Stealing the Kingdom

As news of the Swordsmanship Tournament spreads, it intensifies. Unbeknownst to many, in a kingdom called Dressrosa, located in the eastern part of the New World near the Red Line, close to the central region, a premeditated plan to seize power has already begun.

Doflamingo has become Shichibukai, a pirate recognized by the World Government, and his identity has been half-whitewashed.

But that's not enough; Doflamingo wants to be king. And the easiest place for him to become king is Dressrosa.

Because his family was once the royal family of this country! This identity can reduce the obstacles to him becoming king. If he becomes the king of a World Government Member States, his identity can be said to have been truly cleansed.

Dressrosa.

The royal palace, the King's Plateau.

King Riku, a king with a great reputation in this sea, waged wars everywhere to maintain the peace of Dressrosa.

At the same time, it also served as a link between the surrounding kingdoms, promoting stability among them.

After King Riku was overthrown, the surrounding kingdoms fell into war, partly due to Doflamingo's instigation.

However, King Riku was not in a good mood during this period, and often frowned.

A young girl walked over and patted King Riku on the shoulder. "Father, why do you look unhappy?"

King Riku glanced at the girl, quickly composed himself, his brow relaxed, and he smiled, "It's Violet! What brings you here?"

Violet was his beloved second daughter.

Violet smiled and said, "You've been looking worried lately, as if something's bothering you, but you haven't told me, so I haven't asked. My sister noticed too, and she asked me to come and ask you if there's anything you can't tell us. We can all work together to solve it, instead of carrying it all on your own."

King Riku remained silent for a moment, seemingly hesitant about telling his daughter, but under Violet's gaze, he finally decided to speak. King Riku sighed, "It's about the Donquixote Pirates."

"Hmm? The Donquixote Pirates, the pirate crew that occupied an island near Dressrosa? But they've been quite peaceful since occupying that island and haven't expanded much, isn't that good? Why are you worried?" Violet, somewhat puzzled.

King Riku also frowned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "I don't know either! However, this is precisely what I'm worried about."

Violet was puzzled and asked King Riku, "Father, what do you mean by that?"

King Riku said in a deep voice, "Eight hundred years ago, the royal family that ruled Dressrosa was none other than the Donquixote Family!"

Violet was taken aback and asked, "Father, are you telling the truth?"

"It's true!" King Riku nodded.

"So you're worried that Donquixote Doflamingo, the captain of the Donquixote Pirates, is a descendant of the Donquixote Family, who ruled Dressrosa back then?" Violet asked.

King Riku smiled wryly, "That's possible! Of course, it's also possible I'm overthinking it. It's just that the name Donquixote makes me so concerned!"

Violet asked, "What exactly caused the Donquixote Family to lose this country eight hundred years ago?"

King Riku shook his head and said, "No! They weren't driven away; they abandoned the country."

The Donquixote Family, along with the royal families of nineteen other countries, created the World Government. They became the Celestial Dragons, the Celestial Dragons, and moved to Mary Geoise.

"Celestial Dragons?" Violet was extremely surprised.

"Yes!" King Riku nodded.

Violet laughed, "If that's the case, then Father, you must be overthinking it. Since the Donquixote Family members have become Celestial Dragons, why would they want to become pirates?"

King Riku was silent for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled, "You're right! It seems I was indeed overthinking it. Let's not think about it anymore."

He smiled and stood up, saying to Violet, "Go see Scarlet."

King Riku had two daughters, the elder Scarlet and the younger Violet.

It's still early. Kyros, the hero with a future record of three thousand undefeated wins, is still at the Dressrosa Arena, a legend with over two thousand wins, and enjoys immense prestige in Dressrosa.

Dressrosa is relatively peaceful now, although it is quite poor.

That day, a guard rushed over anxiously, "It's terrible, Your King Riku! Pirates have invaded Dressrosa!"

"What!" King Riku was extremely shocked, but he quickly recovered, put on his armor and cloak, and picked up his weapon. As the king, King Riku was also the kingdom's strongest swordsman.

