The New World, Dressrosa.
With the Birdcage descending and the news of Doflamingo issuing a bounty spreading, countless people across the country were thrown into a frenzy. Greedy civilians and bounty hunters went without saying— even some of those who had just been freed from their toy state began to harbor greed in their hearts. They wanted to take the head of [God·Usopp] and exchange it for a staggering, ten-digit bounty.
The situation instantly descended into chaos. But the Straw Hat crew and the colosseum fighters who followed them were instead thinking about how to defeat Doflamingo.
Robin and Usopp were inside the underground factory, having just driven off those who were trying to claim the bounty.
"What are we supposed to do now!!!"
"Ace and the others are seriously injured, and after Luffy reverted from Gum Giant, he also fell into a weakened state. Without their combat power, how are we supposed to defeat Doflamingo?!"
Usopp collapsed, clutching his head, as if the person Orin called the Sniper God— the great enemy Doflamingo regarded with such fear— wasn't him at all.
Robin was also frowning deeply, pinching her chin as she considered the current situation.
"Once Luffy recovers, we might still have a chance to fight, but it seems we'll also have to face the Navy… and on our side, only Zoro has enough threat level…"
No matter how one looked at it, their odds seemed extremely slim. Just the matter of a Navy Admiral alone was already a nearly insurmountable hurdle.
The Tontatta tribe had also heard these words. Their response was like a ray of hope for the two of them.
"If you need healing, our Tontatta tribe's Princess Mansherry might…"
...
"Damn it…"
Inside the colosseum, as the battle ended, the spatial barrier dissipated, plunging the area into total chaos. Before the Donquixote Family could surround them, Zoro decisively hoisted the three unconscious brothers onto his shoulders and sprinted out of the colosseum.
Ace and Sabo had been heavily injured by Azure Orin, while Luffy had temporarily lost his ability to move due to the cooldown from Fourth Gear.
Behind Zoro, many people craving the Straw Hat crew's bounties pursued them like mad.
Zoro carried the three men and suddenly darted into an alley at a corner, barely escaping disaster. Ace, slung over Zoro's shoulder, weakly spoke up.
"Sorry… we've caused you trouble."
Zoro didn't really mind.
"Don't worry about it. If this was Orion's intention, then no matter what, we wouldn't have been able to escape."
"And besides…"
Zoro looked toward the massive Birdcage on the horizon and Doflamingo broadcasting via Den Den Mushi, a blood-red light flashing in his eyes.
"If it really comes down to it, even if I have to stake my life, I'll take Doflamingo's head."
After a brief rest, Luffy was the first to get through Fourth Gear's cooldown and regain his vitality. He smashed his fists together.
"Alright!!! I'm going to go smash Doflamingo flying right now!!!"
"Hey!!! Luffy!!!"
Zoro shouted, but Sabo said,
"It's fine. You go. We won't be discovered here."
"Yeah~ Compared to taking care of us, defeating Doflamingo is the most important thing, right~"
After hiding Ace and Sabo, Luffy and Zoro ran toward the royal palace.
During this time, Kin'emon and the others hadn't been idle either. Using their crude disguises, they secretly slipped into the palace, and under the Tontatta tribe's guidance, began the operation to rescue Princess Mansherry.
..."
"Hey!!! Doflamingo!!!"
Riding the cow that appeared midway, Luffy led the people he had freed and launched a charge toward the palace. Zoro, meanwhile, was stopped by the stone giant Pica.
With Violet's help, Luffy successfully rescued Law, and the two of them went together to subjugate Doflamingo.
The others kept providing support, helping secure the Seastone keys, but no one noticed a figure slowly walking out from within the city.
"Although the orders from above say we don't need to take this too seriously~"
"But facing this many pirates, even Borsalino surely wouldn't just pretend he didn't see anything, right…"
The figure wearing the Navy's Justice cloak waved a large hand. Vast stretches of forest erupted from the city, engulfing countless pirates and forcibly draining the moisture from their bodies.
"That's… a Navy Admiral!!!"
"Run!!!"
Those who had been chasing King Riku and Usopp scattered like frightened birds upon seeing this, immediately fleeing into the distance.
"What's going on?!"
"A Navy Admiral?! Why would one appear here?!"
Usopp was terrified, but at this point, there was nowhere left to run.
Green Bull, as if in no hurry to act, imitated his seniors and began dragging things out theatrically, treating Doflamingo the way they'd treat a Wano man.
"Oh!!! I remember you. The man with a one-billion bounty that Doflamingo put out, the one Orin called the Sniper God … Usopp, right?"
"Huh?!"
Usopp burst into tears and snot, thinking he was completely finished this time. He never imagined that a Navy Admiral would actually remember him!!!
But the others who had been preparing to follow the Straw Hat crew thought differently. Hearing Green Bull's words, their hearts shook violently.
To be addressed like that by Orin himself…
The way they looked at Usopp changed entirely. Just who in the world was this man?!
"God Usopp, so you had this kind of power all along!!!"
"To be a man acknowledged by the pinnacle of the seas?!"
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Usopp became brave (or rather, had no other options). He raised his slingshot and fired his plant ammunition at Green Bull.
The projectile flew toward Green Bull, and upon landing, transformed into a gigantic man-eating flower. In the instant Green Bull slowly raised his head to look…
It swallowed him whole.
If Doflamingo had been here, he would have immediately seen how utterly absurd this was— it wasn't even pretending anymore. A Navy Admiral who had eaten the Wood-Wood Fruit being solo-killed by a plant?
The nonsense was on par with Kizaru being blinded by light, Aokiji being frozen by ice, or Akainu being scalded by boiling water.
And taking advantage of this moment, Usopp aimed toward the royal palace. Under extreme tension, his ultra-long-distance Observation Haki instantly awakened, faintly forming the embryonic shape of future sight.
A single shot knocked Sugar unconscious once again.
At the same time, Leo, Kin'emon, and the others rescued Princess Mansherry. What they had to do next was the great healing operation— to pull Ace and Sabo back from the brink of severe injury!!!
As the battle escalated, the chaos of Dressrosa continued to spread. And the small bottle containing Princess Mansherry's tears was placed into Usopp's slingshot-wielding hands!!!