With the three islands safely out of range, Adrian positioned them in the sky, leaving only Noah to descend alone.
"For Lord Adrian!" Betty cried, leaping onto the ship's bow and unfurling a battle flag. "For justice! For the liberation of this suffering country... go!"
Her voice, imbued with the power of the Pump-Pump Fruit, sent an invisible wave of encouragement through the troops, awakening a dormant power in their hearts.
"For Lord Adrian!" a thousand warriors roared in unison.
The special combat legion—a diverse force of Amazonian warriors, Sandian warriors, Sky Island guards, and Fish-Man soldiers—swarmed from the ship, their already formidable strength multiplied by Betty's ability. The ensuing battle was a one-sided slaughter. Betty, carrying the battle flag, moved through every corner of the battlefield, ensuring her allies' casualties were kept to a minimum. After all, every warrior was precious to her lord. She was responsible for protecting his assets.
Within minutes, the thousands of defenders on the coastline were decimated. The defensive measures the Donquixote Family had prepared were rendered completely useless. Betty returned to the ranks, her flag held high, and with the Empress and others, she followed Adrian down the blood-soaked avenue of corpses.
In front of the terrified eyes of the citizens, they officially entered the Kingdom of Dressrosa.
"Hah, where should I start?" Shiryu asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "My sword is already hungry and thirsty." The prospect of having three new swords had awakened a new excitement in him, and he was more eager than ever for a fight.
"My Lord, a female pirate named Violet says she has important information for you," a Sandian warrior named Wyper announced respectfully. Since Adrian had conquered Sky Island, he had become their new god, revered by the Angel Island residents and the unruly Sandian warriors alike.[1]
"Violet?" A flash of insight crossed Adrian's eyes. Violet's arrival was the answer to his "unknown mentor." "Bring her to me!"
"My Lord, could she be an assassin sent by Doflamingo?" the Empress asked, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She had an instinctive hostility toward any woman who approached Adrian.
"Easy, Hancock," He said, stroking her hair with a smile. "She is the daughter of King Riku, the former ruler of Dressrosa. She was forced to join the Donquixote Family to save her father's life."
"She is also the user of the Glare-Glare Fruit. She can use herself as the center point to observe anything within a radius of 4,000 kilometers."
"That must be how the Donquixote Family knew we were coming."
"4,000 kilometers?" Bullet exclaimed, his face etched with awe. "Even the captain's Observation Haki can't reach that far! This woman's ability is perfect for reconnaissance."
Even though his own Observation Haki was the strongest besides Adrian's, it was nothing compared to Violet's.
"Another woman who is useful to my Lord?" The Empress's face softened a little. Under the "Harem Lord's" active buff, her hostility toward any woman useful to Adrian automatically decreased.
"The most important thing," Adrian added, a sly look in his eyes, "is that she can provide us with a justifiable reason to overthrow Doflamingo. The World Government won't be able to touch us."
He valued this more than her Devil Fruit ability. With his current strength, he wasn't ready to confront the World Government head-on. Securing a righteous cause was crucial. Whether Violet and King Riku would accept him as the new king afterward was up to them.
A few minutes later, Violet, guided by Wyper, stood before Adrian. She looked at the handsome young man, not yet twenty, and the imposing circle of powerful individuals behind him. She knew this was her and Dressrosa's last chance. If even this man, whom Doflamingo feared, couldn't overthrow the tyrant, all hope would be lost.
"Lord Adrian, thank you for summoning me," she said, kneeling. Her royal pride had been completely shattered over the last eight years. While Adrian found her submissiveness convenient for his plans.
"Get up, Miss Viola," Adrian said, a mischievous smile on his face. "Your current status is a cadre of the Donquixote Family. If Doflamingo found out you came to me, you, King Riku, and Miss Rebecca would all be in danger."
Violet's eyes widened in disbelief, and her voice trembled. "You... you know everything?" She hadn't heard her real name spoken in years. He knew not only her name but also her identity and even the existence of Rebecca. How was this possible?
She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Lord Adrian, please save the people of this country! Doflamingo has turned this place into an emotionless hell. Relatives forget each other, and anyone who disobeys is turned into a toy that never stops working. Dressrosa shouldn't be like this..."
Viola's sadness didn't move Adrian. He felt no sympathy for her. Just as Cobra had trusted Crocodile, King Riku had been naive. When threatened by Doflamingo, he didn't resist. Instead, he demanded money from his people to pay a ransom. Doflamingo had used this to make King Riku look like a foolish and despicable ruler, seizing the throne for himself.
Adrian couldn't understand how such a simple-minded man became king. If pirates could be trusted, wouldn't the world have been at peace long ago? Wasn't the suffering of Dressrosa caused by King Riku's own actions? What was so pitiful about that?
"Miss Viola," Lin Xiao said, a half-smile on his face, "the important information you want to give me is that Doflamingo has already contacted the Beasts Pirates and the World Government, correct?"
Violet was completely stunned, her tears forgotten. He truly knew everything. Her only bargaining chip was gone. She was at a complete loss.
"Get up," Adrian said. "Even without Dressrosa's problems, Doflamingo and I have old scores to settle."
"Thank you, Lord Adrian," Violet said, tears of joy welling up. "From now on, I, Violet, swear to follow you to repay your kindness." For eight years, she had waited for this day. Dressrosa was finally about to be liberated.
"Hah, the royal family here really is a bunch of naive idiots," Shiryu said with a sneer. He was immediately met with a murderous glare from the Empress.
"Uh... I was just kidding!" Shiryu quickly waved his hands. "From now on, we're all family..."
"Alright, Viola—no, let's keep calling you Violet," Adrian said, a smile on his face. "The code name isn't bad! Take my people and find Sugar first. I'm think, Doflamingo has already moved her to safe hold. She is the key to returning this country to normal."
"Yes!" Violet said respectfully.
"Death Song, you go with Hancock," Adrian ordered. "The cadre in charge of guarding Sugar has a tricky ability with his Stick-Stick Fruit."
He would not give Doflamingo a single chance. From the very beginning, his victory had been assured.
[1] Skypiea island consists of Angel island, Upper Yard and Shandora