Scarlett was only sixteen years old, yet her attire, demeanor, and conduct all exuded elegance and grace.
It was difficult to imagine that such a person would one day give up her status as a princess for love.
Noticing Black's gaze drifting toward her, King Riku became somewhat nervous.
Everyone on the seas knew the reputation of the Celestial Dragons.
He quickly tried to shift Black's attention.
"Saint Black, allow me to toast you."
With that, he raised his glass.
Black casually took a sip and began discussing Dressrosa's situation with him.
"As I traveled here, I noticed something."
"Your country doesn't appear very wealthy."
"In fact… it seems rather poor, doesn't it?"
King Riku nodded with some embarrassment.
"Yes, the Kingdom of Dressrosa has a large population."
"After deducting the Heavenly Tribute we must send to Mary Geoise each year, there is not much money left."
Black chuckled softly.
"You sound somewhat dissatisfied with the Heavenly Tribute system."
"Oh, no, no!"
King Riku hurriedly shook his head.
"I fully understand the necessity of the Heavenly Tribute."
"Whether it is the expenses of the World Government or the military budget of the Marines, enormous funds are required."
"Since that money is used to protect the member nations, it is only natural that we pay."
"It's just…"
He glanced cautiously at Black.
"If the amount could be slightly reduced, that would be even better."
"Haha…"
Black shook his head and laughed.
"I don't have the authority to decide matters like that."
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"However, collecting the Heavenly Tribute according to population does indeed create certain problems."
"I heard earlier that the king of the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue once split his own country into two smaller nations in order to reduce the amount of Heavenly Tribute he had to pay."
"That kind of behavior actually harms the interests of the World Government."
King Riku nodded in agreement.
"Yes, if the Heavenly Tribute could be calculated according to national income, that would be much more reasonable."
But Black shook his head again.
"You shouldn't complain about the rules used to collect the Heavenly Tribute."
"If it were really calculated the way you suggest, the tribute paid by ninety percent of countries would decrease."
"And if those countries were like Dressrosa relying only on slow natural economic growth would the Heavenly Tribute still be collectible?"
"So don't assume the problem lies in the collection method."
"Perhaps you should reflect on yourselves instead."
"Over the years, have you implemented any policies to stimulate economic development?"
King Riku listened in confusion.
He might have been a kind king.
But he was certainly not a particularly capable one.
Then again, expecting rulers in this world to design detailed economic policies might have been asking too much.
Dressrosa's geographical location was extremely special.
It was practically a necessary passage for ships entering the New World.
It wasn't only pirates who traveled through the Grand Line.
Merchant ships, tourists from wealthy nations, and noble travelers also passed through these waters.
Yet King Riku had never considered developing industries such as ports, docks, freight transportation, tourism, hospitality services, shipbuilding, or even gambling establishments.
The only methods he could imagine for enriching the kingdom were internal exploitation or external plunder.
And coincidentally, he was unwilling to do either.
In terms of national development, even without toy factories or underground businesses, Donquixote Doflamingo could manage the country far more effectively than King Riku.
At the very least, Doflamingo knew how to make money.
But Black had no intention of explaining all of this.
First, they were not close.
Second, King Riku was not worth the effort.
So he casually changed the subject.
"That girl earlier… was she your daughter?"
King Riku immediately became tense.
"Yes, Saint Black. That is my eldest daughter, Scarlett."
"Not bad."
"She carries herself with great elegance."
Black offered a brief compliment.
Then he added casually,
"When I leave, have her board my ship."
"…This…"
King Riku hesitated, his face filled with conflict.
Black looked at him, his eyes growing sharper.
His tone carried the unmistakable arrogance and authority of a Celestial Dragon.
"You're unwilling?"
"No, no!"
King Riku quickly shook his head.
"It's just… Saint Black, my daughter is still young."
"I worry she might offend you because she has not yet learned proper etiquette."
Black clapped his hands and burst out laughing.
"Well then, isn't that convenient?"
"In the Holy Land there are female slaves whose sole duty is to teach manners."
"No matter how poorly behaved someone is, a few days there will make them perfectly obedient."
Cold sweat rolled down King Riku's forehead.
From Black's words alone, he could imagine the suffering Scarlett might face if she were taken to Mary Geoise.
King Riku still wanted to come up with an excuse.
But Black had already grown impatient.
"On the day I depart, I want to see her on my ship."
"Understood?"
"Understood! Understood!"
King Riku nodded repeatedly.
For the moment, he could only agree.
After a banquet where the host and guest both pretended to enjoy themselves, King Riku offered the royal palace as Black's residence.
Black accepted without hesitation and moved in.
The situation he mentioned earlier did indeed exist.
Many Celestial Dragons behaved exactly like that.
Even the original maids in Black's estate had received strict training in etiquette.
However, once Scarlett boarded the ship, she would effectively become one of their own.
No matter how much of a princess she was, she surely couldn't be more troublesome than Perona.
…
While Black, Stella, and Mandy were already asleep, King Riku remained awake late into the night.
He summoned Scarlett to his study.
For a long time he hesitated, unsure how to begin.
Scarlett was very perceptive.
Seeing her father's troubled expression, she spoke first.
"Father, what happened?"
"Did that Celestial Dragon make some excessive request?"
King Riku nodded slowly.
"That Celestial Dragon… he…"
"He asked for you to board his ship."
Scarlett's face instantly turned pale.
Her body swayed slightly.
She was not an ignorant commoner.
As a princess, she understood very clearly what kind of people the Celestial Dragons were.
After a long silence, Scarlett forced a faint smile.
"That might not be so bad."
"If I can accompany a descendant of the Creators, perhaps I might even gain some divine favor."
King Riku's heart ached when he saw his daughter trying to comfort him.
At that moment the door suddenly burst open.
A tall figure rushed inside, shouting angrily at King Riku.
"No! Absolutely not!"
"The princess must never board a Celestial Dragon's ship!"
The man wore armor reminiscent of a Spartan warrior.
His hair was tied in a samurai-style topknot, and his face carried a fierce expression.
At first glance, he even resembled Kozuki Oden slightly.
It was Kyros.
The commander of the Dressrosa army.
Although he held the title of Army Commander, the vast distances between islands in this world meant that wars between nations rarely occurred.
Aside from a few countries located extremely close together or certain chaotic islands like war-torn territories without unified governments
Most World Government member states did not easily go to war with one another.
Therefore, Kyros's role as Army Commander was actually closer to that of the captain of the royal palace guard.