"Since that's the case, I'll spare you this once."
Link looked at Violet and Rebecca, smiling. "I'll have Doflamingo release your father, return the Dressrosa throne to King Riku, restore his good name, and you'll become mine thereafter. How's that for a deal?"
"To serve Lord Link is my honor."
Violet answered at once.
She had used the Giro Giro no Mi for two years to watch Link. No one knew better than Violet how powerful—and terrifying—he was.
As a member of the Donquixote Family, Violet also knew Doflamingo's capabilities.
Though she loathed and hated him, Violet had to admit he was an exceptional man.
Without Link's intervention, she might never have escaped Doflamingo's control in her lifetime, nor saved her brother-in-law and father.
Now she was merely changing to an even stronger boss—one who would help her father reclaim everything. Why would Violet refuse?
On the road to reunite with her father, Rebecca had changed into a princess dress as well.
A princess of a fallen kingdom since childhood, Rebecca had trained to survive and knew all too well how small she was.
If Link hadn't acted to defuse every crisis, she would never have felt such safety.
That strength conquered a sixteen-year-old girl.
She would use her sword, and the rest of her life, to repay Link.
"Good. Welcome to the Impaler Pirates."
Link nodded, satisfied, and said to Karina, "Karina, take Rebecca to the treasury and give her the Riki Riki no Mi."
"Violet, you and Pudding, with me."
With that, Link hefted the trussed-up Yamato and walked into the palace.
Having Hancock plant a flag over Dressrosa was mainly for Violet—more precisely, for the Giro Giro no Mi.
Rebecca was just a bonus.
Doflamingo's surrender and submission had surprised Link.
As a transmigrator, Link knew the man's talents. Once the world turned into a game board, the man might be useful.
So Link decided not to kill Doflamingo.
Likewise, Violet wasn't as important as Doflamingo.
If Violet and Rebecca had tried to threaten him with Doflamingo's life, or cut a deal with Link on those terms,
Link wouldn't have minded killing them, then having Teach seize the Giro Giro no Mi and cloning the two back.
Or simply having Pudding rewrite their memories.
After all, Link's earliest persona wasn't just hating pirates. He was ruthless to men and women, young and old alike.
He'd long since tired of "cruel hands plucking flowers" in the East Blue.
But Violet and Rebecca were sensible. Saving their family was already a heaven-sent grace.
With Link forcing Doflamingo to hand Dressrosa back to King Riku, they dared not ask for more.
In the palace's observatory, Link casually tossed Yamato onto the floor, then said to Violet, "I'm taking over your body for a moment. Don't resist."
Then, under Violet's puzzled stare, Link formed a single seal. "Spirit Transformation Technique."
A blue spirit identical to Link drifted out from the crown of his head, then, to Violet's astonishment, flew into her body.
Also possessed by Link before, Pudding crouched beside Link's fallen body, eyeing the Link inside Violet and asking curiously, "Link, is her ability useful to you?"
"It lets me see the truth of the world."
Link smiled faintly and quickly attuned to the power of the Giro Giro no Mi within.
He made an OK sign with both hands, placed it before Violet's eyes, and slowly rotated a full circle.
Aside from Violet—her consciousness suppressed in her own mind—no one knew what Link was doing.
If anyone could share Link's view, they would have been shocked by the fruit's power.
Link's gaze turned into a god's-eye view, scanning in a rotating sweep for four thousand kilometers around.
That god's-eye pierced everything.
After turning nearly a full circle, Link seemed to find a place—or a person or object—he sought, and suddenly stopped.
Only after a while did he lower his hands, his expression slightly regretful.
He then released the Spirit Transformation Technique and returned to his body.
Seeing Link recover consciousness, Pudding couldn't help asking, "Did it work?"
"No. Failed."
"What were you looking for?"
"A person—someone extraordinary."
Link smiled. "Unfortunately, there's too little intel. I don't even know if it's a man or a woman. I'll have to keep constant watch there."
He had been searching for Imu.
Now that he had the Door Door Fruit and the Spirit Transformation Technique, Link had more than one way to gather intel on Imu.
But not knowing Imu's strength—and fearing Imu might wield a six-paths-tier, extradimensional power—he had always refrained.
After loading the second template, gaining yin-nature chakra, mastering future sight and Observation Haki, and pushing both One Piece and Shinobi power systems to the peak of super-Kage-class—one plus one equaling two—Link had no more scruples.
His strength now bridged the gap between man and god. Even if the enemy was a "god among men," he could fight as Naruto versus Six Paths Obito, Might Guy versus one-eyed Six Paths Madara, Naruto and Sasuke versus Kaguya. He might not win, but he would not be instantly crushed.
With the ability to protect himself, of course Link would start collecting intel on the most mysterious foe.
If the other side wasn't a god among men, then the World Government was nothing to fear.
Once he reached six-paths level—able to casually crush super-Kage-class—the combined might of many top fighters would still be no match, and Link could begin the endgame.
If Imu truly possessed god-among-men strength, Link could still seize the intel advantage and strike first once he reached six-paths level.
If even that failed, he would continue to farm and scale, load a third template, reap the world's leeks, and roll Imu flat.
Violet was one reason he wanted that fruit.
One of them, anyway.
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