Cleaning Up and the Grand Arena
On the coast,
"Adventure, here I come!!"
"Luffy, stop shouting, this is enemy territory."
"I've been in fantastic form this week! No matter what kind of enemy it is, I can blast them away with one shot!"
"I've heard this is a country of 'love and passion'? Whew, I can already feel a wonderful encounter waiting for me~~"
"This is my partner's Vivre Card,"
Before considering victory, consider defeat.
Law took out a Vivre Card, intending to tear it in half and give it to Nami as a guide for their retreat route.
"It points to 'Zou Island,' if the plan fails—"
"Need not,"
Roman waved his hand dismissively.
"A mere Shichibukai? We'll beat him to a pulp on the spot!"
?!
Is it really appropriate for a staff officer to say such mindless things? And wasn't it you who previously said we should take the enemy seriously?! I only thought this because I believed your nonsense...
"I did say something like 'strategically despise the enemy, but tactically take the enemy seriously,' but—"
Roman pointed to the side:
The four who were just sighing on the sidelines are now heading towards Dressrosa with great enthusiasm, leaving Ronaldo looking completely blank.
Just like that, you left?
This is how it went.
What happened?
Gone
Already
"Is it too late for me to cancel the alliance now?"
Before Law could finish speaking, with a snap, both of his big feet were simultaneously grabbed tightly by Usopp and Chopper!
"No way! You're a 'Shichibukai' in terms of fighting strength..."
"We need to leave some people behind to protect us."
?!
"Roman in charge—"
Splash splash~~
Roman, who was beside them, transformed into white doves and flew towards Dressrosa, his voice gradually fading away in the wind.
"I have something to take care of first. You guys follow the plan... and do as you please."
??!!
My heart, my heart isn't beating!
"Don't panic,"
Nami, who was sitting on the ship's railing, had to step up to stabilize morale—although the Straw Hat crew didn't have such a thing, they had to consider that Law was a newcomer.
"Think about our past adventures, wasn't it always Luffy and the others who disappeared without a trace? Roman was always elusive, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. You'll get used to it~~"
I'm not used to it!!!
We're doomed! With a major battle looming, the main force has gone sightseeing, and the staff officers, for some unknown reason, have abandoned a bunch of old, weak, and disabled... This Straw Hat crew Pirates are doomed!
"Don't worry, whatever Roman does, it's definitely for our benefit. And:"
Nami bent her arms and made a 'workout' pose.
"I've been training and fighting every day for the past two years, so I'm very strong!"
"Nami, we're counting on you!"
"Waaah, I'm just a weak reindeer..."
Seeing Usopp and Chopper clinging to Nami's legs and crying, and then looking at Nami's perfectly flat biceps, Law was completely speechless.
"Very well, let's discuss how to escort Caesar to 'Green Bit' first."
Now that things have come to this, complaining or getting angry is pointless in the face of the current situation. Besides, seeing that the other two ladies are both calm, Luo can't afford to lose face.
Dressrosa is a tropical island with a resort atmosphere.
From the perspective of the white doves in the sky, everything from food and clothing to culture and dance exudes a strong Spanish influence, and the houses and streets are filled with the architectural style of Barcelona's master architect Antoni Gaudí.
As for the central building, which is not so much similar as to the Roman Colosseum, but rather exactly the same, it will be the center of all the events to come.
"Found it."
With a flap of their wings, white doves flew into the attic of an inconspicuous little house, causing the figures inside to immediately stand up.
"Tokovic Saint Roman".
Tsk, that's a really unfamiliar way to address someone.
Splash splash~~
The white doves fluttered and transformed into sheets of white paper, which then formed the shape of a person. As the doves continued to merge, the newly formed beak began to open.
"I heard that the traitor from the Donquixote family used our power to change the 'dismissal of the Shichibukai's to a false report?"
"Yes, Saint Roman."
The three CP0 members, dressed in white suits, white cloaks, and white masks, who looked like 'mysterious figures' at first glance, nodded respectfully.
"Give it to me!"
Faced with Roman's rude and arrogant gesture, the leader of CP0, a man with one black and one white eye wearing a white hat, took something out of his pocket and respectfully handed it over.
White Den Den Mushi).
"It's me, Roman!"
"Little Roman, you sound a little unhappy?"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi are several elderly people holding the highest position of power in the world: the Five Elders!
"Yes, sir."
Roman spoke bluntly, his tone tinged with anger.
"What right does that traitor have to borrow our strength? If it weren't for the fact that he's a Donquixote Family, I would have killed this shameless bastard long ago!"
"Heh, little Roman, you're still too impulsive. Your intentions for the sake of us Celestial Dragons are good, but that traitor from the Donquixote Family isn't so easy to deal with; he has..."
"Such a thing?!"
After his initial shock, Roman quickly realized what was happening.
"Then we should nip this scourge in the bud and eliminate it as soon as possible!"
"... That traitor is quite capable, and his henchmen will fight tooth and nail to buy time. If we send CP0 or the Navy to deal with him, he'll definitely spread 'that' information immediately. So..."
