As Mohmoo drew closer to the island, Ryuuto realized it had been built into a veritable fortress.
Nine massive, serpentine statues crowned the island's peak. Below them, battlements were carved directly into the mountainside, and the face of the mountain bore the enormous emblem of the Kuja.
"Isn't this Amazon Lily?" Ryuuto blurted out, a jolt of surprise running through him.
"What's Amazon Lily?" Nami asked, curious.
"I thought Amazon Lily was just a legend, supposed to be in the Calm Belt," Ace said, clearly having heard of the place but now full of questions.
"Ace, haven't you been paying attention? We've been sailing in the Calm Belt this whole time!" Nami interjected, eager to answer since no one had explained it to her. As the ship's navigator, she was always acutely aware of the sea's conditions.
"Amazon Lily is the home of the Kuja, the country ruled by the Warlord, Empress Boa Hancock," Ryuuto explained.
"What? Another Warlord!" Nami's heart skipped a beat. How could Mohmoo randomly run into an island that just happened to be a Warlord's territory?
"Mohmoo, stop! Now!" Ryuuto shouted, seeing they were only a few hundred meters from the island.
"Moo?" Mohmoo let out a questioning bellow but obediently began to slow down.
"Hancock's bounty was 1.6 billion!" Ace added, recalling the wanted poster he'd seen before she became a Warlord.
"1.6 billion!!" Nami's face went sheet-white at the number.
"Mohmoo, run for it!" she cried, slapping the sea cow's head, urging it to turn around and flee.
"I think it's a little late for that," Ryuuto said, spotting numerous figures on the island who had noticed their approach. They were already drawing their bows, aiming in their direction.
"What is that thing! Halt!" Marguerite and the other warriors on the island shouted, seeing the colossal beast charging toward them.
It took time for Mohmoo to decelerate. Even as it slowed, its momentum carried it another 600 meters, bringing them less than 100 meters from the shore.
At this distance, the three figures atop Mohmoo's head were in plain sight of Marguerite and the others.
"Calm down! We just want to buy some food!" Ryuuto called out, standing up. He had no desire for a conflict with Amazon Lily.
"What? It's a man! Do not approach!" Marguerite exclaimed, staring at Ryuuto's face and realizing he was completely different from them.
"We won't come any closer! We just want to trade!" Ace also stood and shouted.
"What? Another man! This is incredible!"
"So that's what men look like?"
"Men are so strange! They don't have soft things on their chests like we do."
"That one is kind of handsome!"
The warriors of Amazon Lily looked on with expressions of pure curiosity, and a murmur of discussion broke out among them.
Listening to their chatter, Nami was bewildered. Had these women really never seen a man before? As it turned out, her guess was correct.
Deep within the Calm Belt, almost no ships ever reached Amazon Lily. Forget men; most of the inhabitants had never even seen a stranger in their entire lives if they hadn't left the island.
*These people are strange, too. Why does every one of them have a snake? Are they pets? I guess that's why they're called the Kuja,* Nami thought to herself.
"Who are you?" Suddenly, a towering figure emerged from behind the warriors. She had green hair and constantly flicked a forked tongue from her mouth. It was Boa Sandersonia, user of the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Anaconda.
"Commander!" Marguerite and the other warriors greeted her upon her arrival.
Hearing her question, Ryuuto felt he had no choice but to introduce them. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ryuuto, captain of the Tenryu Pirates. This is our navigator, Nami, and this is Ace, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Ryuuto? You're that infamous rookie who defeated Crocodile recently?" Sandersonia murmured, her tone growing heavy as she scrutinized the three of them. "And a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
And then there was the Sea King beneath them. The fact that these three had managed to reach the shores of Kuja using such a creature was a clear testament to their strength. They were not to be underestimated.
"This island forbids men from setting foot on its shores," Sandersonia reiterated, stating the law of Kuja. Then, her tone softened slightly. "However, if you only wish to purchase supplies, it's not entirely out of the question."
"Marguerite, take a few warriors and bring back some food and water," Sandersonia ordered.
"Understood!" At her command, several warriors lowered their bows and ran toward the island's interior.
This left only Sandersonia on the shore, facing the three people on Mohmoo's head in a quiet standoff.
"Hey Ryuuto, you think no man has ever actually been on this island before?" Ace asked, starting a conversation out of boredom.
"I doubt that. From what I know, I bet Rayleigh has been here more than a few times," Ryuuto replied, unable to resist joining the chat.
"Rayleigh? You mean... the first mate of the Roger Pirates?" Ace paused for a moment as the name surfaced in his memory.
"Yes, that's the one," Ryuuto confirmed with a nod.
"Why are they bringing up the first mate of the Roger Pirates now?" Nami muttered to herself, her curiosity piqued by their conversation.
"Moo!" Feeling uneasy with all the people on the shore staring at it, Mohmoo shook its head and let out a tremendous roar.
"What was that sound? It's terrifying!"
"It's like some ancient behemoth!"
The Kuja warriors, standing face to face with a 500-meter-long beast, felt a tremor of fear run through them at its thunderous cry. The mysterious, black lightning-like patterns covering its body only amplified their dread.
"Hmph. How could Mohmoo be scary?" Nami grumbled defensively. Mohmoo was so gentle; what was so frightening about a little roar?
As the minutes ticked by...
"So, you're Ryuuto? The one who killed the Sand-Crocodile in Alabasta?" A figure approached from the distance. Dressed in a purple qipao and followed by a large pink snake, she walked slowly toward them.
"The main event has arrived," Ryuuto sighed softly as he saw Hancock appear.
As Hancock drew closer, two figures became visible at her sides. To her left was a yellow-haired commander who also flicked her tongue like a snake—Boa Marigold, user of the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: King Cobra. To her right was a short, elderly woman leaning on a snake-headed staff—Gloriosa, the former empress of Amazon Lily from two generations ago.