He was not disguised as a gladiator in the arena and defeated by Kyros.

Seemingly remembering something, King Riku said to his guards, "Summon Kyros; I need his power." He needed greater strength to face the invasion of the ferocious pirates.

Leading his army and riding his warhorse, King Riku sped toward the port of Dressrosa, which had been invaded by pirates.

From afar, they could hear the distant sounds of cannon fodder, and they quickened their pace.

"Cannons?" Kyros looked up at the direction from which the cannon fire came, his face resolute. "Your King Riku, I'll go check over there first."

"Then be careful, Kyros." King Riku nodded, but did not stop him.

Kyros was fast and powerful; arriving sooner would reduce casualties.

The cannon fire came from the docks of Dressrosa, where a pirate ship had docked. A group of pirates, wielding swords and with menacing faces, jumped off the ship and, led by a man wearing a demon mask, launched an attack on the towns along the Dressrosa coast.

Boom boom boom!

The sound of artillery fire rang out, and shells bombarded the town's buildings. Large numbers of buildings collapsed, plunging the town's residents into chaos.

"Pirates! It's pirates!"

"That flag belongs to the Oni-Face Pirates!"

"Damn it, the captain of the Iron Mask Pirates Oni-Face Lambo Pirate, is Great Pirate with a bounty of 200 million Beli!"

"Run! Run!"

The residents screamed and fled in panic.

In the eyes of these residents, Oni-Mask, with a bounty of 200 million Beli, was already an invincible Great Pirate.

Indeed, that was the case. The soldiers guarding the kingdom's borders had been decimated by the vicious pirates and were no match for them.

The screams excited the Iron Mask Pirates, who roared and charged forward, brandishing their swords and spears.

"Stop!"

"Don't run, or we'll shoot!"

Hand over all your gold and silver treasures, and we'll spare your lives!

"Haha! What a beautiful girl, and she looks rich too. I'm so lucky now!"

The pirates roared excitedly, but Oni-Face Lambo remained calm. His mask covered his face, but his eyes were serene, unmoved by the bountiful harvest before him.

Suddenly, an extremely fast figure flashed by, moving so fast that no one could react in time, disappearing among the pirates.

To the astonishment of many, blood spurted out, and one by one, the pirates fell to the ground, their lives taken.

A strong figure appeared amidst the fallen pirates, wielding a greatsword and wearing a red cloak.

The residents of Dressrosa, who were fleeing in a frantic rush, were startled. Upon seeing the newcomers, they erupted in cheers.

"It's Kyros, the strongest warrior in the arena! We're saved!"

"With him here, we can definitely defeat Oni-Face Lambo!"

Unlike the residents of Dressrosa who were overjoyed, the pirates seemed somewhat flustered.

The swordsman who had just arrived displayed tremendous strength, having killed so many of them in succession.

"Don't panic!" Oni-Face Lambo, his cold gaze sweeping over the pirates, calming them down.

Then, Rambo stepped forward, wearing the demon mask, staring intently at Kyros, his mind filled with information about Kyros. In this mission, Kyros was the person he needed to pay the most attention to, besides King Riku.

Based on Kyros's record, he may very well have surpassed King Riku in strength.

A great battle was about to break out. Pirates surrounded Kyros, but Rambo took the lead and stood in front of Kyros.

Kyros handled the attacks of pirates with ease; he was a veteran of countless battles in the arena, and was far from reaching his peak.

Kyros was very strong; in the original story, he defeated Diamante, the highest-ranking official of the Donquixote Family, with only one leg.

Despite being quite strong and having the advantage in numbers, Oni-Face Lambo was still unable to defeat Kyros.

After fighting for a while, King Riku's army quickly arrived, Kyros a crucial delay.

A fierce battle ensued, and unbeknownst to others, Rambo noticed King Riku's figure. A smile appeared beneath his mask; he knew his mission was complete.

While King Riku and his crew were leaving the King's Plateau, a pair of pirates secretly infiltrated the King's Plateau. The King's Plateau was empty inside, and the few guards they had were unable to stop them.

