Seeing the huge fat man sprawled on the deck, gasping for breath, Dawn thought of the two "good people" on Boin Archipelago who had contributed that mutated fruit to him.
The nouveau riche with the same build as Island Provisions was in a miserable state. Apparently, when Sola had carried him earlier, his own weight had nearly strangled him with his clothes.
They might all be just a bunch of kids, but their daily training load was anything but light. Combined with the shock of Golden Lion's attack, these future background characters would definitely grow far stronger than they had in the original story.
On the other hand, Dawn had set a good example. His daily training regimen was terrifyingly intense.
To keep up with him, his companions naturally trained more, ate more, and shot up in height. Hina and Sola, the two girls, were even much taller than boys their own age.
"What? Dawn is a prince?"
Hina, Berigood, who was carrying the older girls, Shuen, and the others immediately came over to join the commotion.
"Hey, hey, hey, we just happen to have the same surname. How bored are you people?" Dawn rolled his eyes at the companions crowding around him.
"Haha, but you really do have that princely air about you. Your bearing is so similar," Sola chimed in from the side, gleefully stirring up trouble.
"What princely bearing? Who was it that said I got really savage in battle just now?" Dawn shot Sola a glare.
"Don't just casually treat someone as a prince. I used to live on the Grand Line, and I was a homeless orphan. How could I possibly be royalty?"
For a moment, even Dawn found it amusing.
Dawn had never hidden his background. After all, he was an outsider. Although he had inherited the original body's memories, he only had memories of wandering for the past two years.
To avoid giving himself away, Dawn attributed his mature way of thinking to what he had experienced before and after ending up on Stomach Baron Island.
Only that way would his adult-like maturity avoid drawing attention.
His experiences of being captured by pirates to be sold as a slave, then drifting to a deserted island, also ensured that no one would suspect him.
After all, there were far too many children in this world who had endured cruelty and been forced to mature by the world.
So Dawn had no qualms about joking about his own background. Everyone had long known the little bit of history he had.
Like Hina and Sola, who had learned about Dawn's past later on, both expressed admiration for Dawn while also yearning for the countless delicacies on Stomach Baron Island.
"But Dawn really does look a little like one, Your Highness." Hina covered her mouth and giggled.
Unlike the cheerful Dawn and the others, however, the middle-aged butler wore an expression of utter disbelief, mixed with hope and excitement.
"Hey, mister, what's with that expression?" Sola shouted as she looked at the strangely acting Adolf.
Sola's careless personality made it impossible for her to keep things to herself, and she instantly drew the attention of all the spectators.
Life at sea was terribly boring, after all. No one would pass up anything that could help kill time.
"My apologies. Your name is the same as that of our kingdom's missing prince, and the more I look at you, the more you resemble His Majesty the King in his younger days, so for a moment..."
"I truly apologize. I know this is presumptuous, but I have an unreasonable request! Could you please come with me to the Ishtar Kingdom?" Adolf bowed ninety degrees as he pleaded.
"This is only your guess, isn't it? Just because of that guess, you want me to..."
"I know this request is excessive, but regardless of the result, I will prepare a gift that will absolutely satisfy you! Please." Adolf lowered his head even further.
"Ah, ah... At least tell me why I should go back with you. Just because my name is the same as the missing prince's, and I look like your king? It's perfectly normal for people in this world to look alike." Dawn was helpless as he watched Adolf continue to plead.
He did not mind taking a trip to North Sea, but he had no time right now to waste accompanying Adolf on some family-recognition business.
It would be one thing if he had time in the future and happened to pass through North Sea, but Dawn and the others were currently headed for East Blue.
More importantly, this was the execution of Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Compared to that, Dawn would rather witness the beginning of a great era.
"It's like this. Our Ishtar Kingdom has exceptionally profound research in biology, so we have our own methods for bloodlines."
Adolf had calmed down by then and realized how impatient he had been, so he began to explain slowly.
"Leaving aside our abundant grain and livestock production, our kingdom also possesses a uniquely effective method of tracing bloodlines. In our kingdom, every royal child has an identification plaque."
"The plaque bears the child's name. It may look ordinary, but if royal blood is dripped onto it, the otherwise ordinary plaque, merely a little sturdier, will change color. It will also reveal the distinctive proof of our D. Clan... I wonder if you have..."
As Adolf spoke, he noticed that the atmosphere around him had changed. Even Dawn was looking at him strangely.
"What's wrong?" Adolf asked unconsciously.
"Is the plaque you mean something like this?" Dawn's mind was a little muddled as well. What the hell kind of development is this??
"This is!!"
As Adolf watched Dawn take the plaque from around his neck and place it in his palm, he rushed forward, staring at the tiny plaque with excitement written all over his face.
"Yes! Yes! Both the design and material of this plaque are the unique standard of our kingdom. Heaven truly has eyes!! To think that after falling into such dire circumstances, I would gain this!!"
Adolf's entire body trembled as he looked at the tiny plaque. His crying-and-laughing appearance made Dawn feel as though he might have a seizure at any moment.
"Don't get happy too early. Even if this plaque may belong to your prince, I may not be him."
Dawn swept his gaze over the spectators whose eyes were shining, then rolled his eyes at them.
He knew every last one of them was enjoying the show. Since it was clear that he had to verify it, he stopped hesitating. He drew Shalinkul's saber, casually sliced his finger, and smeared the blood onto the plaque.
The silver-white metal plaque gradually turned gold, like a white canvas being colored by a painter. The moment Adolf saw the plaque's color, he covered Dawn's right hand holding it with one hand.
Adolf was trembling with excitement, but after carefully wiping the plaque clean, he reverently tucked it back inside Dawn's clothing. Then he gave a solemn bow.
"Abraham Royal Butler Adolf pays his respects to Your Highness."
Before you continue