The Three-Piece Family Heirloom

Although, but.

Dressrosa, under Doflamingo's rule, does indeed look quite beautiful.

The winding coastline is covered with fine sand. Tourists hold up parasols, and enthusiastic young women in scantily clad clothes play in the water, creating a carefree and pleasant scene.

Ma Qiao was starting to regret not bringing Vivi on the trip.

Vivi is now the female regent; when Cobra was in power, he was basically a hands-off ruler who did nothing.

But Vivi is different; she has honed her skills in frontline positions within the Big Bird Consortium.

It's at least equivalent to someone who has served as a senior official in a giant state-owned enterprise and then takes on the top position in a provincial-level administrative region with ease.

Those who are capable should do more work.

Vivi is quite busy these days.

This made Ma Qiao feel a little sorry for him.

As he watched the bikini-clad girls playing in the water, he pulled out his notebook and wrote down his plans: he would summon Azir when he returned to Alabasta.

Azir, the Emperor of the Desert.

He was a mortal emperor of Shurima in ancient times, possessing exceptional talent for governing the country.

Of course, according to the background setting, Azir is very capable, but also very arrogant, which leads to his betrayal by his subordinates at a crucial moment and his efforts being in vain.

However, in this life, Azir is not some arrogant emperor, but merely a diligent employee under Ma Qiao.

Their achievements will undoubtedly be even more limitless.

Similarly, heroes like Jarvan IV and Swain, who possessed the talent to govern a country, would become increasingly important to Ma Qiao in the days to come.

Currently, Ma Qiao controls a very large territory, either directly or indirectly.

The areas of each territory, from largest to smallest, are: Grand Line Entrance - Alabasta Kingdom, East Blue - Goa Kingdom, North Blue - Revenant Land/ Shadow Isles (formerly Flevance), East Blue - Cocoyasi Green Organic Agriculture Demonstration Zone, East Blue - Syrup Heavy Industrial Zone, Sky Island - Shandora Secret Research and Development Base, East Blue - Root Division Base (formerly 16th Branch Base), Grand Line - Whiskey Peak - Mr. Ma Qiao's Former Residence and Deeds Education Base.

All things considered, Ma Qiao needed many loyal and highly capable heroes to help him manage his territory.

Of course, in the future, some less important positions will also be gradually given to outstanding indigenous people.

For example, at the current Syrup heavy industrial base, Usopp has already served as a trainee factory manager, while Kuro has been a top performer and serves as the chairman of the labor union.

Koby, Joseph, and Johnny became leaders in the State Farms Administration, the Pig Farming Office, and the Dairy Department, respectively.

It can be said that every talented person has a bright future.

Looking at the beautiful landscape of Dressrosa, Ma Qiao had to make a painful decision: for the future of the country, he had to endure some more hardship.

"Mr. Ma Qiao, isn't it too conspicuous of us to be showing up so openly in the Dressrosa coast area like this?"

Unlike Ma Qiao, who strolled leisurely, Garafalte Rodriguez appeared extremely tense.

In Law's mind, Doflamingo is like Kaido to Moria, or Whitebeard to Crocodile —an inescapable nightmare.

Even if Ma Qiao told him right now that although he would get a severe beating from Doflamingo, he would Devil Fruit Awakening within two weeks and then be able to face off against the Four Emperors head-on...

I doubt Ronaldo would believe it; he'd just think Ma Qiao was an idiot.

"Your Doflamingo phobia is an illness, it needs treatment!"

Ma Qiao sighed and patted Luo on the shoulder.

Law clenched his Riot Games, unable to resist reminding him, "Boss Ma Qiao, I know you're strong, but... you don't know Doflamingo. He's a ruthless villain who'll stop at nothing, and his strength is exceptionally great..."

"Well, as a true media veteran, I know what you know, and I also know a little about what you don't. I didn't call you here expecting you to be of any help; your main job is to guide us."

Ma Qiao showed no mercy in criticizing the inexperienced Ronaldo.

This kid is destined to be a hospital director and even the Minister of Health, so we need to temper his ambition and make him give up his dream of becoming a pirate as soon as possible.

At the Old Western Medicine Hospital, Luo's spirit had indeed been worn down.

After all, no matter whose department head is Dr. Mundo, whose mentor is Shen, whose classmate is Kennen, and whose nurse is Akali, it's hard not to feel discouraged.

"Okay, boss, I just want you to be more careful, not that I'm questioning your abilities."