"Who are you people?" Scarlet, who was with her sister, saw the pirates barging in and shielded her sister behind her.

"Just surrender obediently."

King Riku's two daughters, princesses Scarlet and Violet, were easily captured and taken into custody.

Kyros is engaged in a fierce battle with Oni-Face Lambo. Although he has a slight advantage in strength, defeating his opponent will not be easy.

Moreover, among the pirates Rambo brought, there were quite a few skilled ones. In comparison, King Riku was far inferior, suppressed by the pirates and suffering constant losses, only having the advantage in numbers.

Led by a few skilled pirates, the pirates suppressed King Riku, with some even teaming up to King Riku.

The battle was still raging when suddenly, several pirates ran over from a distance and shouted at Oni-Face Lambo, "Captain Rambo, we've succeeded!"

"Retreat!" Oni-Face Lambo Kyros with a burst of speed.

The pirates' swift retreat Kyros and the royal army somewhat bewildered.

However, this also relieved them. Kyros quickly ran to King Riku's side and asked with some concern, "King Riku, are you alright?"

King Riku, having suffered considerable injuries from the attacks of multiple pirates, was panting heavily.

"It's alright. I don't know why those pirates left. Let's hurry over; I have a bad feeling about this." King Riku was somewhat worried, thinking about what those pirates had said—what had they succeeded at?

When they returned to the King's Plateau, the scene was in complete disarray; many guards and maids lay dead in pools of blood.

The treasures of the King's Plateau have been completely looted, and the King Riku originally didn't have much treasure to begin with.

The most important news, news that nearly broke King Riku, was that his two daughters had been captured by pirates.

"King Riku, there seems to be a note left by pirates here." A guard rushed over.

"Show me."

King Riku took the note, and as he read its contents, his hand holding it trembled involuntarily.

"King Riku, what's wrong?"

"They told me their pirate ship is near the port, and I have to prepare 10 billion Beli and send it to them before the next day, or they'll kill me!" King Riku said with a wry smile. "10 billion Beli? How can we come up with that? The royal family's only treasure has already been stolen by pirates. Even if the entire kingdom were combined, it would barely amount to 10 billion Beli, but..."

The kingdom is already poor enough. If they really give up 10 billion Beli, the entire kingdom will be left with nothing but dirt. As the king, he has to be responsible for his people, but as a father, he doesn't want to give up.

King Riku was caught in a deep dilemma.

Kyros said in a deep voice, "In that case, there's only one way left. Tonight, I'll sneak over under cover of darkness and rescue them."

"That's the only way!" King Riku placed all his hopes on Kyros.

Kyros advised, "Those pirates are quite strong. Just to be on the safe side, Your King Riku should call the Navy and have them send reinforcements."

"Hmm." King Riku nodded.

However, bad news soon arrived: for some reason, none of the Den Den Mushi could be reached, meaning they couldn't connect to the outside world.

A shadow fell over their hearts.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the entire Dressrosa was enveloped in a large net, like Birdcage, isolating Dressrosa from everything.

The night was deep.

Kyros arrived at the docks of Dressrosa, his greatsword slung over his back. He boarded a small boat and rowed alone toward the pirate ship in the darkness.

Gradually, the small boat approached the pirate ship. Kyros stood up from the small boat and tiptoed onto the pirate ship.

The pirate on lookout duty, gazing at the distant sea, didn't notice him. Kyros quietly slipped into the cabin, searching for Scarlet and her companions.

Quietly entering the cabin, Kyros sniffed the air and continued walking forward. A faint fragrance wafted through the air.

At that moment, nothing else could attract his attention except for the safety of Scarlet and her companion.

King Riku owed Kyros a great debt of gratitude, and more importantly, Cyrus wanted to protect the country. King Riku's struggles infuriated him. King Riku was undoubtedly a benevolent king, so he was determined to rescue the kingdom's princess.

Moreover, being in enemy territory, he didn't have much time to think.

Kyros took a few more steps forward, and then he felt his head begin to feel dizzy.

His consciousness blurred for a moment, and a strong drowsiness surged into his heart.

