Sanji looked at the disconsolate Violet before him, slowly crouched down, and gently wiped away the tears continuously streaming down her face.
Violet, however, just stared coldly at Sanji, her face devoid of expression, as if wearing a cold mask.
After a while, she spoke in a frigid tone,
"What are you still doing here? Can't you see I was deceiving you from the start?
I am a subordinate of Doflamingo.
Hmph, you really are foolish, believing my lies so easily. And now you're still here, pretending to be sympathetic. What's the point?"
Her words conveyed a cold indifference that pushed people away, yet her slightly trembling lips seemed to be concealing different emotions deep within her heart.
Sanji was silent for a moment, then slowly pulled a cigarette from his pocket, skillfully lit it, and took a deep drag.
The curling smoke slowly rose before him, blurring his face, but it couldn't hide the resolve in his eyes.
"A man who cannot wipe away a woman's tears is not a man," Sanji said slowly, his voice deep but with an undeniable determination.
"When you said you wanted to kill that man, your eyes at that moment spoke the truth.
No matter how many people blame you, I believe you are a kind person.
I, Sanji, will never doubt a woman's tears.
And as for those who make women cry, I will never let them go."
Saying this, he took another deep drag from his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring to the side, and then looked directly at Violet.
As a user of the Glare-Glare Fruit, Violet could clearly see through all lies.
She clearly perceived that every word Sanji spoke came from his heart, without the slightest falsehood or pretense; his pure and sincere feelings were presented to her without reservation.
This caused her initial intention to continue faking and using lies to waver for a moment. Her heart felt like a five-flavor bottle had been overturned, with various complex emotions intertwined.
Just as the atmosphere became slightly heavy and subtle, Franky made another commotion.
Franky, with his usual swagger, led the limping Toy Soldier into a restaurant, sat down at a table as if he were returning home.
As soon as the food arrived, he devoured it all like a whirlwind, then patted his behind, ready to leave. This was clearly an open act of dining and dashing.
Moreover, Franky even snuck a few hamburgers, stuffed them into his embrace, transformed his legs into conveyor belts, disguised himself as a tank robot, and ate as he walked. His movements were so practiced, like a seasoned criminal.
Looking at the boss chasing him, he casually left a remark to charge it to the Donquixote Family, without any politeness.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a transponder snail while on the move, dialed Sanji's number, handed it to the Toy Soldier to hold, while he himself held a cola in his left hand and a hamburger in his right, eating and talking.
"Hey, hey, Sanji, it's Franky! Things are a bit complicated here. I need to go to the flower field, but where did you wander off to?"
Franky shouted at Sanji through the transponder snail with his loud voice, which buzzed in the receiver.
Meanwhile, Sanji's eyes had never left Violet's side. His eyes had already turned into heart shapes, his mind filled with Violet's every expression. Hearing Franky's question, he instinctively replied:
"I've fallen in love."
Franky paused for a moment, then laughed on the other end of the phone.
"Oh... that sounds good. By the way, I'm almost at the factory."
Sanji immediately perked up, his voice rising a few octaves: "Really?!"
"Yeah, but I probably can't destroy it immediately and then just leave. It's going to be much more trouble than expected, especially with Orochimaru. Shouldn't we contact him, or it might get out of hand?"
Franky said seriously, observing the surroundings.
Sanji's heart skipped a beat. He knew his own business. Even though his heart and eyes were filled with Violet at the moment, hearing the name Orochimaru instantly sobered him up a bit.
He understood that even after learning Violet's enemy was Doflamingo, he hadn't easily revealed anything about Orochimaru.
From Violet's previous reactions, Sanji had guessed that Orochimaru was deliberately avoiding her existence.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for almost everyone in Dressrosa to know Orochimaru, yet Violet was completely unaware.
(Well... actually, I initially planned to save him for Doffy, but then I couldn't bear to, so I forgot.)
And the fact that Orochimaru was part of the Straw Hat was known to all except a few fools. If she knew this, she would never have come to him.
Franky also deliberated for a while on the other end of the phone. After weighing his options, he decided to proceed with the original plan, so he shouted into the receiver,
"Anyway, you hurry over too, to the flower field."
Franky's tone suggested that once they reached the flower field, many problems would be easily resolved.
When Sanji heard this, his anger flared up instantly, his face turning red, the veins on his forehead throbbing slightly. He was so furious he almost lost control, and he yelled into the phone,
"So! Where is this place that sounds like a fairy tale?!"
Violet quietly watched Sanji, who was fuming at the phone. After a moment, she slowly stood up, her gaze still fixed on Sanji, her eyes showing a hint of determination and complex emotions.
She softly said, "I know where that place is. I'll take you there.
The Toy House, on the surface, appears to be a place for toys, but it's actually the factory. From the current situation..."
At this point, Violet gave a bitter smile, her face full of self-mockery.
"Doflamingo must have completely given up on me, right? He probably thinks that even if I betray him, I won't pose any threat to him. He might even believe that my helping you won't be of any use, right?" As she spoke, Violet clenched her fists.
Just as she was saying the crucial words "Toy House," Kin'emon suddenly darted out from an unknown corner like a ghost, his speed catching everyone off guard.
He looked anxious, his eyes wide, and he shouted loudly,
"Toy House!" Then he quickly moved closer to Sanji, saying with sincere and somewhat anxious tone:
"Lord Sanji! Could you lend me a hand? My comrade, Kanjuro, is said to be imprisoned in a place called the Toy House!
It's just... it's just that I really don't know the exact location! Just now, I think I heard this..."
Saying this, his gaze swept over Violet, trying hard to control his expression.
"Hearing that this... lady, dressed somewhat immodestly, knows the address of the Toy House, I am extremely grateful!"
Kin'emon bowed to the two, looking as if he would stop at nothing to find the Toy House and rescue his comrade.
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