Kaito stood calmly in the center of the arena, completely unfazed by the countless eyes converging on him from all directions.
He turned his head slightly toward Robin's direction and saw her watching him with a smile, looking every bit like a typical fangirl.
As for Viola, she had already stood up, eyes locked onto Kaito in disbelief. Her lips trembled as she uttered:
"Shiki..."
But before she could finish the name, a voice echoed from the sky above.
"Admiral Shikiryū!"
Kaito wasn't surprised by the sudden voice from the sky. He had sensed someone rapidly approaching for some time now—and of course, it was Doflamingo.
The horned child from earlier had been the half-fishman Dellinger, who had rushed to report Kaito's suspected appearance in Dressrosa to Doflamingo.
The moment Doflamingo heard the news, he couldn't sit still. That ominous feeling he'd had had come true!
He jumped straight out the window and used his String-String Fruit to latch onto the clouds, flying across the sky.
Now that Doflamingo had arrived, there was no longer any need for Kaito to hide his identity. His body suddenly elongated, returning to the standard height of a Navy Admiral.
Ripples spread through his eyes as he activated the Rinnegan.
Doflamingo descended from the sky and looked straight into Kaito's Rinnegan, his face grim and tense.
He knew things were about to get messy—there was no way Admiral Shikiryū would appear in Dressrosa without a reason.
As Doflamingo called out Kaito's true identity, the entire arena froze for a moment before erupting into an uproar.
"He's the strongest Navy Admiral—Shikiryū!?"
"No kidding! The king himself said it—how could it be fake?"
"No wonder he one-shotted Bellamy... this is a whole different league of combat!"
"Damn! He really does look as handsome as the photos!"
"Hah! Weren't you just saying he was some pretty boy?"
"Are you blind? Admiral Shikiryū obviously changed his physique just now—look how tall and imposing he is!"
...
Ever since Doflamingo revealed Kaito's identity, Viola hadn't taken her eyes off him—not even when Doflamingo himself showed up.
He really was that Admiral Shikiryū… and she'd been interacting with him up close all this time?
No wonder her fruit abilities had failed. In the face of those Rinnegan eyes, what were her abilities even worth?
Kaito's arrival didn't just fulfill every one of Viola's past fantasies—it gave her a profound sense of safety.
She knew: with Kaito here, this country could be saved!
...
On the arena platform,
Kaito looked calmly at Doflamingo, who stood like he was facing a deadly enemy, and said:
"Doflamingo... I didn't expect you to be playing king. Am I to assume you've given up your position as a Shichibukai?"
Doflamingo forced a smile—one more painful than crying—and replied:
"Admiral Shikiryū, you're joking. I just found the current king of this country a bit unfit for the role, so I'm temporarily stepping in."
"Do you actually believe that yourself?"
"..."
Even Doflamingo couldn't believe the nonsense he was spouting. But with Kaito's sudden appearance throwing everything into disarray, he couldn't think of a better excuse.
Kaito didn't bother replying. He snapped his fingers, and the Door space activated—instantly bringing both Viola and Robin from the stands to his side.
Doflamingo's face changed the moment he saw Viola appear. He knew—this was bad.
Sure enough, the second Viola arrived at Kaito's side, she couldn't hold back any longer. Ignoring the tens of thousands of spectators in the coliseum, she threw herself into Kaito's arms and cried out:
"I can't believe it's really you! Admiral Shikiryū! Please save Dressrosa!"
Viola's emotional outburst made Robin glance sideways at her several times. She felt a little uncomfortable, but given the circumstances, she didn't say anything.
Kaito gently pushed Viola out of his arms. Once she calmed down a bit, he said,
"Sorry... for not revealing my identity to you from the start."
"No! I know you must've had your reasons, Admiral Shikiryū!"
"Uh…"
Viola's words made Kaito a little awkward. His so-called reason? He just wanted to hang out in Dressrosa with Robin without being disturbed.
Looking at Viola's tear-streaked face, Kaito figured it was best not to say that out loud.
But just then, Doflamingo suddenly made his move. His fingers twitched, sending a swarm of nearly invisible threads shooting toward Viola.
He had felt things going south the moment she appeared. This woman knew far too many of his dirty secrets in Dressrosa.
He had to kill her before she opened her mouth. If she exposed what he'd done, the public's anger would be the least of his problems—Shikiryū would never let him off.
But before his threads could get close, they were shattered by an invisible force.
Kaito glanced at Doflamingo, his voice now laced with danger.
"Who gave you the courage to attack someone in front of me?"
"Admiral Shikiryū, this is a misunderstanding! That woman—she's dangerous! I was afraid she might harm you!"
Kaito clearly wasn't buying it. He turned to Viola and said,
"Tell everyone everything you know."
Viola nodded firmly. With Kaito by her side, she felt like there was nothing to fear anymore. She shouted out everything Doflamingo had done during this time.
She revealed how he had used his ability to control King Riku and slaughter civilians… how he had trafficked weapons to incite chaos in neighboring countries… and the truth behind the toys.
The crowd in the coliseum was stunned into silence, unable to react for a long time.
Doflamingo's mask finally cracked. He said nothing in his defense—just kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air.
It was futile.
Kaito raised a hand.
Universal Pull.
Doflamingo was yanked down again, screaming, and caught in Kaito's grip.
Expressionless, Kaito looked at the squirming Doflamingo and asked:
"So, you've admitted to your crimes. What do you think I should do with you?"
At this point, Doflamingo dropped all pretenses. His face twisted into a savage grin as he laughed madly:
"Fufufufu... What's left to say? The power's in your hands—do whatever you want. But let me tell you this: I'm not the only monster out there. There are others who've done worse than me!"