Chapter 321: The Land of Fairies and Toys! The Straw Hat Pirates' Great Dressrosa Adventure
After a night of sailing, the Thousand Sunny finally crossed the unpredictable waters of the New World.
Amidst the cries of seagulls in the early morning, a strange island surrounded by massive and steep rock formations appeared in everyone's view.
The destination, 'Dressrosa', had arrived.
As the ship docked, Law was still earnestly trying to make a final tactical save:
"Listen up, everyone. Although we unexpectedly lost Caesar, our most crucial bargaining chip..."
"...Doflamingo is currently unsure of our true strength and must be in a defensive posture."
"As long as we don't cause a major disturbance and sneak in to find the specific location of the SMILE Factory, we can..."
Unfortunately, on this ship, no one was listening to Law at all.
Looking at the bustling and lively island outside with its rich exotic flair, Luffy's eyes had long since turned into two twinkling stars.
He cheered and, clutching his Straw Hat, prepared to jump straight off the ship.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Nami landed a punch with unerring precision onto Luffy's head, instantly causing a large lump to sprout on the impulsive Captain's head.
"Behave yourself!"
With one hand on her hip, Nami scanned the crowd with a serious expression and issued an order.
"To avoid being immediately recognized by the Marine stationed on the island and the Donquixote Family's informants..."
"...everyone is to stay on the ship and wait! No running around!"
Then, she turned around, brought Victor along, and habitually grabbed Law by the collar:
"Tra-guy, you come along too and help carry things!"
Law's face darkened, but under Victor's half-smiling gaze, he could only swallow his protest and follow them through gritted teeth.
A moment later, the three of them finished their shopping and returned to the ship.
Law was miserably covered in bags of all sizes, looking like a human wardrobe.
Meanwhile, Victor held a large cloth bag, looking completely composed.
Nami directed the two to dump all the tropical-style clothing and over a dozen exaggerated, eye-catching "animal masks" onto the wide deck.
Seeing this, the Straw Hat Pirates excitedly rushed forward to pick out their disguises.
Luffy changed into a gaudy sunflower shirt, put on a pair of funny white fake whiskers, and donned a majestic "Bull Mask."
Chopper carefully selected a "Deer Mask" that suited his temperament.
Zoro changed into a sharp black suit and wore a cool "Wolf Mask" on his face...
Watching the Straw Hat crew, who immediately rushed off the ship like wild dogs off a leash after changing clothes, Law let out a long sigh:
"Forget it... I'll go scout the Donquixote Family's movements in secret first."
"You guys... try to stay out of trouble for as long as possible. Don't get exposed as soon as you step onto the island."
The Straw Hat Pirates entered the port town of "Acacia" in a grand procession.
The sun was bright here, and the buildings were colorful.
Dancers performing passionate flamenco to cheerful music could be seen everywhere on the streets, and the air was filled with the intoxicating scent of flowers.
Not long after entering the town, they witnessed an emotional drama.
A beautiful local woman, out of jealousy, was fiercely brandishing a gleaming sharp knife and angrily chasing her unfaithful lover down the street.
Watching this, Sanji wasn't afraid; instead, giant pink hearts popped out of his eyes, and he began to wiggle on the spot like a noodle:
"Ah! Drawing blades for the sake of love!"
"This is truly a land of passion! I love it here!"
But what shocked and fascinated the Straw Hat Pirates the most was that throughout the streets and alleys of this country, there were "toys" everywhere that could talk, walk, and even work and live alongside humans!
Clockwork soldiers beating small drums, plush bears carrying trays, puppet dogs pulling carts...
Luffy's eyes lit up, and he darted around the streets excitedly:
"So cool! This is a kingdom of living toys!"
Chopper's eyes also lit up, and he happily waved his little hooves to greet the passing toys.
Luffy's curiosity was overflowing, and he stretched his Gum-Gum arms very long.
He excitedly pulled the tail of a toy monkey selling balloons, drawing a protest from the toy.
However, Robin, walking at the back of the group, fixed her gaze on a clockwork toy carrying heavy goods for humans under the scorching sun.
The attitude of the humans around them toward these toys was not that of equal companions, but of a natural enslavement.
Robin frowned slightly and quietly approached Victor, whispering:
"The atmosphere of this country... is too strange."
"On the surface, it looks happy and peaceful, but I feel like something isn't right."
Hearing this, Victor's lips curled into a light smile, and he replied calmly:
"Ah, because this isn't a fairy tale world at all."
As the group walked along the bustling street, Zoro suddenly stopped and pointed to a noisy tavern ahead that smelled of wine:
"I'm going to grab a drink and gather some intel while I'm at it."
Before anyone could respond, the master of getting lost instantly vanished into the bustling crowd.
Next, by an outdoor cafe on the street, a sexy beauty with black hair and a red dress, who was performing a passionate dance, blew a very charming wink at Sanji during a spin.
Sanji was instantly drawn in as if by a powerful magnet, two streams of blood spraying from his nostrils.
