The Queen's Tea Party

"So that was it... I thought it was something serious. Did you really need to be so nervous?"

After figuring out the whole story, Ron let out a sigh of relief.

When he had first heard the beginning of the story, Ron had thought Garp meant to make him choose between the Marines and the World Government—whether to prioritize the World Government's rules or Marine orders.

It was basically a test.

If he chose the Marines, he would be a Ron loyal to orders, and the World Government would have nothing to say. If he chose the World Government, he would be a Ron loyal to the World Government, and the Marines would likewise have no objection.

But while those two choices seemed no different on the surface, they were actually a taboo in official circles!

The best way to handle such a situation was to ignore it entirely and make no choice!

It was easy to imagine that no matter which side he chose, his small frame would be unable to withstand pressure from either of those massive powers. This test would also become an obstacle in his path of studying and growing stronger in the Marines. Once there was nothing more for him to learn in the Marines, going out to sea as a pirate would be his only way forward.

Were the authorities forcing the people into rebellion?

No, this was merely a multiple-choice question about loyalty.

At best, he would receive compensation from either the Marines or the World Government in some regard, while getting himself hopelessly stuck in the mire.

Faced with Ron's complaint, Garp gave him a complicated look without offering much explanation.

The Marines had indeed gone too far in this matter, but ultimately, the reason lay with him...

Ron was not the only genius the Marines had produced over the years. There was also Garp's son, Dragon.

Dragon had defected from the Marines a few years ago and founded the Revolutionary Army, preaching rebellious doctrines of freedom and equality under the World Government's oppressive rule. This had greatly enraged the Five Elders. When that pressure was passed on to the Marines, Fleet Admiral Sengoku was left with an enormous headache.

Thus, because of Dragon's betrayal, Sengoku's distrust of rising Marine talents had grown by the day. In order to bind Ron firmly to the great ship that was the Marines, he had not hesitated to make Ron participate in this perilous trial.

If Ron had not forcibly changed the Five Elders' attitude with the Lightning Stimulation Method, giving Sengoku more options, things might truly have turned out exactly as Ron feared.

Could this also be called "justice"?

In the end, he was the one who had wronged Ron!

Garp sighed inwardly, then clenched his fists.

Fine then!

Just focus on growing up in peace. Leave all the twists and turns above to this old man and the others—we'll clear the obstacles out of your way!

Anyone who wants to target you will have to step over this old man's corpse first!

Still, Garp had to remind Ron about his optimism. "This mission isn't that simple, Ron. Do you really know who your enemies are?"

"Hm?"

Ron frowned and asked, "Other than Fred, are there other people involved?"

After Baroque Works completed its deal to ambush General Jade, all that remained was to wait for Fred to seize power and then collect its payment. From Ron's godlike perspective, he could say with certainty that Baroque Works dared interfere in Flower Capital's internal affairs because of money!

Because Dancing Powder was absurdly expensive!

Alabasta had suffered a severe drought across the entire kingdom for three full years, enough to shake the nation's foundation and spark uprising after uprising!

The amount of Dancing Powder consumed during that time required an astronomical sum of Berry!

Fred must have promised an enormous reward to make Baroque Works—or rather, that sinister and cunning Desert Crocodile—wade into the muddy waters of Flower Capital.

So after the Marines arrived, with that old bastard's reputation on the seas serving as a deterrent, Baroque Works was the least of their concerns right now. It would take Crocodile to have water in his brain to keep helping Fred with something that was troublesome, unprofitable, and might expose his trail through the clues, ruin his grand plan to steal a country, and cost him his chance to take revenge on Whitebeard!

"Of course there are others, and... quite a few of them!"

Garp spoke with a stern expression. "Leaving aside what Baroque Works is plotting in the shadows, Fred has joined forces with other Affiliated Nations this time, forming an alliance to pressure the Queen! No one can guarantee what they might do... We can step in to investigate Baroque Works, but the others can only be dealt with by you!"

Ron looked up, utterly dumbfounded.

"Holy shit!"

That nephew of his really was something else!

No exaggeration, no slander—Fred was a genius... at least when it came to rebellion.

Just look at everything he had done!

If nothing unexpected happened, he had also bribed the pirates causing trouble in Flower Capital.

