The Kingdom in Hand

Seeing Doflamingo disappear from her sight, Violet had no choice but to return to the palace. Along the way, she met many residents of Dressrosa.

In the past, when this group of people saw her, they would greet her warmly. But now, their gazes towards her were somewhat evasive.

When King Riku awoke, he found himself surrounded by a large group of people, including both his King Riku and ordinary residents.

King Riku felt reassured; it seemed his usual prestige was still intact, and there were still people who believed in him.

King Riku was about to explain his actions, he was interrupted by King Riku, who had noticed that he had woken up.

The King Riku rushed to say, "Your King Riku, Lord Kyros and the two princesses have been rescued."

"Really? That's good!"

Upon hearing this, King Riku breathed a sigh of relief, as did the others around him. They had been genuinely worried that King Riku would continue killing after waking up.

Someone stepped forward and said, "Your King Riku! Your previous actions were to save your loved ones, which is understandable, because if we were in your shoes, we might very well have done the same thing."

The Riku Royal Family's reputation in Dressrosa, built up over eight hundred years, is deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people and will not easily dissipate. Moreover, with Doflamingo's explanation, they King Riku's actions.

A king can be forgiven for his mistakes. Although King Riku's prestige declined somewhat because of this incident, many people still believed in King Riku.

However, influenced by Oni-Face Lambo's words, King Riku was no longer seen as perfect in their eyes. He was seen as good for nothing but kindness and incapable of leading the country out of poverty and towards prosperity.

This is a country that is peaceful because of its poverty. Oni-Face Lambo's words stung the hearts of the people and planted a seed in their hearts: they needed a capable king, a king who could make the kingdom rich, a king who would let them not fear pirate invasions.

"No, no, no! Just now, I was controlled by someone..." King Riku hurriedly explained, he wouldn't take the blame for this, the feeling of not being able to control his body and the inner pain were still fresh in his memory.

"Really? I see." The person smiled somewhat awkwardly and said nothing more.

The others from the King Riku looked on anxiously and said, "I'm telling the truth, you have to believe me!"

Everyone fell silent, their gazes darting away from King Riku, causing King Riku's heart to sink, and he felt a sense of helplessness.

So King Riku changed the subject and asked, "Did the pirates retreat on their own?"

An officer from the Riku Kingdom's army shook his head and said, "No! It was Lord Tenyasha of the Seven Warlords who drove those pirates away."

"Heavenly Yaksha." King Riku frowned.

Someone nearby exclaimed excitedly, "Yes! It's that Shichibukai! He's incredibly powerful. Those pirates didn't even have the courage to fight him when they saw him; they ran away immediately!"

"That's right, it must be him!" King Riku gritted his teeth, confirming repeatedly, "Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha, his String-String Fruit has the ability to control others. I was controlled just now, it must have been him."

The others exchanged glances, a sense of disdain creeping into their hearts towards King Riku.

They saved you, they saved your daughter, and they even spoke up for you and helped everyone forgive you.

You actually turned around and pinned the blame on someone else. Not only do you dare to do it but you also repay kindness with enmity!

King Riku? I never expected him to be this kind of person. My image of King Riku has dropped another ten percent.

Seeing the change in everyone's expressions, King Riku had a guess in his mind and hurriedly said, "You have to believe me! Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that he appeared at this time?"

"Cough cough!"

Someone coughed twice and said expressionlessly to King Riku, "Your King Riku! Lord Heavenly Yaksha is here because he received a request from the Navy. Due to the urgency of the situation, the Navy had no choice but to ask him for help."

"Is that so?" King Riku's expression froze.

Everyone nodded, leaving King Riku somewhat bewildered.

King Riku looked around, then suddenly frowned, realizing his second daughter was missing. "Where's Violet? Scarlet, where's Violet?"

Although they had some reservations about King Riku and the others, they still greatly admired Scarlet, who was willing to sacrifice her life to avoid being blackmailed by pirates.

In response to King Riku's question, Scarlet replied, "Violet went with the Heavenly Yaksha to chase after those pirates. You can ask her when she returns."