With a blissful, noodle-like gait, he followed the beauty into a dark alley without hesitation.
Looking back again, the trio of Usopp, Chopper, and Brook had also disappeared at some point, lured away by street performances or novelties.
In the blink of an eye, the once well-organized infiltration team had completely scattered on the street like loose sand.
Only Luffy, Victor, Franky, Robin, and Nami were left standing there, looking at each other.
Victor shrugged casually and chuckled:
"It seems the 'Zero Plan' we formulated was executed perfectly."
"Now we can't even find everyone."
Luffy laughed heartily, not caring at all.
Just then, his stomach let out a thunderous protest right on cue, like a war drum being beaten.
Smelling the aroma of food wafting from the street, Luffy's eyes lit up, and he turned into a blur, rushing into a popular local restaurant.
As soon as he sat down, Luffy transformed into a relentless eating machine.
The waiters' speed of serving dishes couldn't even keep up with his speed of swallowing.
In just a few minutes, the huge plates used to serve the local seafood rice had already piled up into a tall hill before him.
While Luffy was eating frantically, on the other side of the restaurant, next to a large roulette table...
...a tall and burly blind man wearing a purple yukata and with his eyes tightly closed was quietly playing roulette.
Several casino thugs nearby saw he was blind and harbored ill intentions.
They shamelessly bullied him for not being able to see, working together to cheat at the game with malicious moves, and in no time, they had cheated the blind man out of all his chips.
Not content with that, they even looked at him with murderous intent, planning to forcibly snatch the money pouch from the blind man's robes.
Watching this while eating noodles, Franky felt very displeased.
He felt that this kind of despicable behavior of bullying the weak was not'SUPER' at all.
He immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, clenched his fists, and prepared to get up and teach those scumbags a lesson.
Victor, however, reached out and firmly held Franky's broad shoulder.
A smirk formed on his lips as if he were watching a show:
"Don't move. That blind tiger doesn't need anyone's help."
At this point, seeing the blind man refuse to hand over the money pouch, the thugs finally lost their patience and arrogantly drew their sharp steel blades, preparing to viciously strike down at the blind man's head.
Facing the descending blade, the blind man only let out a very helpless, long sigh.
His right hand slowly gripped the hilt of the cane-sword he had been leaning on.
No one present even saw him draw or swing his blade.
All they heard was a "click"—the crisp sound of the blade being sheathed—
"BOOM—!!!"
In the next second, a terrifying gravity, as if Mount Tai were pressing down, instantly descended upon the area.
The solid wooden floor of the entire restaurant was directly crushed by this violent force, creating a bottomless, massive pit.
The arrogant gamblers who had just been cheating didn't even have time to let out a scream before being pinned to the bottom of the pit by this gravity.
The immense pressure caused them to vomit blood, their bones making crisp cracking sounds, unable to move even an inch.
The restaurant instantly fell into a deathly silence, and all the diners were so terrified by this horrifying scene that their breathing stopped.
Luffy, who had been wolfing down his food, stopped chewing.
He swallowed the food in his mouth, his beast-like intuition as a top-tier powerhouse making his gaze pierce through the crowd to fixate on the blind man.
The blind man, who had shown such incredible strength, acted as if nothing had happened and politely turned around.
He apologized to the stunned restaurant owner and stated he would compensate for the damages.
Then, he turned his head, his face with closed eyes accurately facing the direction where Victor, Luffy, and the others were:
"I have just arrived, and my eyes are inconvenient, so I really don't know the way..."
"I wonder if you gentlemen could point me in the direction of the 'Corrida Colosseum'?"Chapter 322: The Tiger Passing By! Gladiators Heading to the Colosseum!
Faced with the blind old man's polite request for directions, Victor smiled and shook his head, declining in a calm tone:
"Sorry about that, old man."
"We've just arrived ourselves and don't know the way at all."
"Why don't you try asking someone else in town?"
Hearing this, the blind old man didn't persist but nodded gently: "I see. My apologies for disturbing you all then."
With that, he gripped his cane again and, with the crisp 'clack, clack' of his wooden sandals, slowly turned and walked away.
It wasn't until the blind old man's broad back had completely vanished into the bustling street that Victor slowly set down his cup.
He turned his head and lowered his voice to speak to the others:
"He's an Admiral candidate, code-named 'Fujitora'."
These words were like a heavy bombshell exploding in everyone's ears.
Upon hearing the word 'Admiral,' Luffy, who had been mindlessly shoveling food into his mouth, along with Franky, Robin, and Nami, instantly froze.
The four of them gasped in unison, their mouths hanging open in such shock that their jaws nearly hit the table:
"Eh—?! That ordinary-looking blind old man was actually one of the Marines' highest combat powers?!"
After recovering from the massive shock, Franky dropped his usual playful grin and adjusted his sunglasses with a serious expression:
"It seems this morning's newspaper really did lure the Marine to this island.
"While the situation hasn't completely turned into chaos yet..."
