"Ah! Really? I… I'd love to!" Gloriosa answered in a voice as faint as a mosquito, shyly.
She had only caught the words "take you in" and filtered out everything else. Cheeks scarlet, she instinctively clasped her hands over her heart.
Big Mom lowered her gaze in puzzlement at the woman sitting on her shoulder, obviously lost in some strange fantasy.
"You'd love to what?"
Beside them, Shakky rubbed her forehead in resignation, wearing an I-knew-this-would-happen look.
The woman really has lost her mind! Shakky hadn't expected the target of this madness to be… another woman. That shouldn't be possible. Did Big Mom possess some special allure?
Shakky drew a deep breath, shook off the stray thoughts, and dragged the conversation back on track, eyes sharpening as she looked at Big Mom.
"So, Miss Linlin, what makes you think we'll submit to you—just because you're strong?"
"Isn't that enough?" Big Mom lifted her chin slightly; overwhelming confidence and kingly Haoshoku leaked from her.
"I can give Amazon Lily protection—and a future—far greater than anything you have now."
At that moment the three clowns nearby reined in their moods. Roger turned to Shakky with a solemn face.
"Need a hand? This is your affair, but if you want, we can step in."
Jabba and Rayleigh said nothing, yet their eyes also moved to Shakky, silently offering the same.
Their stance was clear: respect the Kuja's choice, but if a friend needed help, they wouldn't stand idle.
Shakky felt warmth bloom in her chest—these men she'd only just met weren't bad at all—but she shook her head firmly.
"No, thank you. This is Kuja Island's own matter; we don't need help."
Inwardly, she quietly breathed easier.
Big Mom's goal was "to win allegiance," not "to destroy" or "to plunder"; that alone left room for negotiation.
Besides, even if the Roger Pirates forced her back this time, what about next time? A flying powerhouse rivalling an Admiral could harass Kuja Island whenever she wished.
The lesson of being besieged by three Pirate Crews had already driven one point home: beauty and fame without strength only brought disaster to herself and her tribe.
Throwing in with Big Mom and the giant tree that was the Rocks Pirates might, for the present, be a good choice for Kuja Island.
But such a decision wasn't hers to make.
With that thought, Shakky looked at Gloriosa—who had finally floated out of her pink bubble—and said gravely,
"The choice is yours, Gloriosa. Remember, you are the Empress of Kuja Island; your decision bears the future and trust of every soul on Amazon Lily."
The reason she so readily believed Big Mom's words was simple: one who possessed Haoshoku would scorn lying over such things.
Gloriosa shook her head, scattering unrealistic fantasies, her expression turning grave.
She looked at Big Mom, pondered a moment, and said, "Lady Linlin, allow me some time to think before I give you an answer. And also—"
Her tone suddenly became light and cheerful:
"If you wish to win us Kuja, you should visit our island in person, so your future subjects may know you. Mere force cannot earn true loyalty."
Though Kuja lay deep in the Calm Belt, hidden, it was not cut off from the world.
Some Kuja warriors chose to follow their beloveds abroad, so permanent needles pointing to the island weren't rare.
For the Rocks Pirates, obtaining one would be child's play. An open invitation would let the Kuja keep a shred of initiative and, on home ground, observe this stranger who had just saved them.
It definitely wasn't because she wanted Big Mom to stay a little longer.
Big Mom nodded. "Fine. I, too, would like to see what Kuja Island looks like."
"Kuja Island! The legendary kingdom of women!"
The fallen Jabba sprang back to life, eyes blazing.
"Can I come for a visit?"
"No!" Shakky and Gloriosa rejected him in perfect unison.
"Why can she go?"
Jabba pointed angrily at Big Mom.
"Because she's a woman!" they answered together again, the irrefutable truth leaving Jabba speechless.
"W-woman…"
The triple critical strike shattered Jabba's heart once more; he crashed to the deck, staring blankly at the sky, all colour drained from his world.
Seeing the atmosphere lighten, Roger leapt out, arms high, and proposed:
"All right! Since the problem's settled for now—let's hold a banquet! A celebration of meeting, of staying alive!"
Big Mom, Shakky and Gloriosa all stared at Roger as though he were some mythical beast.
Big Mom truly could not follow the man's train of thought; the leap was too great. Ignoring the errant Roger, she asked Shakky,
"By the way, where are the rest of your crew? No one else has shown up."
Only then did Gloriosa remember. "That's right—where are Tritoma and the other warriors?"
Shakky helplessly pointed at Roger.
"There—the man yelling about a banquet knocked them all out with a burst of Haoshoku when he boarded. Tritoma's still lying in the cabin."
Roger looked around, scratched the back of his head in belated realisation.
"Eh? Really? Hahaha, sorry, got a bit excited!"
…Night fell on the beach of deserted island Number Nine.
Bonfires roared; no one could dampen Roger's enthusiasm, and in the end the open-air banquet began, both Pirate Crews mingling.
The sizzle of roasting meat, the clink of cups and peals of laughter wove together, driving away the day's tension and gloom.
On the familiar cliff, Big Mom sat cross-legged, a skewer of meat in one hand and a… barrel of fruit wine in the other, eyeing the small crater corroded into the rock by the failed food experiment.
"This stuff… terrifying power," she muttered.
A gentle male voice sounded beside her. "Oh? You recognise it?"
She turned to find Rayleigh had arrived at some point.
He glanced at the pit, recalled what had happened earlier, and gave a wry smile.
"Roger insisted it was food and took a bite—nearly killed him on the spot. Now he gives this place a wide berth; one of the few things on the seas that scares him. Hahaha!"
Remembering Roger's miserable state, Rayleigh couldn't help laughing.
"No! Never seen it before!"
Big Mom snapped her head away, denying it vehemently, words tumbling out in a rush.
Flickering firelight painted her flawless profile, a blush of obvious embarrassment visible.
She had nearly achieved a solo kill on the Pirate King; if there were an achievement system, the reward should have let her soar straight to the top.
She gulped a huge mouthful of fruit wine to change the subject. "So why are you here instead of partying with your crew?"
She jerked her delicate chin toward the raucous banquet.
"Too noisy; felt like finding somewhere quiet."
Rayleigh smiled, took a bite of his own meat, relaxed.
"Oi, Rayleigh, what are you doing next to Big Mom? She's made it pretty clear she likes women, you know~"
A fair hand settled on Rayleigh's shoulder as Shakky appeared, grinning mischievously.
For a moment Big Mom thought she caught a faint trace of jealousy in Shakky's tone—though it might have been her imagination.
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!