It was already the next morning when they arrived in Dressrosa.
After all, it had been late at night and everyone was a bit tired, so they didn't rush to continue their journey.
Luffy had given Vivi a gift the previous night. The princess expressed her gratitude and woke up early the next morning to prepare breakfast for everyone.
After breakfast, Luffy lowered the two ships and set out toward Dressrosa by sea.
"I can see the island." Uta was as excited as a lark.
Luffy didn't let the ship head to the usual port. Instead, he docked along the western coast of Dressrosa.
A large number of mushroom-shaped rocks stood by the shore, surrounding the island like the walls of a kingdom.
"Chopper, how are the kids?" Luffy asked after stepping off the boat.
"Their spirits are still trapped in the world of songs. So far, they've only lost a bit of nutrition. The withdrawal reaction is a bit tricky to handle,"
Chopper said, distressed.
Next to him, Caesar was wearing sea-stone cuffs. He chuckled and said:
"The preparation of the medicine requires certain medicinal ingredients, which you don't have on your ship. You should be able to buy them on this island!"
Sanji, already smoking a morning cigarette, said, "Chopper, go into town and see if you can buy them. I'll keep an eye on him here."
"Then I'm counting on you, Sanji."
Chopper jumped off the boat with a small medical kit on his back.
Franky also chose to stay on the ship.
"Then let's go." Luffy led the group toward the city on the island.
Dressrosa wasn't a big island—quite the opposite. It was small, and the entire country had a population of only a few hundred thousand.
Compared to Alabasta, the situation here was worse by two orders of magnitude.
Of course, because the island was so small, the entire kingdom seemed relatively wealthy, with 80 to 90 percent of the population living in the main city.
Besides, its king was one of the Shichibukai, so they had no need to fear pirate raids of any kind.
As a result, the place looked prosperous, with exquisite buildings visible everywhere.
The locals were very hospitable as well.
"That Shichibukai, Doflamingo, seems to be doing pretty well as a king,"
Uta said, a bit surprised.
"But he's obviously a huge villain!"
"Hahaha…"
Luffy simply smiled.
The difficulty of governing a kingdom like this was basically the same as managing an ordinary city in his previous life.
As king, even if Doflamingo didn't do anything, the kingdom would still function smoothly.
Besides, Doflamingo was a Shichibukai.
"Uta, when you travel to other countries, most of the time what you see is the glamorous side. But if you calm down, you'll gradually notice the other side of the coin."
"Dressrosa is also known as the Land of Love, Passion, and Toys."
Luffy shook his head slightly.
Just like in his previous life, people traveling abroad for the first time often thought everything looked so new: this is better than back home, that is better than back home.
After living there for a few years, they would gradually remove the filter and slowly discover the other side of their new daily life.
"The Land of Love, Passion, and Toys?"
After everyone entered the city, they saw "Love and Passion" and "Toys."
Couples could be seen everywhere along the streets.
There were also enthusiastic dancers performing on the roads, with passersby stopping to watch and ending up spending quite a bit of money.
Of course, what interested everyone the most were the toys wandering freely everywhere, living in this city as if they were ordinary people.
"What a strange place." Nami sighed. "It's obviously a toy, yet it lives in harmony with humans."
Vivi ran to a candy shop along the street and bought sweets for everyone.
Chopper grabbed the cotton candy and happily took a bite. "Ah, no! It's not time to eat this—I have to look for a pharmacy!"
"You can go. Do you have enough money?" Luffy laughed and asked.
Chopper took a few coins from his pocket—barely 300 Berries.
He looked at Luffy with tears in his eyes. "I'm broke, Luffy…"
"Shishishi, here you go."
Luffy laughed and handed him one million Berries.
"…!"
Chopper received the thick stack of bills and almost fainted from happiness.
Normally, Nami gave everyone a "salary." But Nami… well, she was very greedy when it came to money.
Luffy was different!
"I'll go with you, Chopper."
Being one of the weaker members, Usopp immediately stepped forward.
"Yohohohoho, let me come as well." Brook, acting as a bodyguard, accompanied the two to the pharmacy.
At that moment, Monet stood up and spoke softly:
"Allow me to take you to the palace."
"What's the rush?"
Luffy glanced at her and ignored her.
He walked through the city with Uta and the others.
At first, no one noticed them, but soon they were recognized.
In an instant, the once-busy street became deserted.
"It's the Yonko, Straw Hat Luffy!"
Screams of fear spread everywhere.
The dancers fled, the street musicians vanished, shops along the road slammed their doors shut, and couples scattered.
Luffy opened his arms and said to Uta, who stood beside him, "See? It ended up exactly as I said."
"Hahahaha." Zoro couldn't hold back his laughter.
Uta puffed her cheeks. "The people here are so annoying. Luffy is a good person—why are they so scared?"
Suddenly, Luffy's eyes narrowed slightly, and he saw the future a few seconds ahead.
From the alleyway, a figure bumped into his arms.
"Ah… sorry!"
It was a woman's voice.
Then, a group of men in suits came running out of the alley.
"Don't try to run!"
"Sorry!"
The delicate woman apologized again in a low voice, then quickly fled. She wore a hat, so Luffy couldn't see her face.
The man in the suit ignored Luffy; he didn't recognize him and continued chasing the woman.
"As expected of Captain Luffy You have admirers everywhere" Nojiko teased. "So, what was written on the note? The meeting spot? Or the hotel room number?"
You're overthinking this, Nojiko.
Luffy cursed inwardly and opened his palm, revealing a crumpled piece of paper the woman had slipped him.
Only two locations were listed.
Not sure about the final point.
Northwest Bridge of Dressrosa.
Luffy had a good idea who it was.
(End of chapter)