Five days later.
Dressrosa, noon.
King Riku stood atop the outer city walls, gazing at the distant naval fleet visible on the horizon. His fists clenched tightly, his eyes filled with indignation.
This was utterly humiliating!
The sea had never been a place of reason—a truth he had long known since becoming king.
But the Marines… these so-called bearers of "justice," could they truly be so shameless?
Only now, with the demon slain and the situation stabilized, did they finally arrive.
And what of those years ago?
On that blood-soaked night, when Doflamingo's conspiracy plunged the entire kingdom into madness, where were these warships?
When his people were turned into enslaved toys, where was the Marines' aid?
"Your Majesty."
Cyrus gently placed a hand on his trembling shoulder and said solemnly, "At least this time, we are not fighting alone, are we?"
Indeed.
King Riku turned his head. Under the blazing sun, a sea of dark figures stretched along the outer walls.
There were the Riku Army soldiers led by Cyrus, the dwarven troops sent by the Tontatta Kingdom to assist, and a great number of outraged citizens who had volunteered to join the fight.
This time, the people had chosen to believe in him—to resist.
And there was also powerful external support…
King Riku looked up. The towering figure of Kuma stood silently beside him, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
"Mr. Bear… will that lord truly arrive in time?"
The "lord" King Riku referred to was naturally Xiano.
Kuma had overthrown the Donquixote Family's rule and saved Dressrosa, becoming a savior to the entire nation.
And Xiano, who had personally slain the mastermind Doflamingo, was equally their benefactor.
Kuma turned his head and offered a gentle smile, but before he could answer, a mature woman's voice rang out from behind:
"There's no need to worry, Father."
A graceful beauty with long chestnut-brown hair strode onto the wall. Her elegant demeanor was tinged with bold passion, her deep, light-brown eyes striking beneath the red flower adorning her head.
"Violet!"
King Riku was surprised. "Why have you come to the front lines? Didn't I order you to remain at King's Plateau?"
King's Plateau, the site of Dressrosa's royal palace, was the highest point in the entire kingdom.
Staying there ensured the greatest safety and allowed her to fully utilize the Glare-Glare Fruit's abilities to monitor the movements of the naval fleet.
"I'm no longer that helpless girl who could only cry, Father. In battle, I can still contribute in my own way."
Violet smiled faintly. "That ship… the members of the Curtain Closer, under Lord Xiano's leadership, are already very close. They will undoubtedly arrive before nightfall."
Is that so?
King Riku's eyes brightened.
Once midnight passed, the Marines' ultimatum would expire.
What he feared most was not his own death in battle, but the Curtain Closer arriving too late—only to find Dressrosa already fallen by the time they appeared.
This nation, having endured two bloody upheavals in just a few short years, could truly bear no further defeat.
"That's good, that's good." King Riku felt a weight lift from his heart and smiled at his daughter. "But it would be best if you—"
"I won't be leaving here today, Father." Violet shook her head firmly.
"And me too!"
A small hand shot up high.
"Me too!"
Another even smaller hand followed, though the voice behind it was just as loud.
Huh? King Riku blinked in surprise and looked down toward Violet's sides, where two little heads had popped up—one on her left, the other on her right.
"Bonney!" Kuma's eyes nearly bulged out from behind his glasses.
"Princess Mansherry!" Leo, the captain of the Tontatta warriors, also widened his eyes in shock.
"What are you two doing here?!" they both shouted in unison, baring their teeth.
Bonney and Mansherry shrank back slightly from the scolding but quickly straightened up, retorting with full confidence.
"We're here to help too!"
Bonney planted her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks. "Don't underestimate me, Kuma! Have you forgotten? I'm a Devil Fruit Ability User—I'm strong!"
As she spoke, her body suddenly expanded rapidly, transforming from a tiny girl into a curvaceous, bombshell beauty.
"Yeah, yeah!"
Mansherry, now emboldened, hopped onto Bonney's shoulder and waved her tiny fist. "Leo! I'm the princess of the Tontatta Kingdom—you have no right to scold me!"
Kuma and Leo exchanged glances before sighing and rubbing their foreheads in resignation.
"Bonney, this isn't a game," Kuma said seriously, crouching down to her level. "The Marines are coming in full force this time—even an Admiral might join the battle. You—"
"I'm not scared, Dad!" Bonney cut him off. "Besides, Uncle Xiano is almost here, right? With him around, we're definitely gonna win!"
