Even when she sensed El's strict attitude, Hancock beamed with joy.
To her, simply being able to speak with him was reason enough to be happy.
"We shall follow every order you give, Lord El!" she said with a bright smile.
El frowned slightly.
She spoke very sweetly, but who knew what absurd ideas she might suddenly come up with next?
He certainly couldn't predict it.
But Elder Nyon could see exactly how things stood.
Women in love were simply not governed by common sense—even the mighty Pirate Empress was no exception.
In short, aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship, El was treated almost like an emperor.
By now, every woman in the crew—and even those back on Amazon Lily—had already learned and were slowly coming to terms with one fact:
They were about to welcome a new ruler. A male ruler—something they had never even dared to imagine before.
And now, before their very eyes, their new emperor stood right here.
Even though Hancock was away from Amazon Lily, her previous orders were being carried out to the letter.
Before she left to meet El, she had commanded that preparations for his arrival continue without pause.
She had made it clear: if she returned and found anything less than perfect… there would be consequences.
So even without Hancock—the biggest admirer of them all—the island was preparing a grand welcome ceremony fit for the highest honor.
Truth be told, nothing like this had ever happened in Amazon Lily's history.
Not only had they never welcomed a male ruler, but until now, the very idea of an ordinary man setting foot on their island was unthinkable.
Because of that, there were no established rules or standards to follow.
They had no idea what El—or any man, for that matter—might like. They didn't know how to please their future king.
But if there was one thing they did know, it was how to please their current ruler, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock.
And the way to do that was simple: bring out every precious and beautiful thing the island possessed.
…
This was exactly the scene that greeted El when he finally arrived.
Every woman of rank and standing on the island had come to welcome him—an all-female assembly, of course.
To be honest, El had never experienced anything quite like it. Being the only man in such a crowd made him feel somewhat awkward.
And this was only the reception party waiting at the docks.
During the voyage, Hancock had already explained that they had prepared a very "sincere" welcome ceremony.
El wasn't entirely sure what "sincere" meant in Amazon Lily's terms, but now, seeing this, he was beginning to understand.
"I still say we should keep things simple," El said, looking at the vast crowd.
"That will not do," Hancock replied. It was the first time she had ever refused a request from him.
"Lord El, you are the future master of this island. They must know who you are."
She herself had gone through such ceremonies when she became empress.
"I won't be staying here for long. You will still be the one leading them," El said.
"Ah?!" Hancock covered her face with her hands. "You trust me that much? I am so deeply moved!"
"But… even so… no…" she insisted, unyielding on this one point alone.
"Even if you punish me, I will not change my mind. You must let them know exactly who rules Amazon Lily from now on!"
Even though it was a nation of women, life there was never entirely peaceful or safe.
Hancock understood this well. She had only reached her current position of absolute authority through strictness and strength.
Having walked that path herself, she naturally wanted El to possess the same supreme power over the island.
"Hmm…" El frowned.
He knew she meant well.
And he also knew that having Amazon Lily fully under his control, with every inhabitant loyal to him, would be an enormous advantage…
But looking at the scene before him, and imagining what lay ahead—facing the entire population of the island—El could already picture the endless sea of female warriors waiting for him.
"Please, step onto the island, Lord El."
Hancock spoke with utmost respect, her head bowed low.
It was the first time any member of the Kuja crew had ever seen their captain and ruler behave in such a manner.
They had heard of her decision long before. Even many among the crew knew of her intentions.
Yet, it was still hard for them to accept seeing the Pirate Empress act so… devoted.
"Is that really Her Majesty…?"
"Is this really necessary…?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down—she might hear you!"
If the women who spent every day by Hancock's side found this hard to understand, how would the rest of the island accept it?
Of course, with Hancock enforcing her will, the warriors of Amazon Lily could only keep any complaints or doubts to themselves.
But this kind of forced obedience would not help El truly take control.
If he had a choice, El wanted Amazon Lily to submit to him willingly and wholeheartedly.
The World Government and Navy recognized the Kuja Pirates and made them Warlords precisely because of their immense strength.
The Kuja clan's mastery of Haki was famous across the seas.
El's own power was already so great that he didn't urgently need their military support.
But not needing something didn't mean he didn't want it. The Kuja Pirates—and indeed the whole island—would be a powerful asset to any force.
Especially an Amazon Lily that was completely loyal to him; that would be a treasure beyond measure. Even El treated this matter with great importance.
And then there was Boa Hancock herself—a formidable power in her own right.
But it seemed that particular problem had already solved itself. Without El needing to do much at all, she was already fully devoted to his crew and his cause.
Back at Marine Headquarters, when El had declared an alliance between himself and Amazon Lily, he had done so based entirely on the attitude Hancock showed toward him.
Now, with her support, it seemed he could take control of the entire island without drawing his sword.
However, the biggest problem right now was… himself.
Facing so many proud female warriors and winning their loyalty was something El had absolutely no experience in.
But there was no turning back now.
"Very well." El nodded. He and the Kuja Pirates entered the island together.
Just as it had been at the harbor, the entire island had been transformed into a stage for welcoming him.
He never expected they would take things this far.
"This really isn't necessary," El said, feeling slightly embarrassed as he saw his name written everywhere and huge posters of himself hanging along the streets.
"No, it is absolutely necessary!" Hancock shook her head firmly.
"How else would they understand just how great and magnificent you are, Lord El?!"
El glanced at her with a strange expression, unsure what to say.
But since she was already so firmly on his side… he supposed he would just have to get used to it.
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