When Rosinante learned he would be accompanying Admiral Fujitora to Dressrosa, a whirlwind of emotions stirred in his heart.
From the very beginning, he'd vowed to put an end to his older brother Doflamingo's atrocities. Yet now that the moment had finally arrived, he couldn't suppress the storm inside him.
Dressrosa—a kingdom once ruled by the Donquixote family 900 years ago—had endured the mysterious Void Century and seen the Donquixotes, as one of the "Twenty Kings who Created the World," ascend to the Holy Land of Mariejois. Since then, the kingdom had undergone countless changes.
And now, Doflamingo had brought the terror of the Donquixote legacy back to this land of passion and love.
The cruel irony was that Rosinante, here as a Vice Admiral of the Navy to stop his brother's tyranny, was himself technically a member of Dressrosa's "true royal bloodline."
Silently neutralizing the guards, Rosinante finally heard the voices of Princess Viola and King Riku coming from the room. A wave of relief swept over him—they had been searching the King's Plateau for quite some time.
Utilizing the stealth powers of the Calm-Calm Fruit, Rosinante had formed an infiltration team with Cavendish and Ain. They began their rescue mission the moment Doflamingo left the palace for Green Bit.
With Cavendish's blistering speed in his "White Horse" state, and Rosinante's silence field rendering them virtually undetectable, their search was swift and efficient. Ain's Return-Return Fruit even allowed them to erase the guards without leaving a trace—by reversing them fifty years into the past, their bodies vanished completely.
After soundproofing the door, Cavendish sliced through the lock with a single swing. The three of them entered the room.
"Your Majesty King Riku, Princess Viola. I am Vice Admiral Donquixote Rosinante of Marine Headquarters. This is Commodore Ain and Captain Cavendish—we're here to get you out."
"Marine Headquarters… a Vice Admiral?"
"Donquixote?!"
Two cries of shock rang out. While King Riku had yet to process Rosinante's surname, Viola clearly had:
"Your name is Donquixote?!"
Thanks to the active soundproof barrier, their voices didn't escape. Cavendish stepped forward and retrieved the keys from the now-vanished guards, unlocking the seastone cuffs that bound them.
"Rest assured… Vice Admiral Donquixote may share the name, but he's nothing like Doflamingo."
Maybe it was Cavendish's dazzling looks that lent extra credibility to his words. Draped in his white Justice coat, the handsome Captain's calm explanation helped soothe Viola's nerves. Regardless, they were Marines—and that counted for something.
"I'm sorry… I was out of line, but…"
"Viola, that's not important now… Vice Admiral!"
King Riku rotated his wrists, adjusting to the freedom he hadn't known in years. Though he'd languished in the darkness of despair, the moment of liberation brought his kingly will roaring back.
"So the Marines have finally come… but Doflamingo is a Shichibukai. Why would the Navy take action against him?"
"We've gathered irrefutable evidence of his crimes. His title as a Shichibukai can no longer shield him."
Rosinante let out a heavy sigh. "To build a case strong enough to bring him down, and to wait for the right moment to strike… we had no choice but to let you endure eight long years."
"Eight years…"
King Riku's voice trembled, resonating with profound sorrow and relief. "But at last… those eight years are finally over."
"I only hope that Scarlett and Kyros are safe… and Rebecca too…"
"They'll be alright, Father. I believe in them!" Viola reassured him.
Ain stepped forward and crushed two Lightforged Crystals, restoring some strength to King Riku and Viola.
"Don't worry. This time, Marine Headquarters has dispatched an Admiral to deal with Doflamingo—he's finished."
"What is this…?"
King Riku was unfamiliar with the miraculous properties of Lightforged Crystals, but Viola recognized them immediately.
"These are Fleet Admiral Wright's Lightforged Crystals… I didn't know they could be used like this?!"
"It's an open secret these days. The effect isn't strong, but still useful," Rosinante said with a smile before his tone turned solemn.
"Time is short, but this step is necessary… Princess Viola, we know about your power. The Glare-Glare Fruit grants you the ability to see into a person's heart. To prevent any future misunderstandings, I revealed my full name."
"The truth is… Doflamingo is my brother. My biological older brother. And to ensure your complete trust—I want you to look into my mind. I may share his blood, but I am nothing like him."
Viola and King Riku were stunned speechless. Their suspicions about Rosinante's surname were confirmed, but this truth felt almost surreal.
Sweat trickled down Viola's brow as she exchanged a glance with her father. She nodded resolutely.
"Very well, Vice Admiral. Since you've opened your heart, I will not hold back."
If what he says is true, and he'd hidden his name from us… once we found out, not even his rank would make us trust him again.
But now that he's laid everything bare… I have to understand the truth.
Viola raised her hands and made an "OK" gesture, forming a ring through which a translucent membrane shimmered into existence.
Placing the circle before her eyes, she focused on the blond Vice Admiral in front of her.
"Recall your true relationship with Donquixote Doflamingo—Soul Gaze!"
Soul Gaze could only reveal a person's present thoughts, so it required coaxing the subject to recall memories tied to the question at hand.
Moments later, Viola covered her mouth, trembling as tears streamed down her face.
"So that's how it is… I understand now."
"Father, we can trust these Marines. I've seen the truth."
King Riku let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. While he had placed his hope in the Marines who rescued them, the weight of the name "Donquixote" had haunted him like a curse.
"Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness…"
He murmured, just as Rosinante let out a gentle sigh. Having his darkest memories exposed was far from pleasant—but for trust, it was a necessary sacrifice.
"Now then, we must leave the palace. Princess Viola, we'll need your help locating the other imprisoned officials and citizens of Dressrosa."
Rosinante's expression turned grim.
"According to intelligence, Doflamingo used his power to impersonate Your Majesty and installed himself as 'Prime Minister,' imprisoning anyone who dared oppose his tyrannical rule. We have to rescue them."
"Only once they're safe… can the Navy bring Doflamingo to justice without restraint."
—————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]
Note: This fanfic has been completely translated and is available on my Patreon.