"It's 'Big Bro'!" Mansherry turned to glare at Bonney.
"Who cares? I like calling him that!"
"You can't just— Wait, no! We're supposed to be united—we can't fight now!"
Kuma's eye twitched, and he was about to say more when—
"They're here!"
Violet's expression suddenly changed. She jerked her head up, activating her Glare-Glare Fruit ability to peer through the clouds toward the distant horizon.
"Something's coming this way from the sky—and it's fast! That shape is…"
Her pupils constricted, and she gasped. "How?! The ultimatum deadline hasn't even passed yet, and the Marines don't need reinforcements at this stage—why is this guy showing up first?!"
...
Meanwhile.
Aboard the flagship of the Marine fleet, the high-ranking officers leading the operation stood on the deck, observing the peculiar nation before them.
What made it peculiar was primarily its geography.
Excluding the isolated island of Green Bit to the north, the country known as "Dressrosa" was entirely encircled by towering rock formations along its coastline.
Like a naturally occurring fortress.
From a military standpoint, it was an extremely defensible position.
Unless armed with the unrestricted firepower of a Buster Call, the bombardment from warships would struggle to threaten the heart of the city.
They would have to push forward and launch a direct landing operation.
"You all see it now, gentlemen."
Veteran Vice Admiral Doberman lowered his monocular, his brow furrowed deeply.
"It's him."
He snorted coldly, "No wonder the fleet has been surrounding the place for so many days, and Dressrosa still hasn't shown any intention of surrendering. 'Tyrant' Bartholomew Kuma... as expected, he's still here."
Kuma.
In the past two years, aside from that monster Xiano, this was one of the names that gave Headquarters the most headaches.
After the single-handed revolution incident in the South Blue, his bounty had already reached 290 million Berries.
And after he refused the invitation to become one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea and single-handedly orchestrated the Dressrosa incident, that number had more than doubled.
His current bounty was exactly 600 million Berries!
Against a Pirate of this caliber, even Doberman, who considered himself among the top Vice Admirals at Headquarters, wasn't confident he could take him down.
This could only be left to—
Doberman turned his head, his gaze shifting to that tall, graceful figure.
"Tch, why are you looking at me? I just got a few days off before being called to deal with such a troublesome opponent. How annoying."
The Admiral candidate, codenamed "Peach Rabbit," Gion, leaned lazily against the railing, one hand propping up her chin while the other lightly tapped the hilt of her famous sword, Konpira.
Her sleepy eyes swept over the distant towering figure visible on the giant rock, and the corner of her lips curled into a mocking smile.
"It's clearly the mess that bastard Doflamingo created, yet now we have to clean up the aftermath... Those stinking old men at the World Government really know how to pick their moments to order people around."
Stinking old men?
Doberman's frown deepened. "Vice Admiral Gion, mind your language."
"Ara, Doberman, don't be so serious~"
Peach Rabbit waved her hand dismissively. "There's no one else around anyway, what's wrong with complaining a little? Besides, this kind of opportunistic plundering shouldn't be the Navy's job in the first place, right?"
"No matter what, King Riku is the legitimate royal family. And now, here we are—a notorious Pirate is helping defend the country, while we've become accomplices in aiding tyranny."
"How boring, utterly boring—"
"..."
Doberman fell silent for a moment before speaking coldly:
"This is an order from above, Vice Admiral. As the highest-ranking commander of this operation, with war potentially breaking out at any moment, I must ask you to maintain a proper attitude."
"Order?"
Peach Rabbit scoffed, about to say something, but ultimately just pursed her lips.
"Yeah, orders, orders... A soldier's duty is to obey orders. So, no matter how unhappy I am, I have to grit my teeth and come along."
She yawned and turned to walk toward the cabin.
"Fine, fine. If we have to do this... then let's stick to the plan and make it quick when the time comes."
Doberman watched her retreating figure and spoke unhappily:
"Vice Admiral Gion, where are you going?"
"Taking a nap~"
Peach Rabbit waved without looking back, her voice languid.
"It's still noon anyway, and we've got over ten hours before the deadline. Wake me when it's nighttime—oh, and if Kuma attacks early, be sure to call me too."
Just then—
A blinding golden light suddenly lit up the sky, and a lazy voice drifted down from the clouds:
"Ten hours, huh? Seems like... we won't have to wait that long."
The golden light condensed, forming a tall, slender figure that landed lightly on the deck.
