There existed a nation known as the Rommel Empire.
Located about half a day's journey from Hachinosu, Twilight's base of operations, it was one of the most powerful nations in the Grand Line, and the fastest-growing country in the world.
This wasn't simply because of its vast territory.
The Rommel Empire had forged a strong alliance with Twilight even before Kanata became a Warlord, establishing itself as a global economic powerhouse.
It held significant influence in the Reverie, and Kanata prioritized their relationship.
Aside from Hachinosu, the empire was arguably Twilight's most important base of operations.
And now, this powerful nation was in turmoil.
Because its king had died under mysterious circumstances.
***
The king had only recently inherited the throne, and there had been no reports of illness, so rumors were spreading like wildfire among the citizens.
Some said he had been assassinated by pirates.
Others said the World Government had orchestrated his death.
Such baseless rumors were a source of entertainment for those who sought excitement. They spread like wildfire, eventually reaching Kanata's ears.
Kanata, wearing a black mourning dress, an unusual choice for her, stepped out of the carriage and entered the palace. It was a special carriage, prepared to transport her from the harbor to the castle.
While she could ignore the death of a minor king, the Rommel Empire was a valuable ally. Economically, and in terms of influence in the Reverie.
She had to attend the funeral.
"That's a huge carriage."
"I hate carriages. They're slow and uncomfortable."
Scotch and George, dressed in black suits, followed Kanata into the carriage.
They were here to show their support, demonstrating the strength of their relationship.
And finally…
"I don't think I belong here… I'm not good at anything other than fighting…"
A woman with golden hair and horns hesitantly entered the carriage, looking nervous.
Her physique, twice the size of Scotch and George, was intimidating, but she seemed to shrink in the presence of her superiors.
"Ragnell," Kanata said, addressing the woman.
"It's the king of your country. And I owe that woman a favor. We have to attend the funeral. Just stay behind us and be quiet."
"Is that… how it works…?"
Ragnell sat down, looking unsure.
She was the largest, so they had her sit in the middle to balance the weight. Kanata, Scotch, and George sat across from her. Kanata's feet didn't even reach the floor.
She was used to it. It wasn't unusual to encounter people larger than her. And they had to prepare a carriage accordingly.
As the carriage made its way to the castle, Scotch spoke.
"This was so sudden… What was the cause of death?"
"I heard it was illness. A sudden illness."
Even young people could die from illness. But the empire had skilled doctors. And the king would have received regular checkups. It was hard to imagine there were no warning signs.
"Assassination?"
"The empire is my territory. Do you think it would be that easy to infiltrate?"
The empire's security, while not as tight as Hachinosu, was still formidable. Even Cipher Pol wouldn't be able to easily infiltrate it. Kanata herself had helped improve their security.
If it was assassination, then it had to be an inside job. And if it was an outsider, then that was a different kind of headache.
Either way, they would need to investigate the cause of death, but…
"They told us they would handle the autopsy themselves."
"Couldn't we have intervened?"
"We could have. But there was something else that bothered me."
Diana.
The king's wife – the queen. Of course, it was a fake name, but Kanata still used the name she had known her by.
Kanata was wary of this woman.
"She's ambitious. I was worried she might have…"
"…Assassinated the king? But she could have just controlled him from behind the scenes… Why go through all that trouble?"
"I'm not sure. It's just a hypothesis."
Meeting her would clear things up. Feiyun might be better at it, but Kanata could also sense malicious intent.
***
Arriving at the palace, the four of them stepped out of the carriage and followed the guide.
The Rommel Empire was a vast and wealthy nation. The palace was sprawling, with numerous maids, butlers, and guards rushing about. It was a chaotic scene, with everyone preparing for the king's funeral.
Important figures from within the country. Nobles from neighboring countries. Royalty from around the world.
Everyone was seeking information about the sudden incident, whispering among themselves.
It was into this scene that Kanata and her companions stepped.
"Hey, look…"
"The Witch… And Twilight executives."
"That woman behind them… Isn't that the Adonis family's…!"
Those who noticed their arrival stared at them with awe – or perhaps reverence.
Even at a funeral, power dynamics were at play. Even the king of a powerful neighboring nation had to defer to the leader of Twilight.
Kanata herself had no interest in such hierarchies, but everyone else seemed to be terrified of offending her. And for good reason.
Any nation, no matter how powerful, would be ruined if they crossed Twilight. Especially in the New World, where most nations were constantly under threat.
"This place is crawling with important people."
"That's because it's a funeral. I'm glad no one else wanted to come."
"This isn't exactly our scene. We're just a bunch of thugs."
Both Scotch and George had been ordinary citizens, raised on a small island. It was a miracle they were here.
Ideally, someone more accustomed to such events would have attended, but Kanata was the only one who had learned aristocratic manners. So, they had simply chosen the most well-behaved members.
Junshi and Gloriosa had flat-out refused, so they had no choice.
Kanata spoke with the guide, and Scotch, seeing that Ragnell had nothing to do, approached her.
"Ragnell, you're from a noble family, right? You'd be better suited for this than us."
"No, I… I wasn't born into a good family."
"I see. Once you gain more experience, I'll promote you and you can attend these events instead of us."
"Were you even listening?!"
Scotch seemed eager to pass on his responsibilities to Ragnell. George simply sighed. He didn't object, so he probably agreed with Scotch.
Kanata returned before they could continue their conversation.
"I'm going to step out for a bit. The funeral won't start for a while, so I'm going to meet with the queen."
"Are we staying here?"
