A few days later.
The Kingdom of Dressrosa was a tropical island with a vacation-town atmosphere, and its shores were surrounded by huge rocks.
People streamed along the clean streets, where food stalls, clothing shops, and all kinds of entertainment venues could be found everywhere.
"It feels like the town's been busier than usual lately."
"Tell me about it. Business has been much better, hahaha."
In front of a brightly decorated stall, a bearded owner dressed in a white chef's uniform cheerfully handed over two ice creams.
One went to a blonde girl, and the other to the toy puppet beside her. Nobody thought there was anything strange about the sight.
"Here you go, your ice creams. That'll be 400 Berries."
"Thanks!"
The girl paid with a smile, then left with her arm linked through the toy puppet's.
Toys that could move and talk like this were everywhere in the streets.
Some sat outside cafés reading the newspaper as if they were a family, while others had little girls sitting on their shoulders, like fathers and daughters.
Whether they were people or toys, their faces were bright with happiness.
This was Dressrosa, the country known as the "Country of Love, Passion, and Toys."
The blonde girl licked her ice cream and beamed. "Although our king sadly died after answering the call to join the Paramount War and protect our country, at least our new king, Weevil, is also a wise ruler."
"That's right. He's also a powerful Shichibukai. Thanks to his protection, everyone can live peacefully, just like before."
The toy puppet replied with a smile, though an almost imperceptible bitterness flickered in its eyes.
Only those like them, who had to return to the Toy House at midnight, knew that Weevil, who looked so honest and harmless, was a