Chapter 155: Surrender and the Royal Family
Just then, Daz Bonez, dressed in a black suit with short stubble, came to the colosseum, carrying two figures bound in chains. He walked calmly through the passage, came to Louis's side, and threw the two chained figures onto the ground.
At this moment, everyone curiously gathered around, looking with strange expressions at the petite figure. They wanted to know why an existence of Louis's level would specifically order such a little kid to be captured.
Louis looked at the two green-haired figures at his feet, raised an eyebrow, and asked with some surprise, "Daz, why did you bring an extra one?"
He had already recognized the green-haired woman, who looked to be only about 20 years old, as Monet, the person who would later be undercover by the scientist Caesar's side on Punk Hazard. She was fiercely loyal to Doflamingo, to the point where she was willing to die for him.
Hearing his words, Daz Bonez glanced coolly at the child, who was wearing Seastone cuffs and bound in chains. "The target said that if we killed this woman, she would never serve us. Even if we forced her, she would not submit."
Following Daz Bonez's words, the child named Sugar, fighting back her fear, said with a tremble, "If my sister dies, I will die with her!"
At these words, the expressions of those present turned grim.
Then, Louis slowly stood up, came before the two who were on the ground, and grabbed the chains binding them, lifting them up. "If I let her go, you will serve us?"
"That's right!!" Sugar, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, nodded vigorously.
Then, Louis's gaze fell on the green-haired woman named Monet. "We've killed Doflamingo. Will you surrender to us?"
Monet's body froze. Her eyes were filled with sadness, anger, and pain. In the end, facing Louis's question, Monet looked away and did not answer.
Seeing this, Louis showed no particular reaction, but quietly cast a meaningful glance at Uta.
Uta saw it, instantly transformed into her Siren form, and swam forward, raising a clawed hand to lift Monet's head. Her bewitching eyes met Monet's numb, despairing ones. Uta hummed softly, pulling Monet into an illusion and dissecting her heart within the dream.
Soon, Uta released her from the dream and reverted to her original form. She shook her head at Louis. "She is very loyal to Doflamingo."
Louis heard this and nodded. It was as he had expected. Monet could not be won over, so if she were to be left alive, the risk would be great.
Then, under everyone's gaze, Louis spoke, his tone devoid of any inflection. "Daz, she's yours. Lock this little one up. Make sure she doesn't die."
In this situation, it was already impossible to get the sincere cooperation of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit. In that case, they could only switch to another plan: lock Sugar up and ensure she doesn't die. Since he couldn't effectively guarantee he could retrieve the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, then he would simply prevent it from being reborn. It was one thing for Louis not to get the fruit's ability, but he had to at least ensure it didn't fall into someone else's hands. After all, that ability would be very troublesome if used on his own subordinates.
Nearby, Daz Bonez, who had been standing quietly with his arms crossed, silently stepped forward. He grabbed Monet and Sugar and slowly walked out of the colosseum. He already understood what came next: execute Doflamingo's loyalist, and imprison the dangerous Devil Fruit user, ensuring she doesn't die and allow the dangerous fruit to be reborn. For Daz Bonez, who came from an assassin background, this was not a difficult task.
...
After Daz Bonez had left, Goldberg's Fighting Fish barbecue was ready. He cut the barbecue into small pieces and distributed it to everyone. To this, Uta, having seen the Fighting Fish devour a human corpse, shook her head until it was a blur, expressing her strong resistance.
Louis and Yelena, on the other hand, very calmly accepted Goldberg's cooking and expressed their thanks. Louis could eat even Arcordon's hell-level dark cuisine without a change in expression. This mere human-eating ingredient posed no psychological pressure for him. As for Yelena, she had simply been starved in her youth and couldn't bear to waste a single bit of food. Back then, in order not to waste it, she had even eaten an entire Devil Fruit.
The several giants saw this and also took the food their partner handed them, eating it without any resistance.
???
A moment later, several giant Fighting Fish had been picked clean, leaving empty skeletons to be thrown into the water.
Just then, a series of dense footsteps sounded from the entrance of the colosseum, piquing the curiosity of the group. They wanted to know who would dare to approach their renowned group.
Yelena unhurriedly wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and slowly put her gas mask back on her face.
