One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 88

Looking into his calm eyes, she for the first time consciously suppressed all the sharpness and pretense that belonged to the "Empress," and asked softly in an almost pure, inquisitive tone:

"who are you?"

The woman's question was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, not causing the slightest ripple on Liu Jiu's face.

He didn't answer, but only confirmed that Sabo and the other two had gone far away.

It's inconvenient for them to participate in this incident; having too many people would increase the risk of premature exposure. This whole thing seems far too complicated...

The alleyway was safe for the time being, so he let go of her arm, took a half step back, and restored that just-right distance.

This aloof gesture, ironically, caused a strange glint to flash in the woman's amethyst eyes. Leaning against the rough wooden box, she breathed heavily, trying to calm the churning blood and pain within her body.

The brief rest did not help her recover much; the pursuers were like leeches, never giving up easily.

She must leave here as soon as possible and get to that place... Only there will she have a chance to survive and a chance to... reclaim everything that belongs to her!

This thought burned like a flame in her heart, supporting her faltering body and spirit.

She looked up at Liu Jiu again, the previous wariness and inquiry in her eyes gradually replaced by a resolute, all-or-nothing determination.

She had nothing left but this broken body and her inviolable pride; she had nothing to lose.

The man before her was the only variable she encountered since her misfortune, a glimmer of light she glimpsed in the darkness, a light she might be able to rely on.

"I need your help."

Her voice was still hoarse, but it carried a hint of the unquestionable decisiveness of someone in a superior position, even though that decisiveness seemed so fragile at the moment: "Take me... somewhere."

She stared intently into Liu Jiu's eyes, trying to find a trace of greed, hesitation, or fear. But she was disappointed; his eyes remained calm, like a still lake, unfathomable.

"In return..."

She gritted her teeth, an unnatural blush rising on her pale face—a product of humiliation and helplessness.

"Once I regain power, you will gain unimaginable wealth, status, or... anything you desire."

She threw out the bait, even though she knew the man might not care about it at all.

Liu Jiu finally reacted, looked at her, and uttered a single word indifferently:

They didn't ask about the location, question the risks, or even show any interest in her empty promise of a return.

He agreed so casually.

Just treat it as a way to kill time.

It was as if what she proposed was not an adventure fraught with danger and conflict with unknown forces, but simply... pointing out the way.

The woman was stunned. She had anticipated all sorts of reactions: bargaining, coercion, or even outright refusal... but she hadn't expected such a straightforward "yes."

This only intensified the strange feeling in her heart. Did he even know what this meant?

"You..." She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to ask.

Liu Jiu had already taken a step forward and supported her arm again, the movement as natural as if he were doing something he had done countless times.

"Give directions," he said succinctly.

The woman suppressed the turmoil in her heart, took a deep breath, and whispered, "Go to the west side of the harbor; there's an abandoned shipyard there..."

Her directions were clear, indicating she was extremely familiar with the destination.

The two rejoined the crowds of the town, but this time, their direction was clear.

Liu Jiu supported her, and although his steps seemed slow, he always managed to avoid the most crowded areas and choose the least conspicuous paths.

His tall figure, whether intentionally or unintentionally, blocked most of her view.

However, the pursuit did not stop.

Chapter 104 The Traitor Appears

Just two streets later, a squad of guards in uniform with sharp eyes appeared at the street corner and began checking passersby.

They held portraits in their hands, their eyes scanning everyone like hawks.

The woman's body tensed instantly, and her breath caught in her throat.

Almost reflexively, her body acted before her brain could even process the thought.

She suddenly grabbed Liu Jiu's collar, pulled it down, and at the same time stood on tiptoe to press her lips to his again.

Just like in that alleyway at the beginning, a sudden kiss was used to construct the most direct and effective disguise.

Liu Jiu's body froze for a moment, but he didn't push her away. He even cooperated by slightly turning his body to trap her more tightly between himself and the wall, his broad back becoming the best barrier against outside detection.

The guards glanced at the couple "intimate" on the street corner, but did not linger for long.

In this bustling port town, such scenes are all too common.

Moreover, it's not good to disturb them. If you forcefully separate them, the man will definitely fight you to the death, so it's a thankless task.

My monthly salary is so low, what kind of fate do I have!

The footsteps faded away.

The woman released her grip as if all her strength had left her, the cool, unfamiliar touch still lingering on her lips. Her cheeks were burning, her heart pounding like a drum, not just from nervousness, but also from the series of intimate contacts that had slipped beyond her control.

She didn't dare look Liu Jiu in the eye, and only whispered, "...Let's go."

Liu Jiu said nothing and helped her continue walking.

Such scenes played out intermittently several times during the rest of the journey.