Oh no, there's something wrong with this scent!

Kyros inwardly cried out in alarm.

He realized something was wrong and quickly pinched his leg, trying to use the sharp pain to keep himself awake.

However, this approach was ineffective; Kyros pinched his legs until they turned purple, but he still couldn't stop his increasingly blurred consciousness.

Glug!

Kyros collapsed to the ground, his head hitting the wooden board with a dull thud.

The cabin door suddenly opened, and the sedative that had been lingering in the air gradually dissipated.

It's no wonder Kyros careless; who would put sleeping pills in their own cabin?

But that's exactly what these pirates did; they had anticipated Kyros's arrival.

If Kyros wants to save Scarlet and her companion, he must launch Night Raid on this place.

Otherwise, with the pirates holding hostages, they couldn't do anything to them.

They couldn't even contact the navy; they had no choice but to rely on themselves.

Offering 10 billion is undoubtedly the worst possible option.

Therefore, they had anticipated everything.

Inside the cabin, Oni-Face Lambo emerged and smiled slightly as he looked at Kyros lying on the ground.

He took out a Den Den Mushi from his person, dialed a number, and said respectfully, "Young Master, Kyros has been captured."

"Baboons! Is that so? In that case, you'd better get ready! You'd better put on a good performance tomorrow!" Doflamingo's voice came from within.

Above the endless night sky, Doflamingo stood atop Birdcage made of countless stiff, thin threads, looking down at Dressrosa, the territory he had designated.

With a confident smile on his face, everything seemed to be in his grasp.

The pink feather coat draped over her shoulders fluttered high in the wind.

"Yes, sir!" Oni-Face Lambo replied respectfully with a smile.

The Oni-Face Pirates were underlings trained by Doflamingo. After arriving in the New World, they not only developed their power but also accomplished many other things, conquering some pirates with their formidable strength.

Oni-Face Lambo is one of them.

The next day, before sunrise, the Iron Mask Pirates launched an attack on Dressrosa.

The Royal Army, led by King Riku, patrolled the docks. Knowing the location of the pirate ships, they naturally became vigilant, and the pirates were quickly discovered.

"Pirates are coming!"

"Run, everyone!"

"Evacuate civilians first, the army prepares for battle!"

The King Riku organized a defense, but it was no match for the Oni-Face Pirates' attack. Without Kyros, there were very few capable fighters in the King Riku.

Led by Oni-Face Lambo and his crew, the pirates swiftly and decisively destroyed the King Riku's defenses, sweeping through the enemy lines and defeating all of the King Riku.

The number of pirates was enormous, reaching several thousand, which was not the size of the Oni-Face Pirates, but at this moment, no one cared about that.

After the defeat of King Riku, the Oni-Face Pirates swept through the enemy lines, heading towards King's Plateau.

The residents who didn't have time to escape were also captured and became prisoners of the Oni-Face Pirates.

The Oni-Face Pirates drove the prisoners to the front, making King Riku's army wary and dare not attack, and continued to advance towards the King's Plateau.

Soon, they reached the King's Plateau.

At this moment, a large group of King Riku had gathered below the King's Plateau. Behind King Riku was a large group of Dressrosa residents carrying various weapons.

King Riku shouted encouragingly, "Residents of Dressrosa, we can no longer sit idly by and wait to die! These pirates are too vicious. Running away will only embolden them. This is our home, our family and friends are here, and everything here is worth protecting with our lives."

The King Riku and the residents of Dressrosa roared simultaneously, their voices booming.

King Riku has realized that they have no way out now; their only option is to unite all their forces and fight to the death.

Otherwise, if the King Riku is defeated by these pirates, the entire country will become their spoils, and they will be able to take whatever they want, including people and wealth.

King Riku was a good man who treated his people very well and was loved by them.

Therefore, when he explained the advantages and disadvantages to the people and told them that they had no way out, the people chose to believe him.

The people of Dressrosa are incredibly spirited; their impoverished environment has forged them into resilient survivors, and they will one day be known as the "Island of Love and Passion."