First, he secretly bribed pirates to create chaos at the border, forcing General Jade, the Queen's trusted confidant, to put to sea and suppress them, only to fall into an ambush and end up missing, dead or alive. Then, with his astonishing intelligence network, he found out Garp's route and immediately blocked him halfway. And now, he had joined forces with other Affiliated Nations to form an alliance. Even if the Queen had some backup plan to handle him, could she possibly handle the pressure from a group of kings in terms of economics, military affairs, politics, and every other conceivable aspect?

The flowers she offered the Celestial Dragons every year were hardly enough to make them lower themselves and support her.

Indeed, Flower Capital did not need to pay the Celestial Tribute and was free from that burden. What it had to provide every year was the finest batch of flowers, unique across the Grand Line and thus holding a special position.

Even if other nations joined forces to pressure it, its people could still live peacefully for the next few years.

But whether a nation could prosper was not determined solely by how much money it saved, but by how much it earned. Shipping and trade with other countries, as well as hunting down and eliminating pirates, all required vast amounts of money! If those nations united to boycott Flower Capital, then within ten years, the once prosperous and flourishing Flower Capital would surely become a barren land on the Grand Line!

Rather than stubbornly hold on until she was forced to abdicate then, Queen Rosa, who loved her people like her own children, might as well hand over the throne now!

It had to be said, that nephew's move was truly ruthless!

Hurting others without benefiting himself!

He was feeding Flower Capital's flesh and blood to hungry wolves, betting that the Queen would not have the heart to act ruthlessly!

But this was not a hopeless situation either...

The reason the Affiliated Nations were willing to form an alliance with Fred was nothing more than profit. Taking advantage of Flower Capital's internal turmoil, they had pounced in to claim a share of the spoils. If the Marines could offer those countries greater benefits, they would toss Fred into the trash heap without hesitation.

Of course, that was the least likely possibility. Where would the Marines find so many benefits to distribute?

Other than that, uncovering Fred's crimes was another option.

Because once he was convicted, the Marines would have ample reason to act against Fred.

The Marines taking action was not scary. What was scary was that those nations had previously made deals with a criminal!

This was entirely different from dealing with a member of a royal family!

Pirates were thorns in the Five Elders' eyes. The charge of colluding with pirates and Baroque Works was something even high-ranking government officials could not withstand!

At that point, the Affiliated Nations would be terrified of being dragged down with him and would definitely cut ties.

The next morning, inside the Marine encampment.

Ron wolfed down his food as sparks flickered over his body. Even while eating, he did not stop training.

Clang...

Another enormous basin of sea beast meat was completely devoured. Ron tossed aside the food bowl, let out a satisfied burp, and leaned back in his chair as he picked his teeth.

Sunlight streamed through the mottled green vines outside the window. The head chef assigned by the Queen to handle their meals wiped cold sweat from his brow and cautiously asked, "Mr. Ron, are you full?"

The three of them looked no different from ordinary people, but their appetites were downright monstrous!

Having served as the palace's head chef for many years, he had seen every kind of storm. Even the pickiest guests had praised his cooking. Yet today, the head chef was beginning to question his life.

It turned out that aside from taste and atmosphere, some diners were picky about portion size!

Three people had eaten enough food for twenty!

They truly were worthy of Marine Headquarters!

If they kept eating, he would have to serve up breakfast for the chefs themselves.

"Mm, about seventy or eighty percent full... You shouldn't eat too much in the morning. It's not easy to digest."

What else could the head chef say? All he could do was smile...

Fuck my life!

As electricity circulated through his body, it stimulated his muscles and created fatigue. The food was rapidly digested and absorbed, replenishing his body. Once the bloated feeling in his stomach faded, Ron leaned closer to Garp, who was also picking his teeth, and quietly asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, what do you think the Tea Party this afternoon... will be like?"

Sorry, everyone. A friend opened a new pork belly chicken restaurant today, so I went over to support him. I only got back after drinking until now. Speaking of which, it's strange—as someone from Sichuan, Dashu used to be unable to live without spicy food a few years ago, but now my tastes are getting lighter and lighter. Whether it's potato noodles, cold noodles, liangpi, duck necks, chicken wings, cold skewers, dry-pot ribs, beef, quail, pork belly, or crayfish, I only want mild spice, and I especially like stews. So I couldn't resist eating a little too much.