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Deep within the Calm Belt, a sea notorious among ordinary pirates, lies a region teeming with the nests of giant Sea Kings.
The tranquil surface of the water is dotted with floating mini-islands—these are the peculiar and massive Sea Kings, now reduced to lifeless hulks with enormous lumps on their heads, clearly in a state beyond recovery.
In front of the Sea Kings' carcasses, the Endless Dream sailed forward slowly, leaving a long, rippling wake behind it.
For the Endless Dream, equipped with an electric propulsion system, the Calm Belt posed no challenge at all.
With the aid of nautical charts and Zyhark's natural radar, pinpointing the exact location of Amazon Lily, the island of women, was no difficult task.
As Meowth increased the engine power, the ship's stern burst with energy, propelling them forward at breakneck speed.
Before long, a lush, mountainous island came into view, and inscribed in the center of the island were the characters for "Kuja."
"An island full of women, this is going to be interesting."
Perched atop the ship's figurehead, the statue of the Water Goddess, Meowth peered through a telescope, scanning the island ahead.
"An island of women, delicious food, an island of women, delicious food~"
Kanna sat beside Meowth, her legs dangling in the air, swaying back and forth as she repeated the same phrases over and over, clearly already salivating over the "prey" on the island.
"Uh, so this is that place ruled by that crazy woman, huh?"
In contrast, Aqua seemed entirely unenthused about Amazon Lily. The usually shopping-obsessed goddess, who would clamor to buy wine on every new island, was unusually hesitant about disembarking, wary of Hancock's "attentions."
This was a rare occurrence for the goddess, who usually relished being admired and praised—it was like seeing a pig fly!
Perhaps this was the ultimate counter to the lovesick.
"Get ready to dock," Zyhark reminded.
Amid the crew's musings, it took only a few seconds for the Endless Dream to reach the port of Amazon Lily.
A large circular gate adorned with the symbol of the Kuja Pirates blocked their path, cutting off access to the wide sea lane.
"Who goes there?!"
On top of the gate, scantily clad female warriors, eyes full of vigilance, tightened their grip on their snake-shaped bows, aiming directly at Zyhark and his crew on the deck.
As the defenders of Amazon Lily, they had spotted the mysterious ship from afar and were on high alert.
"The Sea Restaurant crew, or rather, the Warlords of the Sea now," Zyhark announced his presence while also observing the sharp-eyed warriors on the other side.
They were beautiful, with great figures, but none were particularly familiar to him. After all, this was ten years before Luffy set out to sea, so warriors like Marguerite, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra were probably still children.
"Warlords of the Sea, the Sea Restaurant crew?" The lead warrior frowned.
Amazon Lily was largely isolated from the outside world, so much so that they didn't even know what Devil Fruits or men were. Naturally, they hadn't heard of Zyhark.
As a result, the warriors tightened their bowstrings even further, ready to release a volley of Haki-infused arrows that could pierce through the Endless Dream!
"What are you playing at? Hurry up and open the gate for this goddess, or I'll flood your whole island!"
Aqua, who had little patience to begin with, shouted at them, pointing aggressively.
This outburst wiped away any hesitation the warriors might have had.
"Shoot! Sink that ship!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Arrows infused with Haki whistled through the air, forming a massive net as they descended upon the Endless Dream.
Yet, as the arrows were about to pierce through, the crew on deck remained unfazed—not even the usually timid King activated his Emperor Engine.
Compared to the battles with Admirals and Emperors, this was nothing.
Zzzzt.
A barely perceptible arc of electricity flickered, and it was as if time had frozen—the arrows suddenly halted in midair, suspended motionless.
This loudmouthed fool never learns. Can't she wait for them to at least report our arrival first?
Zyhark sighed heavily in his heart, then raised his arm and casually flicked his fingers.
In an instant, the arrows bound by static electricity spun around and shot back toward the gate.
Thud, thud, thud! The arrows struck the thick gate, missing the warriors entirely but leaving deep holes in the wood.
