@Zephos:
1. Its Japan
2. Its a comic for pre-teen boys in a magazine for pre-teen boys IN Japan
Zephos said what I've been expecting all along. I read newspapers and the general "feel" of Japan culture towards women is different to the west. They are only just going through the women rights thing whereas we've already been there. Recently the Japan big cheese had to apologise after saying women were just machines for producing babies.
The birth rate in Japan is down because women are putting off marriage due to careers. The general thing is once marriage is mention, the guy takes over everything. So if a woman has a business, she finds its being pulled away from her, many don't like that idea. And as one japanese guy I met said, things like computing and other normally male centred places, women just don't do those things (even if in animes they do).
So there you go, never expect a strong female character from any manga. If you do get one, she is 75% of the time there as eye candy. Rare is she the threat. And with one shichibukai left, I'm doubting it even more. Maybe there will be one strong female later, but she will just be a once off and most of the ones we've met so far are just supporting cast. Look at what we've seen also of the Yonkou crews, did Shanks or WB have women on their crew?