Doflamingo, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under Kai's penetrating gaze, still didn't understand what he had done wrong.
He had been completely honest about everything! This was a secret shocking enough to shake the foundations of the entire world.
Surely Kai wouldn't eliminate him after he had served his purpose so faithfully.
"Forget it. It's not your fault that you're fundamentally useless. Just focus on handling the weapons trade efficiently."
Kai shook his head with obvious disappointment and departed, leaving behind a thoroughly confused and bewildered Doflamingo.
Regardless of everything else, Kai's decision to leave represented the best possible news Doflamingo could have received.
He didn't even dare suggest hosting a farewell banquet, terrified that Kai might suddenly decide to accept the invitation.
Watching Kai's group completely disappear beyond the palace gates, the Donquixote Family executives almost wanted to set off celebratory fireworks.
That terrifying god of death had finally departed.
But Kai had absolutely no intention of leaving Dressrosa completely.
Returning to the Rayquaza, King Riku led his grateful family to express their heartfelt thanks to Kai.
With the invaluable assistance of the Glare-Glare Fruit, Violet's search for her missing family members had proceeded very smoothly.
She only needed to scan areas where her family might have appeared to get a general idea of their location, then follow the traces systematically.
"Mr. Kai, you are our family's true savior. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask." King Riku made this solemn promise with genuine gratitude.
But he never imagined that Kai would leverage this favor so immediately.
"No need to wait for some distant future. I have a favor to ask right now."
Kai chuckled with obvious amusement. You offered this yourself, after all.
King Riku felt embarrassed for a moment, then spoke with renewed solemnity: "Please give me your instructions."
"I want to establish contact with the Tontatta tribe. Help me find the way to them."
Kai spoke with a pleasant smile, but his tone carried an undeniable undertone of command.
King Riku suddenly looked up with resolute determination blazing in his eyes: "Please forgive my refusal. The Tontatta tribe has maintained friendship with the Riku clan for countless generations. I absolutely cannot betray them for my personal safety!"
Kai didn't become angry at King Riku's firm refusal. Even villains could genuinely appreciate people who possessed loyalty and righteousness.
"Do you honestly think the Tontatta tribe is truly safe in their current situation? Don't forget the Donquixote family's historical relationship with Dressrosa."
Hearing this ominous reminder, King Riku sucked in a sharp breath.
Eight hundred years ago, when the Donquixote family had ruled Dressrosa, they had treated the Tontatta tribe as nothing more than expendable slaves.
Now that Doflamingo had returned to power, he definitely wouldn't allow such useful slaves to remain free.
The Tontatta tribe was in mortal danger!
Understanding this crucial point, King Riku no longer insisted on his refusal and readily agreed to Kai's reasonable request.
Compared to the genuinely evil Doflamingo, he trusted Kai significantly more.
King Riku immediately led Kai toward the Tontatta tribe's secret dwelling place.
Green Bit represented their destination.
This was an uninhabited small island located northwest of the Dressrosa Kingdom.
The entire island was covered by patches of incredibly tall plants that created a natural canopy.
The path to Green Bit required crossing a narrow iron bridge, around which swam aggressive schools of fighting fish that enjoyed attacking passersby on the bridge, making the people of Dressrosa speak of the journey with genuine fear.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
The fighting fish sensed footsteps on the iron bridge and leaped out of the water in perfect unison, carrying gleaming water droplets as they shot toward Kai and King Riku like living arrows.
"Be careful!" King Riku quickly drew his sword in protective warning.
"Don't worry about them. Just follow me closely."
Kai walked forward with unhurried confidence, completely unaffected by the aquatic assault.
Where his footsteps passed, only the sounds of fighting fish splashing back into the water could be heard.
King Riku stood dumbfounded as those fierce fighting fish couldn't even reach the iron bridge before losing consciousness one after another.
Suppressing his growing shock, King Riku sheathed his sword and followed closely behind Kai's protected path.
After leaving the iron bridge and entering Green Bit's dense forest, a distinctly childish voice reached both their ears.
"King Riku? Why are you here? Who is this mysterious guest?"