As Scarlet was speaking, Violet returned.

King Riku hurriedly asked, "Violet, where is Doflamingo?"

"He's gone!" Violet replied.

King Riku was taken aback. "He's gone? Did he make any demands?"

Violet shook her head.

King Riku paused, then asked in a deep voice, "Where are those pirates?"

"The boat and its crew sank into the sea..."

King Riku fell silent, and so did everyone else around him. The atmosphere became strange, but King Riku felt a deep sadness in his heart.

People's hearts have fallen apart!

His prestige, built up over many years, is gone!

After Doflamingo left Dressrosa, he stopped in the air above a stretch of sea. The water below him churned, and a submarine emerged from the sea.

Doflamingo landed on it, and the Oni-Face Lambo Oni-Face Pirates, appeared in front of him.

"Young Master, do we have any other missions?" Oni-Face Lambo asked respectfully.

"Your mission is complete. I will arrange for you to go to the North Blue for two years, and incidentally, to intimidate some forces." Doflamingo sneered as he spoke, "After being away from the North Blue for so long, some people are starting to get restless."

Oni-Face Lambo and others played a crucial role in Doflamingo's plot to seize Dressrosa, Doflamingo even considered eliminating them completely to prevent future troubles.

However, upon reflection, he rejected the idea. This was his hidden power, not something openly displayed. Besides, they were quite strong and could help him handle many things. If they also ate Devil Fruit, they would be considered quite powerful in the New World. It would be a waste to eliminate them directly.

However, he actually didn't have many capable men under his command.

Upon arriving in the New World, he clearly realized that while he could suppress others with his own strength in the North Sea, he could not do so in the New World.

Moreover, as his power grows, his subordinates will gain access to more and more secrets.

If he kills people to cover up his secrets, he'll likely have no one left to rely on.

Doflamingo knew that among his family members, the only one he could truly rely on and who could stand alone was Pica, who had now eaten the powerful Stone-Stone Fruit.

There is also Vergo, but he is not with him now, and Vergo's identity cannot be revealed.

After arranging a safe haven for Oni-Face Lambo and the others, Doflamingo took out Den Den Mushi and contacted another of his subordinates. "Prepare yourselves. We'll attack Dressrosa in seven days!"

"Baboon! Baboon!" Doflamingo laughed, things were going as he had expected.

The next step is to bring King Riku down from his lofty throne to the abyss.

Dressrosa, the Royal Palace.

"Scarlet, Violet, Kyros! You must believe me, I was indeed manipulated that day!"

King Riku explained anxiously, pointing to his two daughters and the kingdom's strongest warrior standing before him. Kyros had demonstrated his strength in the previous battle against the pirates, proving himself to be even more powerful than him.

King Riku was certain that he had indeed been manipulated that day, and that the person who manipulated him was Doflamingo. Everything was too coincidental; everything they had experienced was Doflamingo's scheme.

Scarlet said softly, "Father, you don't need to blame yourself. You did all that to save us, and the people have already forgiven you."

"Your King Riku, what has already happened cannot be changed. The most important thing is that those who survived must live well!" Kyros said solemnly.

Even Violet didn't believe Doflamingo's words; she knew Doflamingo looked down on Dressrosa.

King Riku was having a terrible headache. This was what was bothering him the most. He said he had been manipulated, but nobody believed him!

Everyone only believes what they see.

Doflamingo's puppet strings are extremely fine, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Unless one possesses a certain level of strength or strong Observation Haki, they cannot detect them. Unfortunately, Dressrosa does not have anyone with such abilities.

Even his two daughters and Kyros were deeply skeptical, believing that King Riku was unable to accept what he had done and had therefore developed delusions.

King Riku is so tired.

This feeling of being the only one sober while the whole world is drunk is very unpleasant.

Just then, a soldier ran over and said, "Your King Riku, two pirates want to see you."

"Hmm? Why do you want to see me?" King Riku frowned, somewhat puzzled. Now, the mere mention of pirates made him feel weary.

"I don't know."

"Then let them in." King Riku took a breath.

Two pirates walked in, Kyros, seeing them, prepared for battle.