Law shook his head. "Next, should we go straight to Doflamingo's base, destroy his factory, or rescue the imprisoned slaves? I know all these places; I can lead the way."

"Hmm... Before that, we need to find someone. Do you know how to get to Flower Field?" Ma Qiao asked.

"Get away from me, you filthy woman."

Even if we were to hire prostitutes, our restaurant wouldn't need you as a waitress!

"Get out of here, or I'm calling the police!"

"..."

In the evening, Rebecca walked back to her cabin, covered in bruises.

Another day without finding a job!

Rebecca wiped away her tears, gave a bright smile to the setting sun in the distance, then brushed the dirt off her clothes and strode into the house.

"Mr. Soldier!"

"Mr. Soldier!"

Rebecca pushed open the door and shouted loudly, "Mr. Soldier!"

She didn't know the Mr. Soldier's name, nor where Mr. Soldier came from.

All she knew was that ten years ago, the one-legged Toy Soldier brought her mother's body to her side and had been protecting her ever since.

Whether he was being bullied by the town's children or attacked by a bear while picking wild vegetables, the Mr. Soldier would always appear and use his superb swordsmanship to drive away the bad guys.

Rebecca didn't know why the Mr. Soldier was so kind to her; she had simply grown accustomed to Toy Soldier presence over the past ten years.

Moreover, this kind of thing doesn't seem to be unusual in the town.

Dressrosa is known as the "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys".

Here, there are many lifelike toys that will accompany people.

Toys should never be allowed in human homes, and humans should never be allowed into the Toy House.

No one is allowed to leave the house after midnight. Humans go home, and toys go to the Toy House. Even the closest humans and toys will not be together at night.

Only the Mr. Soldier was special.

Whether it's day or night, the Mr. Soldier is always by his side.

According to the town's Peacekeepers, toys that attempt to enter people's homes or even exhibit overly intimate behavior towards humans are infected with a "human virus."

These toys will be thrown into a junkyard and declared unusable.

However, Rebecca didn't think the Mr. Soldier was sick at all.

Although he always seemed so melancholy, Rebecca knew that he was protecting her like a real human being, without any malice.

However, today, Rebecca searched every corner of the cottage and ran to the garden to look carefully, but she couldn't find any trace of Mr. Soldier.

"He didn't go hunting again, did he? That's so reckless!"

The Mr. Soldier has superb swordsmanship.

After Rebecca was captured by Human Traffickers, the Mr. Soldier began to teach Rebecca swordsmanship.

However, since it's just a toy, Mr. Soldier's fighting ability is limited.

Rebecca felt a pang of worry when she thought about how the Mr. Soldier had been gazing absently at the distant forest lately because of the high cost and scarcity of food.

She quickly grabbed her helmet and Long Sword from behind the door and hurried toward the forest.

In the forest.

With a simple, unadorned strike, a bear over two meters tall slowly fell to the ground.

Kyros desperately wanted to catch his breath, but he couldn't.

Because now he's just a toy.

Toys never get tired or take a break.

The toy doesn't laugh or cry, and its arms, made of tin and wood, feel no warmth.

Even if it's the temperature of a lover slowly cooling in their arms.

Kyros habitually wiped away non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead and prepared to cut a piece of meat from the bear.

The toy was too weak to move such a large bear, so it could only take a small part of it back first.

Suddenly, a piercing, winding sound slowly approached from the distant woods.

Toy?

A toy doll with a big beard has a huge wind-up key on its back. With each step it takes, the key turns halfway around, making one worry that it might unwind halfway through its journey.

Kyros breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw a Toy Soldier emerge from the shade of the tree.

Because he protected Rebecca, Kyros attacked the Human Traffickers, violating the serious crime of "toys must not attack humans," and was therefore wanted by the authorities.

If it were the town's Peacekeeper, or even soldiers from the royal city, that would be troublesome.

The "Thunder Soldier Squad," composed of Toy Soldiers, are only responsible for guarding the arena and do not arrest wanted criminals.

However, it's quite rare to see a toy walking alone in the forest like this.

Kyros had no intention of approaching or interacting with the Toy Soldier.

Most toys have forgotten that they were once human.

And once they remember it, they are treated as patients with "human diseases" and disposed of.

"He's a pitiful person too..."

Kyros watched the Toy Soldier go, preparing to pass him by.

Suddenly, the injured bear, which had fallen to the ground, roared and got up again.

Kyros was greatly surprised.

