Zoro didn't expect Rebecca to be so good with words.
Just one sentence, and Hancock was overjoyed.
Zoro chuckled and glanced at Tsunade beside him.
"I just took on a disciple, aren't you going to give her a gift or something?"
"Seriously? The cousin takes a disciple, and the cousin-sister has to give a present? I seriously suspect you're just extorting me!"
Who could argue with that?
Sero merely smiled without saying anything.
After being blatantly swindled out of a huge sum of Berries by Tsunade not long ago, of course, he planned to get back at her.
Tsunade gave the crowd a speechless look as they all watched, clearly enjoying the show.
Then she saw Rebecca's expectant eyes.
And with the atmosphere hyped up like this...
"Sigh... Fine, as your master's cousin, I'll… I'll teach you Monster Strength!"
Tsunade had no material possessions to gift, so she had no choice but to pass on a ninjutsu technique.
Monster Strength was what she was most proficient at, so she decided to teach Rebecca that.
Whether Rebecca could learn it would depend on her talent.
"Monster Strength? Sounds... kinda weird…"
Rebecca's awkward phrasing game was strong, too.
Though she had no idea what this "Monster Strength" was, she happily accepted it anyway.
"The more skills, the better!"
"Me too! Me too! I want to give Rebecca something too!"
Yamato, ever the crowd-joiner, shouted with excitement.
Even though Rebecca had once doubted her strength, Yamato didn't mind at all.
She felt the same kind of friendship potential with Rebecca that she once had with Ace.
"I… I don't have anything to give either… So, how about I teach you Conqueror's Haki?!"
Compared to penniless Tsunade, Yamato only had a kanabo to her name.
So she also had no choice but to offer a skill as a gift.
Unfortunately, the skill she chose… wasn't one Rebecca could learn.
"I think you should teach her Observation Haki instead,"
Zoro suggested, clearly unimpressed.
Yamato's skillset didn't exactly fit a technical-style swordswoman like Rebecca.
What if Yamato told her something like:
"Combat is simple. Just charge the enemy head-on. As long as you stay standing longer than they do, you win."
And what if Rebecca believed that nonsense?
She'd probably die young.
"That works too!"
As long as she got to teach something, Yamato was happy.
And Rebecca, being eager to learn, accepted everything.
In the days that followed…
Morning: Zoro taught Rebecca Water Breathing
Noon: Hancock taught her Armament Haki
Afternoon: Tsunade taught her Monster Strength
Evening: Yamato taught her Observation Haki
Night: Sabo and Koala tried to brainwash her into joining the Revolutionary Army
If not for the fact that Ace's public execution at Marineford was only five days away…
Everyone might've wanted this peaceful lifestyle to continue forever, but it was just too relaxing.
"Has Doflamingo gotten lost on the way home or something?!"
Standing on the coast of Dressrosa, Zoro watched the sea, scanning the many passing ships.
He was trying to spot the Donquixote Pirates' ship.
But, nothing.
"Don't tell me Doflamingo already went to Marineford?!"
Hancock felt it was highly possible.
Her two sisters had been contacting her daily via Den Den Mushi, pressuring her to head to Marineford ASAP.
"Then we've wasted almost ten days here in Dressrosa!"
"Let's go to Marineford now and rescue Ace!"
"Ace is probably still being held in Impel Down!"
Sabo, Yamato, and Koala were also present.
Even though the past few days in Dressrosa with Rebecca had been pleasant, they were all itching to go save Ace.
"Let us go already, you bastards!"
"Yeah, same here!"
Poor Katakuri and Jack felt like they'd gained 15 to 20 pounds during their days in Dressrosa.
If they stayed any longer, they felt they'd completely fall from grace.
From now on, they figured they could just visit sometimes for sweets from Rebecca.
Yes, it was Rebecca who had fattened them up.
Meanwhile, the Big Mom Pirates had started clashing violently with the Red Hair Pirates, due to a rumor that the red-haired "cousin" had kidnapped Katakuri.
Katakuri desperately wanted to return to stop the chaos from escalating.
"You're begging us to let you go, but if we did, wouldn't that make us look bad?"
Zoro casually brushed them off.
He then led the group back to Rebecca's house to say their temporary goodbyes.
They no longer had time to sit around waiting for Doflamingo.
And according to Zoro's plan, they still needed to go to Amazon Lily, where Hancock would be escorted by the Navy to Marineford to maintain her Warlord status.
As they walked back to Rebecca's house, everyone picked up the pace.
But to their surprise, Rebecca wasn't home.
Even more surprising, a stranger was sitting inside.
"Who are you people?!"
"We should be asking you that!"
They'd been staying at Rebecca's place for days and had never seen this woman.
Rebecca had never mentioned any relatives either.
But this stranger knew Rebecca, so she was probably here to see her.
Zoro stayed silent, observing her; she did resemble Rebecca somewhat.
A relative?
Wait…
As far as he knew, Rebecca only had a few surviving royal relatives,
Which meant this woman must be Violet.
Rebecca's aunt.
The real fallen princess of Dressrosa.
Currently working as an assassin for the Donquixote Family to protect King Riku, the former king.
And apparently, Violet had a "close" relationship with Doflamingo,
You know, the kind where they "do hair" together at night…
Thinking of this, an idea suddenly sparked in Zoro's mind.
And in the very next second, his katana was at Violet's throat.
Everyone, including Violet and Hancock, was stunned.
"Violet, you don't want Doflamingo to keep ruling Dressrosa, do you?!"
Well… kinda…
For some reason, that was Violet's first gut reaction to the question.
Startled, she frantically shook her head like a bobblehead, denying it.
"Then contact Doflamingo. Tell him to return to Dressrosa immediately. We'll take care of kicking him out."
"Who are you people?!"
Even now, Violet was completely bewildered.
She'd just come to visit her niece after a while.
And now, some guy had a sword to her throat, spouting crazy threats about driving out Doflamingo.
"I'm not asking for your opinion. I'm telling you what to do. Got it?!"
Zoro had expected this reaction.
That's exactly why he already had his blade pressed to her neck.
The razor-sharp edge even nicked her skin slightly, drawing a little blood,
Just enough pain for Violet to realize he wasn't bluffing.
Deep down, she, too, had long wished to drive Doflamingo out.
So she decided to trust him.
She quickly pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed Doflamingo's number.
When the snail's face transformed into Doflamingo's, everyone finally understood why Zoro had threatened this woman.
Turns out she had direct access to Doflamingo, no ordinary relationship.
Soon, Doflamingo's voice came through:
"Fufufufufu! Violet? You called me? How unexpected!"
"Luffy… come back quickly! Dressrosa is… under attack by a group of powerful strangers!"
In her panic, that was the best excuse Violet could come up with.
There was a long silence on the other end.
Zoro, growing impatient, snatched the Den Den Mushi from her.
"If you don't show up in Dressrosa by tonight, I'll slaughter every single Donquixote Family member still left in the kingdom."
Click.
Sero hung up without giving Doflamingo a chance to reply.
He knew Doflamingo highly valued his crew, so he'd come back before nightfall.
"You…"
Violet tried to speak, but no words came out, just stunned silence.
Just then, the front door opened.
"Rebecca! You have to believe me! Just lend me a little more money! I swear I'll win it all back, with interest!"
"But… but I don't have any more money, Auntie Tsunade!"
"Then… then maybe… maybe you could pawn this house, and lend me that money? Once I win big, I'll buy you two houses… no, three!"