I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

Time flies. 

... 

Amazon Lily Island enjoys eternal spring, with no alternation of heat and cold. 

Nevertheless, flowers bloom and fade on the island, marking the passage of time. Three cycles have quietly passed. 

... 

Beyond the tightly sealed Serpent Skull Gate lies the harbor channel, where the massive pirate ship Kuja remains docked. 

Members of the pirate crew chatter as they feed heaps of food to the two Snakes tethered to the ship's bow. Watching the creatures nibble listlessly, the crew exchange whispers: 

"The pirate ship hasn't sailed for so long. They must be lonely, too." 

"It's been more than a year since we ventured into the open sea..." 

"

I heard that Snake Princess Sama's health hasn't been good." 

"Yes, when I saw her two months ago, she looked really unwell..." 

Hearing the murmur, other pirate crew members exchanged glances, their faces heavy with worry. 

"Lately, Princess Jolyne has been visiting the palace often to see Snake Princess Sama... Do you think..." 

"Shut up!" The crew barked, silencing further speculation. 

... 

At the Kuja Palace, the upturned eaves of the roofs seem ready for flight. 

Amazon Lily's young princess, "Jolyne Kujo," sits on the corner of a rooftop, one knee clasped to her chest, the other leg dangling freely. She looks out over Kuja City. 

Three years have passed since the beginning of her adolescence. Now, at fourteen, she stands 1.7 meters tall, and her figure has grown noticeably. 

It's not just her height - Jolyne's well-proportioned, toned body makes it hard to believe she's still a young girl. 

A flicker of emotion crosses her face. Suddenly, her entire form transforms into a flurry of petals that scatter and drift away. 

... 

A few soft pink petals flutter past a window, drift through the open frame, and land on the palace carpet. 

The faint scent of incense lingers. The chambermaids have all been dismissed, leaving the Empress's quarters eerily silent. 

The labored and tired breathing from the bed breaks the silence. 

''Boa Hancock'' sits beside the Snake Princess's bed. 

At fifteen, Hancock has grown rapidly and stands an impressive 1.8 meters tall. Her slender figure has matured beyond her years, her floral blouse barely concealing her figure, and her long, flowing skirt unable to hide her impossibly long legs. 

Without a word, Hancock gently holds the Snake Princess's hand. It feels cold and yet feverishly hot, looking thinner than before. 

Hancock lowers her head slightly, her jet black hair cascading like a waterfall. 

On the bed, the Snake Princess' golden hair is disheveled. Her forehead glistens with damp sweat, her pale face flushed with an unhealthy flush. Her pale lips move to form a faint smileas she asked: 

"Where's Suzuran?" 

"She hasn't been feeling well lately either." 

Hancock releases her hand and gets up to walk away. 

The Snake Princess sighs softly. "She's aging too..." She glances at Hancock's tall, elegant figure and offers a faint but gentle smile. 

"Splash, splash." Hancock wrings out a damp towel and returns to gently wipe the Snake Princess's forehead, cheeks, neck, collarbone, and elsewhere. The Snake Princess allows her to tend to her in silence. 

Hancock lowers her gaze for a moment to meet the Snake Princess's tired eyes. "But you haven't aged. You'll get better, won't you?" 

"Silly girl..." The Snake Princess lifts a hand to gently wipe away the tear forming in the corner of Hancock's eye. "In a few days you will take the crew to sea." 

Hancock's eyes fill with sorrow as she looks at the frail form of the Snake Princess. 

... 

"Just over a year ago, the Snake Princess fell ill." 

"Since then, the Kuja Pirates have not sailed. 

"At that time, the elder Suzuran saw the Snake Princess lying in bed, her face, arms, and entire body flushed with an unnatural redness. Her face turned pale, as if she was recalling a painful memory. 

Finally, pointing at the Snake Princess, she shivered before sighing helplessly, "I warned you... Why did you still... Tritoma! Why did you...'" 

"The Snake Princess, breathing weakly, did not answer." 

