That night, in a room in the castle, Kanata received a report from Ragnell.
"Fufu, Samuel lost? It's been a while… It seems we have a promising newcomer."
"This isn't a laughing matter, Your Excellency. If even our oldest member has been defeated, it could affect the morale on our other islands."
"It's a minor issue. Who defeated him?"
"This man."
Ragnell placed a wanted poster on the table, and Kanata picked it up.
A young man with messy black hair and freckles. His profile on the wanted poster seemed familiar…
"Fire Fist, Portgas D. Ace…"
"…Your Excellency?"
"It's nothing… Continue."
"I was wondering who should be his next opponent."
"Hmm… Teach is free, but… You should do it."
"Me?"
Ragnell looked confused.
Kanata trusted her strength and had appointed her as a bodyguard, but because of that, she rarely saw combat. She was also responsible for protecting the Rommel Empire's royalty while they were here.
Her skills were still sharp, but Kanata thought it wouldn't hurt for her to have a real fight. And Teach tended to go overboard. He wouldn't kill, but he often inflicted serious injuries.
"It's just a spar," he would say with a grin, but Kanata couldn't overlook it.
"…Very well. I'll be his opponent. Will you allow me to use my Devil Fruit ability?"
"No. Your ability's influence is too widespread. It's not suitable for such a setting."
"I understand. Then I'll crush him with just my fists."
She stated this matter-of-factly, with no arrogance.
Anyone could be humble. Strong people were always confident.
"And… I received a letter from two individuals named Sabo and Koala. They said they were told to deliver it to you."
"Hmm."
Kanata picked up the letter, using a paper knife from a circular container on the edge of the table to open it silently.
She read it carefully, then, tearing off a small piece of the corner, ignited it with a snap of her fingers. She tossed it onto a nearby ashtray. The letter burned quickly, turning to ash.
Ragnell, observing this, straightened her back, looking slightly nervous.
"Was there something… offensive in the letter?"
"No, it wasn't important. I just had to get rid of it. It was a risk to keep it."
It was best to eliminate any evidence of her connection to the Revolutionary Army.
She couldn't help but sigh. Dragon should have known better.
But there was a reason he had Sabo and Koala deliver it.
"Sabo and Koala, huh? I'll meet with them. But I'm busy for the next few days…"
"They said they'd like to know if you'll meet with them, even if it's not today."
"I see. I'll arrange a meeting with them. Tell them they can meet with me."
The Reverie was a busy time.
There was the Fish-Man Island issue, and the growing threat of Big Mom and Kaido's alliance.
She had recently received a report from Robin about a situation in Alabasta. She had sent spies to investigate, but for now, she was observing the situation. She couldn't interfere too much. It would be considered meddling in their internal affairs.
…She was actively involved in the Rommel Empire's affairs, but that was because she had already secured the support of the royal family.
And she was somehow becoming responsible for stopping Mare's impulsive actions.
***
Dawn Island, East Blue.
The island was home to the Goa Kingdom, and within its territory, lay Mt. Colubo.
It was the place where "Fire Fist" Ace had grown up.
He had been raised by the Dadan Family, a band of mountain bandits who lived on Mt. Colubo. From childhood until he set sail at the age of seventeen, Ace had called this place home.
Their leader was Dadan, a tough woman with a strong build.
She rarely read newspapers, but when she heard that Ace had made the news, she would sneak out at night and read the articles under the moonlight. Everyone in the Dadan Family knew about it, but they never said anything.
She lived a simple life, sleeping when the sun set and waking when it rose. She only listened to the radio during meals, but… today was different.
She finished reading the newspaper under the moonlight, and as she was about to enter the house, one of her frantic subordinates rushed out, colliding with her.
"Boss! B-bad news!"
"What's with all the noise…? And you're still awake? Do you have any idea what time it is–"
"Ace…!"
"What about Ace?"
"He's going to be on the radio!"
Dadan rushed into the house, and the entire Dadan Family gathered around the radio.
