That night, everyone returned to Hancock's royal villa. The three women—Hancock, Daphne, and Ellie—were excitedly discussing their plans for the next day. Ellie was visiting Amazon Lily for the first time, and Daphne hadn't stayed long the last time she came, only dropping by to pick someone up. So the three agreed: tomorrow, they'd take their time and explore the island properly.
"Um… so, my three lovely wives, since you're all going out tomorrow… what am I supposed to do?" Karl asked, sprawled lazily across the bed. Just the thought of spending an entire day alone at home made him feel like he'd die of boredom.
"Why don't you dress up as a woman and come with us, dear husband?" Daphne said with a playful smile. She clearly thought it would be hilarious.
"Well… if Lord Karl doesn't mind, this concubine has plenty of cheongsams that might fit you," Hancock joined in, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Uh… let's not, shall we? I'll just stay home and wait for you all to come back," Karl said quickly, the horrifying mental image of himself in makeup and a cheongsam flashing through his mind.
"Hahaha~ then you better be a good boy while we're out!" Ellie giggled, patting Karl's head affectionately. Her husband was just too adorable sometimes.
"Then I'll make sure you're very well-behaved tonight!" Karl grinned wickedly as he suddenly flipped her beneath him.
That night was anything but peaceful. The wind and the clouds outside seemed to blush at the sounds that came from the villa.
The next morning, the three women were up early, doing their makeup and putting on the outfits they had picked out the day before. When they left together, they were so dazzling that Karl could only lie there, abandoned on a bed that still carried the scent of last night's passion, feeling pitifully lonely.
Was he really going to spend the whole day cooped up here?
Then it hit him—there was that island near Amazon Lily, the one where Rayleigh had trained Luffy. Maybe there was something interesting there!
Having made up his mind, Karl got dressed and took off.
In no time, he arrived above the island and descended by the giant radish-like tree in the center. Closing his eyes, he spread out his Observation Haki—sure enough, the island was crawling with powerful beasts.
No wonder Luffy had grown so much in just two years of training here!
Karl started walking deeper into the forest. He hadn't gone far when a massive gorilla—easily twenty meters tall—appeared, blocking his path.
The creature beat its chest and roared furiously when it saw Karl approaching without fear, the sound echoing through the jungle.
"So noisy," Karl muttered, his eyes flashing red as his Conqueror's Haki burst forth. Instantly, the gorilla froze, terror in its eyes as it tried to flee.
But Karl wasn't about to waste such a fine beast. It'd make a perfect ride!
He vanished in a blur and reappeared in front of the gorilla, kicking it hard enough to send it flying through several trees. Then, before it could react, Karl appeared beside it again.
"You're going to be my mount for the day, and if you behave, I'll let you go safely," Karl said calmly.
To his amusement, the gorilla nodded vigorously—it actually understood him!
"Hahaha! Didn't expect you to be that smart. All right, let's go!" Karl laughed, leaping up onto its broad shoulder and motioning for it to move forward.
As they ventured deeper, Karl marveled at the towering trees and the occasional distant roar of beasts, but nothing seemed particularly special.
"Hey, big guy, is there anything unusual in this forest?" Karl asked suddenly. If this creature was one of the island's strongest, it might know something interesting.
Sure enough, the gorilla pointed a trembling finger deeper into the woods and let out a low, uneasy growl.
"You mean there's something really strong over there?" Karl asked, noticing how the gorilla's expression turned serious—and fearful.
It nodded rapidly, warning him not to go.
"Now that's interesting! Let's check it out!" Karl said with a grin.
But no matter what he said, the gorilla refused to move another step. Karl didn't force it—he let the poor thing go and continued on alone.
Oddly enough, the deeper he went, the quieter it became. Not a single beast appeared.
That was strange—this island was supposed to be full of powerful creatures.
Eventually, Karl arrived before a mountain shaped like a coiled serpent. On closer look, it wasn't just snake-shaped—it looked like a dragon!
"What the hell—there's a mountain like this here?!" Karl exclaimed, eyes wide.
Before he could get closer, hissing sounds erupted all around him.
He barely glanced their way and released a wave of Conqueror's Haki. The snakes nearest to him immediately dropped unconscious, but those farther away stayed put, circling him and hissing threateningly.
Then, several enormous serpents appeared from the shadows—each one as big as the massive snake he'd once seen on Skypiea. There were nine of them in total!
Holy crap… Nine giant snakes?! Could this have something to do with Amazon Lily's "Nine Snakes"? Or… was this the real "Nine Snakes Island"?
The nine serpents didn't attack, but they kept hissing at him, clearly warning him not to approach the mountain. If he dared to, they would strike without hesitation.
Karl studied the mountain, torn. Should he explore it now—or go back and bring Hancock and the others here?
After a moment's thought, he decided to retreat. These nine serpents clearly weren't ordinary, and this place might indeed be connected to Amazon Lily. It was better to return with Hancock's insight.
As Karl withdrew, the nine giant snakes didn't pursue him. It was as if their sole duty was to guard that mountain.
Back at the great radish tree, Karl stared in the direction of the "Nine Snakes Mountain," feeling the itch of curiosity almost overwhelm him. But in the end, he sighed, took one last look, and flew back toward Amazon Lily.
When he returned, the three women were already home. Daphne and Ellie had bought loads of Amazon Lily–style dresses and jewelry.
Karl arrived just in time to see them step out wearing their new outfits—curves accentuated perfectly, every motion radiating charm. The sight hit him like a thunderbolt, and his nose immediately began to gush blood.
"Lord Karl! Are you all right?!" Hancock rushed over in alarm, using her delicately perfumed handkerchief to wipe his nose.
Daphne turned at the commotion, saw Karl staring at them with blood dripping from his nose, then glanced down at her own outfit—and instantly understood.
"You rascal!" she scolded, shooting him a look before dragging Ellie off to change, afraid he might lose control.
"I'm fine, Hancock. Probably just overheated or something. I'll go take a cold shower, and I'll be fine," Karl said quickly, watching her worried expression.
Ahh… as expected, Hancock really is the most caring one… he thought sentimentally.
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