Kaito didn't return to Navy Headquarters immediately—he changed his mind halfway.
Because he remembered a country similar to Alabasta—Dressrosa. Word was that a bunch of strange toys had mysteriously appeared there recently. They could move and talk.
Kaito naturally understood what was going on with those toys. They had to be the work of Sugar, a subordinate of Doflamingo.
Sugar possessed the Paramecia-type Hobby-Hobby Fruit, one of those rule-based abilities. It allowed her to turn any living creature she touched into a toy, and at the same time, erased all memories of the person who had been transformed from everyone else.
It came with a "flaw"—if it could even be called that. Once consumed, the user would cease to age, permanently frozen at the age they were when they ate it.
Sugar had eaten the fruit as a child, so even though she was already twenty-two, she still looked like a little girl.
Aside from that quirk, it was undoubtedly a powerful Devil Fruit. Kaito planned to retrieve it. Even if he didn't use it himself, it could be useful for someone close to him.
As for Sugar, Kaito didn't intend to kill her. Even though she was technically twenty-two, both her mental and physical age were that of a child. Kaito didn't want to harm a child.
Having made up his mind, Kaito said to Robin, who was inside the Door-Door Space:
"Robin, I'm heading to Dressrosa now. Interested in coming?"
"Dressrosa? I heard that's Doflamingo's territory these days. Did he leave you something to use against him?"
"Haha, you could say that. That country's called the 'Land of Love and Passion,' after all. Might as well do some sightseeing."
"Mm, I'll go with you."
Robin would never object to any suggestion from Kaito. After all, she'd finally found a safe harbor where she could truly feel at ease—she treasured it deeply.
Still, those words—"love and passion"—made her cheeks flush a faint pink. Even though no one else was in the Door-Door Space, she couldn't help but sneak a quick glance at Kaito outside, like a guilty thief, before lowering her head in a hurry.
Kaito had no idea what she was doing. Seeing her agree, he immediately turned into a flash of lightning and flew off in a specific direction.
...
Dressrosa, King's Plateau.
Wearing his signature pink feathered coat, Doflamingo sat on the throne that once belonged to King Riku. One hand rested against his forehead as he stared emotionlessly at the woman standing below him.
She had long chestnut-black hair and wore a purple pleated dress. Her head was bowed before Doflamingo.
She was once the princess of Dressrosa. But now, her country had been usurped by Doflamingo. Her father, King Riku—once beloved by the people—had become a publicly reviled traitor, and was now locked away in a warehouse.
As for her, Doflamingo had taken a liking to her due to her exceptional intel-gathering skills from her Glare-Glare Fruit, and made her one of his assassins.
She loathed Doflamingo with every fiber of her being, but in order to keep her father alive, she had no choice but to serve her enemy.
Her face, half-hidden by her hair, was icy and expressionless. Her tone gave nothing away.
"The target has been eliminated. Any other orders?"
Doflamingo still didn't speak. But his brows furrowed slightly.
Normally, he would've taken a moment to enjoy that look of hatred on Viola's face—the look of someone who wanted to kill him but couldn't. But today, for some reason, he had a nagging sense of unease.
So he had no interest in provoking her today. He simply waved his hand dismissively, signaling her to leave.
Viola also found his unusual behavior a bit odd.
In her memory, every time Doflamingo saw her, he'd always wear that punchable smirk and throw out a few sarcastic remarks.
But today, he was uncharacteristically well-behaved, as if something had unsettled him.
Still, she welcomed the peace and quiet. Without another word, she turned to leave.
Then suddenly, Doflamingo called out to her.
"That offer I mentioned—have you thought it over? If you agree, I'll consider letting your father go. Fufufufu..."
Viola froze mid-step.
With her back to him, she tossed out a curt, "I'll think about it," then quickened her pace, leaving the stifling palace as fast as she could.
As soon as she fled the palace, tears streamed down Viola's face.
The offer Doflamingo had mentioned was for her to become his woman. In exchange, he'd release her father.
Tempting, no doubt—but the cost was unbearable.
Viola could endure serving under Doflamingo. But becoming his woman? That was something she could never accept.
Dressrosa was called the "Land of Love and Passion." Its citizens held love in the highest regard. The more beautiful the woman, the more seriously she took matters of the heart. Once she chose someone, she would stay with him for life.
Extreme incidents caused by betrayal were common in this country.
As the princess of Dressrosa, Viola was unmatched in both beauty and figure. And now, to be forced to become her enemy's woman? How could she accept that?
Worse yet, there was someone else in her heart—someone she had never even met, but whom she had been quietly watching. Especially in this dark period of her life, that figure had become her sole comfort.
But then she thought of her father, imprisoned and humiliated in that warehouse, and her heart filled with turmoil.
It was a dilemma with no solution. It seemed like her only choice was to surrender.
With a heavy sigh, Viola shook her head, trying to cast off her frustration. She decided to take a walk through the city to ease her mind.
...
Lover's Avenue.
It was like a romantic promenade on Earth, a street popular with couples.
Among the many strolling pairs, one couple stood out the most.
The woman had a healthy tan and wore a purple dance dress that perfectly matched Dressrosa's flamboyant style. She had a graceful figure and a stunning face.
But the man beside her was even more eye-catching. His skin was porcelain pale—enough to make even the girls jealous.
He wore a black robe with a ping-pong paddle emblem on the back, and his long black hair was tied up casually.
But it was his face that was most unforgettable. Simply put, on a street full of beautiful men and women, his looks were devastating—irresistible to both genders.
The only odd thing was the horn-like ornament on the right side of his forehead, which glowed faintly from time to time.
Naturally, this couple was Kaito and Robin, who had just arrived in Dressrosa.
Rather than head straight for Doflamingo, Kaito had brought Robin to the country's famed Lover's Avenue.
Robin clung to Kaito's arm, and the two of them strolled leisurely down the street like a pair of lovers lost in bliss.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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