Franky stood up and looked at Luffy seriously, "Luffy, I'm going to look for that underground factory called SMILE.
"Destroying it is also part of our plan. We can't leave all the work to that gloomy Tra-guy."
Luffy nodded in agreement without hesitation, his eyes full of trust:
"Alright! I'll leave the mission to destroy the factory to you, Franky!"
"Good. In that case, let's head to the Colosseum as well."
Victor turned and gave organized instructions to Robin and Nami:
"Nami, Robin, you two are responsible for scouting the town to see which factions' monsters and demons have come to Dressrosa this time."
"While you're at it, keep an eye out for Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp. Don't let them cause any unnecessary trouble."
"As for me, I'll accompany Luffy to the Colosseum's waiting area.
"Let's see just how many troublesome monsters this legendary 'road poneglyph' has attracted."
Robin and Nami nodded solemnly.
Then, the five of them quickly split into three groups, disappearing into the crowd to begin their move.
Following the flow of people, Victor and Luffy soon arrived at the 'Corrida Colosseum' located in the center of town.
It was a magnificent, massive circular building full of Ancient Roman style.
An exaggeratedly long line had already formed around the perimeter of the Colosseum.
From within the towering stone walls, the deafening cheers of the audience and the sounds of clashing weapons intertwined, soaring into the sky and making one's blood boil.
The two successfully passed through the registration channel and entered the dimly lit waiting area.
This place was simply a Shura's field where dragons and snakes mingled.
Everywhere were muscular New World pirates exuding a thick scent of blood, along with sinister-looking underground assassins.
Everyone was whispering, greedily discussing the rumors about the 'road poneglyph'.
To obtain this key road sign to the Pirate King's ultimate treasure, these desperate outlaws had eyes full of fanatical obsession, willing to throw away their lives without hesitation.
Just as the two found a corner to stand in the waiting area, they noticed a significant commotion breaking out in the crowd ahead.
A man with flowing blonde hair and a face so beautiful it was almost eerie made a flamboyant entrance.
He was none other than the 'Pirate Prince,' Cavendish of the White Horse.
He bit a bright red rose in his mouth, his expression appearing somewhat neurotic.
Standing in the center of the crowd, he loudly declared his insane murderous intent toward the 'Worst Generation':
"It's you bunch of arrogant rookies who stole the spotlight that should have been mine! I swear I'll tear you all to pieces!"
Cavendish toyed with his blonde hair and tilted his chin up arrogantly:
"Listen well, only a gorgeous young man like me is worthy of a resounding title like 'Worst Generation'!"
Standing at the back of the crowd, Luffy swallowed nervously upon hearing this.
He silently reached out to adjust the ridiculous white beard and 'Corrida Mask' on his face, terrified of being recognized by this lunatic.
Just then, a tall man covered in hideous scars pushed through the crowd and walked straight up to Luffy.
Although Luffy was currently wearing a floral shirt, a mask, and a fake beard—a complete mess of a disguise—the man recognized him at a glance.
The newcomer was none other than 'Hyena' Bellamy, with whom he had a history on Jaya Island.
Having experienced that brutal beating on Sky Island and countless baptisms of life and death in the cruel seas of the New World.
The current Bellamy had long since shed the ignorant and flamboyant arrogance of the past; his eyes had become deep and sharp.
He stared at Luffy with a complex expression for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Straw Hat... it's been a long time.
"I won't laugh at your dreams anymore like I did back then."
Luffy looked at him through the holes in his mask with some confusion, seemingly trying to figure out who he was.
Bellamy clenched his fists, a look of unwavering determination in his eyes:
"But I must win the match in this Colosseum today and get the rubbing of that road poneglyph!
"I want to use it as my proof of loyalty to become a true core officer of the Donquixote Family!
"So, even if it's you, I won't show any mercy!"
Faced with Bellamy's heavy and emotionally charged battle declaration, Luffy tilted his head without warning.
Then, this Captain with an eccentric train of thought began his clumsy performance of playing dumb without any psychological burden:
"Eh? Who are you, big guy? You've got the wrong person!
"My name isn't Straw Hat, it's Lucy!"
After delivering this completely unconvincing line, Luffy grabbed Victor's wrist and, like a gust of wind, ran toward the other side of the waiting area without looking back.
The two ran all the way until they finally found a remote and quiet corner at the edge of the waiting area.
Luffy leaned back against the cold stone wall, patting his chest with lingering fear and sighing in relief:
"Phew, that was close, that was close!"
"I almost got recognized and had my identity exposed by that guy."
"Fortunately, my reactions were fast enough to fool him!"
Victor stood to the side with his arms crossed.
He looked down at Luffy's ridiculous disguise—a sunflower shirt plus a fake beard and mask that wouldn't even fool a three-year-old—and his mouth twitched slightly.
Victor sighed silently in his heart, ultimately choosing to remain silent, treating it as protecting his Captain's fragile self-confidence.
