"I'll kill you all!!!" The sky once again echoed with a piercing, sharp cry. Witnessing his comrades die one after another before his eyes, Pica was truly enraged. "Die!!" A sky-blotting stone hand swept down with immense force.
Standing in the shadow it cast, Tashigi raised an eyebrow and casually swung her sword. "Cliff Sword!" Swish— A jet-black flying slash arrived in an instant, severing the stone arm at its base as easily as cutting tofu. "What a nuisance," Tashigi remarked expressionlessly.
Pica's individual strength wasn't great, but his Stone-Stone Fruit ability synergized perfectly with the surrounding rock structures. For a time, the fight had reached a stalemate.
"Hundred-Step Slash!" Tashigi snorted lightly, unleashing another killing move. Her black blade, Shusui, became a blur, sending out a hundred crisscrossing slashes in rapid succession. The flying slashes easily sliced the stone giant into dozens of segments scattered across the sky.
"There!" Tashigi's gaze instantly locked onto a specific boulder being tossed among the debris. Pica's face was visible on it. "Found you!" Tashigi's figure flashed repeatedly. As she charged toward the boulder, she unleashed another sharp sword energy.
Shrrrip— The sword energy howled, splitting the boulder in two. The once-conscious stone face slowly closed its eyes, becoming indistinguishable from the other rocks.
While Tashigi battled Pica, on the streets of Dressrosa...
"Isn't that Tashigi, the swordsman from the Leo Pirates?"
"She can even cut through Officer Pica's body... that's terrifying!"
"I wonder how the other officers are faring."
"I pray Lord Doflamingo is safe!"
Across the vast city, countless citizens wore worried expressions, praying for the Donquixote Family officers.
"It seems the battle over there is nearing its end too," Stussy murmured from a secluded corner, looking toward the port. In her view, this was a fight with no suspense from the beginning.
"Bastard! Let us go!"
"Hack! How are you?!"
Nearby, the bound Koala and Mota twisted their bodies, struggling desperately. Before them, Revolutionary Army soldier Hack lay in a pool of blood, eyes rolled back. His body was covered in bite marks, a gruesome death. Even fighting together, the three were no match for Stussy.
"Bastard! Leader Dragon won't let you get away with this!" Feeling Hack's life force vanish, Koala shouted angrily, her face red.
"Leader Dragon? You mean the Revolutionary Army chief, Monkey D. Dragon?" Stussy scoffed, shaking her head disdainfully. "If he dares come, he'll end up just like this one. Enough talk. The Captain is growing impatient. I'm taking you to see him now."
Ignoring the girls' furious curses, Stussy manipulated a large swarm of bats to carry their bodies toward the port.
Green Bit Island, Tontatta Kingdom.
"That big sister is amazing! She can cut apart such a huge stone giant!!" A crowd of little people watched the scene at the port in amazement.
"Even the top executive Pica has been mobilized. Something major must be happening in Dressrosa," analyzed a little person wearing a crown-like hat. He was Leo, commander of the Tontatta forces and user of the Paramecia Sew-Sew Fruit.
"Leo, should we take this chance to investigate the SMILE factory? We might be able to rescue Princess Mansherry and the others!" Kabu, the user of the Bug-Bug Fruit, Model: Rhinoceros Beetle, suddenly had a bright idea. With all the Donquixote Family officers occupied, it was the perfect opportunity to save their people.
After a moment's thought, Leo nodded. "Opportunity waits for no one. Everyone, follow me! Find Princess Mansherry and save our people!"
"Oooh-oh!!" The other Tontatta warriors responded loudly. Led by Leo, the Tontatta warriors set out!
Battle Center.
"Nami, Doll, Kalifa. Follow Violet and continue clearing out the remaining Donquixote Family remnants," Leo issued orders to the women in turn. "Also, secure Caesar Clown at the SMILE factory. Don't let him escape."
"I'll take them there right away," Violet nodded impatiently. She had waited ten years for this day.
"Violet, don't forget to bring Rebecca here," Leo reminded her as she turned. The other tasks were minor; Rebecca was the top priority.