Sometimes they are patrolling guards, sometimes they are seemingly ordinary passersby but secretly watching with gleaming eyes.

Every time danger approached, the woman would subconsciously, almost instinctively, resort to the only method she had ever proven "effective"—kissing Liu Jiu, using this most primal image of male-female intimacy to lull the enemy into a false sense of security.

Liu Jiu, from initially freezing in place to later being able to almost predict her movements, coordinated perfectly every time.

He was like a silent reef, allowing her, a delicate flower on the verge of withering, to rely on and shelter from the storms time and time again.

A strange yet tacit rhythm gradually formed between the two.

Avoidance, kissing, separation, moving forward.

The woman's initial feelings of shame, anger, and helplessness gradually turned into numbness, and she even developed a dependence that she herself was unaware of.

The chest of this silent man seemed to be the only safe haven in this perilous world where she could feel a moment of peace.

Finally, as the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, they arrived at their destination.

On the west side of the harbor, there was a long-abandoned shipyard. Broken keels were submerged in murky seawater, rotten planks were piled up like mountains, and the air was filled with the salty smell of seawater and the smell of decaying wood.

“This is it…” The woman pointed to one of the largest, half-collapsed docks, her voice tinged with barely perceptible excitement and exhaustion, “The entrance is underwater, towards the back…”

In her eyes, the flames of "hope" and "revenge" were rekindled.

Liu Jiu looked in the direction she pointed, his gaze calm.

For him, this was indeed... not a big problem.

The interior of the abandoned shipyard was dimly lit, with only a few rays of the setting sun shining obliquely through the cracks in the broken roof.

You can hear the seawater lapping against the rotten wooden stakes, creating a hollow echo.

Angelica broke free from Liu Jiu's support and staggered forward a few steps to a relatively dry open space.

With her back to Liu Jiu, she took a deep breath, as if gathering her last bit of strength.

Liu Jiu stood there, silently watching her. His figure was almost blending into the shadows in the dim light, only his calm eyes reflecting the faint light filtering through the gaps.

Angelica moved slowly, with the weakness of a seriously injured person, yet with extraordinary determination.

She first untied the large, dark cloak and casually tossed it aside.

Beneath the cloak was a sharply tailored, uniquely made dark purple outfit, now torn in several places and stained with dried, blackened blood. It clung tightly to her body, outlining a breathtaking silhouette and revealing the severity of her injuries.

She didn't pay attention to Liu Jiu's gaze—or rather, subconsciously she no longer regarded him as an "outsider" who needed to be guarded against.

She reached out her slightly trembling hand and slipped it inside the high collar on the left side of her dress, feeling around.

After a moment, she took out a small pendant made of some kind of black metal.

The pendant's design is identical to the bat-wing and thorn pattern on her crown, only many times smaller, with a tiny gemstone, the size of a grain of rice, set in the center, shimmering with a faint red light as if it were breathing on its own.

She clutched the pendant tightly in her hand; the cold metallic touch seemed to invigorate her.

Then, she bent over, which seemed to aggravate the wound in her abdomen, causing her to let out a suppressed groan.

But she forced herself to pull out a palm-sized, jet-black dagger with a blade that gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light from a hidden strap on the outside of her right leg.

The hilt of the dagger is also engraved with intricate patterns that match the style of the crown.

She gently placed the dagger at her feet.

Then, she began to loosen her hair, and her silver hair, as clear as moonlight, cascaded down to her waist.

Her fingers deftly moved through her hair, and soon, she pulled out three long needles, as thin as cow hair, yet faintly shimmering with a metallic sheen, from the thick strands.

She carefully placed the long needle next to the dagger.

She did not stop moving.

She then took out several flat, tightly sealed small bags from the inner lining of her clothes. It was impossible to see what was inside, but they were clearly her important reserves.

Finally, she even removed the pair of seemingly ordinary amethyst earrings from her ears and gently placed them on top of the pile of items.

After doing all this, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. Her body swayed, and she had to reach out and hold onto a half-rotten wooden pillar next to her to barely stand.

On the ground in front of her were a few items: a pendant, a dagger, a long needle, a small bag, and earrings.

Each item is small and exquisite, yet exudes an extraordinary aura, clearly not ordinary objects.

This is her only remaining reliance and trump card related to her status as "Empress".

She had her back to Liu Jiu, her shoulders heaving slightly as she breathed heavily. Her silver hair fell down, obscuring her profile and making it impossible to see her expression.

Throughout the entire process, Liu Jiu remained silent.

He didn't ask any questions, showed no curiosity, and revealed no greed whatsoever. He simply watched quietly, like an observer watching a ceremony that had nothing to do with him.

However, just as Angelica regained her footing and prepared to take the next step—

"Crack, crack, crack..."