"That shouldn't be the case!"

"Even though it's turned into a toy, after that sword strike, the bear can't possibly stand up again, can it?"

Kyros, of course, completely baffled.

From his unseen perspective, the bear was glowing with a vibrant green light.

Someone had secretly used "Astral Infusion" to fully infuse the bear with it.

Having had a large amount of health restored, the bear naturally bared its teeth and claws, wanting to tear everything in its path to shreds.

"Careful!"

"You scared the hell out of me!"

Almost at the same time, Kyros swung his Long Sword and beheaded the bear.

The Toy Soldier who was passing by suddenly jumped up, drew a curved knife from his waist, and sliced open the bear's belly.

Both men inflicted fatal wounds on the bear.

"Do you want this prey? I only need one leg..."

Kyros stepped back and asked, "There shouldn't be any conflict between us."

The strange Toy Soldier's sword strikes were swift and sharp, the blade seemingly bearing traces of flame.

As a great swordsman who had been undefeated for three thousand matches, Kyros possessed first-rate insight.

He could tell that the Toy Soldier's swordsmanship was no less than his own.

Moreover, this guy also had a Fire Pistol strapped to his waist in addition to his scimitar.

I wonder what a troublesome guy he was before he was turned into a toy.

If Kyros had been young and impetuous, he certainly wouldn't have backed down.

But now, he's just a one-legged toy, and he has people he needs to protect.

Therefore, he had long ago learned to abandon meaningless arguments in order to ensure the safety of himself and his daughter.

However.

"What's this?"

The strange Toy Soldier suddenly bent down and pulled a piece of silk from the bear's belly.

He is clearly illiterate.

The vast majority of toys are illiterate.

But Kyros was different.

Because of Sugar's mistake, Kyros not only freed from the constraints of his family's orders, but also retained all his memories, including his written form.

Driven by curiosity, and seeing that the rough-looking Toy Soldier in front of him didn't seem to be aggressive, Kyros stepped forward and took the silk.

"Big Bird Xing, Ma Qiao Wang?"

Kyros's toy face remained unchanged, but his mind was full of questions.

What is this thing?

Kyros was completely unable to understand the contents of the silk.

A passing Toy Soldier cut off a bear leg and handed it to Kyros, then carried the rest of the bear away.

Kyros lost in thought as he looked at the wind-up key spinning behind the unfamiliar Toy Soldier.

He had a hunch that this Toy Soldier, like himself, had regained his past memories.

Kyros, however, was unable to verify this with the other party.

Because of the power of Sugar Fruit's rules, toys must obey the Donquixote Family's orders, except for Sugar, who becomes an exception due to Sugar's negligence.

The power of rules is a very mysterious thing, just like the absolute loyalty of the heroes summoned by Ma Qiao.

Even if the strange Toy Soldier Awakening its memories, it cannot defy the power of the rules.

Moreover, much like in a dark forest, many Toy Soldiers Awakening their memories can only choose to hide their consciousness to avoid being treated as human patients and facing the Destiny of being "disposed of".

"Mr. Soldier!"

Just as Kyros was carrying the bear leg home, Rebecca rushed over to find him.

Seeing his daughter grow from a little girl into a beautiful young woman, Kyros a warmth in his heart.

He couldn't smile, and even when he opened his arms to hug his daughter, he couldn't give her warmth.

Therefore, Kyros had no choice but to continue carrying the bear's leg and hopping towards the Flower Field.

Along the way, he and his daughter sang the children's song they had sung since childhood. "The Mr. Soldier is the bravest, always protecting you..."

After finishing the song, perhaps to avoid the Mr. Soldier asking what she had done during the day, Rebecca recounted the interesting things that had happened in town during the day:

"Mr. Soldier, something interesting happened today!"

Pops York said that while he was logging in the wild, he met a particularly beautiful Fox who smiled and told him, 'When the man wearing the red scarf appears, everything will be saved, and he will become the true master of this country...'

"But Mrs. Shak Garrett said that was just Pops York's drunken fantasy, otherwise the town Peacekeeper would have arrested him."

"And also, I heard that tomorrow the town will stop people from digging irrigation ditches to repair the dam damaged by fighting Fighting Fish (a large fish with horns, native to Dressrosa). I've already signed up; it only takes three days, and I can earn 1000 Beli!"

Rebecca then gave a sweet smile:

"Then we can hire the best carpenter in town to repair the Mr. Soldier's leg!"