Kizaru, wearing brown sunglasses with his hands in his pockets, lazily glanced toward the direction of the massive boulder and grinned:
"That brat still hasn't arrived... Seems I moved just in time."
"Admiral Borsalino!" Doberman immediately straightened and saluted with a serious expression.
Meanwhile, Peach Rabbit, who had been about to enter the cabin, paused mid-step and turned around, her brows slightly furrowed:
"Hey now, Borsalino, what are you doing here? Wasn't it agreed that I would take full command of this operation?"
"Circumstances have changed."
Kizaru spread his hands with a smile. "Originally, a mere Dressrosa wouldn't require my involvement. But today, the intelligence division suddenly relayed some rather concerning news that simply couldn't be ignored..."
"What news?"
"Xiano has made his move."
Kizaru drawled leisurely, "As you know, this World's Greatest Swordsman currently enjoys treatment nearly on par with the Four Emperors. The surveillance ships tracking his movements finally detected him changing course today—he's rapidly doubling back. Judging by the direction, his target is precisely the island we're facing now."
"Xiano?!"
The moment this name was uttered, the deck fell into complete silence.
Several Naval Headquarters Vice Admirals, including Doberman, exchanged glances, their expressions shifting as cold sweat trickled down their temples.
No wonder Admiral Kizaru had personally intervened. Dealing with a rebellious member nation was one thing, but how had they managed to provoke this guy?
Only Peach Rabbit's eyes lit up, her hand almost instinctively gripping the hilt of Konpira at her waist.
"Ooooh!!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Does this mean I can ignore those Dressrosa fools? I'm far more interested in that man!"
"Not so fast."
Kizaru wagged a finger playfully. "That fellow is naturally my opponent. However, Gion, I won't let your sword grow bored either. Your task will be to intercept that quite capable female Master Swordsman under Xiano's command."
"Kuina?"
Peach Rabbit frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. "Not quite Xiano's level... but still a decent opponent. Fine, I'll reluctantly accept. But Borsalino, who's going to handle that Tyrant Kuma?"
Doberman?
He might not be up to the task...
"No need to worry about that."
Kizaru chuckled, looking toward the direction from which he'd flown. "I've brought along an ally... though this ally is rather proud and insisted on flying here independently. But as expected—Rayleigh, after all, cannot match light. His speed is noticeably slower..."
Before he could finish, the sky suddenly darkened with rolling thunderclouds, lightning flashing ominously.
BOOM—!
A thick azure bolt of lightning struck the deck with tremendous force, sending surrounding marines scrambling back in panic.
Amidst the crackling electricity, the scorched deck split open with blackened fissures. When the lightning dissipated, a tall man with unusually long earlobes stood before them.
Bare-chested, he hovered several meters above the deck, surrounded by a ring of Thunder Drums. Holding a golden staff, he gazed down at the assembled crowd with arrogant, icy disdain.
"Mortals," Enel drawled, picking at his ear with undisguised impatience, "was it you who summoned a god? Seeking divine assistance?"
Doberman's face turned ashen. He had long heard rumors about this newly appointed Warlord of the Sea recruited by Admiral Aokiji—apparently, the man had fallen from the sky and wasn't quite right in the head.
But to spout such nonsense right off the bat was still utterly…
Just as he was about to sneer with a cutting remark, before he could even speak, Kizaru raised a hand with a cheerful grin:
"Yoh~? What are you trying to do? Mind your manners. This gentleman is our important ally, after all. Mr. Enel, look up there—among the rebels in Dressrosa, there's a troublesome fellow named Bartholomew Kuma. We'll leave him to you, alright?"
"Hmph, didn't I say you should address me as God?"
Enel shot Kizaru an irritated glare.
But in the end, he merely closed his eyes slightly, nostrils flaring as his Observation Haki instantly blanketed the entire island, precisely locking onto Kuma.
"His presence really is formidable. Completely on another level compared to the other weaklings on this island."
The corner of his lips had just curled into a smirk when his expression suddenly tensed.
"No, no! There are many more powerful presences approaching this way. And the most terrifying among them… is on a level that even a god like me must look up to…"
Hm?
Really? I don't sense anything.
Kizaru gave him a strange sidelong glance, but in the next instant, his own expression shifted as he whipped his head toward a certain direction—
At the sight of that familiar ship, propelled by flames at its stern, speeding across the sea so fast it nearly took flight, Kizaru's pupils abruptly constricted.
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