"At the time, Hancock thought it was just a common fever, a minor illness. But when she asked Elder Suzuran, she learned the truth: the Snake Princess was suffering from an incurable disease - a disease known as the Sickness of Longing." 

"Many previous Empress died the same way..." Elder Suzuran muttered to herself back then. "Only Kuja women who love deeply fall victim to this strange disease..." 

"If that's the case!" Hancock was both confused and angry when he understood the situation. "Then why did you let that man go?!" 

"Now you know," Elder Suzuran snapped, venting her anger at the sea. "Men are all bastards - no-good scoundrels! Back then, the former Empress didn't listen to me either..." With that, she stormed off in a huff. 

Two years ago, Elder Suzuran had met Dragon. Of course, she knew who had caused the Snake Princess' 'longing disease'. 

"You're going to die - don't you understand?" 

In a fit of rage, Hancock stormed into the royal chambers, ignoring Princess Jolyne's attempts to stop her. She shouted at the Snake Princess, "Why don't you just leave this place and go find him?!" 

The Snake Princess's pale, sickly face took on a stern expression. Although her voice was weak, it was determined: 

"Hancock. I am the Snake Princess of Amazon Lily, the Empress of Kuja. 

... 

Hancock grabbed the Snake Princess's hand and pressed it to her face as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. 

From outside the royal chamber came the voices of attendants: "Princess..." 

Hancock wiped her face. The sound of soft footsteps approached from behind. Jolyne, now 1.7 meters tall, parted the curtains and entered. 

"Snake Princess Sama," Jolyne greeted respectfully, bowing before kneeling gracefully beside the bed, sitting parallel to Hancock. 

"Ah, Jolyne," The Snake Princess said, reaching out to take Jolyne's hand and patting it gently. 

The two stayed with her for a while. When the Snake Princess grew tired, they wrapped the thin blanket around her and, saying a gentle goodbye, left the chamber together. 

... 

Hancock, now 1.8 meters tall, and Jolyne, only slightly shorter, walked side by side out of the royal palace. Everywhere they passed, greetings were directed at Princess Jolyne, along with awestruck exclamations over Hancock's beauty. 

Hancock had grown accustomed to such attention since childhood and ignored it. Still, she couldn't hide her melancholy as she muttered, "Do you think it's really worth it?" 

Jolyne, unperturbed by the comments of the Kuja women who openly admired Hancock's beauty, replied calmly. After all, Hancock was so stunning that even Jolyne sometimes found herself mesmerized. 

"I don't know," Jolyne replied honestly. "That is a question only the Snake Princess Sama and Dragon can answer." 

"They..." Hancock huffed, her voice filled with frustration and helplessness. "Staying alive is more important, isn't it?" 

Jolyne shook her head. "Dragon may not even know. Snake Princess couldn't have predicted that she would get sick, let alone told Dragon. And once she got sick..." 

Hancock picked up where Jolyne left off and murmured, "Once she got sick, there's no way she'd tell that man, Dragon..." 

Jolyne remained silent and walked beside Hancock through the busy streets of Kuja City. 

At the training grounds, they paused to watch the warriors spar. The younger Boa sisters, now standing at 6'2" and 6'3", were slender and graceful. 

Though they couldn't quite match the beauty of their eldest sister, they had grown into striking figures. Already proficient in Haki, they waved at Hancock and Jolyne. Hancock responded absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere. 

Suddenly she asked, "Where's Giorno?" 

Jolyne tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear and looked up at the distant sky. "On Rusukaina Island." 

"Again?" Hancock frowned. 

Jolyne replied, "He says traveling back and forth with Geppo is part of his training." 

Hancock rolled her eyes dramatically, her beautiful face etched with mild annoyance. She hesitated before looking at Jolyne. 

A subtle smile tugged at Jolyne's lips. Hancock's cheeks flushed slightly and she glared at Jolyne in feigned anger. 

Half teasing, half suggesting, Jolyne said, "Why don't we go see him?" 

After a moment's hesitation, Hancock turned sharply on her heel. "Fine," she said, striding off in agreement.

(End Of The Chapter)

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