In the pavilion of the Rose Garden, Nero watched Shanks' pirate ship gradually sail away until it disappeared from sight.
"He's out of sight now, Your Majesty!" Hathaway suddenly spoke from behind her.
"Hmmph... I'm just here to admire the scenery, I wasn't watching that scoundrel Shanks."
"Oh, but I didn't even mention Shanks, did I?"
"...Silence!"
Hathaway smiled gently: "But Shanks has truly become a capable pirate! I was quite surprised to see him with so many people."
"Huh? Capable where? He's still just a foolish kid. And to pull a stunt like this, the things he wants to do would be so easy with my prestige backing him."
Nero leaned back in her chair, her feet propped on the table, a look of displeasure on her face.
"To insist on using this method to draw a line with me, how boring!"
"Be that as it may, didn't Your Majesty ultimately grant his wish?"
"That's not the same! Hmmph... At least he should have waited until after dinner, right? But then again... that guy did find a good group of companions!"
Nero was indignant, yet she couldn't help but feel happy for Shanks finding a group of like-minded crewmates.
"Hmmph, honestly! Why have these past two days been full of annoying things?"
"Then perhaps we should change your mood and go for a walk? The invitations for Claudius Palace are piling up like mountains right now."
Hathaway suggested, remembering there were still two fellows locked up in the dungeon.
If they went for a walk and she could request Tesoro's release while Nero was in a good mood, that would be perfect.
Hathaway squeezed the hem of her skirt; a pistol and dagger were hidden beneath her maid's uniform.
This time, she would make him disappear into the sea without a trace. Hathaway's lips curled into a cold, sinister smile.
"Hmmph... Hathaway, are you alright?" Nero blinked her eyes, calling to her cautiously.
Hathaway snapped back to reality, instantly switching to her usual demeanor: "My apologies, Your Majesty! That was rude of me!"
"How about it? Is there anywhere you'd like to go? How about Fish-Man Island? Or perhaps the Boing Archipelago is also a good choice; the fruits produced by the Baron of the Stomach are quite excellent."
"A change of scenery, huh~ Hmmph, I do have a place I really want to go."
Nero tapped her lower lip with her index finger, feeling that going out for a walk wouldn't be bad. Since becoming a Celestial Dragon, she hadn't left the house in a long time.
"Oh, and where is that?"
"Hmmph, hehe, want to know?" Nero tilted her head, a mischievous grin on her face.
"But no, let's keep it as a surprise for now! I guarantee it's an absolutely wonderful place!"
"Oh, then I'll look forward to it!" Hathaway watched Nero, who had returned to her usual lively self, and finally breathed a sigh of relief... [Calamity comes from the sea—]
[Look closely, this is the truth of your prosperity.]
[...Crimson tide of blood, adorn the final act!]
'Endless fires raged, the sky was black, and it was unclear where this was. Suddenly, a colossal shadow covered the land.
What Nero saw when she turned around was a crimson seven-headed dragon, roaming among the ruins, bathed in flames and darkness.
As if sensing Nero's presence, all seven heads suddenly turned in Nero's direction, their red-moon eyes containing the magic of all things sinking into oblivion...'
On the golden rose, Nero slowly opened her jade-green eyes.
She sat there in her swimsuit, still maintaining the posture of supporting her head with her hand. The ice cubes in the apple soda on the table had melted a bit, making a faint sound.
"Hmmph, I came out to change my mood, but it's that dream again?"
Satisfaction—
Nero put down her hand and picked up the still-cold juice beside her: "It's truly unpleasant."
Ecstasy—
"Has Your Majesty had that dream again?" Hathaway, sitting opposite her, also knew about Nero's dream and, associating it with Nero's special Observation Haki, asked with some concern.
"Is this truly not some kind of omen? A warning brought by Observation Haki?"
"Then I truly hope it's not real. A dark future full of scorched earth and raging flames, just looking at it makes one feel uncomfortable."
Nero stirred the drink in her hand, allowing the melted ice water to fully mix with the juice.
Joy—
"It's so annoying!" Nero puffed out her cheeks: "It's most likely not the future. Didn't someone on Fish-Man Island, that... Shirley, who could predict?"
"Didn't she say she couldn't see such a future for me? That I would live happily as an emperor in Nicuss?"
Anticipation! Anticipation! Anticipation—
Her heart rate quickened. Nero suppressed it with all her might, but she could still clearly feel her heart beating more powerfully than usual.
Her body seemed to be refuting every word she spoke. This contradiction made Nero frown.
"Oh, but Your Majesty has had this strange dream too many times."
Hathaway also noticed Nero's furrowed brow and felt at a loss as to how to help Nero in her current state.
"The frequency of this dream has been increasing over the past few years, hasn't it?"
"Hmmph? Hathaway, can you even see my dreams?"
Nero was surprised that Hathaway knew even this and asked aloud.
"Oh, after all, Hathaway grew up with Your Majesty since childhood and has lived together for so many years. I can still discern such things."
Hathaway answered methodically, though in reality, it was because Nero always looked troubled and frowned after having that dream.
However, she didn't tell Nero that if Nero knew and consciously controlled her facial expressions, she wouldn't be able to tell either.
"Hmmph, is that so? As expected of Hathaway!"
Nero didn't doubt it either. Sometimes, even her own understanding of herself wasn't as comprehensive as Hathaway's knowledge.
The person who understood her best in this world should be Hathaway, so for Hathaway to know seemed perfectly normal to Nero.
Nevertheless, Nero still gave Hathaway a warm hug: "Hmmph, Hathaway! It's truly wonderful to have you by my side!!!"
Two pairs of smooth, round breasts were squeezed and deformed. Nero hung onto Hathaway, intimately rubbing her cheek against hers.
"Your Majesty... wait! Like this... it's hard for me to move..."
Hathaway'struggled' valiantly, unable to 'break free from the shackles,' and could only let Nero rub against her.
"It's nice to be affectionate like this sometimes! Hmmph, Hathaway, your hair smells so good!"
Nero turned her face and sniffed Hathaway's hair. The warm breath from her words made Hathaway's earlobe start to turn red.
"I use... the same shampoo as Your Majesty... so the scent should be the same."
"I feel completely relaxed..."
"Is... is that so?"
"Hmmph, absolutely true!"
"Then... just this once!" Hathaway's body also relaxed a bit, and she returned Nero's embrace.
"Okay!" Nero comfortably narrowed her eyes, casually agreeing.
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