In the Calm Belt alongside the Grand Line lies a mysterious island known as Amazon Lily, the Island of Women.
True to its name, this is a wondrous island inhabited solely by women, all of whom belong to a warrior race known as the Kuja.
The rest of the world knows very little about this nearly isolated warrior race. However, if one were to mention their current ruler, anyone even remotely normal—barring absolute blockheads like Luffy—would have heard of her.
For she is the only female member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea: the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock.
At the same time, the world's most beautiful woman was also one of the individuals that a certain ahoge-bearing knight intended to visit on this journey.
"Lily, this old man can only take you this far."
Riding on the back of a massive whale shark, Jimbe spoke with a slightly apologetic tone to the White Knight standing on the shore. "This island is highly unwelcoming to men."
Although the rule established by Amazon Lily centuries ago forbids "men" from entering, they never specified whether it meant strictly human males or extended to males of all races.
And given the Empress's notorious temperament, which was just as world-renowned as her beauty, Jimbe had no desire to personally test the archery skills of the Amazon warriors.
"This island is extremely dangerous. You must be on your guard," Jimbe said, his fierce, heroic face filled with gravity.
Although Jimbe reposed great faith in Silver Hair's reputation, from what he knew, Snake Princess Hancock—his fellow Warlord—was one of the few individuals who didn't give a damn about Silver Hair's influence.
"Mhm, I will be careful." A perfect curve graced the corner of Lily's lips. "Thank you so much for the ride, Jimbe."
After watching "First Son of the Sea" Jimbe depart with a hint of reluctance, Lily, dressed in a sharp black suit, finally turned around to survey the island with her emerald-green eyes.
It was a typical Summer Island. Not far from the coast lay a dense, primeval jungle, and through the dappled leaves, she could make out the towering cliffs at the center of the island, capped by a massive snake-like sculpture.
"Kuja..."
Recalling the massive characters carved into the cliff face that she had spotted from afar, Lily composed herself. Grasping the hilt of the knight's sword at her waist, she dove straight into the primeval jungle.
Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting patches of dappled shadows. Countless nameless birds flitted through the woods, imbuing the place with boundless vitality.
The temperature inside the jungle was stifling, and the White Knight was clad in a rather thick men's suit. Yet despite this, Lily showed no signs of discomfort in such an environment; not even a bead of sweat graced her pale cheeks.
Forging through the harsh environment, the White Knight cut her way through the brambles, marching forward with steady, resolute steps—the perfect embodiment of her unyielding and indomitable knightly spirit.
However, an hour passed...
(Wait... am I lost?)
Lines of exasperation practically mapped across the White Knight's face as she stood beneath a towering ancient tree of unknown centuries. The ahoge atop her head, usually standing proudly upright, now drooped listlessly, mirroring its master's mood.
Though Lily loathed to admit that she, the crown prince to the King of Knights, was actually directionally challenged, she genuinely had no idea which way to go right now.
Swish!
Just as the ahoge knight was lost in thought, the sharp sound of tearing air suddenly zipped closer from afar!
Having already sensed the danger, Lily tilted her head slightly. An arrow shot past at high speed, grazing her golden strands of hair before embedding itself deeply into the tree trunk.
"Who's there?"
Resting her hand grimly on the hilt of the sword at her waist, Lily stared intently into the depths of the jungle, her emerald eyes as sharp as blades.
"That's a question I should be asking you, stranger."
Accompanied by a bold, spirited female voice, several scantily clad Amazon warriors wearing capes emerged from the nearby underbrush. Each held a longbow fashioned from a living snake, arrows notched and aimed directly at the White Knight as if facing a formidable foe.
"You have trespassed into our country. What is your business here?"
While Amazon Lily only explicitly banned men, that did not mean women from the outside world could wander into Kuja territory as they pleased.
(Armament Haki...)
Lily glanced at the arrow, which had sunk nearly up to its fletching into the trunk. Sensing the faint, threatening aura radiating from their bows, her expression turned slightly peculiar.