An excessive obsession with love can also breed intense jealousy in women. If betrayed by a man, they may resort to horrific acts of assassination. The more beautiful a woman is, the more ruthless she becomes. They are clear about their love and hate, so emotional disputes and even physical conflicts are common occurrences.

Now, they are united and quickly gathered together, preparing to fight the pirates at the King's Plateau.

As the Oni-Face Pirates' army drew closer, King Riku's men began to grow tense.

To their surprise, the pirate army stopped a few dozen meters away from them and did not continue to advance.

The pirate army parted in the middle, Oni-Face Lambo emerged with his subordinates.

Oni-Face Lambo glanced at King Riku and the others, then sneered, "King Riku, what do you mean by this? Do you want to start a war with us?"

"My people and I are peace-loving; we do not want to fight. But if you do not leave this country, we will fight you to the bitter end!" King Riku declared firmly, stepping to the front in his armor. If war broke out, he would be the first to charge.

Oni-Face Lambo laughed loudly, "Fight us to the end? How laughable! King Riku, who gave you the courage to fight us? Was it your weak royal army, or this rabble of ordinary citizens?"

Oni-Face Lambo sneered, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone present.

It's frightening.

"Even ordinary people become incredibly powerful when they want to protect their important homes." King Riku gripped his weapon tightly.

"So, you want them to die?" Oni-Face Lambo sneered.

"This is not a suicide mission, but a desperate gamble. This is our last chance. If we give up now, the result will be that you defeat us one by one, capture us, and enslave us!" King Riku said in a deep voice.

King Riku's words made everyone present tense up.

With the fall of kingdoms, it was common for large numbers of commoners to become slaves on the high seas. The exorbitant profits from slavery meant that many pirates also worked as slave traders.

King Riku's men became united in their hatred of the enemy, and their morale soared. At this moment, King Riku's prestige in their hearts had reached its peak.

Seeing the change in the expressions of those around King Riku, Oni-Face Lambo revealed a mocking smile.

The higher you stand, the harder you fall!

Clap clap clap!

Oni-Face Lambo clapped his hands lightly and chuckled, "Well said, very well said!"

Then, he waved his hand lightly, "Bring the person up here!"

Kyros, Scarlet, and Violet were brought over, with several pirates watching them from the side.

Those around King Riku gasped in astonishment, stunned by what they were seeing.

"Your Highness, what happened? You've been captured by pirates!"

"Even Kyros the Gladiator has been captured."

"How could this be? Even a powerful man like Kyros was defeated by pirates, do we still have any hope?"

Kyros's power is undoubtedly deeply ingrained in people's minds; he is an undefeated legend in the arena.

When Kyros did not return that night, King Riku knew that Kyros was likely in grave danger.

To prevent it from affecting morale, King Riku deliberately suppressed the news.

Those around King Riku were spurred on, and their morale, which had been at its peak, plummeted.

Kyros tried to move around, but he was exhausted. The pirates had injected him with anesthesia to keep an eye on him, and now he was weak and confused, even having difficulty speaking.

Violet, on the other hand, was bound by Seastone Handcuffs, which restricted her abilities. Moreover, at only nine years old, she couldn't develop any abilities and was hardly worth mentioning.

Scarlet doesn't need to worry; she's just an ordinary person.

Several pirates brought them before the crowd, sneering at King Riku in front of them.

King Riku called out anxiously to Scarlet and the others. They exchanged a few words and comforted each other.

King Riku, his face grim, asked, "Oni-Face Pirates, what exactly do you want?"

Oni-Face Lambo laughed, "Your King Riku, we had an agreement before. As long as you give us the ransom, we will release them. But you didn't listen! You actually sent Kyros to rescue them under the cover of darkness. But it's alright, I can give you another chance! As long as you give me 10 billion Beli now, I can return them all to you!"

King Riku growled, "Ten billion Beli? Even this country can't come up with ten billion Beli."

"Really? That makes things difficult! How about we play a game?" Oni-Face Lambo chuckled.

"What game?" King Riku asked warily. The more he asked, the more ominous he felt, but now they were like sheep on a chopping board, unable to resist.