A few strands of hair floated gently to the ground at their feet, and the warriors, stunned by this unimaginable display of power, stood frozen.
The strength of their opponent was far beyond anything they could handle!
In just one move, these battle-hardened warriors understood the vast gap in power between them.
"Hurry! Go inform the leaders of the Kuja Pirates!"
The lead warrior snapped out of her shock and urgently ordered her teammates to spread the word.
"No need, your Snake Princess is already on her way," Zyhark said calmly.
"You... you know our Snake Princess?" The lead warrior, sweating, was shocked.
Even as she spoke, a purple figure was rapidly darting through the streets, leaping from roof to roof with incredible speed.
With her long legs propelling her forward, black hair streaming behind her, and her snake earrings swaying, Hancock, dressed in a purple cheongsam, landed atop the gate in one swift motion.
"Snake Princess! These foreigners are—"
Before the leader could finish her sentence, Hancock kicked her aside.
"Silence! How dare you disrespect my honored guest! Are you ready to face the consequences?!"
Hancock's eyes were cold, her beautiful face radiating murderous intent.
Upon hearing that the Sea Restaurant crew had arrived at Amazon Lily, Hancock had immediately jumped from the Kuja Palace and rushed to the port.
The warriors were dumbfounded.
They had never seen the Snake Princess so angry, and they all knelt on one knee, not daring to utter a word.
"Let it go, Hancock. They were just doing their duty."
Knowing Hancock's lovesick nature all too well, Zyhark quickly intervened.
Hancock turned her head, looking toward the deck of the Endless Dream. As soon as she spotted that intelligent blue figure, the murderous intent in her eyes melted into hearts.
"Ah~ Lady Aqua, did you just say you'd accept my marriage proposal?!"
Aqua: "..."
Her expression turned to one of utter disgust, and the usually fearless goddess quietly retreated behind Zyhark, trying to make herself as small as possible.
All her earlier bravado about flooding the island vanished.
She realized she had no idea how to handle someone as bizarre as Hancock!
Under Hancock's near-commanding orders, the circular gate slowly opened, allowing the Endless Dream to enter and dock beside the Perfume Yuda.
The group disembarked and stepped onto the secluded island, which could only be described as a paradise for men.
On the streets lined with traditional Chinese-style buildings, countless beautiful women peeked out, curiously observing the foreigners that the Snake Princess herself had come to greet.
After all, even the mighty Navy wasn't allowed to set foot on their land and could only anchor in the surrounding waters!
"Foreigners from the outside... could they be the legendary men?"
One particularly curious woman's question sent a wave of intrigue through the residents of Amazon Lily.
More and more women gathered, watching Zyhark and his crew from behind cover—if the Snake Princess weren't there, they would likely have rushed over to touch and feel these strange beings...
Hancock led the way, kicking aside any cats or dogs that got in her path. Her eyes, filled with admiration and love, occasionally glanced back at Aqua.
Aqua, feeling increasingly uneasy, clung to Zyhark like a frightened schoolgirl.
In contrast, Zyhark, Meowth, and King appeared far more relaxed, taking in the vibrant, Chinese-inspired scenery of the island.
"So, it really is a country entirely of women. I can't believe such a place actually exists in this world, Meowth!" Meowth marveled.
He had little interest in human women; his curiosity was purely about the phenomenon of Amazon Lily.
"Kanna greets you all."
Kanna, using her universal greeting phrase, waved to the residents of Amazon Lily.
Whenever a small cat or dog crossed her path, she would pounce and gobble it up in one gulp.
It was a gift from the heavens—how could she, a foodie ancient dragon, let it go to waste?
King, with his arms crossed, maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor, but the faint hum of his Emperor Engine betrayed the storm brewing within him.
Sure, he was a hardcore gamer, but any man who found himself surrounded by women like this was bound to have some thoughts!
Thank goodness Brook had already left the ship—if he were here, the nosebleed would probably spray higher than Aqua's Banquet technique.
