On Green Bit, Leo finally staggered back to his homeland, having made a harrowing escape. He felt a wave of relief; if he hadn't made it, his people might have been completely wiped out, and no one would ever know the terrible truth about King Riku. He was unaware, however, that the only reason he'd managed to escape was that Monroe and his men had intentionally let him go.
"Leo!" Wicca, who was on patrol, spotted the half-dead Leo and rushed him back to the Tontatta Kingdom.
"Leo! You have to be okay!" Princess Mansherry pleaded, tears welling in her eyes and spilling freely onto Leo's body.
Thanks to the miraculous, cheat-level power of the Heal-Heal Fruit, Leo's injuries were simple enough to treat.
Not long after, under the watchful eyes of the other dwarves, Leo slowly regained consciousness.
"Oh, thank goodness, Leo! You're finally awake!" Princess Mansherry exclaimed happily, throwing herself onto him.
"Your Highness, could you please get up? You're crushing me, I can't breathe!" Leo, the textbook definition of a clueless guy, stated bluntly.
Princess Mansherry's joyful expression instantly soured. Did he just say she was too heavy? A girl's weight was a sensitive topic.
"Leo!" she yelled, landing a solid punch right in his face.
The onlookers sighed helplessly, not knowing what to say about the bickering pair.
"Leo, oh Leo," Wicca muttered, "you really are completely clueless, aren't you?"
"Your Highness, you hit too hard! That really hurts!" Leo whined, rubbing his aching cheek.
Seeing his pitiful expression only made Mansherry angrier. She was about to let him have it again but was stopped by King Gancho's voice.
"Leo, what happened? Where are the others? Why did you return alone?"
"Sniff… Your Majesty, they… they were all captured," Leo said, his voice breaking. "And… it was King Riku who sold us out. We… we were all tricked."
"How is that possible? The Riku royal family and our tribe have been friends for centuries!" Gancho said in disbelief, his heart sinking.
"It's true. At first, the pirates demanded ten billion Berries from King Riku, and he paid it. Then they demanded another billion in compensation, but he didn't have it. So the pirates demanded our people as payment instead. Everyone except me was captured. We went there specifically to help them, but King Riku and his men just stood by and did nothing while the pirates took us," Leo explained miserably. "And I heard from the pirates that it was a setup from the very beginning. King Riku was working with them just to capture us!"
Gancho couldn't believe it. He had still held out some hope for the Riku family, but now that hope was completely shattered.
"Father, what should we do?" Princess Mansherry asked angrily. After hearing Leo's story, she was filled with a burning hatred for King Riku. "We can't just sit here and do nothing! If something like this happens once, it will happen again. We can't trust the Riku family, and we have to save our people!"
Even the perpetually kind-hearted Princess Mansherry was furious, a clear sign of the rage felt by the other dwarves.
"That's right! We have to save our people! Save them!"
With Mansherry leading the charge, the others began to chant in support.
"Your Majesty, give the order! I swear I'll rescue Kabu and everyone else!" Leo declared, his eyes fixed firmly on Gancho.
"No!" Gancho refused.
"Why not?" Leo demanded.
"We are too weak," Gancho said calmly. "Sending you back out there would be suicide."
Hearing their king's words, the dwarves' fiery determination cooled. He was right. If even Leo and the elite warriors were no match for them, what chance did the rest of them have against those pirates?
Just then, Wicca spoke up hesitantly. "Maybe… maybe we could ask Doflamingolando for help?"
"Doflamingo?" Gancho was reluctant to get more involved with him; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted Viola with repaying their debt. He had his reservations. Now that even King Riku couldn't be trusted, could Doflamingo truly be any different?
The other dwarves, unaware of the complexities, grew excited at Wicca's suggestion. They thought a savior had appeared.
"That's right! We still have Doflamingolando! He's the hero we've been waiting for. He'll definitely save us!"
In stark contrast to the cheering crowd, a worried look settled on Gancho's face. Princess Mansherry noticed her father's change in expression and asked, "Father, is there something we don't know?"