"May I ask who you are? What brings you here?" King Riku asked earnestly.

"We are members of the Donquixote Pirates. We've come on behalf of our captain to present you with our pirate flag. With the pirate flag, you'll have the protection of the Donquixote Pirates, and you won't have to worry about other pirates invading you in the future," one of the pirates said.

Upon hearing the name of the pirate crew, King Riku's expression changed. Without the slightest hesitation, he firmly refused, "I'm very sorry, Dressrosa does not need the protection of pirates." In his eyes, Doflamingo was still harboring treacherous intentions, and once Doflamingo's pirate flag was planted in Dressrosa, the entire kingdom would belong to Doflamingo.

King Riku's quick refusal puzzled Violet and the others. Given Doflamingo's strength, wouldn't it be a good thing to gain the protection of Shichibukai?

However, King Riku the king, and they had no right to interfere with his decisions.

"Hmph! If you don't need it, then forget it. It's not like we begged you to give us the flag." Hearing King Riku's refusal, one of the pirates put away the pirate flag he had just taken out, snorted coldly, and turned to leave with another member.

In their eyes, King Riku was ungrateful.

King Riku never considered the disparity in power between the two sides. The "Heavenly Yaksha" possessed the power to destroy a country. If they were to forcibly seize this country, they would have no choice.

This is the tragedy of the weak.

A few days later, everyone thought that everything was over and the kingdom had returned to peace.

"Report!"

Just then, a soldier from the royal army rushed in and loudly reported, "Your King Riku, another group of pirates has arrived!"

"What? Another group of pirates?" King Riku trembled, completely alarmed. Pirates never usually came; now they were arriving in waves. What was going on?

"Your King Riku, you need not worry. They are just a group of pirates. I will go and drive them away!" Kyros said in a deep voice.

The fact that Kyros was captured after falling into the pirates' trap has always been a thorn in his side, leaving him with a lingering resentment.

Now that another group of pirates has arrived, Kyros naturally wants to avenge his previous defeat and regain his confidence and reputation.

Upon hearing this, Scarlet quickly said, "We'll go with you!"

After Kyros left, their territory was left vulnerable, and they were easily captured by pirates. It was that attack that led to the series of events that followed.

If they hadn't been captured during the pirates' ambush, Kyros wouldn't have needed to sneak onto the pirate ship in the middle of the night, wouldn't have been caught in the pirates' trap, and the incident of King Riku killing his own people wouldn't have happened later.

This time they were more shrewd and decided to follow Kyros.

They wouldn't go to the battlefield; they would hide in the rear where the pirates couldn't find them. At the same time, they also had to ensure that Kyros could discover anything that happened to them in time.

They set off and arrived at a town near the port, where pirates had already reached and were fighting the royal army stationed there.

Kyros led the royal army to charge forward, but the pirates were not to be outdone. Their captain and a group of officers met them in Kyros.

Kyros's side lacked high-level combat power, and there were very few who could help him, while the pirates had a large and well-trained force, and they actually suppressed Kyros and his men.

Kyros's face was grim, and he roared incessantly. He was fighting the pirate captain and three of the pirate crew's officers.

Individually, they were no match for Kyros, but together they could overpower Kyros. One fist cannot fight four hands, Kyros was at a disadvantage.

Even so, Kyros was not someone the opposing pirates could defeat, and the two sides gradually reached a stalemate.

Meanwhile, King Riku was completely overwhelmed by this group of fierce pirates. These pirates were extremely powerful and did not resemble an ordinary pirate crew at all.

"What kind of pirate crew is this?"

"The pirate flag looks unfamiliar, I don't recognize it!"

"There are countless pirate crews in the New World; it's normal not to know them."

In the distance, King Riku and the others looked worried.

A resident of Dressrosa approached King Riku and asked, "Your King Riku, did you seek help from the Navy?"

"We've already asked for help; the Marine warship will be here in a few hours," King Riku said in a deep voice.

"It will take several hours for them to arrive. Can Lord Kyros and the others hold out? Your King Riku, perhaps we should ask Lord Heavenly Yaksha for help? His territory is very close to here, and he should be able to get here soon."

