Twenty-eight days had passed since Luffy officially entered North Blue.
During these four weeks, he had visited a total of six member states, both large and small, and had been received by each of their royal families. Now, they were on their way to the seventh nation. They were expected to reach their destination by noon today and meet with the renowned royal family of this North Blue kingdom.
However, this morning, Luffy had been so shocked by the contents of the newspaper that he had little interest in thinking about such routine matters.
"What the hell? How did she suddenly become a queen while we're out here on a diplomatic mission? She could have at least told us about this, or waited until we returned," Nami complained loudly, her voice filled with disappointment.
She had never witnessed a royal coronation in her life. The fact that Viola hadn't even invited her to such a momentous event—and that she hadn't received any prior information about it—immediately soured Nami's mood.
Growing increasingly frustrated, she pulled out her transponder snail and called Viola directly to express her dissatisfaction.
While Nami vented her feelings, Vivi also frowned as she examined the newspaper.
Looking at the mature woman featured on the front page, wearing a crown and displaying a bright, charming smile, Vivi couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Her brows furrowed even deeper.
"Is this one of Luffy's... woman?" she asked hesitantly. "She looks quite impressive, but Dressrosa is a fairly average country, nothing special."
Staring at the photo with the eye-catching crown adorning Viola's head, Vivi tried to appear indifferent.
In response, Ain merely smiled.
"Although Dressrosa certainly doesn't match Alabasta in terms of military strength and resources, she has at least ascended to the throne and become a queen. As a princess, you would have to bow when meeting her."
"Bow? To her?!" Vivi looked at Ain with an expression that screamed "are you kidding me" and immediately retorted:
"Why should I? If we're ranking by status, I'm fourth in the family. She's just the eldest sister, and she'd normally let it slide if I forgot to greet her properly. Now she expects me to bow to her? Is that even legally required?"
Looking at the agitated princess, Ain's expression turned mischievous.
"Are you dreaming? It's customary for a princess without sovereign power to formally greet the monarch of an allied nation. Besides, who said that family ranking is based on how long someone has known Luffy?
"Apart from me, the undisputed eldest sister ranked first, everyone's position is determined by actual achievements. Otherwise, do you expect Hancock to bow to you? Aren't you afraid she'd turn you to stone and toss you into the sea?"
At the mention of Hancock's name, Vivi's breathing slowed, and a hint of disbelief appeared in her eyes as she stared at Ain.
Far away in Wano Country, Hancock had no idea she had become a convenient threat used to intimidate newcomers.
"What are you staring at? Did you actually believe that?" Ain asked with exaggerated concern before breaking into unrestrained laughter.
Hearing Ain's undisguised mockery, Vivi suddenly became flustered.
"But... but I... she... how could you do this!"
The young princess was on the verge of a mental breakdown. They had been living together for over a month, yet Ain and Nami had never shared this information with her. Combined with Ain's meaningful smile at this moment, Vivi had every reason to suspect they had withheld details deliberately—just to laugh at her expense.
And Vivi had guessed correctly. Ain had indeed picked up some playful habits. The once mature and reliable eldest sister of the household had begun playing pranks on newcomers.
While Luffy continued to read the newspaper intently, Ain teased Vivi intermittently.
After finishing her call, Nami returned, dropped back into her chair, and reported with a pout:
"That girl said she wanted to give us a surprise, which is why she kept it secret from Hina and the others. Also, she didn't go back just to inherit the throne—she's also fulfilling her promise."
"It's for the reforms, right?" Luffy suddenly put down the newspaper and interjected.
Nami paused briefly before nodding in confirmation.
"It seems Amazon Lily's progress has been impressive. So Viola also wanted to strengthen Dressrosa and prepare for the relocation of the kingdom."
Hearing this, Vivi asked curiously, "Relocation? What's being relocated?"
Without waiting for Nami to answer, Luffy took the initiative to explain:
"That's one of my plans. I'm going to use my abilities to move the entire island where Dressrosa is located to the vicinity of Onigashima."
"What? Where?!"