It's never a coincidence when two things in a work of fiction share a name. In real life, many people share names, but fictional stories can preserve the names of each person, place, or thing unique. It usually implies that one thing is called after another; for example, a bridge named after a local hero or a child named after a friend or relative. Even in a series as expansive as One Piece, only a handful of characters, places, and things share a name, and there's always a reason for it.
This narrative trope makes One Piece's recent introduction of Nefertari Lily noteworthy. She is named after the Amazon Lily. At first glance, these two things appear unrelated; one is the queen of Alabasta 800 years ago, and the other is an island of women and snakes. However, if they share a name, this could serve as the foundation for other linkages. The history of the queen and the maiden island is unknown, but this could be an opportunity to discover more about both. For all anyone knows, Lily was personally responsible for the nation's founding. The only way to find out is to examine both and see where the missing pieces might fit.
How Are Nefertari Lily and Amazon Lily Related?
Liy's potential fate has to do with Chapter 1084, "The Attempted Murder of a Celestial Dragon," and its revelations. Fans had already been told that the then-queen of Alabasta was the only founder of the World Government not to become a Celestial Dragon. Chapter 1084 not only confirmed Lily's name but also that she mysteriously vanished between her rejection and her return home; Alabasta's rule was instead passed on to the next in line for the throne. The queen's fate remains anyone's guess.
Lily may have understood even back then what an oppressive force the World Government would become and tried to get away from it altogether. She could have taken a select few and ended up on what would eventually become Amazon Lily. From there, she could start a new kingdom independent of the World Government. This would explain the island's independence and strict isolationism.
It wouldn't have mattered why Lily would have a kingdom named after herself when she was attempting to dodge the World Government. The World Government was only made up of 20 kingdoms back then. Furthermore, Amazon Lily is located near the impassable Calm Belt. Lily could not have expected the World Government expanding to over 170 nations, or Dr. Vegapunk's technologies making travel to this island so safe and easy.
What happened to Nefertari Lily?
Lily founding her own country would also explain her strange absence. She could have arranged it and begged her family to keep her fate hidden. She may have exploited the previous Poseidon's powers to successfully navigate through the Sea King-infested waters of the Calm Belt. That is, provided she hasn't been "erased" by Imu for betraying them and the World Government.
Whatever the truth is about Amazon Lily and the former queen of Alabasta, the names are strikingly similar. Unless Viz Media changes the spelling of the queen's name to "Lili" to match the other Nefertari ladies, it's safe to presume she has some relation to the Maiden Island. As an aside, it would be fitting if Nefertari Cobra has some link to a woman who went on to build a snake-themed island.