"– And now, our special guest, Ace, the "Fire Fist"! Let's give him a round of applause!"
"Me? Applause?"
"You're not the one clapping, you idiot!"
"Oh, right. Ace here. Nice to meet you."
It was undoubtedly Ace's voice coming from the radio.
Dadan, relieved to hear him sounding well, said, "Go wake up Luffy!"
Luffy, Ace's younger brother, would be even more motivated to become a pirate after hearing Ace was doing well.
Of course, it would be Dadan who would have to deal with Garp's anger.
Luffy, rubbing his sleepy eyes and drooling, entered the room.
"Is Ace really on the radio?!"
"Yeah! Be quiet! We can't hear him!"
Everyone fell silent, listening intently, trying not to miss a single word.
"A bounty exceeding 300 million… Wow, what an impressive resume! He defeated a Marine Vice Admiral at Sabaody Archipelago, refused to join the Seven Warlords, sailed through Fish-Man Island, and now he's here!"
"Twilight's captain is a Warlord too, right? Are you sure it was okay to invite me?"
"She's not the type to care about that. You guys never had trouble selling your loot, right?"
"You're right… She does business with pirates? Even though she's a Warlord?"
"Twilight's strength is that they'll get you anything, as long as you can pay. Even pirates can buy food and necessities. As long as you have money, that is. It's important. But no slaves. They absolutely refuse to handle that."
"Why?"
"Kanata-san hates slaves. I don't know the reason… She also hates Celestial Dragons."
"Celestial Dragons…"
Dadan's face darkened at the mention of Celestial Dragons.
Luffy and Ace had another brother. He had been killed by a Celestial Dragon for simply sailing in front of their ship.
The Dadan Family fell silent.
Luffy, not fully understanding the gravity of the situation, didn't seem to notice the change in atmosphere.
"Are you sure you should be saying that on air?"
"Oh, right, this is a global broadcast… Well, it doesn't matter. Everyone knows she hates Celestial Dragons."
"Really?"
"There's someone here who doesn't know…"
"Seriously? You don't know why Kanata-san is called the "Dragon Slayer Witch"? …Well, she's mostly called the "Witch of Twilight" now. It was almost thirty years ago."
"Thirty years ago… Did something happen?"
"Don't you remember, Magra…?"
Dadan whispered to her subordinate, but Luffy complained that he couldn't hear the radio, so she quickly shut up.
He didn't want to miss this chance to hear Ace's voice.
"Fire Fist. What are you planning to do in this sea? Are you aiming to become the Pirate King?"
"No… I'm not interested in becoming the Pirate King."
"Wow, that's rare. Then what's your purpose?"
"I'm not sure yet. But I do want to surpass Gol D. Roger in terms of fame."
"Surpass the Pirate King's fame! That's a long and difficult journey!"
"I don't care how difficult it is. I'll do it. I promised my brother that we would live without regrets."
"So, challenging Kanata is the first step…? And you're planning to challenge the Four Emperors as well?"
"Yes. But I won't fight Shanks. My brother is indebted to him. It's a matter of principle."
"I see… Well, we're out of time. We invited you at the last minute, so we couldn't give you much time. It was fun talking to you, Ace! Any last words?"
"The Spade Pirates are looking for a cook! Join us!"
"You're in the New World! You don't have a cook?!"
And with that, Ace's voice was gone.
Dadan, though disappointed it was over, smiled, relieved to hear that he was doing well.
The rest of the Dadan Family shared her sentiment. They talked about how glad they were to hear his voice, and wondered if he would ever return.
"…It's getting late. We should get some sleep. Luffy, you too… Luffy?"
Luffy, usually the most boisterous, was silent.
He looked at his hands, clenching them into fists.
"…Ace is a pirate. And he's doing great. I can't lose to him! Next time we meet, I'm going to win! I'm going to train!"
"Now? Do you know what time it is… Luffy?!"
Luffy, wearing his straw hat, rushed out of the house.
The Dadan Family, dumbfounded, could only stare at him as he ran away.