Just as Luffy had relaxed, a burst of arrogant, piercing laughter suddenly rang out again in the noisy waiting area:
"Weehahahaha! What 'Pirate Prince' crap?!"
"Posing here with a rose... you're nothing but a useless woman!"
This laughter was laced with violent Haki, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise.
"You trash, enough with the reminiscing games!
"We, the Blackbeard Pirates, will be taking this rubbing of the poneglyph without any courtesy!"
Hearing the name 'Blackbeard,' the crowd in the waiting area instantly erupted in terrified cries.
In the open space cleared by the retreating crowd, a massive figure with muscles bulging like rocks and a dark wrestler's mask on his head stepped heavily into everyone's sight like an iron tower.
The newcomer was none other than the Captain of the First Ship of the Blackbeard Pirates—'The Champion' Jesus BurgessChapter 323: The Barking of a Defeated Dog! The Death Zone and the One-Legged Soldier
Looking at Jesus Burgess acting unscrupulously in the waiting area, Luffy's eyes beneath the mask were instantly covered with a layer of frost-like chill.
Although Ace had luckily survived the Marineford War.
The blood feud from years ago, when Blackbeard severely injured Ace and handed him over to the Marines...
Luffy had not forgotten it for even a second in his heart.
He clenched his teeth and balled his fists.
He was ready to rush up and send this clamoring big guy flying to avenge the past humiliation.
Just at the critical moment when Luffy was about to act, a slender and powerful hand firmly pressed down on his shoulder.
Victor stood beside Luffy, his gaze passing over the bustling crowd to look at the arrogant Burgess ahead, letting out a cold sneer:
"Calm down, Luffy."
"Don't start a fight here over a defeated dog like this and end up getting disqualified for no reason; that would be more loss than gain."
Victor folded his arms and said indifferently: "A crippled pirate crew that was beaten into a mess during the Marineford War and could only flee in all directions."
"Now they just want to rely on this rubbing of the road poneglyph to help their useless Captain, who only knows how to scavenge scraps, compete for the throne of the Pirate King again."
"Leave this brainless stupid bear for the ring; it won't be too late to deal with him slowly then."
Hearing Victor's words, Luffy forcibly suppressed the boiling rage in his heart.
He took a deep look at Burgess in the distance, nodded heavily, and released his clenched fists.
Just then, from the giant amplifying Den Den Mushi above the Corrida Colosseum, came the passionate shouts of the live commentator, Gaz.
With a high-pitched voice, Gaz addressed the tens of thousands of fanatical spectators in the stands and the contestants rubbing their palms in the waiting area.
He loudly announced the incredibly cruel rules for this battle for the 'road poneglyph':
"All registered warriors!"
"You will be randomly divided into four major blocks: A, B, C, and D."
"Then, you will engage in a bottomless, indiscriminate elimination battle royal in the ring!"
"Attention! It is an indiscriminate battle royal!"
"Only by stepping over the bodies of countless fallen opponents in your respective blocks..."
"And being the last one standing will you be eligible to enter the final championship ring!"
"And the final winner will obtain that key ticket to the supreme throne of the Pirate King—the rubbing of the road poneglyph!"
Following Gaz's announcement, the giant mechanical screen in the center of the waiting area began to rapidly scroll through the random grouping lists for each block.
The screen finally froze with a series of beeping sounds.
Jesus Burgess's conspicuous name was placed in Block A, which would start the fight first.
While 'Hyena' Bellamy and the notoriously infamous 'Cannibal' Bartolomeo were placed in Block B.
As for 'Lucy', the alias Luffy used while wearing a white beard, his name appeared prominently on the death list for Block C...
After a brief wait.
Accompanied by the heavy toll of a bronze bell that vibrated the soul and the nearly screaming passionate shouts of commentator Gaz, the battle for Block A kicked off.
Over a hundred fierce pirates and underground fighters with scarred faces from all over the New World flooded into the giant water ring like beasts released from a cage.
In an instant, blades flashed, and the dull sounds of flesh colliding accompanied by shrill screams immediately echoed through the air above the Colosseum.
And amidst this chaotic slaughter.
To re-establish the terrifying reputation of the Blackbeard Pirates to the whole world, Burgess performed quite crazily and high-profile in the ring.
He stood in the very center of the ring like an immovable iron tower; facing enemies swarming from all directions, he didn't even spare them a second glance.
The rock-like muscles on his arms bulged high, instantly erupting with a staggering and terrifying monstrous strength.
Then his right arm suddenly stretched backward before booming forward with a destructive momentum:
"Hadou Elbow!"
Accompanied by a deafening and violent sonic boom.
A visible, powerful transparent shockwave centered on him, sweeping across the entire massive ring like a violent storm.
With just this unreasonable strike, more than half of the contestants in Block A, along with the incredibly hard stone slabs of the ring beneath their feet, were blown away into the turbulent moat water outside the arena.
Screams rose one after another as water splashed everywhere.
With an overwhelming absolute military advantage, Burgess took the only qualifying spot for Block A without any suspense.