Kai looked toward the sound and spotted a small boy wearing a green hat in scout attire standing alertly on a tree branch, observing them with obvious curiosity.
Simultaneously, a group of Tontatta tribe scouts in various colorful clothing emerged to surround Kai and King Riku.
They appeared fluffy and adorable, standing about twenty centimeters tall, with equally fluffy tails swishing behind them.
They looked absolutely cute and harmless.
But Kai understood that these small bodies contained tremendous strength several times greater than humans, and their speed was so incredible that ordinary people couldn't track their movements.
Probably because King Riku accompanied him, the Tontatta tribe members didn't assume defensive positions and didn't even reach for the weapons on their backs.
Their vigilance is genuinely concerning.
Kai shook his head with secret worry.
"Leo, this is Mr. Kai. He needs to communicate with Gancho about something important." King Riku got straight to the point without wasting time.
"I understand completely. Follow me."
Leo didn't hesitate even slightly and turned to nimbly lead the way by jumping gracefully between tree branches.
The remaining Tontatta scouts quickly dispersed, melting back among the trees to continue their vigilant watch.
Before long, Leo guided the two visitors to an open forest clearing.
"Please wait here. I'll ask the Tonta-Chief to come out and meet you properly."
Leo announced this and agilely slipped into a cleverly hidden entrance at the base of a massive tree, disappearing completely from sight.
King Riku explained helpfully: "The Tontatta Kingdom is located underground within this forest. This arrangement can effectively prevent them from being harmed by malicious humans."
Kai observed thoughtfully: "But that only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It can't defend against truly determined people."
King Riku had no meaningful response to offer.
Whether it was Kai or Doflamingo, as long as they dedicated serious effort to the task, the Tontatta tribe's location couldn't remain hidden from them.
Moreover, the Tontatta tribe possessed a potentially fatal character weakness.
They were extremely trusting of others, almost to a fault.
If they encountered good people, that was perfectly fine, but if they met evil individuals like Doflamingo...
King Riku didn't dare imagine the Tontatta tribe's tragic fate under such circumstances.
This was also why he had been willing to bring Kai here despite his reservations.
At least so far, Kai hadn't broken his word despite possessing overwhelming power.
Kai didn't have to wait very long for results.
Soon, a large group of Tontatta tribe members filed out from the base of that giant tree in organized fashion.
Leading them was a distinguished white-bearded elderly man wearing an ornate crown and holding a ceremonial staff, accompanied by a cute-faced blonde little princess who looked exactly like a precious doll.
"Doldo, you're looking for me? Are you experiencing some kind of trouble?" Tonta-Chief Gancho asked with genuine concern.
King Riku shook his head and told his old friend everything about Dressrosa's political upheaval, the Donquixote family's restoration to power, and the great danger the Tontatta tribe would likely face.
"Oh no! The Donquixote family has actually returned?!"
Tonta-Chief Gancho's face first displayed obvious panic, then gradually calmed with acceptance.
"So Mr. Kai is here to help us survive this crisis. That's absolutely wonderful."
He harbored no doubts whatsoever and completely believed King Riku's urgent warnings.
Kai stepped forward, crouched down to their level, and painted an appealing picture for Gancho: "I manage a prosperous country called Wano Country, which urgently needs agricultural experts like your talented Tontatta tribe. If you're willing to work for me, besides fair wages, I can promise to allocate permanent land for the Tontatta tribe to settle for generations and guarantee your complete safety."
"I personally would be quite willing to accept your generous employment offer, Mr. Kai."
Gancho appeared genuinely satisfied with Kai's reasonable conditions and didn't even ask about specific contract terms: "However, this decision requires the full consent of all tribe members."
He immediately instructed the guards beside him to gather all the tribespeople for democratic discussion.
Th-this straightforward?
Kai had prepared an entire arsenal of persuasive arguments that went completely unused.
Drawing this recruitment picture had provided no sense of achievement whatsoever.
King Riku smiled bitterly as he witnessed this scene. This was exactly the scenario he had worried about. He sincerely hoped he hadn't invited a wolf into the fold.