(Their arrows are imbued with Armament Haki... How strange. I remember Cynthia saying that Haki is exceedingly rare in the first half of the Grand Line.)
Shaking her head, Lily released her sword hilt. She placed her right hand over her chest and offered a textbook knightly salute to the cool and elegant warrior who had spoken.
"Please, do not be alarmed. I mean no harm."
Politeness, respect for others, humility, and prudence—these were the codes of conduct governing an exceptional knight's daily interactions. Having received the finest knightly upbringing since childhood, the White Knight had integrated these noble qualities into her very bones.
"I am Silver Hair's contracted knight, the White Knight, Lily. I have come to deliver a letter to Snake Princess Hancock," Lily announced composedly, her voice ringing with a reassuring openness.
"Silver Hair?" they muttered in unison.
Upon hearing Lily's explanation, the rest of the warriors looked utterly bewildered, but the expression of the cool and elegant leader shifted dramatically.
"Lower your weapons," the elegant woman ordered, taking the lead by lowering her own bow. The snake serving as her longbow relaxed its body, coiling affectionately around her arm.
"Captain Kikyo, why...?"
A voluptuous Amazon warrior with short, flipped-up blonde hair looked on in confusion.
"This is an order Snake Princess Hancock handed down a long time ago, Margaret. Back then, you girls hadn't even become Kuja Warriors yet."
The warrior captain named Kikyo explained to her subordinates, "If anyone from Silver Hair's faction arrives at Amazon Lily, they must be brought before Snake Princess Hancock immediately, and word of their arrival must be reported to her without delay."
"No matter the circumstances..."
The palace where the successive rulers of the Kuja resided was a massive castle built into the mountainside. Most members of the Kuja Pirates and the Kuja Warriors lived inside this grand, uniquely styled structure.
But following the sudden, frantic ringing of a bell, the Amazon warriors began evacuating the castle in an orderly and rapid fashion. Seeing how practiced and familiar they were with the routine, it gave off the distinct vibe of a fire drill...
Soon, only three people remained in the vast castle.
On the highest floor of the castle, within a spacious, steam-filled bath, a breathtakingly beautiful, porcelain-skinned body was soaking in the water.
"Haaah..."
Exhaling a soft breath, Boa Hancock narrowed her eyes. The warm bathwater cast an alluring flush across her flawless, supple skin.
Hancock loved taking baths. Aside from basic hygiene, she thoroughly enjoyed the brief moments of serenity that came with clearing her mind while soaking in the water.
Even though being submerged in water induced a faint sense of weakness in her due to being a Devil Fruit user who couldn't swim, the Snake Princess never grew tired of it, spending an extended period in the bath every single time.
(Doing this seems to cause quite a bit of trouble for everyone else, doesn't it?)
Hancock thought to herself. After all, every time she bathed, she would make a massive production out of it, turning the entire castle upside down.
(But so what? No matter how selfish I am, or how much trouble I cause them, they will always forgive me in the end...)
(...Because I am simply too beautiful!)
At that thought, the Pirate Empress's rosy, delicate lips curled upward into a mesmerizing smile capable of enchanting all of creation.
"Sister! They're here! They're here!"
Heavy, frantic footsteps shattered the serenity of the bathhouse. Accompanied by a string of ecstatic shouts, a large woman with long orange hair burst into the room.
Disturbed mid-bath, Hancock's expression soured. She glanced at her youngest sister and said coldly, "What is the matter? Marigold, who is here?"
"Sister... Sister..."
Marigold was so worked up she could barely speak. It took her a long moment to gather herself before she managed to squeeze out a single sentence:
"They're here! Lisanna sent someone to Amazon Lily!"
The moment the words left her mouth...
Splaaaaash! In a flash, water sprayed violently in all directions as the steam in the bathhouse was blasted away by a sudden gust of wind.
Before Marigold's eyes could even register what was happening, her eldest sister's figure vanished from the bathhouse completely.
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