He arrogantly displayed his ambition to obtain that poneglyph to the entire audience and the powerhouses lurking in the shadows.
Meanwhile, the scene switched back to the sunny streets of Acacia Town.
Franky was braving the scorching sun, pulling aside local residents on the bustling streets and asking in a low voice about the hidden location of the 'SMILE Factory'.
However, the situation was unexpectedly eerie.
The originally warm smiles of all the civilians who heard this name vanished instantly, replaced by deep fear.
They waved their hands and fled as if avoiding a plague god.
They hurried away, not daring to say a single word, as if that name were a curse that brought death upon touch.
Just as Franky was hitting a wall on the streets and feeling at a loss.
He turned into a secluded alley and happened to run into several thuggish gangsters who were cornering a helpless young girl, bullying her wantonly.
Just as Franky was about to step forward to teach these scumbags a lesson, suddenly, a small figure descended from the sky.
It was a toy clockwork soldier wearing a guard uniform with only one leg.
It was like a red flash, incredibly twisting its mechanical body in mid-air, using a series of magnificent chain kicks to smoothly knock all those tall thugs to the ground, cleanly rescuing the frightened girl.
Franky stood at the entrance of the alley, looking somewhat surprised at this strange toy soldier with explosive combat power.
He keenly felt that this one-legged toy soldier seemed a bit different from the ordinary toys he had just seen on the street that only knew how to work and entertain.
After the toy soldier comforted the girl, it turned its head, and its painted eyes looked straight at Franky.
It said to Franky in a very firm mechanical voice:
"Outsider, I know what you are looking for everywhere."
"Follow me; the joy on the surface of this country is all fake."
"The darkness hidden behind it is much deeper than you imagine."
Hearing these words, Franky's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, instantly lit up.
After searching for so long in this weird country, there was finally some substantive progress.
He reached out a thick finger to push up the sunglasses on his face and, without any hesitation, steadily followed the one-legged toy soldier hopping ahead to lead the way.
Inside the boiling Corrida Colosseum.
The battle for Block A had ended with Burgess's crushing victory.
After the staff quickly cleared the broken ring, the Block B contestants began to gather and enter through the tunnel entrance one after another.
Luffy stood by the railing of the waiting area, hands gripping the iron bars, watching the upcoming new round of battle royal on the ring below with great interest.
Just then, a massive old man, shaped like a mountain of flesh with a large, thick white beard, silently walked through the crowded crowd and stood behind Luffy.
The old man's tall frame blocked the overhead lights, casting Luffy entirely into a shadow.
He slowly lowered his head, and in his eyes, hidden under aged eyelids, there was a thick sense of long-standing hatred.
He stared fixedly at the ridiculous and crude mask and fake beard on Luffy's face, growling in a low voice through gritted teeth:
"Straw Hat boy..."
"Grandson of that damn bastard Garp..."
"Did you think this little trick could deceive everyone?"
"Even if you stick on this idiotic fake beard and wear these flashy clothes."
"This old man can clearly smell that nauseating scent of the bloodline you share with that bastard from ten miles away!"
This mysterious old man who suddenly appeared was none other than the pirate who once shook the world with a bounty exceeding five hundred million—Don Piman the 'Drill'.Chapter 324: The Heating Snail! Unexpected Rescue and the Landing of the Sweet Commander
"Ah! What are you talking about, old man!"
"What Garp? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Inside the dimly lit underground waiting area of the Corrida Colosseum.
Luffy covered the funny fake beard and bull mask on his face with both hands, letting out a panicked shout.
However, Piman, the 'Drill,' remained unmoved.
His turbid eyes were filled with endless resentment, staring fixedly at Luffy before him.
With a deafening roar, Piman's originally withered and aged body instantly expanded.
A terrifyingly pitch-black Armament Haki instantly covered his thick arms.
"Stop pretending! That bastard Garp caved in my proud head back then and stole the treasure of my life!"
"Today, I will repay this deep grudge with the life of his grandson!"
Piman roared, swinging his fists wrapped in heavy Haki, smashing them toward Luffy like two siege hammers.
"Boom!"
The hard stone floor shattered like tofu under Piman's fists, and gravel flew everywhere.
To avoid revealing his Gum-Gum Fruit ability, Luffy gritted his teeth and did not extend his arms.
He could only cover his mask tightly and, like an agile monkey, jumped around frantically in the narrow waiting area, dodging the deadly attacks.
"I already told you! What are you talking about, old man! I don't know you!"
Luffy shouted in protest while weaving back and forth between the pillars.
"Die! Straw Hat!" Piman's beard stood on end in anger, and he pursued relentlessly.
The huge commotion here immediately attracted the attention of others in the waiting area.
Cavendish, the 'White Horse,' standing not far away, heard the familiar name, turned his head abruptly, and his eyes widened instantly.
"Straw Hat? Luffy?!"
Cavendish bit the rose in his mouth to pieces, his handsome face slightly distorted by jealousy and anger.
