The Strongest Lunarian in One Piece

Three days later.

In the calm and windless Calm Belt, a tall figure descended from the sky, his wings carrying him gently down to an uninhabited island.

"El, where are we?"

Perched on El's shoulder, Gloriosa clung tightly to him. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she surveyed their surroundings. She noticed the scattered remnants of wild animal skeletons and signs that someone had once lived there.

"I drifted here when I was three," El said, his voice filled with nostalgia as he looked over the barren island, "and I stayed until I was eight. After that, I left the Calm Belt."

This was his first time returning since those early years. Though he had long since forgotten the island's exact location, he had rediscovered it by chance while searching for Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt to return Gloriosa home.

"I see..." Gloriosa nodded thoughtfully, a tender look in her eyes as she gazed at El. She couldn't imagine how a three-year-old child could have survived in such a place; it seemed miraculous.

"El, can we stay here for a few days?" she asked, holding his neck more tightly. Her voice was filled with transparent affection and infatuation. "I don't want to leave you!"

"Silly, I'm not going to leave after bringing you back," El reassured her, lowering both her and the giant sword on his back. "Besides, you can always take a break from your duties and come see me in the New World."

He activated Life Return, causing his muscles and bones to contract, reducing his towering frame to a height of just over three meters. With a gentle smile, he touched Gloriosa's face. "There's no rule saying the Empress of Amazon Lily can't take a little vacation, right?"

"Mm!" Gloriosa nodded eagerly, her eyes brimming with joy. "I'll listen to you!"

For her, falling in love felt like a sudden storm in the Grand Line—unpredictable and overwhelming. Whether it was love at first sight or an earnest desire to repay his kindness, her upbringing in the warrior culture of Amazon Lily had taught her to love and hate without hesitation. And now she knew her heart truly belonged to this man. The thought of El leaving and never seeing him again created an aching longing inside her chest. She was certain this was what it meant to truly fall for someone.

Her predecessor, the former Empress of Amazon Lily, had once warned her about the mysterious "love sickness" that plagued the Empresses. It was caused by falling for a man they could not be with, a longing so intense it could weaken and eventually kill them. She had been warned never to fall in love with a man.

Yet, when Gloriosa—trapped and hopeless—had been rescued by El, who descended like a hero to save her, she couldn't help but surrender her heart completely. She had even offered herself to him without hesitation.

"Since you want to stay here for a few days, we'll delay our return to Amazon Lily," El said, smiling gently. "Besides, it'll take some time to pinpoint its exact location."

"Really?" Gloriosa's eyes lit up with excitement. She threw herself into El's arms, her joy overflowing. "That's wonderful!"

This was the place where the man she adored had once lived. She was eager to learn everything about him and his past.

"Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you," El said, smiling at the beautiful, clingy Gloriosa. As she looked at him in surprise and anticipation, he produced a mirror.

Facing the mirror, El called out, "Barry, you brought the item, right?"

"Of course, El-sama!" a voice responded from within the mirror.

From the mirror's surface emerged a mysterious treasure chest, causing Gloriosa's eyes to widen in astonishment. "What is this?"

"No need to be surprised. This is the ability of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit. I had someone bring the item from the Mirror World," El explained briefly.

Although he could use the Mirror World to locate Amazon Lily, it was uncertain how long that would take. His incredible flying speed made it more practical to search the nearby seas directly.

El handed the treasure chest to Gloriosa. When she opened it, she found a peculiar, entirely green fruit inside. Its strange shape and magical allure made her gasp. "Is this… a legendary Devil Fruit?"

She had never seen a Devil Fruit before but had heard many tales of these mysterious treasures of the sea.

"Your potential is no less than Sengoku's," El said with a gentle smile, caressing Gloriosa's beautiful face. "He possesses Conqueror's Haki, and so do you. The only reason he outshines you is because he ate the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Buddha, which grants him immense strength."

"For the Kuja Pirates, all of whom can use Haki, the foes you've faced in the first half of the Grand Line—aside from the Navy—have been too weak. Because of this smooth journey, you've lacked the challenges necessary to fully develop your potential."

Gloriosa, one of the rare Kuja Empresses born with Conqueror's Haki, had always been a promising leader. At just sixteen, she had assumed the mantle of Kuja Empress during a time of crisis. In an era when a bounty exceeding 100 million berries was remarkable, her bounty had already surpassed 200 million. This reflected her extraordinary talent and potential.

"What kind of ability is this?" Gloriosa asked, examining the strange fruit with curiosity.

"It's the Woods-Woods Fruit, a Logia-type Devil Fruit," El explained. "By eating it, you'll gain the power of nature. You'll be able to manipulate plants, create various flora, and even transform your own body into vegetation. You can draw sustenance by absorbing nutrients and moisture from your surroundings through vines."

"And most importantly, it will grant you the ability to fly by creating massive flowers, enabling you to cross vast oceans. With this power, you can journey directly to the New World and find me whenever you want."

"A power that lets me fly long distances?" Gloriosa's face lit up with joy. Understanding how valuable this gift was, she initially felt hesitant to accept it. But the thought of being able to fly straight to the New World to see El banished any lingering doubts.

Her heart overflowing with affection, the Kuja Empress threw her arms around El and kissed him fiercely. "Thank you, El!"

"Why say something so silly?" El chuckled, gently pinching her cheek. "There's no need for gratitude between us."

"But if you want to fly to Totto Land in the New World on your own, you'll need to learn some navigation skills first," he added, amused. "Otherwise, running into a massive storm without knowing how to avoid it could be a real problem."

Originally, El had intended to reserve the Woods-Woods Fruit for a giant or future children of a giant bloodline to oversee Totto Land's vast plantations and economic crops. However, a few months prior, Ryan and his team had discovered another Devil Fruit: the Grow-Grow Fruit, a Paramecia-type. El chose a heavily traumatized giant slave—an individual stripped of identity by the Celestial Dragons—to inherit that fruit and manage the plantations, ensuring the Hell Trading Company's stable trade of food and medicinal supplies.

With the Grow-Grow Fruit fulfilling that role, he decided to give the Woods-Woods Fruit to Gloriosa instead.

This gift, combined with her innate talent, El's guidance, and the occasional excursions to the New World to face strong opponents, promised Gloriosa a future of limitless potential.

~~~

Patreon(.)com/Bleam

— Currently You can Read 70 Chapters Ahead of Others!