Hathaway's body stiffened slightly. Truthfully, she disliked revealing her true appearance in such settings—or rather, in any setting.
But since Rosen had extended a sincere invitation, she didn't want to refuse. There were words that needed to be spoken, after all. Deliberate evasion wasn't her style. And since they were soaking in the hot springs, it was inevitable that she'd be with Alice, Lisa, and the others—keeping her face smeared with blood would be… inappropriate.
Moreover, her ghastly visage was currently the image on wanted posters, making it inconvenient for movement. So after a simple disguise to enter the hot spring inn, she removed her long-standing facade.
Yet, to her utter surprise, her true appearance went unrecognized. Alice, Lisa—their reactions mirrored this man's response exactly.
"Wow, such a pretty big sister! Natalie's never seen anyone so beautiful—are you an angel? Big Sister Alice once said only an angel could be prettier than her." Natalie stared unabashedly at Queen Hathaway.
Apologies, but she, too, failed to recognize her.
Hathaway had always possessed a flawlessly proportioned figure, as if sculpted to perfection.
But no one expected her features to be even more breathtaking, carrying an ethereal, detached aura—like an angel gazing down upon the mortal world from the heavens.
"This area has been reserved by us. Please leave." Robin glanced at her and spoke gently. She was even less familiar with Hathaway and naturally couldn't recognize her. But such beauty didn't stir jealousy, even in another woman.
Still, that didn't mean their boss's relaxation time could be interrupted. Besides, they weren't in disguise now—being recognized might invite unnecessary trouble.
"Hathaway?" Rosen studied her carefully, suddenly finding her somewhat familiar. He recalled what Liya had mentioned before and formed a tentative guess.
Mainly because Rosen had just extended his Observation Haki and sensed a very familiar presence.
"It's me. There's something I need to discuss with you." Hathaway's attire remained conservative. Moments like these were foreign to her—even as the ruler of her people, she'd rarely experienced such relaxation in her life.
She wasn't accustomed to it. Though she wasn't a Devil Fruit user and the hot springs wouldn't affect her combat ability, letting her guard down completely was still difficult.
Nor could she afford to reveal her true face to just anyone—it would inevitably bring trouble.
"Eh?! Your Majesty!" Natalie's eyes widened, and she immediately scrambled to climb out of the pool to bow, but Hathaway stopped her with a gesture.
"Queen Hathaway?" Robin was equally surprised. It was hard to reconcile this face with the blood-smeared, ruthless murderer—a madwoman who dared kill Celestial Dragons.
What did this make her? A human embodying both angel and devil? It seemed fitting.
"It's cold up there. Care to join us?" Rosen invited. The pool was spacious enough, and he didn't mind. Though today's stimuli were a bit overwhelming—two stunning women sharing a hot spring?
He tried not to dwell on it, but such thoughts were hard to suppress. Well, a man was still a man, after all.
"No. I'm not used to it. I've already bathed. We can talk like this." Hathaway glanced at the pool, then at Rosen's bare torso, and declined.
"If this is about repaying me, don't bother. I did save your people with ulterior motives initially, but due to certain events, I no longer intend to demand anything from you. These past days, I've just been waiting. Perhaps… a simple 'thank you' would suffice." Rosen spoke plainly, not elaborating further.
Since Hathaway had already rejected the Revolutionary Army's alliance proposal, agreeing with Rosen's terms was equally unlikely.
So he laid it out clearly.
Judging from Hathaway's posture, her guard was still high—understandable, given her life experiences.
"What did you originally want?" Hathaway asked, her gaze steady. Rosen's response had caught her off guard. Had he demanded something rare or valuable, she'd have found it easier to accept.
Even if it meant paying a steep price, given Rosen's kindness, Hathaway wouldn't have refused.
But asking for nothing only deepened her guilt. As the ruler of Lantis, she'd sent gifts but had never personally expressed gratitude—not out of unwillingness, but because she was caught in a dilemma.
"Something that would drag your people back into war. Let's not discuss it." Rosen closed his eyes again, letting the hot springs soothe him.
"You don't actually believe the Lantis people can escape conflict just by fleeing Lantis Island, do you?" Hathaway's expression darkened. Though she loathed admitting it, this was reality.
"Isn't that the case? You haven't been exposed." Rosen was puzzled. Aside from Queen Hathaway, the rest of the Lantis people should be relatively safe if undiscovered.
In fact, if Hathaway minimized contact with her people, they could even pass as natives of Garland Island—verification would be nearly impossible.
"For the Lantis people, there are two things in this world we can never forget: gratitude and hatred. Even if we're recuperating now, the hatred toward the World Government isn't mine alone. Every surviving Lantis has lost loved ones and friends. Do you truly think we can just hide and survive?" The Lantis people feared no death, ensuring they'd continue challenging the World Government.
Because the fury accumulated over the years wouldn't simply vanish.
It wasn't rational—but hatred never was.
Rosen paused. He hadn't considered this—nor had anyone else, likely. Escaping annihilation, wouldn't living quietly in seclusion for their race's survival be the wiser choice? Why rush toward death?
Logically and objectively, yes. But what of hatred? This fierce, unyielding emotion had sustained the Lantis people for too long. Many lived solely for vengeance—how could it just disappear?
"Why? You've witnessed war's cruelty firsthand." Rosen sighed.
"How else do we answer to the dead?" Hathaway's words silenced Rosen. Perhaps this was the perfect illustration of endless cycles of vengeance.
"Alone, you'll only march toward destruction."
"True. But at least we'll leave behind embers. We can be sacrificed—so long as we tear a chunk of flesh from the World Government, it'll be enough." Hathaway spoke calmly.
"Would you fight for a chance where your people can battle according to their will—with a possibility of survival?" After a long silence, Rosen spoke again.
If so, an alliance seemed essential—not just for himself, but to offer these tormented souls a sliver of hope.
"What do you propose?" Hathaway's interest was piqued. This hatred couldn't be erased—not even by her. Perhaps only blood could settle blood-debts.
Because this hatred wasn't the Lantis people's alone. She, too, had lost countless comrades to the World Government's blockade over the years.
"Change the world." Rosen raised his hand and clenched it in the air.
"Change the world… You mean overthrow the current rule?!" Queen Hathaway was stunned. Robin's jaw nearly dropped—was this what the boss had hinted at earlier, something to pursue after their vacation?
This was madness—far beyond becoming Pirate King or an Emperor!
"What's different about changing the world?" Natalie, though bright, didn't grasp the implications and asked curiously instead.
(End of Chapter)