"Sigh… do you know what Doflamingo's family name is?" Gancho sighed.
"What is it?" Leo and the others asked curiously.
"Donquixote," Gancho stated calmly. "He is a member of the Donquixote Family, the very same family that enslaved our people nine hundred years ago."
"The Donquixote Family? The family that enslaved us?"
The dwarves murmured in confusion. It was ancient history, and the younger generation didn't pay it much mind. But the king's lineage had passed down the stories for centuries, and he knew far more. That was the source of his worry.
"But Doflamingolando is a good person! I could feel that he was sincere," Leo mumbled.
"Then why didn't he tell us his family name? That's not being sincere at all!" Gancho scolded, his beard bristling.
His stern demeanor quieted the dwarves, and Leo and the others fell into a deep state of doubt.
"Father, isn't it possible that he hid his name precisely because he knew his family's history and didn't want us to worry or suspect him?" Mansherry reasoned gently. "Besides, when we were with him, he never showed any ill intent. And what could our little tribe possibly have that he would want? Don't forget, he's one of the most famous pirates on the sea right now. Why would he even bother with us?"
"Mansherry, you can't judge a book by its cover. Don't be so quick to decide," Gancho grumbled.
"Well, I believe Doflamingolando is not that kind of person. I'm sure it's just as Her Highness said," Leo insisted.
"I believe in Doflamingolando, too," Wicca added in support.
Hearing Leo's unwavering defense, Gancho grunted in frustration, clearly annoyed.
"Father, please don't be angry," Mansherry said, moving to his side and gently massaging his shoulders. "Right now, Doflamingolando is the only one who can save us. We can't blame him for what his ancestors did, can we? The Riku family were our benefactors, and look how they treated us in the end."
"Sigh… You have a point. It's just… I have a bad feeling about this," Gancho said, his voice laced with resignation.
"We can just avoid contact with him after this is over," Mansherry offered. "Then our debt will be settled, and we'll owe each other nothing."
"Fine, fine," Gancho conceded.
"Kabu and the others can be saved!" Leo cheered.
"Contact him now," Gancho said to Leo.
"Right!"
Leo quickly dialed the number Doflamingo had left them, the hopes of the entire Tontatta tribe resting on the call.
Soon, Doflamingo's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Leo? Or is this Wicca?"
"It's me, Leo!"
"Ah, Leo. Is something the matter?" Doflamingo asked calmly, his tone not overly warm. He had already guessed what they wanted and saw no need to appear too eager, lest they suspect something. Besides, they weren't particularly close.
In contrast to Doflamingo's nonchalance, Leo was frantic.
"Doflamingolando, we're in trouble! We need your help to save our people!" As Leo spoke, every dwarf held their breath. Although their earlier discussion had convinced them Doflamingo wouldn't be the type to ignore a debt of gratitude, in this crucial moment, they couldn't help but feel nervous.
"No problem. Who's the enemy?" Doflamingo agreed without hesitation.
A collective sigh of relief washed over the dwarves. If he had refused, they wouldn't have known who else to turn to.
Leo quickly explained the details about the pirates and received Doflamingo's guarantee.
"Don't worry," Doflamingo promised. "I will bring your people back to you safely."
"Thank you, Doflamingolando! You're our friend forever!" Leo exclaimed emotionally.
"Since we're friends, there's no need to say more. Just leave this to me."
With that, Doflamingo hung up, not bothering to chat any further.
"That's right… we're friends."
The dwarves were deeply moved by Doflamingo's words, and a wave of shame washed over them for having doubted him. Gancho, however, was thick-skinned enough not to feel anything. Even if he had wronged Doflamingo with his suspicions, he didn't think his caution was a mistake. It was always better to be safe than sorry.
Aboard the Ark Maxim, Doflamingo hung up the call and chuckled. He found it amusing that the Tontatta tribe had come crawling to him after all. Since they had, he couldn't possibly let such a perfect opportunity go to waste.
An act, after all, had to be performed to completion.
If the Tontatta tribe wanted a hero so badly, then he would begrudgingly play the part.
Next up, it was time for the hero to take the stage.