"Heavenly Yaksha?" King Riku's face darkened, then he said coldly, "There are too many suspicious points about this person. It's best not to let him come. His arrival in this country will bring more trouble than good!"

A group of residents, somewhat disappointed, quietly left the area, whispering amongst themselves in the distance.

"Your King Riku seems to have a great prejudice against Lord Doflamingo!"

"Yes! He even said before that Lord Doflamingo was controlling him, which is why he was chasing us."

"Daring to do it but not daring to admit it, truly..."

"So what if Doflamingo is in danger? What can we do against him? The danger is right in front of us, why should we fear an unseen danger?"

Under the influence of certain individuals with ulterior motives, the residents of Dressrosa gradually developed more and more resentment towards King Riku.

They didn't know what King Riku was worried about; all they knew was that because of King Riku's insistence, they had to continue to endure the threat of pirates.

"If we just let that person come, these pirates could be easily dealt with."

"Lord Heavenly Yaksha is a pirate recognized by the World Government, what problem could he possibly have?"

"Should we call him and ask him for help ourselves?"

Someone made a suggestion, which was agreed upon by others. However, some people questioned it, believing that it was inappropriate.

"Would such a big shot be interested in listening to our phone calls?"

"Since I won't lose anything, I might as well give it a try!"

Someone pulled out Den Den Mushi and explained to the person next to them, "After Heavenly Yaksha came last time, I asked around to find out their phone number."

As members of the Shichibukai, they have this obligation, so a public telephone was specially provided.

With that, he dialed the number, and soon a cold voice came from the Den Den Mushi, "This is the Donquixote Pirates. Who are you looking for?"

"We are residents of Dressrosa. Because pirates have come here, we would like to ask for Lord Heavenly Yaksha's help."

"Dressrosa? Oh, I know you! I heard that last time the captain went there, he helped you deal with the pirates and even wanted to send you a Donquixote Pirates flag to intimidate other pirates, but your king refused."

"Is that so?"

The residents of Dressrosa were completely bewildered.

"Why refuse? Isn't it good to have the protection of Great Pirate? Isn't that normal in the New World?" The surrounding residents who heard this news were very puzzled.

"Of course! The Riku Family of Dressrosa is wary of our captain because his ancestors were royalty in Dressrosa. They abdicated the throne to the Riku Family, and the King Riku is worried that the captain will take back the throne, so they have been guarding against him and trying to smear him."

Are you telling the truth?

The residents of Dressrosa were shocked. "Lord Heavenly Yaksha's ancestors were once royalty of Dressrosa?"

"Go look it up yourselves! The Donquixote family was the royal family that ruled Dressrosa nine hundred years ago. Dressrosa was far more powerful back then than it is now. I never imagined that Dressrosa would decline to this state under the leadership of the Riku Royal Family."

"Does Lord Heavenly Yaksha want to be the King of Dressrosa?" someone wondered, thinking, "What if Doflamingo could become their king..."

"Our captain didn't have that intention. He just wanted to help his ancestors' people, but King Riku and the others' actions saddened him. So, you don't need to waste your time. The captain won't go!" The voice on the Den Den Mushi was very decisive, and the phone was immediately hung up.

Kyros engaged in a fierce battle with the pirate captain and his crew, and the situation was not good, with several close calls.

Scarlet frowned and couldn't help but turn to King Riku beside her for help, "Father, when will the navy arrive? Kyros, he's about to collapse!"

Although she hasn't fallen in love with Kyros yet, her attention over the past few years has given her some feelings for Kyros, though she herself is unaware of her own thoughts.

King Riku clenched his fist. "Wait a little longer!"

After some time, Scarlet bit her lip and said, "How about we try asking the Heavenly Yaksha for help?"

King Riku suddenly turned to look at Scarlet, his gaze sharp, which startled Scarlet.

King Riku exhaled and said in a deep voice, "Scarlet, do you know what you're saying? You're risking the entire country!"

"So what? Can't we get through this crisis first?" Scarlet couldn't help but retort. "If this continues, it will truly be beyond repair."

King Riku paused for a moment, then clenched his fist. "Don't worry, nothing will happen, I promise!"

On the top of a building not far from here, Doflamingo, Pica, and others quietly watched Kyros fight the pirate captain and his crew.

"A real talent! It's a pity we can't use him." Doflamingo looked at Kyros and could see Kyros great potential, so he couldn't help but say regretfully.

Kyros fought with increasing ferocity, undoubtedly a fighting genius.

"However, it's time to end this." As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Doflamingo's eyes. Since they can't be used by me, then they can't be kept around.

Doflamingo extended his finger, slightly bent it, and a sharp, thin line descended from the sky, swiftly striking Kyros.

Kyros was in the middle of the battle, felt a chill run through his body and instinctively sensed danger. However, he did not know where the danger came from, and besides, he was facing a powerful pirate and had no way to avoid it.

The thin thread pierced Kyros's arm, moving with the agility of a snake, twisting and coiling around Kyros arteries and veins. With a sudden tightening, Kyros's eyes widened, his face contorted in intense pain, and his hand holding the sword froze, causing the greatsword to slip from his grasp and fall to the ground.

His arteries and veins were instantly shattered, caught completely off guard. The pirate in front of him seized the opportunity, a cruel smile on his face as he slashed down with his sword.

Blood dripped from the long sword, Kyros's body. But it wasn't over yet. Another sharp slash came down, Kyros couldn't help but scream as his right arm was severed.

This series of attacks was unbearable even for Kyros, who was already at a disadvantage. Soon, the blades pierced Kyros's body one after another.

Puff puff puff puff!

Blood splattered, Kyros stared wide-eyed, and fell to the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.

King Riku looked on in disbelief, and Violet's eyes widened. They never imagined that their country's strongest warrior would die like this.

After Kyros was killed, the King Riku plummeted. The pirate captain and his officers, now free to fight, led their pirates to slaughter the King Riku.

They then stormed into the town, causing widespread destruction and looting countless riches and people.

They fled hastily only after the navy arrived, leaving behind a devastated country.

The navy rescued the residents of Dressrosa, gathered them together, and settled them in. Among them King Riku and others.

The leader of the navy stepped forward. "I'm sorry we're late, but this place is very close to Half Moon Island. Why don't you ask the Shichibukai, Tenyasha, for help?"

Half Moon Island is Doflamingo's territory, and the leading Marine, with a face and Inazuma- shaped sideburns, is none other than Vergo, Doflamingo's spy sent into the Marines.

A year after the start of the Great Pirate Era, Doflamingo, with the support of the Night Pirates, rapidly expanded his power. In preparation for the future, Vergo, at only seventeen years old, joined the Marines.

He joined the Navy several years earlier than in the original story.

He stood out from the Marine Elite Training Camp thanks to his own qualifications and hard work, and gained the attention of the Navy.

To cooperate with Doflamingo, after graduation, he even volunteered to come to the dangerous New World, specifically the G5 Branch, which was unique within the Navy. Vergo's performance also exceeded Doflamingo's expectations, and he had already planned to find Vergo a powerful Devil Fruit.

However, there are also such thoughts within the Navy, and it is said that Admiral Akainu greatly admires Vergo.

Doflamingo temporarily shelved the idea, as it would save him the trouble of acquiring a precious Devil Fruit if the Navy's abilities were powerful enough.

At only twenty-one years old, Vergo already held the rank of colonel. After a few months in the New World, with some more merits, he could become Commodore. And now, Vergo was also qualified to command a warship on his own.

King Riku was about to explain, someone in the crowd spoke up sarcastically, "Isn't it because our King Riku is afraid of losing his throne?"

"What did you say?"

Someone glared angrily at the man; he was a supporter of King Riku.

"You don't know yet, do you? Before, we asked Lord Tenyasha of the Seven Warlords of the Sea on Half Moon Island for help. But he refused to come to our aid. Do you know why? Because our King Riku doesn't welcome him." The man sneered.

"Lord Heavenly Yaksha wanted to send us one of his pirate flags to deter pirates. With that flag, we wouldn't have to worry about pirate invasions anymore. But our King Riku refused. Do you know why?"

"Because Lord Heavenly Yaksha's ancestors were once royalty in Dressrosa, Riku Family's throne came from the Donquixote Family, the Riku Family fears that Lord Heavenly Yaksha will take back the throne, so they constantly ostracize him. Lord Heavenly Yaksha is very angry, so he refuses to help us!"

"What?"

"Such a thing actually happened?"

"King Riku is that kind of person? Unbelievable!"

"That's impossible!"

"What's impossible about that? He can kill his own people to save his daughter, so why can't he reject Lord Tenyasha to keep his Heavenly Yaksha?"

"Perhaps in King Riku's heart, the throne is the most important thing! Just now, when Lord Kyros was fighting the pirates, he was in danger several times, but King Riku refused to ask Lord Heavenly Yaksha for help, and as a result, Kyros was Pirate Kill!"

"If Lord Heavenly Yaksha had come, Kyros wouldn't have died. It was King Riku who killed Lord Kyros."

"What a cold-blooded person!"

"He even falsely accused Lord Heavenly Yaksha before. How could such a powerful figure care about us? He's the one who's blaming others first!"

Public anger was high, and the people's dissatisfaction with King Riku reached its peak at this moment.

They believed that if King Riku had sought help from Doflamingo sooner, none of the disasters that had occurred would have happened.

In the recent pirate attack, Dressrosa suffered severe damage; not a single town in the entire country remained intact, as all towns were looted by pirates.

The buildings were destroyed, and the only remaining wealth was looted.

Countless people lost their parents, children, and friends in this disaster, and now the culprit has become King Riku, and all their previous relationships are gone.

That's normal!

Relationships take a long time to build, but can be destroyed in just a few moments.

This pirate attack completely destroyed the bond and trust that King Riku had built up with his people over the years.

The people were outraged, glaring angrily at King Riku and growling curses under their breath.

Even his two daughters were somewhat dissatisfied with King Riku.

King Riku remained silent, his expression somewhat blank.

He was powerless to refute, and only felt a wave of exhaustion.

"Could it be that I was wrong?" King Riku thought sadly.

Although the people had many grievances against King Riku was, after all, the king. They dared to curse him, but none of them dared to lay a hand on him.

Dressrosa began its reconstruction, King Riku returned to the palace dejectedly, sitting on his throne for an entire day.

A few days later, the reconstruction of Dressrosa was almost complete, but obvious signs of destruction were still visible. On this day, another pirate ship arrived at the port of Dressrosa.

"Pirates are here!" With a loud shout, the entire Dressrosa was thrown into chaos.

"Everyone, calm down! It's the Donquixote Pirates!"

Someone shouted something, and the disturbance quickly subsided.

The Donquixote Pirates' ship arrived at the port, and several smartly dressed young men disembarked.

The young men approached the group, speaking calmly, "Lord Doflamingo is aware of what happened here. He is furious about the pirate attack. He sent us here to deliver this. With this, no more pirates will bother you."

They took out a flag, which was the Donquixote Pirates' flag.

A young man said casually, "Actually, Lord Doflamingo wanted to send this over a long time ago, but King Riku disagreed, saying he wouldn't accept the protection of a pirate. King Riku was wary of Lord Doflamingo, fearing that he would seize his throne. Lord Doflamingo was very angry, so the matter was eventually dropped."

"However, this time Dressrosa suffered extensive damage from pirates, and Lord Doflamingo finally made up his mind. Regardless of King Riku thinks, he will protect this country..."

The young man was very eloquent, vividly describing King Riku and Doflamingo's Yamato and glory, creating a stark contrast between the two.

When he spoke of King Riku's despicable shamelessness, the residents of Dressrosa gritted their teeth; when he spoke of Doflamingo's greatness, they were moved to tears.

"Lord Doflamingo is a member of the Dressrosa royal family, let him be the king here!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"That's right, let him be the king here!"

Some people echoed his sentiments, but not many responded. They longed for the protection of a strong person, but that didn't mean they wanted a pirate to become their king.

However, Doflamingo's prestige in Dressrosa increased, and so did the number of people who wanted Doflamingo to become king.

The young man smiled slightly, neither refusing nor saying anything, and left after delivering the pirate flag.

Doflamingo's tone has changed; he has gone from not wanting to become the king of this country to not refusing, and very few people have noticed this.

The residents of Dressrosa joyfully hoisted the pirate flag in the harbor to deter any pirates who might try to take advantage of the area.

"That's great! With the Donquixote Pirates' flag, I doubt any other pirate crew will dare to cause trouble here anymore!"

The residents of Dressrosa were overjoyed, happily discussing their upcoming peaceful life.

Upon learning of the news from the port, King Riku sighed but said nothing.

Sure enough, the kingdom remained very peaceful for the next two weeks. There were three pirate attacks, seemingly intending to plunder, but they fled without a word after seeing the flag flying over the port.

The news spread throughout the kingdom, and quietly, Doflamingo's prestige continued to grow in Dressrosa.

Night had fallen.

"Doflamingo, what's the point of doing this?" Pica stood behind Doflamingo, somewhat puzzled. With their strength, conquering this country would be too easy.

Doflamingo calmly said, "Although my family was once the royal family of Dressrosa, that was countless years ago. The title remains, but the hearts of the people are almost gone. On the other hand, the Riku Family rulers for eight hundred years, and the people support them. Although the current King Riku has done many foolish things and his prestige has plummeted, the reputation of the Riku Family remains!"

"Although the people are disappointed with King Riku, they still have hope for the Riku Family. Only when the prestige of the Riku Family is completely dissipated and the people begin to rebel will I be satisfied. I want to take over this country, from its territory to the hearts of its people, and make the people of Dressrosa overthrow the rule of their king and ask me to ascend the throne."

"Baboon, baboon, the final moment has arrived. After tonight, this country will be mine." Doflamingo laughed, leaping into the air and stepping on strings to fly up to the King's Plateau below.

Puppet strings descended from the sky, startling King Riku from his deep sleep. His expression changed as that familiar, nightmarish feeling returned.

He wanted to shout, but he couldn't even open his mouth.

His body moved involuntarily, and he put on clothes, donning a black robe to cover his body and face.

Then, armed, he nimbly and quietly left the King's Plateau, unnoticed by any of the guards. They were all unaware that their king had left the palace.

Please let me go, please let me go, what do you want from me?!

King Riku shouted in his heart.

However, he was unable to control his own body.

They traveled unnoticed until they reached the port. Looking at the flag planted there, King Riku had another thought. No, no!

King Riku's mind refused, but his body moved uncontrollably toward the flag.

"Who are they?" The Donquixote Pirates' flag is very important, protecting the peace of the kingdom, so it has always King Riku.

This eerie figure, whose face was obscured and who wore a black robe, immediately attracted the attention of the army.

However, the man in black robes remained silent in the face of Wang Jun's questioning, instead speeding up and rushing towards the flag.

Upon seeing the black-robed man arrive, several royal soldiers rushed forward. The black-robed man drew a large sword. Seeing this sword, the royal soldiers' eyes widened; the sword looked incredibly familiar, exactly the same. Wasn't this... that person's accessory?

No, no! King Riku's nightmare has become a reality once again, and the familiar scene is repeated.

The man in black robes displayed superb swordsmanship, quickly killing the royal army that stood in his way.

At that moment, seemingly due to the commotion of the battle, the black-robed man's hat slipped off, revealing a familiar face. Wang Jun, who was about to stop him, was taken aback and was easily bypassed by the black-robed man.

This is... King Riku, what is he up to?

The man in black robes took a torch, approached the Donquixote Pirates' flag, and held the torch close to the flag.

The Donquixote Pirates' flag, which was hanging here, was set on fire and quickly burned out.

The murderer was King Riku, the king of Dressrosa.

Residents had already been drawn over by the commotion. King Riku and the nearby people stared blankly at the scene, somewhat unable to accept what they were seeing.

One of the King Riku, looking utterly bewildered, asked, "Your King Riku, what on earth are you doing?"

In the New World, even a child knows that attacking a pirate crew's flag is tantamount to declaring war on that crew.

No matter how kind Doflamingo is, what awaits them is the thunderous wrath of the Donquixote Pirates.

King Riku felt his body regain control. "It wasn't me," he couldn't help but say. However, he was met only with angry glares from many people. How could anyone believe that they had all witnessed this scene?

When news of King Riku burning down the Donquixote Pirates spread, the entire Dressrosa was plunged into panic.

When one's own life is threatened, so-called public support is utterly vulnerable.

King Riku was captured on the spot by the angry residents, and even his King Riku did little to stop him.

King Riku didn't want to die, and he especially didn't want to die for someone who had already disappointed them so much.

Unlike in the original story, King Riku was not manipulated, so they could not King Riku.

"Hand this culprit over to the Donquixote Pirates, or we'll all die!"

The residents gathered together to discuss it.

Bang!

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, King Riku's body fell to the ground, a bloody hole appearing in his chest.

It appears that an angry resident shot and killed King Riku, but in the middle of the night, with a large crowd, no one saw who the killer was.

King Riku and clean. Would the Donquixote Pirates be satisfied with this outcome?

Rumors spread like wildfire in Dressrosa.

"Will Lord Heavenly Yaksha forgive us?"

"Damn it! That King Riku has ruined us!"

"Even if Lord Heavenly Yaksha lets us go, just taking back the pirate flag would still be a huge problem for us!"

At this time, the King's Plateau were nearly deserted; most of the guards and maids had left. Scarlet and Violet wept, for they had received news of King Riku's death.

"Sister, what should we do?" Violet couldn't believe it. Now, Violet was the only family member she could rely on.

Scarlet, however, didn't know what to do either, and was even somewhat confused.

At this moment, a girl with short, grass-green hair stepped forward. This was Monet, a maidservant newly recruited by the King Riku a few months ago. She was only ten years old. Since Monet was an orphan whose parents had both died, the kind-hearted Violet brought her into the palace and made her her maidservant.

"Your Highness, why don't we pass the throne to Doflamingo? After all, Doflamingo's ancestor was once the king of this country. This would be a good way to explain things to Doflamingo. If Doflamingo becomes the king of this country, it will be of great benefit to the country, and we won't have to worry about the dangers of pirates anymore," Monet advised.

"But..." Scarlet and Violet instinctively wanted to object, but they didn't know what to say. Could it be that one of them would become the new king? That was impossible.

"Is it alright?" After a moment of silence, Scarlet seemed to have made a decision.

"Sister." Violet's eyes widened.

"We have no other choice, do we? If you quickly remove the king, the kingdom will soon descend into chaos, even war, and then it might really be destroyed," Monet said worriedly, though in her heart she was smiling.

"Then it's decided." Scarlet nodded, glancing at her sister. King Riku was dead, leaving only the two of them to depend on each other.

Just when everyone was filled with fear and unease, the kingdom's two princesses announced together that they were returning the throne to Doflamingo.

Upon receiving this news, many people in Dressrosa breathed a sigh of relief. Wouldn't an apology from a nation be enough to secure their forgiveness?

Shortly after, Donquixote Doflamingo Doflamingo word that King Riku's provocation was unforgivable, but he would not pursue the matter further since Riku was already dead. He also stated that the Riku Family and the residents of Dressrosa bore some responsibility for their failure to protect the pirate flag.

Normally, in the event of such an incident, the pirates would have to slaughter all the citizens of that country to demonstrate their power, but he was a merciful man and decided to forgive their crimes.

However, the Riku Family is no longer suitable to serve as the royal family of Dressrosa, and he will accept the throne and become the king of Dressrosa.

Upon receiving the news, the people of Dressrosa cheered, relieved that they had escaped unscathed.

"Baboon, baboon, finally got it... Dressrosa!" On Half Moon Island, Doflamingo laughed heartily.

"Get ready! Dressrosa, that will be my new stage."