"I know," Violet shot Leo an annoyed glare. The thought of herself and Rebecca together serving Leo... she just...
Watching Violet, Nami, and the others leave, Leo turned his gaze to the snow woman, Monet, beside him.
"You... what do you want?!" Sensing Leo's look, Monet shuddered. Unbearable scenes involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
"You don't know what I want?" Leo asked with a half-smile. Every one of them asked the obvious.
"You... I warn you, don't come any closer! Even if I die, I won't—"
"Enough talk. You're coming with me."
Leo had had enough of Monet's incessant chatter. He teleported away with her instantly. They reappeared in a room at the Royal Plateau.
"Ah!!"
"Eek!!!"
Two sharp shrieks rang out simultaneously in the room. Leo examined carefully the two figures before him.
One was a little girl wearing a spotted dress, a monocle over her left eye, and a bob haircut: Donquixote Family officer, user of the Paramecia Hobby-Hobby Fruit, Sugar. Though she looked like a child, Sugar was actually 22. A side effect of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit was that her body stopped growing upon consumption. Her age, height, and appearance remained fixed from that moment. For over a decade, Sugar had looked about 10 years old.
The person on the right had long black hair and wore a red maid dress: Donquixote Family maid and assassin, user of the Paramecia Weapon-Weapon Fruit, Baby 5. A busty woman who loved smoking and craved being needed by others. She couldn't refuse anyone who claimed to need her.
"Leo! I won't let you hurt Sugar!" Baby 5 looked as if facing a great enemy. She took a sharp drag of her cigarette and resolutely activated her Weapon-Weapon Fruit ability. "Weapon Transformation: Sword Maiden!" She transformed into a sharp longsword, pointing it at Leo from a distance.
Recalling Baby 5's personality trait, Leo looked at her sincerely and said, "Baby 5. I need your help right now."
Huh?! She was needed? Amazing~!
Baby 5 transformed back. She cupped her blushing face, her bright eyes filled with expectation as she gazed softly at Leo. "Leo, you... you really need me?"
"I really do need you," Leo affirmed, meeting her gaze directly.
"I'm being needed again~" Baby 5's eyes curved into happy crescents, her heart rippling with emotion.
Watching Baby 5 succumb, Sugar and Monet closed their eyes in despair. Great. Total defeat.
"First, watch Monet for me. I'll need your help again later."
"Leave it to me!" Baby 5 nodded eagerly, her arm transforming into a cannon barrel pressed against Monet's head.
"Baby 5!!!" Monet gritted her teeth, the words icy cold. How could she have such a foolish teammate?
So easily fooled. Leo thought to himself, smiling and shaking his head. He walked straight up to Sugar and, without a word, delivered a knife-hand strike to her neck. Sugar's eyes rolled back as she fell unconscious.
Leo had to do this. It was well known that a major reason Doflamingo had maintained his iron grip on Dressrosa for so long was Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit ability. After overthrowing King Riku's regime, Sugar, under Doflamingo's orders, had used her power to turn over half of Dressrosa's citizens into toys. Anyone turned into a toy by Sugar retained their ability to speak and independent thought, but Sugar could control their bodies at will. They became permanent slaves to the Donquixote Family, working or fighting to the death. Most importantly, all citizens related to those turned into toys lost all memories of ever interacting with them. This was how Doflamingo controlled the population's minds. In a way, Sugar was the most important officer in the family. Doflamingo had even assigned the high-ranking officer Trebol specifically to protect her. The only known way to undo her ability was to render her unconscious.
As Sugar fell unconscious, Leo's eyes moved, looking out the window at the city.
"What... what's happening?"
"Look at these toys!"
"Heavens, what's going on?!"
On the streets, citizens who had been praying for Dressrosa stared in disbelief at their surroundings. The ever-present toys began to swelleerily. In moments, under the stunned gazes of the public, the toys transformed one after another into humans.
"These... they... how can this be?" The citizens were scared out of their wits, some even speaking incoherently.
Yet the next second, segments of long-lost memories flooded their minds. After processing those memories, everyone remembered. The same scene played out in every corner of Dressrosa.