He drew his famous sword, 'Durandal,' from his waist.
"So you bastard were hiding here!"
"It's you so-called Supernovas who stole all the spotlight and newspaper headlines that should have been mine!"
"I must challenge you today!"
Cavendish roared, his figure turning into a white afterimage, rushing over without hesitation, vowing to teach the Supernova who stole his spotlight a lesson.
Two powerful powerhouses of the New World attacked simultaneously, and the sudden siege turned the already crowded waiting area into a mess of ruins.
Luffy was sweating profusely while being chased by these two unreasonable guys.
While easily dodging the sharp sword energy and heavy iron fists, he shouted in an attempt to explain:
"I already said my name is Lucy! You've got the wrong person!"
At the edge of the battlefield, Victor was leaning leisurely against a still-intact load-bearing pillar.
With his arms crossed, he watched the chaotic farce before him, with no intention of helping.
With a deafening roar, another wall was smashed down by Piman.
Victor opened his mouth and let out a long yawn, bored.
Then he lowered his arms, preparing to go and kill the 'Fighting Champion' Jesus Burgess of the Blackbeard Pirates.
And by the way, use the most purely physical means to force him to reveal the specific location of his armless Captain.
However, the moment Victor took a step.
The communication snail he kept close to his chest suddenly emitted a scorching heat.
That was the emergency contact tool Shirahoshi had personally given him when he left Fish-Man Island.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately stopped his steps.
He reached into his chest and took out the snail that was emitting astonishing heat.
...
Meanwhile, in a dark and damp abandoned warehouse deep in the town of Dressrosa.
Sanji, who had followed the enthusiastic and beautiful dancer Violet here, was originally full of joy, his eyes filled with hearts, ready to enjoy a romantic exotic time belonging to the New World.
However, waiting for him was a cold trap.
The door slammed shut, and he was surrounded by dozens of Donquixote Family subordinates who appeared suddenly, countless pitch-black gun barrels aimed at him.
Violet, standing behind the crowd, finally shed her pitiful disguise and revealed a cold and ruthless true face.
She used the special ability of her 'Glare-Glare Fruit' to effortlessly see through Sanji's defenseless heart.
"Stop struggling, Black Leg of the Straw Hat Pirates."
"I know all about your plans."
Violet sneered, trying to use force to completely break down this man's defenses and force out the deeper true purpose of the Straw Hat.
"Bang!"
With a heavy blow, Sanji was kicked to the ground by several thugs, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
However, surprisingly, this powerful chef did not fight back, but instead calmly took a lighter from his pocket and silently lit a cigarette.
Cyan smoke rose slowly in the dim warehouse.
Even though he was covered in injuries and surrounded.
Sanji still looked at the high-and-mighty Violet with an incomparably firm gaze:
"Even if I'm deceived... I will never doubt a woman's tears!"
This sentence was like a thunderbolt, striking hard at Violet's long-numb heart.
On this sea full of deceit and betrayal, she had never seen such pure, such foolish, yet such dazzling chivalry.
Violet's inner defenses were shaken violently at this moment.
She stood frozen in place, her hand holding the dagger trembling slightly without her knowing.
Just as Violet was stunned, a light and calm sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the locked steel door of the warehouse.
"Ara, it seems very lively here."
A gentle voice with a smile rang out clearly in the empty warehouse.
Hearing this familiar voice, Sanji, who had just been lying on the ground getting beaten, instantly recovered his full health.
He sprang up from the ground, his eyes instantly turning into huge pink hearts, trembling with excitement, and shouted with wide eyes:
"Robin-san! Nami-san!"
Everyone turned back in astonishment.
I saw the heavy door pushed open from the outside, and Robin and Nami were standing calmly at the warehouse entrance.
Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest, with an elegant smile on the corner of her mouth.
And behind Nami, a huge black thundercloud was crackling, emitting dangerous electric sparks.
...
Green Bit, an isolated island in the north of Dressrosa.
In this primeval forest covered by huge mutant plants, there was a dangerous aura.
To gather intelligence, Law followed several members of the Donquixote Family here alone.
He was preparing to secretly investigate their ulterior motives on this deserted island.
Law held the hilt of his nodachi 'kikoku,' his figure moving like a ghost under the huge plant leaves that looked like towering trees, his movements cautious.
However, when he turned around a huge tree root, the family members in front suddenly disappeared.
The chirping of birds and insects around stopped abruptly at this moment, and the whole forest fell into an unsettling dead silence.
Law stopped keenly, cold sweat sliding down his forehead.
He knew he had fallen into a trap.
"Fufufufu..."
A creepy, perverse laugh broke the tranquility.
Donquixote Doflamingo was wearing his iconic pink feather coat, his hands in his pockets, walking with an arrogant pace, slowly walking out from the deep shadow of the forest.
Through those red sunglasses, he stared fixedly at this former subordinate, now prey.
Then, he curled his lips, revealing a cruel smile:
"Fufufufu... Law. Long time no see."
