They're All Liars!

Aleus stood at the bow in a lighthearted mood, holding up a telescope as he gazed at the island on the horizon where sea met sky.

After such a long voyage at sea, he could not help missing the solid, steady feeling of having his feet on land. More specifically, he was sick of drifting around at sea. These past days, he had been rushing about on the ocean almost constantly.

First, he had gone to the Whitebeard Pirates to pay protection money. Then, after returning home, he had hurried north to sever Umit's outstretched claws. Before he could return to the Royal Palace and rest for a few days, Umit had sent an invitation from Dressrosa across the sea. So, he boarded a ship once more and set sail for Dressrosa.

By his calculations, he had spent almost all of the more than four months since the start of the year aboard a ship.

It made him miss life on land all the more.

"Dressrosa—whew! We've finally arrived. Fran, let's have some proper fun here and rest for a few days. Dressrosa's food and clothing are both quite good. We can also visit the Corrida Colosseum. Lovers' Avenue is famous too..." Aleus turned and enthusiastically listed the attractions to the maid standing beside him.

"The Land of Love, Passion, and Toys?"

Standing by the rail, the maid seemed just as eager as Aleus for the time they would spend sightseeing in Dressrosa.

She looked especially well today. Her crimson hair gleamed brilliantly, and the usual coldness was absent from her scarlet eyes, replaced by a young girl's anticipation and excitement. A rare, radiant smile bloomed across her pink lips.

"I heard that the toys in Dressrosa are alive. Is that true, Your Highness?"

Perhaps because she was looking forward to the pleasant days ahead, Fran's manner of speaking was unusually gentle.

"Yes, it's true. Though... well, never mind. Once we go ashore, you'll soon see all sorts of toys living alongside humans." Aleus still held back from exposing the truth behind the so-called living toys.

Better not bring up something so unpleasant right now and ruin the mood.

He was no champion of justice.

He had not come to Dressrosa to dispense heavenly justice, either. He had come to take things—to seize Umit's position and wealth. The newspapers called him the 'Black Prince.' Never mind that it was obviously a nickname chosen without much thought, but the word 'black' was no joke.

If only to live up to that name a little more, he was determined to become the King of Maritime Transport!

"Toys living alongside humans? I can't imagine it!"

"Could toys and humans form families too?"

"Then how would they reproduce? Would they give birth to humans or toys?"

Fran tossed out one bizarre question after another.

"...Fran, aren't you focusing on the wrong thing? Shouldn't ordinary people question whether living toys are real in the first place?" Aleus could not help teasing his personal maid.

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Well, normally, that's what anyone would think!"

"Ah! So the living toys are a lie?"

The maid clearly looked disappointed.

"It's not exactly a lie, it's just..." Looking at the crestfallen girl, Aleus remembered the vast collection of plush toys in her private bedroom. He had nearly forgotten that his maid's hobby was collecting all kinds of toys.

Well, many of them were rather bizarre, such as a brown bear doll tied up with ropes and a ball gag, an exceptionally unfortunate-looking drooling cat, and a long-legged rabbit in a one-piece swimsuit...

That was getting off track. Back to the point: although Fran looked cold and detached, she was actually a hardcore toy fanatic.

If she learned the truth about the so-called living toys... On second thought, it was better to tell her in advance. Otherwise, who knew what those adorable-looking toys had originally been? That cute little dog toy might actually have been a pirate who hated bathing...

He could not think about it too deeply. Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine!

"Fran, listen carefully. Dressrosa's so-called living toys are actually..." Aleus paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Those living toys are actually humans. They were turned into toys by a Devil Fruit user."

"Humans?"

Fran's eyes widened as she stared at Aleus in utter disbelief. "Your Highness, you aren't lying to me, are you?"

"Use your head and think about it. Do you really think living toys sound plausible?"

"But giants and fish-men exist, so why can't living toys exist too?"

"That's true, but living toys... Anyway, what I'm telling you is true. And don't let it slip once we're ashore. This is a secret of the Donquixote Family. If it gets leaked by accident, we'll have to fight another Shichibukai."

Fran carefully studied Aleus's expression. Based on her past experience, she concluded that he was indeed telling the truth.

She immediately grew despondent, looking as though she had suffered a terrible blow.

She had been looking forward to it for so long—the Land of Toys... It was a lie. It was all a lie...

The sea wind blew fiercely, filling the white sails high overhead and driving the warship through the waves like an arrow loosed from a bow. Beautiful seagulls circled high in the sky, their cries ringing out as though welcoming the visitors arriving in Dressrosa.

Before the maid could recover from the blow, Dressrosa, once distant on the horizon, had already appeared before them. From the bow, they could see the long coastline covered in countless Mushroom Rocks, as well as the thousands of white sails packed into the port, looking from afar like a sea of clouds.

"Fran, don't be sad. We'll be ashore soon. How about we try some Dressrosan food first?"

"Not interested!"

Having suffered such a blow, the maid immediately lost her earlier gentleness, and her cold manner returned.

"And Your Highness, please don't forget about that King of Maritime Transport. He has been waiting on the island for five days already. He might attack the moment we disembark."

"He can't be that uncivilized, can he?"

Aleus raised an eyebrow.

Then—

Watching the port suddenly become somewhat chaotic for some unknown reason, he lightly scratched his chin. "Looks like he really has no manners at all... But that works too. The sooner we settle this, the sooner we can enjoy ourselves properly!"