"I've heard that you've won the people's love by feigning benevolence..." Oni-Face Lambo laughed.

"Shut up!"

Oni-Face Lambo's words were interrupted by Violet, who looked furious. "My father is a good man, you're not allowed to talk about him like that!" Violet held King Riku in high esteem.

"That's right! Under His King Riku's rule, our lives have always been peaceful. Even in this chaotic Great Pirate Era, even in this most chaotic New World, Dressrosa is one of the few paradises!"

"King Riku is very kind and often sends his King Riku to help us. Dressrosa may be poor, but it is peaceful! King Riku is a good king!"

"King Riku repelled the pirates and helped us rebuild our homes!"

The people of Dressrosa roared, clearly showing their strong support for King Riku.

But Oni-Face Lambo sneered, "Peace? Yes, Dressrosa is indeed very peaceful. But do you know how you achieved your peace?"

Upon hearing Oni-Face Lambo's words, everyone was taken aback and looked at Oni-Face Lambo.

Oni-Face Lambo, gave a cold laugh. "Because you... are poor! Because you're too poor, neither other countries nor pirates have any interest in attacking you. They go to all that trouble to come here, only to end up with nothing to take, so they give up on this place."

"Your peace comes from the disdain of a powerful enemy! Dressrosa under King Riku's rule, poor but peaceful? No, it is poverty that brings peace!"

"Great Pirate wouldn't bother with this place; only small-time pirates would be interested. However, those small-time pirates are too weak to defeat your royal army, and the damage they cause is limited, which is why they give you a false impression of peace."

"This peace is false! Just like now, my power has shattered this false peace. Do you understand? The peace of the weak is a gift from the strong; your peace was not given by King Riku!"

"King Riku may be a benevolent king, but he is an incompetent one. He is good for nothing but benevolence and is utterly incapable of leading this country to prosperity. You must understand, this is the New World, where strength is fundamental. Your peace is utterly laughable!"

After Oni-Face Lambo finished speaking, he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "My God! Did I really say that?" He couldn't help but get excited. "It makes so much sense! As expected of the young master, it wasn't for nothing that I spent a week memorizing it."

Meanwhile, King Riku suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The group of people looked at each other, their eyes flashing with surprise and uncertainty.

King Riku's expression was also somewhat blank; it was clear that Oni-Face Lambo's words had provoked him.

King Riku has always considered himself an excellent king, but Oni-Face Lambo's words have erased all his achievements, even making him doubt himself.

Was Oni-Face Lambo wrong? Absolutely not, he made perfect sense.

"Let's leave that topic here and get back to the question we just discussed," Oni-Face Lambo continued. "King Riku, do you want to save them?"

King Riku's expression was somewhat blank. "What do you want?"

Oni-Face Lambo, seemingly in control, pointed at the royal army and ordinary citizens surrounding King Riku, and said with a light laugh, "Kill them!"

King Riku and those around him were all startled. King Riku asked in disbelief, "What did you say?"

Oni-Face Lambo said coldly, "I have three hostages, one for ten of their lives! If you personally kill forty royal soldiers or ordinary citizens, I will release them!"

Upon hearing this, the royal army and ordinary residents around King Riku immediately took a few steps back, subconsciously distancing themselves from King Riku.

King Riku, "What kind of bullshit game is this? How could I possibly harm my army and my people? I'd rather die than harm them!"

Oni-Face Lambo laughed, "Are you sure? If you don't kill them, I'll kill these three hostages, two of whom are your daughters. Have you thought it through? Are you really going to abandon them?"

King Riku, his face contorted with grief and rage, raised his sword and charged forward, shouting, "I'll fight you to the death!"

"Stop! Move again and I'll kill them!" The two pirates each picked up their guns, the cold muzzles pointed at Violet and Scarlet's heads.

King Riku froze, how could a father remain indifferent to the life or death of his daughter?

"Father, don't worry about us," Scarlet shouted, her eyes flashing with determination.

King Riku was caught in a dilemma.