"Understood, then leave it to me."
?!
"Little Roman, don't you dare do anything reckless—"
"Don't worry," Roman always maintained an arrogant and confident demeanor in front of the Old Ones. "My lords, please sit back and watch me wipe out this 'Dressrosa' in a single day, and that traitor will surrender obediently!"
············
The Five Elders on the other end of the Den Den Mushi were speechless. Even the Celestial Dragons were helpless against the Donquixote Pirates, who were deeply entrenched in Dressrosa, without the help of CP0 and the Navy. Were they really going to rely on pirates?
"That's right, it's all thanks to pirates."
Roman tossed the White Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scooter) back to the white-masked man in the suit in front of him and chuckled.
"You can't do it because you're incompetent! Just stay here and watch what I do."
Given Luffy's temper, once he learns about the darkness of Dressrosa, he'll definitely be the one to beat Doflamingo. Do you think I'm just making this up?
Splash,
As a flock of white doves flew out of the room, the three CP0 members in white masks and suits looked at each other in bewilderment.
"This sir is truly..."
"Fine, let's wait and see what the adults do. — Be ready to report to the Five Elders at any time!"
"That uncle was really impressive!"
"They must be some kind of ability user..."
Crackle,
A white dove landed on Luffy's shoulder, who was dressed in a sunflower shirt, wearing a Whitebeard and sunglasses for disguise, and standing at 1.7 meters tall, playing the Luffy of an 'old man' in this country. Next to him was Franky, who was tall and dressed in a black suit.
"Roman? Where were you? The food at that restaurant was amazing!!"
Luffy was chatting enthusiastically with the pigeon on his shoulder, thankfully this country was full of all sorts of large, talking, and walking toys. No one seemed to care about Luffy's behavior.
"And another thing, we ran into a blind old man! He was incredibly powerful; with a single wave of his hand, he pinned a group of thugs to the ground..."
That's Marine Admiral Fujitora! He could crush the entire Straw Hat crew into the ground with a single wave of his hand...
Roman once took advantage of a naval physical examination to obtain Fujitora's abilities, and Fujitora's Observation Haki... not only could it be used to pull meteorites into near-Earth orbit, but it could also sense battles on the other side of an island, making Roman afraid to linger near him.
"Never mind that, I've heard something that 'Doflamingo' mentioned in the Den Den Mushi, something you'll definitely find interesting—"
"Is it meat? What kind of delicious meat is it?!"
"... Sorry, it smells like shit."
?!
The taste of Devil Fruit is a source of pain for every Devil Fruit user! That taste... tsk tsk tsk, anyone who's tried it knows. It's practically a 'delicious treat,' even Luffy can't stand it.
"Tch, what a joke."
Luffy instantly lost interest.
"You made me so happy for nothing..."
"It's Devil Fruit,"
The white dove directly stated the answer, "And it's the 'Mera Mera no Mi'."
Quiet--
In an instant, everyone on the street felt a sudden, indescribable tremor in their hearts, and their minds went blank! Fortunately, Luffy reacted in the next second and unconsciously withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.
"Why?"
"Just now--"
"You too? I was also momentarily stunned..."
"We used to say,"
Luffy adjusted his Straw Hat and silently slipped into a nearby alley, Franky immediately following. They left behind a bewildered crowd of people and toys scattered across the street.
"Simply put, a 'gladiator match' is about to be held in the city's arena today."
"And the prize is the Logia 'Mera Mera no Mi'."
"Ace's... I absolutely cannot let it fall into someone else's hands!" Luffy turned to Franky, "Once I get the Mera Mera no Mi, how about you eat it?"
For Luffy, inheriting his brother's power from his comrades would be the best outcome. However:
"No thanks, I don't want to be a landlubber!"
As a shipwright, Franky often needs to go into the water to make repairs. Besides, the number of Devil Fruit user in the Straw Hat crew is already far "excessive." If a few more Devil Fruit users were to join, they could all be wiped out if they accidentally fell into the water.
"No matter what, getting it in hand is the top priority."
Luffy nodded in response to the dove's words.
"We're going to the arena, lead the way!"
This is a 'open conspiracy'!
The Straw Hat crew will inevitably fall into a trap once they receive the news.
Led by a white dove, Luffy and Franky arrive at the Corrida Colosseum and register to compete under the name 'Lucy'. Franky also attracts the attention of a one-legged Toy Soldier. As they both enter the colosseum:
"Hmm, the people who registered today..."
Tread,
"Excuse me, may I sign up?"
?
"Ah... ah, ah, that's fine, but sir... are you sure you're going to participate in a gladiatorial contest?"
In front of the female waitress who was signing up was a man dressed in a suit, cloak, top hat, and with half a mask covering his face. He looked nothing like a fighter, but rather more like a 'magician' or something similar.
"Certainly,"
The magician casually took the contestant's 'entry number plate', snapped his fingers, and the number plate disappeared from his hand, reappearing on his cape on his back.
No. 666
Very good, very auspicious!
Who else could arrive so late at a time like this, besides Roman is worried about Luffy?