One Piece: Lone Monster
Chapter 20
Stussy glared at Ron and Gloriosa the moment she saw them.
Her eyes were red, and dark circles had clearly formed beneath them.
Ron noticed immediately and smirked.
"Yo, Stussy… didn't sleep well?"
Stussy's cheeks instantly turned red.
"You bastard!"
"With all the noise you two were making, you expected me to sleep?!"
Ron looked at her for a moment before sighing.
"You could have just gone to Newgate's room and used that as an excuse."
Stussy glared at him like he had just insulted her entire family.
"You think I didn't try?"
Her expression turned even more irritated.
"I've tried that trick multiple times, but that bastard never reacts to anything."
Ron looked at her moist eyes and sighed again.
"Fine."
"How about this?"
"As an apology, we go rob the Heavenly Tribute you found information about."
"You can take my ten percent share."
Stussy's mood immediately brightened.
"Really?"
Ron nodded casually.
"Gloriosa could also use a real fight to refine her Devil Fruit."
Gloriosa lifted her head from Ron's chest where she had been lazily leaning.
"Sure."
"I can't wait to test my new power in combat."
Stussy bounced slightly with excitement as the three of them began walking toward the port.
Even so, she couldn't help sighing quietly.
She knew perfectly well that Ron had his eyes on her.
The memory of a conversation from weeks ago suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
Ron had been speaking with Newgate while she stood nearby.
"Hey Newgate," Ron had asked casually.
"Don't you like Stussy?"
Newgate had shrugged.
"Gurararara… she's just not my type."
"I don't have any feelings for her."
Ron hadn't hesitated.
"So you won't mind if I go after her, right?"
Newgate laughed.
"Gurararara… that's between you and her."
"I have nothing to do with it."
Stussy had been standing right there during that entire conversation.
She hadn't even known how to react.
Since then, Ron had begun taking missions with her more frequently.
At first, she had been terrified.
After all, she was an intelligence specialist, not a powerful combatant like the other cadres.
Compared to Ron, she was practically powerless.
She had genuinely feared he might force himself on her someday.
But he never did.
Instead, Ron had simply smiled and said something completely different.
"Rather than winning someone's body…"
"I prefer winning their heart."
"With my charm, you'll be mine sooner or later."
Of course, Ron had also been thinking something else at the time.
If he couldn't win this Stussy's heart, then he could always win the heart of the future Pleasure Queen Stussy instead.
Naturally, Stussy had no idea about that part.
Since that day, they had completed several missions together.
Stussy couldn't deny that she enjoyed the work.
Working with Ron meant easy victories and easy money.
Still, the memory of that conversation kept returning.
One man didn't have any feelings for her.
The other was patiently waiting for her to develop feelings for him.
She didn't know what she was supposed to do.
Should she stop chasing Newgate?
Should she stay with Ron instead?
But if she did that… wouldn't it seem like she only stayed with him for money?
Her thoughts remained tangled.
Meanwhile, the three of them had already reached the harbor.
After informing Rocks about their plan—since he was still the captain—they left Hachinosu to intercept the Heavenly Tribute.
The ship sailed calmly across the sea.
Unfortunately for Stussy, peace didn't last long.
From the cabin next to hers, very familiar mones began echoing through the wooden walls.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
She buried her face into her pillow in frustration.
"Fuck you, Ron."
"And fuck you too, Gloriosa."