unknowingly carried too much hope, was eaten by a brat.
Nero herself had given up when she learned that a child had eaten the fruit. She wasn't so desperate as to place her hopes on a child.
But he was still the expectation of Roger, Rayleigh, Shanks… If he were useless, Nero feared she wouldn't be able to resist killing him.
"Raise the flag, otherwise I'm afraid that idiot will cause some trouble."
Looking at the approaching large ship of the Celestial Dragons, Nero said with a slightly weary voice.
"Aye!" Hathaway nodded in agreement.
"Bang—"
"They… they fired a cannon?" Kuina stammered in shock. An ordinary fishing boat was just sunk like that.
She thought she saw a child on the boat, looking at Nero with longing eyes. Kuina was at a loss, "Master?"
"Hmm, it has nothing to do with us, don't worry about it. Those who try to act as heroes on the Grand Line usually die quickly." Nero patted her head reassuringly.
"That ship was flying a pirate flag. Anyone who dares to sail out like that, even a child, should be prepared for death."
"But… no, never mind!" This cold way of thinking made Kuina a little uncomfortable.
She forced down the words on the tip of her tongue, making herself accept this logical thinking. She knew Nero's experience was far greater than her own, and instead of childishly pointing fingers, learning properly was the way to go.
She took a few deep breaths, and when Kuina looked up again, she saw a cannonball flying towards them.
Kuina: "…"
Nero: "…"
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