At the same time, in the Revolutionary Army headquarters—
Dragon sat alone in a chair, a newspaper in his hand as well. On the front page was the full text of the proclamation Ronan had issued.
"Regardless of origin, regardless of status."
Staring at those words, Dragon couldn't help but sigh.
"I really did underestimate him before."
He recalled the scene in the Royal palace of Lulusia, when he and Ivankov had met that black-haired boy. Even then, he'd felt that child was anything but ordinary, possessing a composure far beyond his age.
Even so, the contents of the newspaper in front of him still made Dragon feel he'd underestimated Ronan.
In the long run, once this edict spread, it would directly shake the very foundations of noble rule in the surrounding nations. It was telling the world that ability was supreme, not bloodline or birth!
He even began to seriously suspect that behind Ronan there might be some extremely shrewd figure guiding him. Otherwise, how could an eight-year-old child possibly orchestrate such a seasoned scheme?
"Ivankov." Dragon called solemnly toward the doorway.
"Hee-haw! Dragon, what's up?" The okama king sashayed in.
Dragon handed him the newspaper, his tone more serious than ever. "Notify all of our bases in the Grand Line, first half: raise the priority level on monitoring the Lulusia Kingdom! In particular, keep a close watch on the movements of any 'talent' heading for Lulusia, and… on Ronan's every next move! I want to know everything about him!"
Ivankov took the paper. When his eyes fell on the contents, he froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something and nodded solemnly. "Understood, Dragon! I'll make the arrangements!"
Dragon's gaze drifted out the window, as if he could see that small figure sitting upon Lulusia's throne.
"Ronan, just what kind of person are you? Back when we met, you said with your own mouth that you didn't care about power, so what is all of this you're doing now for? Or do you have an even greater design?" he murmured to himself.
The storm stirred up by the edict continued to ferment, though it would be a long, drawn-out process.
And just like that, several months slipped quietly by.
On this day, as usual, Ronan was in his room handling the kingdom's affairs, guarded by Beth and Alicia.
"I really need someone to help me already!"
Although the edict had been in effect for several months, not a single person with real ability who could help him handle government affairs had appeared. Not even anyone halfway decent. Everyone who came was just there to freeload on food and drink.
"What a headache." Ronan couldn't help rubbing his temples, trying to dispel the frustration churning inside.
At that moment, a servant respectfully placed the latest issue of the World Economy News Paper in front of him.
When Ronan absentmindedly flipped the paper open and his gaze swept over the bold, enlarged headline and accompanying photo on the front page, his expression was instantly filled with shock.
"A Battle that Shakes the World! 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk of the Ōka Shichibukai Clashes with a Mysterious Woman Swordsman in the East Blue, Ends in a Draw!"
Beneath the headline were two long-distance candid photographs. One showed the iconic figure of "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk, the supreme-grade blade Yoru strapped to his back. The other was of a woman with flowing blond hair, a massive sword in her hands—and beneath that picture, the name "Teresa" was printed.
The article went into detail about this encounter that had taken place on a deserted island in the East Blue.
The report spared no effort painting how intense the battle had been. In the end, the two had fought fiercely for an entire day and night without deciding a winner, then each departed. The entire island, it said, had been flattened.
The story instantly blew up public opinion across the world!
"Hawk-Eye" Mihawk! The world's unanimously acknowledged number one swordsman! One of the Ōka Shichibukai! Someone had actually fought him to a draw—and that someone was a woman?!
For a time, the name "Teresa" spread through the Four Seas and the Grand Line. Everyone was arguing over who was stronger, her or Hawk-Eye. Her fame even briefly overshadowed that of Beth and Alicia, who'd slain the Golden Lion—after all, the Golden Lion had vanished from the stage of the world for many years, whereas Hawk-Eye was the currently active world's number one swordsman!
"Teresa… actually crossed blades with Hawk-Eye?"
Ronan hadn't expected Teresa's first battle in this world to be against Hawk-Eye. He wasn't worried about her safety; with her strength, even if she couldn't beat him, she would absolutely be able to protect herself. A draw was within expectations. He just wondered whether Teresa had unleashed her Yoki during the fight.
What surprised him was how fast Teresa and Tesoro were moving—and that they'd already made it to the East Blue. It seemed Tesoro's plan to build a commercial empire was proceeding steadily.
Teresa's "fame-making battle" had also, invisibly, draped both him and the Lulusia Kingdom in a halo—when even someone who could match the world's number one swordsman was one of the king's guards, that alone was an intangible deterrent.
However, the taller the tree, the more it catches the wind. As Teresa's fame skyrocketed, it inevitably drew unwanted attention.
The very next day after the paper came out, three CP-0 members in white suits and masks once again appeared like phantoms in the Royal palace of Lulusia, requesting an audience with Ronan.
"Ronan-sama." The CP-0 member in the lead spoke with a hint of respect in his tone. "Regarding the woman named Teresa in the report, who fought with 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk of the Ōka Shichibukai, the World Government wishes to know more detailed information. As far as we know, she appears to be one of your guards?"
Seated on the throne, Ronan hadn't expected the World Government to come and verify this matter. But thinking it over, he understood their concern. For the World Government, an uncontrollable powerhouse who could match Hawk-Eye would be a serious headache.
Ronan replied, "That's right. Teresa is indeed one of my guards."
"I understand your concerns. Rest assured, this trip of hers was on my orders, to carry out a secret mission related to the kingdom's interests. The encounter with Hawk-Eye Mihawk was purely accidental. Her stance has not changed; she still represents the Lulusia Kingdom and the interests of a member nation of the World Government."
Ronan's words were watertight, leaving no gaps for CP-0 to question.
The CP-0 members fell silent for a moment, as if weighing the truth of what he'd said.
"Since Ronan-sama says so, we can be at ease. We hope Teresa-san's mission goes smoothly. We will take our leave."
They came quickly and left just as quickly, but Ronan knew that the World Government's monitoring level on Teresa—and on himself—would almost certainly rise yet another notch.
(End of Chapter)
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