Amazon Lily, also known as the Isle of Women, is a mysterious island inhabited solely by women—a place many dreams of visiting. However, it is located in the Calm Belt next to the Grand Line, a region notorious for being swarmed with Sea Kings. Ordinary ships can hardly make it anywhere near the island.
Even if someone were lucky enough to make it to the island and somehow land there, they would still have to reach the Nine Snake Tribe's nation, hidden deep within the jungles and perched on high mountains. The jungle beasts on Amazon Lily are several times more ferocious than the animals found on most other islands.
And even if someone miraculously entered the Nine Snake Tribe's village, the women living there would immediately drive them out—or worse, kill them on the spot. Amazon Lily has upheld a strict "no men allowed" policy for centuries. For any man, entering the island means certain death. Women, on the other hand, stand a better chance of survival.
More importantly, every girl born on Amazon Lily is raised to be a warrior. Nearly everyone on the island is strong enough to fight, and each woman is paired with a snake from birth…
When Takumi thought of Amazon Lily, the first person who came to mind was the island's ruler, Boa Hancock—the Pirate Empress, captain of the Kuja Pirates, and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Boa Hancock, renowned for her unparalleled beauty, is often hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world by many. But it's not just her looks that are formidable—she also possesses the powers of the Love-Love Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows her to turn people to stone with a mere glance.
While Hancock's strength is undeniable, there's another aspect to consider. She is incredibly prideful, headstrong, and has an intense disdain for others—especially men, stemming from the traumatic experiences of her past.
Takumi knew that the moment they set foot on Amazon Lily, he, Enel, and Kaku would immediately become targets.
Especially from Hancock.
She would certainly attack them.
Though Takumi wasn't too concerned—after all, Hancock didn't scare him—he couldn't say the same for Enel and Kaku.
Kaku, on the other hand, still had doubts when he heard that Takumi planned to go to Amazon Lily. He almost thought Takumi was joking.
"I've never been there," Kaku admitted with a strained smile, "but I've heard stories. Amazon Lily is a place where men are strictly forbidden. If the three of us really land there, we'll probably get kicked off the island before we even reach the town…"
"A place where men are banned?" Enel mused, stroking his chin. "Does that mean the island is full of women?"
Kaku nodded. "That's right."
"Hah, what a joke," Enel scoffed. "If the island is full of women, how do they keep having children? Don't tell me these women are popping out of nowhere like they came from a crack in a rock."
Enel's comment left Kaku a bit embarrassed. "Well… I don't know much about that…"
"Ha! It's just a ruse to trick outsiders," Enel said smugly. "There's got to be men hiding on that island. Want to bet on it?"
Kaku chuckled. "What's the point of betting on something like that…"
Ignoring him, Enel turned to Takumi. "Hey, Takumi, let's make a bet. I say there are men on that island, hiding somewhere."
Takumi sighed. "You're being ridiculous."
Enel grinned. "Come on, we're not doing anything else. If I win, you let me be captain for three days. And if I lose… well, I'll follow every order you give without question."
Kaku couldn't help but laugh. "What's the difference between that and how things already are?"
In response, Enel lashed out with a bolt of lightning. "Shut up, Long-Nose! Get back to the kitchen!"
This time, Kaku was prepared. He quickly pulled out a small device from his clothing—a miniature lightning rod of sorts. As Enel's lightning strike surged toward him, the device absorbed most of the electricity.
However, the force of the lightning exceeded the device's capacity, causing it to explode.
Fortunately, it absorbed enough of the lightning to prevent Kaku from suffering serious harm, though his hand was left tingling from the shock.
"Huh?" Enel blinked in surprise. "What was that thing?"
"Just a small lightning absorption device I made," Kaku said, shaking his hands to get rid of the numbness. "Some of the shipwrights at Sabaody gave me books on precision engineering, so I tried making one myself. I guess it didn't work too well, hahaha."
Enel rolled his eyes. "You've got way too much time on your hands…"
As far as Enel knew, Kaku spent most of his days reading books on shipbuilding, experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, cleaning the entire ship, and practicing martial arts. And now, it seemed, he had added a new hobby.
Where did this guy find the time?
Did he never sleep?
"Hahaha," Kaku laughed heartily. "That's just the way I am. Once I start learning something, I can't stop until I've mastered it. Don't worry—I know how to manage my time."
"You're insane." Enel waved him off. "Do whatever you want. If you drop dead from overwork, that's on you."
"Hahaha, I'm tougher than I look. It'll take a lot more than that to kill me," Kaku replied with a grin. "Anyway, I'm going to finish making dinner. It should be ready in about half an hour."
Enel lazily waved him off. "Yeah, yeah."
After Kaku disappeared into the kitchen, Enel reached for a magazine to pass the time.
That was when Takumi suddenly spoke up. "You should take a page out of Kaku's book."
Enel froze, pointing to himself. "Uh… me?"
Takumi didn't even look at him. "Who else?"
"That's really not necessary," Enel chuckled awkwardly. "With my strength, I don't need to work myself to death like Long-Nose does…"
Takumi smirked. "Wanna bet?"
Enel blinked in confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I'll bet you that Kaku's strength will surpass yours in three years."
Enel burst into laughter. "Ahahaha! That's impossible! I'm the Thunder God! There's no way that idiot with the long nose could ever surpass me. You're overestimating him, Captain."
"So," Takumi's grin widened, "you're too scared to take the bet?"
Enel fell silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes at Takumi, who was still fishing. "Something's off. You're being unusually talkative today…"
Takumi: "..."
"Hmph, fine. Since it's the captain asking, I'll indulge you," Enel said with a smug grin. "What are the stakes?"
"If you win, you get to be captain for three days," Takumi replied.
Enel's eye twitched. "That's the same thing I just suggested earlier! You're not even trying. Does that mean I get to boss you around and hit you without you fighting back for three days?"
Takumi: "..."
This guy had no ambition…
Takumi sighed. "Yeah."
"Alright!" Enel exclaimed, not even bothering to ask what the consequences would be if he lost. "Deal! I'll show you what true power looks like three years from now, and prove that I'm unbeatable!"
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