On one side are his family, and on the other are the people he deeply loves. He wants to protect both, but in the end, he can't protect either of them.

Never before had King Riku hated his powerlessness as much as he did now, filled with grief and indignation, while cursing the Oni-Face Pirates.

Just then, King Riku suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then his arm began to swing on its own.

He held his greatsword in his hand as he swung it around.

Puff!

One of the King Riku's King Riku next to him was slashed, blood splattering everywhere. The King Riku was stunned, while the soldier looked on in disbelief.

The other soldiers and civilians around watched this scene in shock, unable to believe that King Riku had actually done such a thing.

Even Scarlet and Violet, King Riku's daughters who were being held hostage, couldn't believe their father would do such a thing. They stared blankly at the scene, their minds completely blank.

Kyros stared wide-eyed, unable to reconcile the current King Riku with the person he remembered.

"This... this isn't what I wanted to do, my hand suddenly just wouldn't obey me..."

King Riku muttered to himself, trying his best to defend himself.

The surrounding King Riku and ordinary residents were all terrified and once again distanced themselves from King Riku.

At that moment, King Riku suddenly found that his body was moving uncontrollably again, and he swung his greatsword at the ordinary residents and King Riku.

"Run! King Riku is going to kill us!"

"Your King Riku, please calm down!"

Ordinary residents fled in panic, and several of King Riku tried to stop King Riku, but he cut them down with a single sword stroke.

No one dared to stop King Riku anymore, and they began to flee in a frenzy.

The foreshadowing from before, coupled with King Riku's actions in front of everyone, has completely shattered his image in the eyes of the people.

King Riku was in tears, his jaw clenched, his heart filled with immense grief and indignation.

He's been taken into custody!

This is a conspiracy!

A figure flashed into his mind, that person's name.

King Riku already understood, but at this moment he was unable to even speak.

To prevent him from talking nonsense, Doflamingo forced him to clench his teeth, preventing him from saying anything.

Run! Get out of my sight!

Stop me! Someone, stop me!

King Riku was filled with immense grief, yet his body was uncontrollably relentlessly pursuing and killing his own army and people.

Just then, a figure descended from the sky and kicked King Riku.

The fleeing crowd stopped in their tracks, staring in surprise at the figure that had seemingly fallen from the sky.

"Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai!"

"Shichibukai!"

"Why would such an important person come to Dressrosa?"

The crowd looked on with surprise and uncertainty, whispering amongst themselves.

Doflamingo's expression was cold as he spoke, "This morning, King Riku contacted the Navy via Den Den Den Mushi, saying that Dressrosa had been attacked by pirates. Yesterday, due to a magnetic storm, all the Den Den Mushi in this area became ineffective. Because of the urgency, the Navy had no choice but to call me. They asked me to come here to help because my territory is very close by."

Hearing Doflamingo's explanation, everyone's doubts dissipated.

Even those soldiers who knew that the Den Den Mushi was invalid yesterday, some still took out their Den Den Mushi and tried it again, and now they can connect.

Magnetic field storms are a common weather phenomenon in the New World, occurring from time to time. The chaotic magnetic field affects radio waves, preventing Den Den Mushi from communicating normally.

Then they heard Doflamingo ask in confusion, "What's going on? Isn't that guy the King of Dressrosa? Why is he chasing you?"

At that moment, several ordinary residents angrily said, "Lord Doflamingo, you don't know the whole story. Pirates attacked, and we fought alongside King Riku. But the pirates captured King Riku's daughters, using them to force King Riku to attack us. To save them, King Riku decided to kill us in exchange for their lives..."

The residents looked as if they had been deeply hurt by King Riku had turned into anger and sorrow.

Doflamingo listened calmly, "Killing others to save his own family? King Riku is quite interesting!"

Someone asked, "Do you think he did the right thing?"

Doflamingo chuckled, "This is a normal choice. Most people would do the same, right? Would you not do the same if you were in your shoes?"

Everyone was speechless, and they began to understand King Riku somewhat.

After all, King Riku is the king, so it's normal for commoners to have lower expectations of him.

