King's Plateau.
The three top executives of the Donquixote Pirates wore grave expressions, their gazes fixed on Doflamingo's face.
A newspaper lay on the table in front of Doflamingo, his expression dark.
He had remained in this position for a long time.
"Hey, Doffy, where could he have gone?"
Trebol couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere any longer and was the first to speak up.
The Donquixote Pirates had considerable influence in Sabaody Archipelago.
But ever since Fish-Man Island ascended into the sky, their agents on Sabaody had exhausted all means without being able to locate its whereabouts.
Doflamingo leaned back on the sofa, spreading his arms, and stared at the ceiling, still silent.
Trebol and the other two executives felt their hearts sink.
This was the first time they had seen their young master like this.
But then again, it made sense.
That man had already been recognized as the fifth emperor of the sea, no longer a small fry to be trampled upon.
The young master had repeatedly targeted that man, and now it was only natural to face retaliation.
Thinking of this, the three executives' moods soured.
Who could have imagined that a mere scientist who mastered Bloodline Factor technology would rise to such heights?
"His next target might be me."
Doflamingo spoke quietly, his words causing the three executives' expressions to change drastically.
"We're no match for him."
Diamante shuddered at the thought of Reddy single-handedly defeating the combined forces of the Marines and two Emperors.
How could their family possibly resist such a monster?
Trebol urged anxiously, "Hey, we should just leave Dressrosa. As long as the family survives, we can always seize another kingdom. You'll still be a king, Doffy."
Before he could finish, Trebol noticed Doflamingo glaring at him with a cold gaze and immediately shut his mouth.
"Dressrosa is mine."
Doflamingo's tone carried no emotion, but Trebol and the other two understood perfectly.
Back then, Doflamingo's ancestors had abandoned Dressrosa to become Celestial Dragons. Now that they had finally reclaimed their ancestral land, if Doflamingo were willing to give it up, he wouldn't be the underworld kingpin known as the Heavenly Yaksha.
"Bring Violet to me," Doflamingo ordered calmly.
Trebol hurriedly took on the task himself.
Before long, Trebol returned with Violet in tow.
"You wanted to see me?"
Violet's eyes held suspicion.
Doflamingo had already adjusted his demeanor, returning to his usual self. "Check if Fish-Man Island is nearby."
Violet looked puzzled but stepped onto the balcony and activated her Glare-Glare Fruit powers.
The Glare-Glare Fruit allowed her to observe a radius of 4,000 kilometers in its normal state. With specific gestures, she could also read a target's current thoughts or see through objects.
"I didn't find it."
Violet turned back and shook her head at Doflamingo.
"Fufufufufu… So I was overthinking it after all."
Doflamingo trusted Violet completely. Confirming that Fish-Man Island wasn't near Dressrosa's surrounding waters, he finally relaxed.
The other three executives also sighed in relief, returning to their usual ease.
As long as that man didn't come for revenge, all was well.
"I'll take my leave now."
Seeing this, Violet excused herself and left.
Once outside the castle, she looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, tears welling up uncontrollably.
Fish-Man Island wasn't in the nearby waters, but two islands—one large and one small—hovered ten thousand meters above Dressrosa.
"The day has finally come."
Violet recalled the recent news she had seen, wiped away her tears, and glanced in the direction of the Corrida Coliseum, murmuring softly, "Rebecca, please hold on a little longer."
...
"What a strange ability."
Hancock surveyed the alternate dimension, then turned her attention to the streets where humans coexisted harmoniously with walking toys of all kinds, an unusual spark of interest in her eyes.
Dressrosa was known as the Kingdom of Love, Passion, and Toys, with its most distinctive feature being these self-moving toys.
As a result, it had become a tourist hotspot, attracting many visitors.
"I've been here before."
Jinbe wore a hesitant expression, shaking his head. "Maybe I misremembered, but I don't recall these toys existing during King Riku's reign."
Reddy's expression turned peculiar. "You don't remember?"
"Hm?"
Jinbe looked at Reddy in confusion.
"Never mind."
Reddy smiled faintly and brushed past the topic, though inwardly he was excited. "The Hobi Hobi no Mi… What a fantastic ability."
Doflamingo had used his Ito Ito no Mi powers to manipulate King Riku into slaughtering civilians, directly leading to his overthrow and allowing Doflamingo to seize Dressrosa.
Afterward, Doflamingo ordered his subordinate, the Hobi Hobi no Mi user Sugar, to turn all rebels into toys, erasing their existence entirely.
Among all the major factions in the world, only Doflamingo's crew boasted so many users of uniquely powerful Devil Fruits.
Aside from Sugar, there were also Pica, the Stone-Stone Fruit user and natural-born civil engineer, Senor Pink, the Swim-Swim Fruit user who could "swim" through solid ground like water, Monet, the Snow-Snow Fruit user, and many others.
"If you want revenge on Doflamingo… What are you waiting for?"
Hancock had no interest in Dressrosa's political upheavals or Reddy's plans against the Donquixote Pirates. She just wanted to finish things quickly so she could have more alone time with Reddy.
A certain tactless fish-man was very much in the way.
Reddy wore an enigmatic smile. "Before moving against Doflamingo, I'd like to meet someone first."
"Who?"
Hancock immediately became alert.
Reddy chuckled. "She should already know we're here."
Fish-Man Island's ascent near Sabaody Archipelago had been his deliberate ploy.
While Fish-Man Island drew all the attention, Amazon Lily and its satellite island quietly crossed the Red Line, arriving ten thousand meters above Dressrosa.
The purpose was simple—to send a message to a certain woman with a deep-seated grudge: He had arrived.
"Wait here."
Reddy signaled Hancock and Jinbe to stay in the alternate dimension, had Mon open a portal, and stepped out alone.
This was a secluded alley in the harbor district, flanked by stacks of wooden crates.
"She shouldn't keep me waiting too long, right?"
Reddy murmured to himself as he sat on one of the crates.
Before long, the alley entrance darkened.
Reddy smiled and turned to face the woman standing at the entrance. "Princess Violet, as—"
Before he could finish, Violet, still catching her breath, pleaded tearfully, "Dr. Reddy, please help me."
"Uh…"
Reddy hadn't expected Violet's reaction to be more intense than anticipated, leaving him momentarily unsure how to proceed.
Originally, he had planned to offer assistance in restoring King Riku's throne in exchange for Violet's genetic sample and intelligence on the Donquixote executives.
But now, she had come begging outright.
Meanwhile, inside the alternate dimension, Hancock's alarm bells rang when she saw Reddy waiting for a woman.
Trouble.
A rival had appeared!