Located within Dressrosa, a medium-sized island that Doflamingo usurped and replaced with a new king, it consists of only a few towns and surrounding forests and gardens.
However, the place within it, protected by Doffy's authority and methods, was exceptionally prosperous, even more so than the deposed King Riku.
Behind this false prosperity lies a darkness that is enough to shock the world.
The fantastical scene of toys coexisting with humans, the enchanting sea of flowers and the delicious food, and the enthusiastic dancers are all captivating and unforgettable.
Woof woof...
"Stop right there! That's my arm, not a dog bone..."
Just as the group stepped into town and were drawn in by the enticing aroma of delicious food, a large white dog suddenly barked a few times and rushed past them. Not far away, a lifelike wooden puppet chased after them, shouting as it came to life.
"Huh~ Is this a puppet toy? How could it be...?!"
Having never heard of the strange sights and sounds of the kingdom under Doflamingo's rule Lulith and George stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, mouths agape, and asked incredulously.
"Those are indeed toys, possessing human-like thoughts and life, which is one of the unique features of this island. Even the navy has been surprised by this and reportedly sent personnel to investigate, but ultimately they all returned empty-handed."
Catherine stepped forward, her slender, fair fingers pointing to the humanoid toys that were living harmoniously with humans around her, and began to explain softly.
"A living toy? How could that be? I've never heard of such a strange thing. Could it be created by Devil Fruit power?!"
More quick-witted, Lulith quickly came up with the guess that was closest to the truth after a moment's thought.
But before Catherine could reply, Luo Chen raised his hand to stop her and spoke up to persuade her.
"Alright, you don't need to dwell on these things anymore. Anything strange can happen on this ocean, and living dolls aren't uncommon. While we're storing the pointer's magnetic energy, go and explore the area. We don't need to worry about these things..."
Luo Chen knew that if they continued talking, they might uncover the truth about the island, causing unnecessary trouble. At this stage, their main target was the unclaimed lands formerly under Whitebeard's control before the New World was reshuffled. Going there would likely cause them to antagonize the Four Emperors, and it was not advisable to provoke a Shichibukai whose strength was comparable to his. Therefore, he did not want Catherine and the others to continue dwelling on this topic.
"Uh... alright, since you've put it that way, Luo Chen, let's go explore! Lulith, you come with me. Let's see what makes Dressrosa's unique market different from the ones outside..."
Seeing this, Catherine and the Lulith could only nod and obey his words, no longer continuing the previous topic. They then turned their attention to Lulith and invited her, who shared similar interests, to go shopping together.
Lulith nodded to Luo Chen and the others, and then followed Catherine to the clothing stores in the nearby market.
"Uh... Captain, Singh and I will go and stock up on the ship's supplies first..."
Seeing Catherine and the other woman leave, Monbuma glanced at Singh, and seeing that he agreed, she said something to Luo Chen before parting ways with them.
Only he, Phil, and George remained on the scene. Just as the three of them were looking at each other, feeling awkward, an advertising flyer floated down from the sky and landed directly on George's face.
Wow...
"Huh?? What is this...?"
George's vision was somehow obscured, and he immediately became furious, grabbing the paper covering his face and cursing angrily.
"Hmm!! Wait, George, let me see it..."
Seeing George crumple the paper into a ball and raise it to throw it away, Phil, with his sharp eyes, noticed the large words printed on it and, intrigued, stopped him.
"Huh?! You want this too? Okay, here you go..."
Startled by Phil's shout, George stopped what he was doing, muttered something, and tossed it to Phil.
brush...
Phil reached out and took it, unfolding it to see a picture of a tall, young man with spring-like legs holding a golden belt, with dozens of unconscious men lying at his feet, striking a victorious pose. The words "Hero Coliseum Champion" were clearly engraved on it.
Phil looked at the cover description in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly, then he Palm Strike hands excitedly and exclaimed.
" Hero Coliseum?? Champion?? Hmm, interesting... I've decided to go to this arena. Since I'm already here, how can I not experience the local customs and culture firsthand...?"
"And what about the fighters? Ideally, they'd be able to participate directly in their tournaments and win a championship or something. What are you thinking...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Luo Chen interrupted Phil, replying with an annoyed look that said, "I know you perfectly well."
"Uh... hehe, you know me better, Captain. Since we've already talked it out, what do you think? Do you agree to let me participate in this tournament? After all, the prize money is ten million Beli. If I win, it can contribute to our pirate crew, how about it?"
Even after Luo Chen saw through his thoughts, Phil's expression remained largely unchanged, with an air of utter indifference and a "this is all for the sake of our pirate ship" look as he stared at Luo Chen.
"Alright, alright, I can't persuade you otherwise. Since you want to join the war, then go for it. There's no going back now..."
Luo Chen sighed and reluctantly agreed.
Indeed, the poster floating onto George's face was not a coincidence, but a deliberate act. In Luo Chen's Observation Haki, two auras were clearly visible above the three of them, and that poster was the one they had just thrown down. How could Luo Chen not know who those two people were?
With the Donquixote Family combatant Buffalo and Baby 5 present, the news of their landing naturally couldn't be kept from Doflamingo, the island's master.
So, after Luo Chen agreed to let them participate in the competitive fighting tournament, an excited Phil dragged George and the other two to the arena to register for the upcoming dueling tournament, while Luo Chen also went to the stands to watch the match.
Meanwhile, by the swimming pool in the Dressrosa Kingdom, Doflamingo, the island's ruler and king, sat on a beach chair, leisurely sipping a glass of juice. He looked extremely relaxed and carefree, showing no signs of the toil and turmoil expected of a king.
brush...
A moment later, the air currents above suddenly became turbulent, and then Buffalo and Baby5, who had been sent out on a secret mission, returned. Buffalo landed smoothly in front of him as if he had transformed into a helicopter.
"Young Master, we're back... We've delivered the posters to them as you instructed!"
"Please give instructions if there are any other tasks..."
The two men knelt on one knee before Doffy and reported to him.
"Hehe... Thank you for your hard work. You don't need to trouble yourselves anymore, please go and rest for a bit..."
Doffy did not treat his two men as harshly as Marineford had treated the navy that hosted him. Upon their return, he stood up, grinned, and spoke to them.
"Hi!!"
Receiving such concern from Doffy, the two solemnly accepted the order.