As time passed, the owners of the footsteps also appeared before them: a burly, white-haired old man dressed as a gladiator; a one-legged middle-aged man with loose black hair, a resolute face, and a strong physique; a brown-skinned woman with long black hair in a patterned dress; and a black-haired young girl in a maid's uniform, a smile on her face.
Yelena slowly bent down, her scarlet eyes peering through the lenses of her gas mask at the white-haired old man in the front. This person... she had seen him outside not long ago.
Under the extremely oppressive gazes, the group couldn't help but feel their hair stand on end. They instantly realized that this group and the Donquixote Family were powers on completely different levels. But in order to find out the information they wanted to know, and to ensure the safety of the citizens outside, they had no choice but to brace themselves and come forward.
This strange combination braced themselves and came before Louis and the others, maintaining a distance they believed to be friendly and not offensive.
Louis's eyes swept over the group before him. "Do you need something?" he asked with great interest. He had already searched his mind for key information based on their features and had roughly judged their identities.
Riku Doldo III, who had been deceived and controlled into committing a great crime. Kyros, who had won 3,000 consecutive victories in the colosseum and was extremely powerful. The former princess of Dressrosa, Violet. And a member of the Donquixote Family who could be ordered around by anyone, Baby-5.
Under Louis's sweeping gaze, King Riku took a deep breath, stepped forward, and slowly put down his weapon. He looked up at Louis's dazzling face.
"Respected Lord Archangel. My name is Riku Doldo III. Before Doflamingo ruled here, I was the monarch of this country. They are the former captain of the guard, my daughter, and a stray fish from the Donquixote Family that my daughter brought back."
This series of key words once again attracted Yelena's attention, causing her to focus her gaze on the sturdy old man. Not only that, but the way Hajrudin and the others looked at the group also became strange. They felt that these people looked like they had come to divide the spoils of war. If they weren't mistaken, this person should next, in the name of the royal family, thank them for defeating Doflamingo's crew. Then, after giving some insignificant thanks, he would want to become the ruler here again.
"Continue," Louis said concisely.
King Riku was taken aback, as if he hadn't expected him to be so direct. Then, he put on a look of someone facing death and asked in a humble tone, "May I ask, Lord Archangel, after you rule this country, what changes will you make to it and its people?"
As his words fell, King Riku's eyes were fixed on Louis, filled with a kind of hope. Behind him, the one-legged swordsman named Kyros and Violet heard him and silently clenched their fists, anxiously waiting for the answer from the person known as the Archangel, as it was directly linked to the fate of the country they deeply loved.
Not far away, Hajrudin and the others heard this and looked at each other. This was a little different from the conversation they had imagined.
To this, Louis let out two light laughs. "I see. You're worried that after one Doflamingo who harmed Dressrosa has died, he will be replaced by someone far more terrifying. Is that right?"
"That's right—" Now that things had come to this, King Riku had no other cards to play and could only speak the truth.
Then, under the gazes of King Riku and the others, Louis assumed a pensive posture. After a brief moment of thought, Louis spoke in a casual tone, "This country coming under my territory has already become a fact. I will build buildings that fit our aesthetic on this land, and gather and develop our forces. We are not interested in the citizens here, nor will we ask you for anything. The members of my crew will not do anything to you. On the contrary, because of my flag, you will gain a considerable degree of safety."
Louis's words left King Riku, Kyros, and Violet stunned on the spot. They couldn't understand. If they didn't want anything, then why did they come here?
After a long while, King Riku was the first to recover from the massive amount of information. A faint light appeared on his face. "You mean," he asked carefully, "that the lives of the citizens will be no different from before?"
Louis nodded. "That's right."
Then, King Riku looked in the direction of the King's Plateau and asked tentatively, "Lord Archangel, do you need us to repair the royal palace?"
To this, Louis glanced at the palace and replied casually, "No need."
"..."
The words that King Riku had originally wanted to say were stuck in his throat. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Just then, Violet pulled the girl in the maid's uniform, Baby-5, forward and spoke respectfully, "Lord Archangel—"
❃❃❃
⤑ Show your support with Power Stones!
⤑ Unlock a Bonus Chapter every time we hit 400 Power Stones!
❃❃❃
♕ Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
🔗 https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to open the link!)
💬 Enjoying the story? Drop a review!
Your support really helps the series grow—thank you!