"You really aren't obedient, running to such a place to die."
...
Meanwhile, on the edge of the island of Dressrosa, on a remote reef coast rarely visited by people.
Thick white sea fog gradually filled the sea, obscuring the view.
Accompanied by the dull sound of waves hitting the reefs, a small boat without any pirate flags quietly approached this dilapidated port.
"Tap... tap..."
Steady and powerful footsteps sounded.
A tall and straight figure slowly walked out from the dark cabin and stepped onto the land of Dressrosa.
He had spiky, flamboyant short hair, and his upper body was muscular, covered with traces of battle.
The lower half of his face was tightly covered by a thick, wide scarf, revealing only a pair of cold, sharp eyes like ice.
This person is the top monster famous in the New World.
The strongest combat power under Big Mom, the head of the Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Katakuri!
He stood on the reef, the sea breeze blowing his black sleeveless leather jacket.
Charlotte Katakuri's cold gaze pierced through the thick fog, locking directly onto the direction of the bustling town of Dressrosa.
"Found it."
"Mama's anger, I will convey it today."Chapter 325: Deep Sea Communication! Shirahoshi's Longing and the Dancer's Defection
Victor avoided the noisy crowd of pirates and gladiators in the waiting area, walking alone into a desolate, dim corner.
He reached into his coat and took out the communication snail that was faintly heating up.
Looking at this snail, he sighed helplessly.
In this underground space, there was simply no seawater to be found to activate it.
With no other choice, Victor had to try to make do with what was available.
He took off the water bottle he was carrying, slowly poured out the fresh water inside, and carefully filled the snail's inner cavity.
As soon as it was full, the patterns on the snail's surface instantly glowed, and Shirahoshi's crisp voice, filled with anxiety and worry, immediately came from within:
"Lord Victor! Can you hear me?"
Victor raised his eyebrows in surprise, and a smile couldn't help but tug at the corner of his mouth:
"Ah, Shirahoshi. How amazing, it actually worked."
Far away in the deep-sea Fish-Man Island, Shirahoshi, upon hearing this familiar and steady voice, finally let her long-suspended heart settle.
She couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, her huge pink fish tail swaying happily in the clear seawater, and her voice involuntarily softened, revealing a deep sense of reliance:
"Great, Lord Victor~ Shirahoshi was a bit..."
She had just wanted to pour out her longing, but she immediately remembered the important matter, and her tone became urgent instantly.
"Ah! That's right! There is something very important!"
Shirahoshi reported seriously that after the Straw Hat Pirates left Fish-Man Island, she had secretly dispatched deep-sea Sea Kings to monitor the movements of Totto Land in secret.
Just a short while ago, the Sea Kings sent back an emergency message.
A very powerful and oppressive aura had left the Totto Land waters and was currently approaching Dressrosa at full speed.
So she had hurriedly contacted Victor to remind him to be extremely careful.
After listening to Shirahoshi's intelligence, Victor raised his eyebrows, and a flash of realization crossed his deep eyes.
Big Mom's forces had intervened in the New World's conflict so quickly; it was mostly likely the work of that cunning guy, Doflamingo.
As a ruler of a nation, it was unlikely that the Four Emperors Big Mom would come to Dressrosa in person.
So, the one sent was likely one of the renowned Three Sweet Commanders under her command.
Victor pondered silently in his heart.
With the serious business finished, Shirahoshi's voice on the other end of the snail instantly became bashful:
"Lord Victor, the business is finished... Shirahoshi missed you so much~"
"Have you missed me while you've been away~"
Hearing this straightforward declaration of love, Victor came back to his senses and, without a moment's hesitation, naturally replied that he had.
However, Shirahoshi puffed up her cute cheeks on the other end and huffed, exposing his lie:
"Hmph, Lord Victor is a liar."
"It was clear that you could talk to Shirahoshi just by filling it with water."
"But you've been gone for so long and haven't taken the initiative to call Shirahoshi even once."
Facing Shirahoshi's coquettish behavior tinged with a bit of grievance, Victor could only brazenly smile and pour out some incredibly sweet words to her.
These off-the-cuff sweet words instantly made Shirahoshi on the other end blush.
Her happy and joyful laughter came from the snail, as if all her grievances had vanished at this moment.
The two cherished the sweet moment on both ends of the snail and made a solemn promise that Victor would definitely call her to report his safety often in the future, before Shirahoshi reluctantly ended this communication across the deep sea.
Victor let out a long sigh of relief, flipped his wrist to pour out the fresh water from the snail, and then carefully placed it back into his bosom.
He lowered his head slightly, and a gentle curve that could not be concealed tugged at the corner of his mouth.
My wife is truly cute.
After gathering his thoughts, Victor turned around and walked with long strides toward the exit of the colosseum.
Since the elite forces of a Four Emperors had approached this island, he would very much like to see for himself just how capable the so-called "Three Sweet Commanders" of the Big Mom Pirates were.
...