"There are plenty of people who want to speak with me, but they'll be quiet until the funeral is over. I'll be back by then."
It was the funeral of a king, after all. Even though it was a chaotic scene, only those who understood proper etiquette were allowed to attend.
There were a few young nobles who seemed impulsive, but their attendants were keeping them in check. Kanata assumed they wouldn't cause any trouble.
She decided to meet with the queen.
***
The palace was like a maze.
It wasn't simply a large building. It had been designed to prevent outsiders from reaching the royal family's chambers.
It was easy to get lost without a guide.
Of course, some people would simply break through the walls and head straight for their destination.
"This is the room."
Kanata, led by the guide, stood before a door and knocked. She entered the room.
A beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes was waiting for her.
"Oh, you came. I'm glad."
She didn't seem particularly bothered by the death of her husband. Perhaps she was simply good at hiding her emotions.
But Kanata had always been wary of her.
She was greedy. She craved everything – power, wealth, strength… She was more like a pirate than most pirates. That was Kanata's assessment of Diana.
"I couldn't ignore the death of a king, especially when he was a close associate."
"Is that so? You're a pirate. I thought you wouldn't care about such things."
"Even pirates have a code of honor. We're in a mutually beneficial relationship. I have to pay my respects."
Kanata exchanged pleasantries then sat down on the sofa across from Diana.
The guide had already left, closing the door behind him. The room was soundproof. Their conversation wouldn't be overheard.
"…Did you have anything to do with the king's death?"
"Why would you ask that? He was my husband."
"Because your ambition knows no bounds."
Kanata's red eyes pierced through Diana.
Diana, smiling faintly, replied, "You don't need to know."
That was all Kanata needed to hear.
"…I see."
"Our relationship hasn't changed. We have no reason to harm each other, as long as it remains mutually beneficial."
"You're right."
Their relationship was purely business. Nothing more, nothing less.
The king's death didn't matter. They already had an heir. Even if Diana was controlling the heir from behind the scenes.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of interfering with your plans."
Diana was holding a set of blueprints.
They had already begun constructing land-based trains, modeled after the Sea Train, laying tracks to improve transportation within the empire.
While Twilight controlled trade with other countries, expanding domestic demand was the empire's responsibility. They were already moving forward with the project.
And there was something else.
"What are these radio towers for? Don't you have Den Den Mushis for communication?"
"These aren't for communication."
It was an attempt to artificially replicate the Den Den Mushi's ability to communicate with others of its kind using a unique frequency. But unlike Den Den Mushis, the range was limited.
It was Caterina's invention.
"What are they used for, then?"
"To determine your location at sea. Ships are required to carry Eternal Poses, but they can malfunction. This is a backup system."
A GPS, in other words.
For now, they were only being built on islands under Twilight's control. Once completed, they would be able to use the radio towers and a special Den Den Mushi on board their ships to determine their location.
Of course, knowing your location wasn't enough. They would need to create maps, and compasses were useless in the Grand Line.
They would either have to constantly update their location and navigate to nearby islands or send out rescue ships.
But it was still a significant improvement over being lost at sea with no landmarks.
"Eventually, we'll be able to pinpoint enemy ships just by knowing their Den Den Mushi number."
"…You've created something incredible…"
Diana, looking overwhelmed, shook her head. It might be important for national defense, but it seemed like technology from centuries in the future.
Vegapunk, the Marines' genius scientist, was also working on similar things.
Caterina, who considered Vegapunk her rival, was particularly enthusiastic about this project. Having a genius contemporary seemed to motivate her.
"We're marketing it as a maritime rescue system, but many nations, even World Government members, will be eager to install it. We'll start by setting up a few trial towers in this area."
"I see… But I doubt that's your only objective."
"We're also adding broadcasting capabilities. The bandwidth is limited, but it will be possible to transmit images and sound to multiple locations simultaneously."
If they could transmit images and sound using cheap visual Den Den Mushis, even those self-proclaimed journalists would want to use it. Though they might be skeptical at first.
It would create a new form of entertainment. People would start creating videos for entertainment, sponsors would emerge, and the economy would become even more dynamic.
The World Government would use it for propaganda, but she didn't care.
Despite the economic disparity, if people could access information cheaply, then her objective would be achieved.
It was the best way to directly disseminate information to the world.
"Fish-men, merfolk, and even the Mink Tribe… They need to understand each other. Whether it's good or bad, it's important to know."
"You're putting a lot of effort into helping those races. I thought you wouldn't waste your time on unprofitable ventures."
"I simply don't like it when my friends are treated unfairly. The Reverie is approaching. I'm already pulling some strings, but I'm planning to attend this year."
"Seriously? You're going to Mary Geoise? As a pirate?"
There was actually a precedent for pirates entering Mary Geoise.
The Happo Navy, a powerful pirate crew allied with the Kano Country in the West Blue, served as their bodyguards.
They had escorted the Kano Country's representatives to Mary Geoise and even entered the Holy Land themselves.
If there was a precedent, then it wouldn't be difficult to gain approval.
"It's going to be quite a commotion if you attend the Reverie."
"Is it? I've already taken some precautions."
"You don't understand. There are countless people who want to get close to you, hoping to become your lover."
Kanata was a powerful pirate who controlled the world's shipping. There were countless benefits to becoming her ally.
The Rommel Empire, which had been given preferential treatment in terms of the new technologies, was a prime example.
And Kanata was also a beautiful woman, with a spotless reputation. She was a highly desirable target.
"I'll give them everything I have if they can defeat me."
"…You'll be single forever."
Diana decided to leave it at that.