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One Piece is renowned for its intricate narrative, in which even seemingly trivial details from earlier in the story resurface and become integrated into the main plot. A meticulous planning enables One Piece author Eiichiro Oda to reconnect every hint to the overarching narrative, giving his fictional world a sense of cohesion and crafting a rich, complex story.
The latest manga chapter continued this tradition by reintroducing “Love Sickness”, which was mentioned hundreds of chapters ago, when Monkey D. Luffy encountered Boa Hancock, the gorgeous yet arrogant Pirate Empress of Amazon Lily. Hancock tried to ensnare Luffy with her Love-Love Fruit, known for petrifying anyone fascinated by her. However, Luffy remained indifferent to Hancock’s charm because of his pure heart.
Shocked by the failure of her beauty and the Love-Love Fruit, Hancock unexpectedly fell in love with Luffy, developing gushing, overwhelming feelings for the carefree pirate. Yet, Luffy comically refused Hancock’s persistent marriage proposals. One Piece chapter 1156 now returns to explore the Love Sickness, revealing its impact on Amazon Lily’s previous rulers before Hancock, and unveiling their different romantic connections with the two strongest members of the Roger Pirates.
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Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1156.
One Piece chapter 1156 reveals Gloriosa's love for Roger, paralleling Boa Hancock's crush on Luffy
Love Sickness returns in the latest manga installment
One Piece chapter 1156 continues the flashback that began in the previous installments. This time, the journey into the past unveils a skirmish between the Kuja Pirates from three generations ago and the Roger Pirates. At that time, the Kuja Pirates were led by Gloriosa, who also held the title of Pirate Empress. Shakuyaku, the current owner of Shakky’s Rip-off Bar in Sabaody, was Gloriosa’s number two.
Even though Gloriosa was stunning, Shakuyaku was even more beautiful, to the point where the Roger Pirates were unable to fight properly, captivated by her gorgeousness. In a bizarre twist of fate, Gloriosa was interested in Gol D. Roger, but he only had eyes for Shakuyaku. Conversely, Shakuyaku was interested in Roger’s number two, Silvers Rayleigh.
The unexpected romantic interplay between the captains and seconds-in-command of rival crews was disrupted by the sudden arrival of the Navy, led by Monkey D. Garp. The Kuja Pirates fled immediately, while the Roger Pirates engaged the Marines in combat. Nevertheless, the incident highlighted that Gloriosa was completely love-struck with Roger, afflicted by “Love Sickness” just as Hancock was with Luffy.
An overwhelming feeling
As in real life, love can defy expectations in One Piece, too. Boa Hancock developed an irresistible infatuation for Monkey D. Luffy when the young pirate – unwittingly – broke down her emotional barriers. Unlike almost anyone else, Luffy didn’t lust after Hancock’s beauty. He also protected her sisters from public humiliation, revealing a compassionate goodness that left Hancock astonished.
Her dim view of men, shaped by a traumatic past of slavery and mistreatment, as well as Amazon Lily’s culture, Hancock was impressed by Luffy’s genuine nature and honest, straightforward personality. Soon, she began to blush and faint in the presence of Luffy, and even had obsessive thoughts about him, somehow imagining the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates as an incomparable prince charming.
Gloriosa, now an elderly woman, immediately recognized Hancock’s actions as symptoms of Love Sickness, a disease known to affect the Pirate Empresses of Amazon Lily when they fall in love with a man. Love Sickness has only been documented among the Pirate Empresses so far, leaving unclear whether regular members of the Kuja tribe can be affected by it too.
Some intriguing theories speculate that Nefertari D. Lili, the sovereign of Arabasta who vanished mysteriously after refusing to live in Mary Geoise as a Celestial Dragon, founded the Kuja tribe and was the first to contract Love Sickness due to her love for Joy Boy. However, other theories suggest that Lili never reached Amazon Lily due to being ensnared in Imu’s sinister schemes.
In any case, this disease amplifies romantic emotions to the extreme, causing women who don’t follow their hearts to experience a deterioration in health that eventually leads to death. Specifically, the intense emotional suppression manifests as a psychosomatic ailment that crushes mental and physical health.
Because of Amazon Lily’s position, the Kuja have always lived in isolation from the rest of the world, particularly rejecting the presence of men. It’s interesting to note how the Pirate Empresses of Amazon Lily are particularly vulnerable to the contradiction of finding love at the cost of going against their culture.
Perhaps the Empresses die not from the disease itself, but from its mental consequences. Trapped in a spiral of depression and declining health, it’s possible that the Empresses would take their own lives, with the elders framing the event as death by disease to protect Amazon Lily’s name and reputation.
All four of the most recent Pirate Empresses contracted Love Sickness, experiencing different fates as a result. Gloriosa and her successor, Shakuyaku, survived by following their hearts and leaving Amazon Lily to pursue love. In fact, it seems that the only way to suppress Love Sickness is to be close to the desired person.
Tritoma, the Pirate Empress right before Hancock, died from Love Sickness. As revealed in the SBS of One Piece volume 109, she tried to suppress her feelings for a certain man, which caused her death, as it had for many of her predecessors.
As for Hancock, who contracted Love Sickness after falling in love with Luffy, she mitigated the consequences of the disease by leaving the island to assist Luffy on more than one occasion. However, her emotional fixation with Luffy continues, meaning that Hancock’s Love Sickness hasn’t been fully cured.
Gloriosa, Shakuyaku, and Hancock
One Piece previously revealed that Gloriosa left Amazon Lily after falling in love with a certain man. As disclosed in the latest manga chapter, this person was Gol D. Roger, the man who would later become the legendary Pirate King. However, Gloriosa’s love was unrequited, as Roger was interested in Shakuyaku, not her.
Shakuyaku, in turn, had eyes only for Silvers Rayleigh, Roger’s right-hand man. Nowadays, Shakuyaku and the fearsome “Dark King” are a married couple, meaning that One Piece chapter 1156 unveiled the beginning of their love story. When Gloriosa left, Shakuyaku became the new ruler of Amazon Lily. Still, after contracting Love Sickness, she gave up her position to continue her love story with Rayleigh.
Thus, both Gloriosa and Shakuyaku survived Love Sickness by stopping the emotional turmoil and embracing their feelings, even if it meant defying the Kuja tribe’s customs and leaving Amazon Lily.
However, while Gloriosa is still alive, indicating that she overcame the Love Sickness she contracted after falling for Roger, it’s well known that Roger’s lover was Portgas D. Rouge. She is the only woman to have given birth to a son from Roger, and was seen crying when she learned of Roger’s death, which hints at the depth of their love story.
While it’s possible that Roger had a relationship with Gloriosa before encountering Rouge and falling in love with her, One Piece author Eiichiro Oda seemingly implied, with a statement included in the SBS of volume 109, that Gloriosa joined the Rocks Pirates to overcome her Love Sickness, which would suggest that she was in love with a member of the Rocks Pirates.
Given the recent revelation that Gloriosa had Love Sickness for Roger, this creates some ambiguity. Going by logic, if Gloriosa was enamored with Roger and wanted to stay close to him to avoid dying from Love Sickness, she should have joined his crew, not Rocks D. Xebec’s.
Perhaps Gloriosa couldn’t track down Roger, but, aware of his rivalry with Xebec, decided to join the latter’s crew in a desperate attempt to meet Roger again. Then, as a member of the Rocks Pirates, Gloriosa developed feelings for one of her crewmates, possibly Xebec himself or someone else. Considering Gloriosa’s bitter interaction with Buckingham Stussy, who was allegedly in love with Edward Newgate “Whitebeard”, Gloriosa’s new infatuation may have been with Whitebeard.
It’s also possible that Gloriosa joined the Roger Pirates at some point, but was compelled to join Xebec’s crew after a Davy Back Fight. In any case, the latest One Piece chapter draws an evident parallel between Hancock’s infatuation with Luffy, the future Pirate King, and Gloriosa’s infatuation with Roger, the only man to have gained this title to date.
While Gloriosa ultimately failed to make Roger her lover, Hancock still has a chance to captivate Luffy. However, at the moment, Hancock’s infatuation with Luffy remains completely one-sided. Despite Hancock’s efforts to support Luffy, he seems oblivious to her feelings, ignoring them to focus on his goals.
In fact, Hancock’s love for Luffy is primarily portrayed as comic relief in the series, depicted in humorous moments very similar to the typical gags between Sanji and women. This narrative portrayal differs from how romantic love is depicted in One Piece, as seen with established couples such as Rayleigh and Shakuyaku, Oden and Toki, Kyros and Scarlet, and more.
Though carefree and simple-minded, Luffy unequivocally rejected Hancock’s marriage proposal when she openly declared her interest in him. As a direct person who doesn’t take his word back, Luffy’s stance is unlikely to change.
Related Links
- One Piece chapter 1156 spoilers: Roger and Garp clash as Rocks D. Xebec plans to overthrow the World Government
- One Piece: A complete list of every narrative parallel between Zoro and Loki
- One Piece chapter 1155 hints at the Will of D. and Davy Jones' connection
- One Piece: Did Oda retcon the Gorosei? Explored
- One Piece: Is Killingham a Fish-Man? Explored