In an abandoned warehouse deep within the town, the armed lackeys of the Donquixote Family looked at Robin and Nami, who had suddenly pushed the door open, completely unaware of what kind of monsters they were facing.
They screamed recklessly, raised their weapons, and rushed up in a swarm.
Robin wore an elegant smile, calmly crossed her arms in front of her chest, and decisively activated the power of the Hana Hana no Mi.
"Cien Fleur."
Countless brilliant flower petals danced in mid-air, and instantly, countless slender yet powerful arms grew on the bodies of the charging lackeys.
Accompanied by a crisp sound of bones breaking that made one's scalp tingle, Robin didn't even blink, directly snapping the necks of half the enemies rushing at the front, their bodies falling to the ground one after another.
And Nami, standing on the other side, was even more composed.
She skillfully brandished the magical clima-tact in her hand, and Futo behind her let out an excited roar.
"Thunderbolt!"
A dazzling, thick bolt of lightning descended from the sky.
The destructive, violent power of the thunder instantly struck the remaining lackeys, turning them into smoking charcoal and causing them to lose consciousness on the spot.
Violet, standing in the back, widened her beautiful eyes, deeply shocked by the terrifying strength of these two seemingly delicate women.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of the family's elite thugs had been wiped out.
After dealing with the small fry, Nami walked forward with a cold face.
She raised the clima-tact, which was still flashing with dangerous electricity, and pointed it straight at Violet.
Her eyes were cold as she demanded to know her true identity and the real purpose of luring Sanji here.
She warned her unceremoniously that if she didn't tell the truth, she would leave her here to keep this pile of trash company.
However, at this tense moment, Sanji, who had fallen in a pool of blood, struggled to prop up his body with both hands.
He dragged his heavily injured body and unhesitatingly blocked the front of Violet.
Even though he had been beaten until his face was bruised and swollen, Sanji was still full of incurable chivalry:
"Nami-san!"
"Even if I've been deceived... I will never doubt a woman's tears!"
"She... definitely has her reasons!"
Looking at Sanji's battered and bruised appearance, yet still using his life to protect her, a monstrous wave surged in Violet's heart.
She recalled the Donquixote Family's brutal rule over Dressrosa over the years.
She recalled the humiliation and despair of being forced to join the family.
At this moment, Violet completely dropped all her disguises.
Two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks, she took a deep breath, and chose to defect to the Straw Hat.
She revealed without reservation the true location of the SMILE underground factory that they had been desperately searching for.
It wasn't anywhere else; it was right directly beneath that Corrida Colosseum!
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the three Straw Hat members instantly lit up.
...
On Green Bit, an isolated island north of Dressrosa.
In the lush, towering primeval forest, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it was about to solidify.
Doflamingo looked at Law's face opposite him, filled with hatred and ferocity, and couldn't help but look up and let out a harsh, cold laugh:
"Fufufufu... Law."
"Why are you looking at me with those eyes that want to kill?"
"You've given me quite a big surprise."
"Since it's a reunion after a long time, as your former superior, I naturally have to prepare a generous return gift for you."
"Fufufufu!"
"Donquixote Doflamingo!"
Facing the enemy who had ruined his entire life, Law could no longer maintain his usual composure.
He roared the other's name, violently drew his famous sword, and without hesitation, turned into a blur and charged forward.
The two instantly engaged in a fierce life-and-death battle between the golden beach and the giant plant forest.
Sword light and sharp threads constantly collided, erupting in deafening roars, and the surrounding towering giant trees collapsed one after another in the aftermath of this terror.
During the exchange, Doflamingo relied on his powerful strength and appeared at ease.
He constantly used vicious words to stimulate Law's nerves, and even deliberately and frequently brought up the scene of Corazon's tragic death back then, trying to disrupt Law's combat composure with this.
Touched to the most painful bottom line in his heart, Law's eyes instantly became bloodshot, like a crazed beast, and his angry roar resounded through the sky:
"I will kill you today!!"
Law swung his long sword, slashing down with all his might.
Doflamingo, however, just disdainfully raised his hand and used a tough thread wrapped in thick Armament Haki to steadily block the heavy, powerful blade.
He looked at Law's angry face and sneered with ruthless mockery:
"Fufufufu... How ridiculous!"
But just when the two were murderous and ready to unleash their ultimate moves for a final collision.
"Boom—rumble!"
Above the sky, a terrifying whistling sound like the end of the world suddenly came.
Both of them simultaneously felt an indescribable, fatal threat.
Looking up, they saw that above the firmament, a huge meteorite burning with raging flames was dragging a long trail of black smoke and falling fiercely toward the battlefield above their heads at a terrifying, shocking speed!
Facing this attack comparable to a natural disaster, Law stared with wide, shocked eyes.
And Doflamingo, who had been incomparably arrogant, also frowned violently.
He stared at the burning meteorite in the sky that was constantly magnifying, his eyes under his sunglasses becoming incomparably gloomy, and he gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice:
"Marine?"