Even though he was just a skeleton and didn't actually have a nose to bleed from. Yohohoho~
Amid the stares of countless sexy women, Zyhark and his crew quickly arrived at the Kuja Palace, perched at the highest point of the island.
The members of the Kuja Pirates lined up to welcome them, and inside the reception hall, Rayleigh, Shakky, Elder Nyon, and the Boa sisters were already waiting.
As the heavy red wooden doors slowly closed, and after a brief round of introductions, everyone took their seats.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Zyhark, and the Sea Restaurant crew."
Rayleigh, wearing round glasses, smiled.
"Rayleigh, Shakky, I didn't get a chance to say it earlier, but I'm truly grateful for your help at the Sabaody Archipelago!"
Zyhark expressed his heartfelt thanks.
"It's nothing. We just showed our faces in front of two old friends, and it's good to stretch these old bones once in a while."
Rayleigh waved off the thanks and handed Zyhark a cup of freshly brewed tea. "But you, the news about you has been all over the sea lately."
Whether it was fighting Z at Water 7, defeating Crocodile in Alabasta, or becoming a Warlord of the Sea after killing a Celestial Dragon—every event had left this legendary pirate shocked.
In less than a month, this young man had delivered one shocking event after another, to the point where calling it a miracle didn't seem like an exaggeration!
"It was mostly out of necessity. Compared to legends like you, I still have a long way to go," Zyhark replied modestly.
"That may not be the case."
Shakky, standing beside Rayleigh with a cigarette in hand, stared at Zyhark with her deep, experienced eyes.
"I've heard some rumors lately. Word has it you appeared at the Celestial Dragons' Holy Land of Mary Geoise and caused quite a commotion?"
While the news hadn't reached the wider world, the clash of Conqueror's Haki that had erupted over Mary Geoise hadn't gone unnoticed by those with a keen eye.
As a former renowned pirate, Shakky's intelligence network wasn't any weaker than the major powers, so she had picked up on some insider information.
Though it was only a little bit.
"As expected of Shakky, to know even about that..."
Zyhark couldn't help but admire her intelligence-gathering skills. "Yes, I did have a bit of a clash with the God's Knights in Mary Geoise."
Hearing this direct admission, Rayleigh, Shakky, and Elder Nyon's expressions all changed slightly.
Having directly or indirectly participated in the battle at God Valley, they were well aware of the God's Knights, the Celestial Dragons' hidden fighting force, and understood both their status and strength.
Yet Zyhark had clashed with them and still managed to secure his position as a Warlord of the Sea and safely leave Mary Geoise...
The complex and significant implications of this were unimaginable!
"Amazing... No wonder Rayleigh and Shakky were willing to reveal themselves to help."
Elder Nyon, leaning on her snake-shaped cane, scrutinized Zyhark, trying to discern what set this handsome young man apart.
Meanwhile, Hancock, who was diligently serving tea and doting on Aqua, fell into a rare moment of silence.
Biting her nails with her perfect white teeth, her brows furrowed in thought as she focused on Zyhark.
This man could resist her petrifying charms, was the captain of Lady Aqua's ship, and had clashed with the World Government's Five Elders and the God's Knights, yet still left the hell of Mary Geoise unscathed...
Rayleigh and Shakky, seeing that Hancock still hadn't gotten over Aqua even after meeting the Sea Restaurant crew, realized that Zyhark hadn't told her the truth about killing a Celestial Dragon.
So, they chose to go along with it, keeping the real story under wraps.
While Hancock might be a simple lovesick girl when it came to the Celestial Dragons, she was also one of the sharpest Warlords of the Sea, and she had keenly picked up on certain key details! Her unwavering love for Aqua was beginning to shift.
"Back to business, Zyhark."
Reining in his shock, Rayleigh took a sip of warm tea. "You didn't come all the way to Amazon Lily just to say thanks, did you?"
[Before I knew it, I had written so much. I should try to be more concise moving forward. And as for Hancock, I've been struggling with the stylistic constraints—damn it, in the next story, I'm definitely going to create a harem!!!]
(End of Chapter)