Viola never would have imagined that a casual visit to the bar would lead her to encounter the legendary man himself—Fleet Admiral Carl of the Marines.
Carl pointed at the mess behind him and said,
"I heard you mention that you're now the Minister of Justice for this country. Perfect—get someone to clean this place up later."
Viola nodded mechanically, her expression dazed as she asked,
"Fleet Admiral, why are you here so suddenly?"
Carl responded indifferently,
"What? Do I need to report my whereabouts?"
"N-No! Not at all! It's just... so unexpected. Someone of your stature..."
Carl waved a hand, cutting her off.
"Enough. I was just passing through. Let's go—to the palace."
With that, Carl called out to Wanda and Carrot before striding toward the bar's exit.
Viola shook her head forcefully to regain her composure before hastily following him.
On the way to the palace, they encountered a patrol unit. Viola immediately stepped forward, instructing the soldiers to take care of the situation at the bar while also reminding them to keep things quiet.
The patrol captain nodded and led his team toward the bar. Once they were gone, Viola wiped the sweat from her forehead. Being in Carl's presence, she always felt an invisible weight pressing down on her—a pressure that was both overwhelming and terrifying.
Carl noticed her tension and spoke in a calm voice,
"The current king of Dressrosa is Rosinante, correct?"
Hearing Carl address her directly, Viola felt a wave of nervous excitement and hurriedly responded,
"Yes. Though Lord Rosinante refuses to acknowledge it, he is indeed the World Government's officially recognized king of this country."
Carl nodded. He knew that already—he had simply brought it up as a casual topic.
Doflamingo had long been sent to govern Wano at his behest, leaving Dressrosa in the hands of his younger brother, Rosinante. That was Carl's decision, and when Carl made a decision, it might as well have been the World Government's decree.
No matter how much Rosinante wished to deny it, the fact remained—he carried the bloodline of the Celestial Dragons. Moreover, his gentle and kind nature made him an ideal ruler to maintain stability.
After all, Doflamingo had already dealt with the troublesome nations surrounding Dressrosa, leaving Rosinante with a relatively peaceful kingdom to inherit.
Carl glanced at Viola and suddenly asked,
"And what about you? You were once a princess of this country. Have you never entertained any other ambitions?"
Viola stiffened, her head snapping up in panic as she stammered,
"N-No..."
"Hmm?"
Carl slid his hands into his pockets and leaned slightly forward, locking eyes with her.
"Lying to me has serious consequences."
A crimson gleam flickered in Carl's eyes, sending a chilling sensation straight to Viola's core. Instantly, she bowed in apology.
"F-Forgive me! The truth is, I once did think about reclaiming this country from Doflamingo... but I eventually realized that it was an impossible dream. Because... because..."
She hesitated, sneaking a glance at Carl, who seemed intrigued. He urged,
"Because what?"
"Because I learned that he had your backing... I only found out after the incident with Kaido. At the time, I was confused—why would Doflamingo remain so calm in the face of a Yonko's threat?"
Viola let out a soft sigh, finally opening up.
"Back then, I even considered taking my father and my sister, Rebecca, and fleeing the country. But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to leave. This is our home, after all."
"So you stayed. And now you're the Minister of Justice. Despite tonight's little incident, this country seems to be thriving. You must have contributed a lot to its growth."
Viola's face flushed at Carl's unexpected praise. Lowering her head slightly, she said in a quiet voice,
"You flatter me. This was only possible because of your support. Without you, Dressrosa might have already fallen into Kaido's hands. That would have been our true downfall."
"Oh? Are they really so different?"
"Yes. Kaido is a complete madman—he has no regard for the lives of Dressrosa's people!"
"And Doflamingo?"
Viola hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully,
"His methods were... dark. And at times, he resorted to violence without restraint. But I must admit—under his rule, Dressrosa was far more prosperous than it ever was under my father. The neighboring nations that bought weapons from him were weakened by their constant wars, and in the end, he absorbed them without much effort."
"So you're saying you've abandoned the idea of overthrowing Doflamingo?"
A look of uncertainty crossed Viola's face as she murmured,
"Perhaps. I once thought his rule was unsustainable—after all, he had already devoured almost all the surrounding territories. But with your backing, Dressrosa will never truly decline. And now that the king is Rosinante... he really is a good man. With him in charge, I no longer feel the need to reclaim the throne."
Wanda and Carrot had been quietly listening to the conversation, both stunned by what they had just heard. Carrot, in particular, was wide-eyed with disbelief.
Her simple mind had latched onto a single, shocking realization—Carl's influence was even greater than she had imagined!
Even without lifting a finger, just the mere mention of his name was enough to make a former princess willingly relinquish her claim to the throne. More than that—his name alone was enough to ensure a country's prosperity!
And this wasn't just any small nation—this was Dressrosa, a kingdom far larger than the Mokomo Dukedom on Zou.
Carrot suddenly recalled how Joy Boy had once warned the Mink Tribe that if Carl ever discovered Zou's existence, the Minks would face unimaginable suffering.
But after seeing Dressrosa's situation firsthand, she was now absolutely certain—
Joy Boy was a liar!
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+190 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg