More Hands Needed

Lovers' Avenue.

As a famous attraction in Dressrosa, this avenue was managed exceptionally well. Couples could be seen everywhere, filling the air of this street with a pink glow. Looking at the pairs of lovers, if a single person were to wander in here by mistake... tsk!

Miserable!

Truly miserable!

This place was nothing less than a slaughterhouse for singles.

"Dressrosa, the land of love, passion, and toys... I get the love and passion, but I didn't expect there to be so many toys. How strange, are these toys alive?" A tall man in a small vest, with a baseball cap covering his bald head, was curiously looking left and right, staring at every passing toy with an intensely fervent gaze.

That aggressive stare made the toys quicken their pace, avoiding the outdoor café at the street corner.

At the corner.

Was a small outdoor café.

A few square tables placed outside were usually occupied by passing couples as a perfect resting spot, savoring the rich aroma of coffee while enjoying the lively atmosphere of the street.

However, A group of burly men who clearly didn't look like good people drove away the couples with their intimidating presence and took over the place.

"It's probably... a Devil Fruit?"

Lord Umit, wearing a tall hat, wasn't drinking coffee. He actually didn't like this dark beverage at all. Compared to coffee, he preferred the pure taste of a cup of clear tea. He took a sip of the tea in his cup—the tea leaves were his own—and made a guess as he watched the toy people passing by.

In this world, there were giants, fish-men, minks, snake-neck tribes, winged Sky Island people... all sorts of strange human existences, but no matter how odd, they were still human, still within the realm of understanding.

But, Living toys and such.

Unless one was too stupid or too rigid, anyone would understand that such things couldn't exist naturally.

Toys were toys; how could they live like humans? Yet the scene in the Kingdom of Dressrosa wasn't fake. The toys lived like humans in this country. After thinking it over, the only explanation for this situation was the Devil Fruit.

After all, The so-called Toy Kingdom was a title that only appeared after Doflamingo arrived.

Before that, this small, poor kingdom was dirt poor, with nothing but flower fields. Not only were the commoners' pockets cleaner than a dog's lick, but even the royal family's life wasn't affluent. To reduce military expenses, the royal family often led the charge whenever they fought pirates.

It was only from five years ago, when Doflamingo seized control of this country, that this utterly impoverished nation became wealthy. At the same time, toys silently appeared on the streets, accepted by the citizens, living in harmony with them, and thus creating this so-called 'land of love, passion, and toys.'

"Devil Fruit..."

The bald man in the baseball cap nodded thoughtfully. "Is it one of Joker's men?"

"Probably,"

Umit replied casually.

He had little interest in Joker's men and even less concern for the toys on the street. This wasn't his territory, so he wasn't about to worry about Joker's affairs. Compared to Joker's men, he was more eager to learn about Aleus and the Aide by his side.

The intelligence brought back by 'Ghost Sword' Venkura was frankly unremarkable.

Although he had gathered some information through this period of investigation, it was still too little, too vague, and too fragmented to piece together truly valuable data like Aleus's abilities or weaknesses.

"Lord Umit, someone underground is watching us."

Suddenly, The bald man in the baseball cap said this.

"...Don't bother with it. It's one of Joker's men, probably sent to keep an eye on us." Umit had long noticed the presence underground, but since he didn't intend to start a war with Doflamingo, he chose to ignore it.

"Don't bother?"

The bald man in the baseball cap glanced at the paving stones beneath his feet and grinned. "Got it."

As Umit's top enforcer, this bald man was one of Umit's trump cards. This time, to deal with the 'Black Prince's' challenge, he had specifically brought him along to Dressrosa, waiting for Sokachio Aleus's arrival.

And not just the bald man; the other eight burly men seated around were also Umit's subordinates.

All were skilled fighters.

Five of them were former pirates, with bounties starting at a hundred million or more, and those were from a long time ago. Their current strength was naturally greater and fiercer than before. If not for Venkura repeatedly emphasizing Aleus's prowess, he wouldn't have gathered so many experts stationed across various seas in one place.

But it's better to be prepared than not.

Caution ensures a long voyage.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, and Aleus was no easy rabbit to provoke...

"Sokachio Aleus... Stussy, I don't believe you don't have more detailed information." At some point, Umit was holding a Den Den Mushi, speaking into it. "Price is no object. I just want intelligence. Give me the most complete and detailed information."

"Sorry, Umit! It's not that I don't want to do business, but I really don't have what you're looking for." Stussy, one of the Dark World's major powers, the Queen of the Pleasure District, and also the most formidable intelligence broker in the New World.

After all, No place could collect all kinds of intelligence better and faster than the Pleasure District.

The girls of the Pleasure District could always drain a man's body, wallet, and the various information in his mind.

"How is that possible? You're the Queen of the Pleasure District... Could it be that the Ekmondo Kingdom paid you off?" Umit frowned, considering a possibility.

"The Queen of the Pleasure District isn't omnipotent. And besides, I have no connection with the Ekmondo Kingdom."

Stussy replied quickly.

"...Even you can't find useful intel... Black Prince, is he really about to make a stunning move?" Umit's face stiffened as he sensed a hint of pressure, his mind involuntarily recalling the various words spoken by the imprisoned Trick Sword Venkura.

What if—

What if Venkura hadn't been scared out of his wits, but the enemy was genuinely that strong? Wouldn't his attempt to settle Aleus once and for all then become walking right into a trap?

"...More men. I need more men."

Umit took a sip from his teacup, deciding to reinforce his side's strength further.