In a field of sunflowers, a one-legged toy soldier wearing a black hat and red coat was supervising a young girl's training. Suddenly, his expression changed as a swelling sensation swept through his body. The soldier-turned-human looked down at his own body, standing frozen in place like a statue. It happened so fast it felt unreal.
This was the legendary hero of the Dressrosa Coliseum, the former captain of the Dressrosa army: Kyros.
"Did something happen to Sugar?!" Kyros quickly realized. The next second, as if realizing something, he jerked his head up. Directly in front of him, a pink figure stood watching him, face streaked with tears.
"Father!!!" A trembling voice sounded.
Rebecca trembled, two lines of hot tears streaming from her eyes. She remembered. She remembered everything. The toy soldier who had cared for her and protected her as she grew up was her real father!
"Rebecca..." Kyros stared blankly at his daughter. Over a decade of pent-up emotion was finally released at this moment. Tears blurred Kyros's vision.
"Father!!" Rebecca ran to Kyros, embracing him tightly. They cried openly, recounting the father-daughter bond of so many years.
"Leo, do you know what you've done?!" Hearing the cacophony of noise—cries, angry shouts, and every other sound—rising from the city, Monet's face changed dramatically. She knew exactly what would happen in Dressrosa once these people regained their memories. "You've ruined all of the Young Master's work!!" Thinking of Doflamingo's years of effort going up in smoke made Monet tremble with rage.
Leo glanced coolly at Monet and ignored her. Though Doflamingo's strength was mediocre, he had fiercely loyal subordinates—fanatically so, in fact. In a way, people like Monet, Trebol, and Diamante were just like Zoro or King. They believed in Doflamingo's dream of becoming Pirate King as fervently as Zoro believed in Luffy or King in Kaido. Regardless of Doflamingo's actual power, they believed. But Leo didn't care. With the Slave Brand, all talk of kings was irrelevant. He was their only master now.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Leo turned his head toward the port, a satisfied curve touching his lips. "It seems Tashigi is about to finish over there too. Only Doflamingo remains."
Same time, battle center.
"Bastard!!" Pica screamed in his sharp voice, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes fixed on Tashigi as she charged at him.
"Finally forced you out!" Seeing the tall figure detach from the boulder, a ruthless glint flashed in Tashigi's eyes. Wasting so much time on a minor character was embarrassing.
"Want to kill me? See if you have what it takes!!"
"Armament: Hardening!!"
Pica, still refusing to give up, coated his body in a layer of refined Haki armor, turning completely into a little black man. His Armament Haki was not weak! "You've killed so many of my comrades! I'll make you pay!!" Also embracing a mutually destructive mindset, Pica charged at Tashigi fearing no death.
"Mere death throes." Tashigi's gaze was calm as she watched the enraged Pica charge. She gripped Shusui tightly with both hands.
"Die!!" A thick, jet-black Haki-coated arm smashed toward Tashigi's face without any mercy.
"Judgment Sword!!" Tashigi shouted, swinging Shusui. A bright sword light flashed across the sky, then vanished.
Pica only felt a bright light before him. The next instant, excruciating pain swept through his body. He instinctively looked down. A line of blood gradually appeared on his chest. The next second—Splurch! A geyser of blood erupted. Unbeknownst to him, his chest had been completely pierced.
"You..." The Haki coating Pica's body rapidly receded, the life within him dissipating. Powerless, Pica plummeted from mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground. No sign of life remained.
"PICA!!!" A roar came from the distance. Looking at his family officers lying in pools of blood, Doflamingo completely lost his sanity. Though cruel and ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals, he had always treated his family officers as true family, giving them his genuine care. Pica's death was the final straw, destroying Doflamingo's last shred of reason.
"Hancock! Die!!"
"Tokaigyo: White Ocean!"
Doflamingo swept his hand upward. Transparent strings, vast as ocean waves, rapidly surrounded Hancock. The terrifying crushing force they carried pulverized everything in their path.
"Doflamingo! The only one dying today is you!!"
"Perfume Femur: Divine!!"
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T/N :
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