Doflamingo said, "He won't wake up for a while. I'll go deal with those pirates first."

Meanwhile, after King Riku chased after his people, Oni-Face Lambo and his men began looting the treasures of the area.

Although somewhat saddened by King Riku's actions and King Riku why he did it, Scarlet was furious at the pirates' behavior, knowing it was all for their sake. "My father has already agreed to your demands! Do you intend to go back on your word?"

Oni-Face Lambo sneered, "Even if we break our promise, what can you do about it?"

Scarlet was furious, and Violet looked utterly hopeless.

Just then, a figure resembling Doflamingo flew in from the distant sky. One of the pirates took out his binoculars, looked, and immediately shouted exaggeratedly, "Captain! Captain! Captain! Something's wrong! I think I've spotted Shichibukai!"

"I saw it too, let's get out of here!"

Oni-Face Lambo's voice was filled with panic. The group of pirates abandoned their treasure and ran wildly towards the beach without saying a word.

Scarlet and the others were stunned. The Oni-Face Pirates, who had been so aggressive just moments before, had actually backed down like this?

Kyros somewhat shocked; he could sense Doflamingo's immense power.

Before they could react, a figure descended from the sky and landed lightly beside them.

Donquixote Doflamingo!

Violet blurted out, her face showing great surprise.

Doflamingo calmly said, "The Oni-Face Pirates only have a few of you as hostages, right?"

Violet said, "That's right! What do you want to do?"

Doflamingo chuckled and said, "Sink them into the sea to feed the fish!"

With that, Doflamingo walked towards the sea.

"Wait for me!"

Violet shouted and chased after Doflamingo.

She was suspicious of Doflamingo, so she decided to follow him to see what was going on.

Doflamingo smiled slightly. Having a witness was perfect, so he slowed down and waited for Violet to catch up.

When they reached the beach, the Iron-Faced Pirates had already set sail. Violet, panting heavily and with a grim expression, said, "They've escaped!"

"You can't escape!"

Doflamingo spoke calmly, extending his palm as he did so.

The Thread Sword appeared in his hand, Doflamingo waved his hand at the distant pirate ship. The Thread Sword flew towards the pirate ship at an extremely fast speed.

Boom!

The pirate ship was pierced through by this sword, and after a few more blows, it quickly split in two, and the pirates fell into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Before long, neither the plank nor the pirates had disappeared.

"It's solved!"

Violet stared wide-eyed at the scene. With the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, she possessed the ability to see far and wide, and those dead pirates couldn't possibly lie.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, the well-prepared Oni-Face Lambo and some pirates secretly sank to the bottom of the sea. Only a few dozen survived, while the remaining thousands of dead pirates were nothing more than cannon fodder, unaware of Doflamingo's plan.

The string in Doflamingo's hand disappeared, and he turned to look at Violet.

"In a few days, I'll have someone send over one of my pirate flags. Hang it in the port, and no more pirates will come to cause trouble."

Doflamingo said calmly.

Violet thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Why are you helping us like this?"

Doflamingo glanced at her, a half-smile on his face, and said, "If I told you that my ancestors were once royalty in this country, would you believe me?"

Violet's expression changed upon hearing Doflamingo's words.

But she quickly shook her head and said, "Impossible! The royal family of Dressrosa back then has now become Celestial Dragons! Although your surname is the same as the royal family back then, you cannot be a descendant of the royal family from that time."

"Believe it or not, it's up to you," Doflamingo said casually.

Violet continued, "So what is your purpose? To take back this country?"

"Take back the country? You mean, become king?"

"How ridiculous! Is the status of a king more important than that of Shichibukai? I don't need a poor country," Doflamingo said, his tone tinged with disdain.

Violet seemed to want to refute, but remembering what Oni-Face Lambo had said earlier, she didn't know what to say.

Violet was still just a nine-year-old girl, her mind completely under Doflamingo's control.

He believed that given some time, he could turn this blank sheet of paper black, dyeing it his color.

If Doflamingo hadn't been interested in Violet's abilities, he wouldn't have been so patient.

The plan to seize the country is not over yet.