"Your Majesty, Amazon Lily has had an absolute ban on men for hundreds of years. Any man who enters this place must be eliminated. Now that this man has dared set foot on Amazon Lily, we must execute him!"
With an icy expression, Aishi pointed at Barn, who was surrounded by women below the castle.
"But you're the one who brought him back."
The empress twirled her pink hair around her hand and pouted at Aishi.
"That... was a failure on my part, but Amazon Lily's rules must never be abandoned! Men are unknown creatures. We have no idea what hidden dangers he might pose. So, Her Majesty the Empress, please give the order to execute him!"
Aishi remained adamant that Barn should be executed. Had Barn heard her, he would surely have pointed right at her nose and said, "Did I kill your whole family or do something else to you? Why the hell are you so determined to kill me?!"
The empress was still young and kind, lacking the ruthlessness expected of a capable ruler. But Aishi's firm stance put her in an awkward position.
"How about this? Bring him up here, and let's hear what he has to say."
Hearing the empress say that, Aishi had no choice but to relent. She knelt before her and said, "As you command."
Meanwhile, Barn was surrounded by a pack of female lechers, desperately protecting the only scrap he had to cover himself.
What the hell is going on? Where am I? What's wrong with all these women?! This world is insane!
As Barn thought this, a cold female voice rang out.
"Take him to the palace. Her Majesty the Empress wishes to see him."
It was Aishi. She pointed at Barn as she spoke, then glanced at him struggling desperately inside the cage and added,
"Find him some clothes. How could we let Her Majesty the Empress see him like this?!"
"But we only have women's clothes on Amazon Lily..."
The female warrior who had accompanied Aishi looked troubled.
"Then give him back his own clothes!"
Aishi's voice remained cold.
"Yes!"
Barn had no idea where they were taking him. All he wanted was to get out of those female lechers' sight immediately.
"That was terrifying." Barn was still shaken.
Barn was dressed in his original clothes and brought to Amazon Lily's palace.
The empress reclined lazily on her throne, endlessly winding her long pink hair around her right index finger. Below the throne, an enormous blue python lay coiled on the floor, flicking its tongue at a bird in a cage on a nearby stone pedestal.
The bird seemed utterly terrified, its tiny body huddled in a corner of the cage.
Just then, someone entered. At the sight of the newcomer, the caged bird immediately began chirping loudly, a trace of joy in its cries.
The bird was Fitz, and the person who had entered was Barn.
Hearing the chirping, Barn immediately exclaimed in delight, "Fitz! You're here too!"
Fitz chirped back.
But Aishi, who had been standing nearby all along, cut them off in an icy voice. "Silence! No shouting in the palace!"
Barn could only shut his mouth sullenly, though inwardly he grumbled, You're the loudest one here!
Then a sweet voice rang out, as lovely as Seria's singing. Barn couldn't help falling into a brief daze as he heard her speak.
"Man, you have entered Amazon Lily's territory. According to our rules, no one is allowed to land on this island, especially men. According to Aishi, commander of our Kuja Warriors, we must execute you."
The empress played with her hair, looking entirely unconcerned, yet her casual words decided whether Barn would live or die.
A torrent of curses thundered through Barn's mind.
What?! This is Amazon Lily? How did eating a piece of fruit land me here?! Barn knew Amazon Lily's rules, so naturally, he also knew the empress hadn't been joking. He had to resolve this now, or he really would be executed.
"Um... um..."
"You are speaking to Her Majesty Gloriosa, Empress of Amazon Lily!" Aishi reminded Barn coldly.
Gloriosa nodded as well.
"Um, Your Majesty Gloriosa, I didn't mean to land on your esteemed island. If I'd known this was Amazon Lily, I wouldn't have dared come here, no matter how much courage I could muster!"
Barn spoke respectfully. All he wanted now was to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.
"Hmm, you have a point. Aishi was the one who brought you onto the island."
Gloriosa lightly tapped her lips with her right index finger as she spoke.
"Exactly, Your Majesty Gloriosa. Just let Fitz and me go, and we'll leave immediately!"
"No! Amazon Lily isn't somewhere you can come and go as you please! Her Majesty the Empress, our rules cannot be abandoned. I request his execution!"
Aishi immediately objected, then pointed at Barn and spoke coldly.
Barn was utterly speechless. Who even are you? I don't know you! Why are you so determined to kill me?!
Gloriosa tapped her lips with her index finger again and said,
"Aishi has a very good point, but this man does too. Oh dear, Aishi, what do you think?"
Not wanting to make things difficult for Gloriosa, Aishi spoke up.
"Your Majesty, I request that he be subjected to the death penalty by combat!"
Hearing Aishi's suggestion, the empress struck her right palm with her left fist and said,
"That's right! Man, if you can defeat Aishi, captain of my Kuja Warriors, I'll let you and your bird go!"
Knowing the story, Barn naturally understood what the death penalty by combat meant.
He shook his head helplessly. "Looks like there's no avoiding this fight."
"Your Majesty Gloriosa, please return my bird and sword."
"All right."
Barn asked Gloriosa for his weapon and Fitz, and she readily agreed.
Just then, Aishi walked over to Barn and said, "Man, you're dead!"