The others nodded, agreeing with Nami's statement.
Hera's head was spinning from the shock of the four's sudden confession. As they all closed in on her, Reiju's smiling eyes were full of pressure as she looked down and asked, "So, what does the Captain think?"
Hera looked up at the four surrounding her. Once again, she felt her height restricted her majesty, but she still responded to their feelings.
Hera whispered, "Of course I like you. I've liked you for much longer than you imagine."
Hera was exceptionally cold, even cruel, when facing enemies; she would smile while indulging in slaughter. But in front of her companions, she appeared exceptionally cute.
In the distance, Kuina was still immersed in the improvement of her power, completely unaware that her childhood friend was being held tightly by four'stealing cats'.
Finally, the slightly more mature Reiju came to Hera's rescue, saying with a light laugh, "Alright, alright, we won't eat you. Why are you blushing so much?"
Hearing the word 'eat', Hera's face turned even redder. Having already had intimate contact with Kuina, she subconsciously thought of something else.
Ain rolled her eyes at the dirty-minded Hera and said, "What are you thinking? Besides, if we really use that method you mentioned, we'll take turns one by one."
Nami and Perona felt a bit shy hearing Ain's words and began to let their imaginations run wild.
Taking this opportunity, Hera quietly activated 'First Bullet', sank into the shadows, and escaped.
Nami, lost in her fantasies, exclaimed, "Ah, the Captain ran away!"
Ain smiled. Having joined since the Marine Training Camp, she had long expected that Hera, who was easily embarrassed in matters of affection, would surely seize the chance to run off. But that was also part of Hera's charm.
However, as if remembering something, Hera poked her head out from the shadows and said, "By the way, there's only one spirit crystal right now. It might be a long time before there's a second one."
Then her head immediately dived back into the ground, disappearing to who-knows-where.
Reiju sighed, "Should I say the Captain is a blockhead, or something else? Does she really think we're doing this for the spirit crystal?"
The other three nodded in agreement. "Compared to the Captain's charm, a spirit crystal is just a slightly prettier rock."
Hera's figure appeared at home. She jumped onto the bed, hugged a pillow, and started rolling around. As she rolled, the confessions from the others flashed through her mind.
"Aaaaaah, what have I done!" Hera's voice was isolated by her City of Devouring Time. Makoto's face flashed through her mind.
"No, as long as I love everyone equally, there definitely won't be a bad ending," Hera muttered to herself. But soon, she realized something else.
She thought of the aggressive looks the four had given her: "It can't be that in the end, I'll be the one on the bottom, right?"
Then she immediately shook her head, as if to throw all the dirty thoughts out of her mind.
Although Hera's companions had expressed their feelings, they didn't take any further steps in the following days, and Kuina was also obsessed with getting used to her power.
Seeing this, Hera breathed a sigh of relief, but felt a tiny bit disappointed in her heart.
Time passed slowly in peaceful cultivation, but the sea at this moment was not quiet just because Hera and the others were resting. Soon, a piece of news once again shook the world.
Hera, who was training her Armament Haki and trying to make it flow, looked at today's newspaper. The first news that caught her eye was: "Blackbeard defects from the Whitebeard Pirates; Ace is hunting down Blackbeard."
Hera's expression turned serious. Blackbeard's activity seemed to mean that the Marineford War had already begun its prelude. Hera wasn't optimistic about Ace's chances of catching Blackbeard.
Because from later depictions, Ace had the strength to fight in a direct confrontation, but Blackbeard's cunning might cause Ace to suffer a heavy blow.
However, Blackbeard had only just escaped, and it would be a long time before he was caught. Moreover, Hera looked at the somewhat familiar saber in the picture and smiled.
"I wonder what kind of expression Blackbeard, who feels double the pain, will have when Ace slashes him with Ace."
Shaking off the tongue-twister-like thoughts, Hera's transponder snail rang.
After answering, it was Tashigi calling: "Vice Admiral Hera, Smoker insists on chasing a group of pirates into the New World, and no one can stop him."
Hera answered the call and said, "Tell Smoker to do his job well in the East Blue. He can come back when he awakens Haki; otherwise, it's out of the question." Then she hung up.
Then, Hera dialed the transponder snail left in the East Blue. On the other end was Crocus. Hera asked directly, "Has Straw Hat Luffy passed through?"
Crocus, hearing that Hera was actually asking about this, nodded over the transponder snail:
"He just passed by not long ago. How did you know? And there really is that Three Sword Style swordsman you mentioned on the ship. Brook was also persuaded by Luffy to join."
Hera heard this news and smiled, "Good, I naturally have my ways."
After getting the information she wanted, Hera hung up. Crocus shook his head and sighed, "This child, hanging up right after asking her questions—how rude."
He continued fishing, but his mind turned to Luffy and his straw hat: "Could he be the one Captain Roger is waiting for?" Then he stopped thinking about it and focused on fishing.
Hera gathered her companions and went to the pier. The argo emerged once again from the City of Devouring Time.
After returning this time, the argo was found to be intact after an inspection by the shipwrights. Furthermore, the Marines who went in for repairs all said they saw a ghost on the argo.
Hera remembered a figure helping to close the door earlier. Stroking the argo, she muttered to herself, "Has the argo given birth to a ship spirit?"
The argo swayed gently, as if responding to Hera's thoughts.
Kuina was the first to arrive and asked, "Why are we leaving so soon? Didn't you say we'd wait half a year?"
Hera said, "I thought we'd have to wait half a year, but I didn't expect that kid to be so impatient."
Then she said to Kuina, "On this trip out, we should also meet Zoro and Reiju's younger brother, Sanji."
Kuina thought of the boy who brandished three swords in the Dojo: "It really has been a long time. I wonder how much his swordsmanship has grown."
Hera thought about Zoro's current level and said with a smile, "His level might disappoint you, but once he's on a journey, his growth rate will pick up."
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