After Buffalo and Baby5 left, only Doflamingo remained near the huge swimming pool. At this moment, his face was calm, and his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, making it impossible to see his expression. A moment later, a wild and arrogant laugh rang out in the palace.
"Fufufufu... The invitations have been sent out, and the grand gifts we've prepared for you have long been ready. Now it's up to you whether you accept them or not. Shichibukai Luo Chen, I've been thinking of you day and night since we parted ways at Marineford. I didn't expect you to deliver yourself to my door so quickly. Very well, let me see if you have the ability to leave Dressrosa!!"
After a while, the laughter gradually subsided, and the palace returned to its usual tranquility. In a corner unnoticed by Doffy, a tall, stunningly beautiful woman leaned against a pillar and heard Doffy's laughter. Her expression showed some struggle, but she quickly calmed down. Seemingly having made a decision in her heart, she immediately turned and left the palace, heading towards the arena.
Outside the Dressrosa Corrida Colosseum, hundreds and thousands of people flocked to witness today's spectacular match.
Bang bang bang...
"It hurts so much... why?!"
One by one, small white marbles shot out from the muzzle of the toy gun, hitting a few little kids who wanted to join in the fun not far away. They ran around in pain, clutching their heads, and asked the Toy Soldier in front of them who was firing at them with a toy gun, feeling resentful.
"Stop bastarding! This isn't a place for kids like you. Get back here..."
The Toy Soldier, who was being questioned by the children while holding a toy gun, unusually showed a serious expression, and raised the gun again to point at them and speak.
Bang bang bang...
Before the locals could even voice their discontent, the soldiers pulled the trigger again, firing bullets one after another. The kids, unable to withstand such a barrage, quickly covered their heads and ran away, grumbling...
Ladies and gentlemen, and our kind and friendly doll friends...
Today's competition is truly a grand event, and to celebrate this special occasion, our King Doflamingo has prepared a special prize for us.
A treasure trove of the ocean, each fruit possessing unique abilities and valued at least one hundred million... Devil Fruit!
The host, who was providing live updates on the competition, waved his arm, and a staff member behind him lifted the red cloth covering him, revealing a fruit with strange patterns and a shape similar to a mango.
"Every famous pirate on the high seas possesses this ability, either by themselves or their subordinates. It is known that Devil Fruit have created many famous figures. Possessing it will grant you a bright future, and all of this will be bestowed upon the person who stands at the end of the competition."
But such a rare treasure isn't so easily bestowed upon others. To obtain it, one must rely on their own true skill. And the gladiators we're featuring today are far more formidable than ever before, and our opponents are even more exceptional: Senor Pica of the Donquixote Family, Dellinger, Lao G, Machvise, and our arena hero... Mr. Diamante!!"
As he introduced the personnel, another climax erupted in the arena. Hearing that such high-ranking personnel were participating in the battle, their excitement was stirred up, and they couldn't help but cheer.
"Tch~ that guy..."
The speaker was the same Toy Soldier from before, who couldn't help but snort upon hearing the name of a member of the Donquixote Family.
"Lord Diamante ~"
" Diamante ~ Diamante ~"
The ignorant crowd on the field all chanted Diamante's name, cheering him on.
"Then let's begin the long-awaited match... and enjoy this feast to the fullest..."
clang!!
And so, the starting bell rang, and the contestants, divided into several areas, took the stage in turn.
"I really didn't expect Doflamingo to go to such lengths, throwing out a Devil Fruit as the final prize. I miscalculated. If I'd known, I should have signed up with Phil and the others; then we would have swept the first, second, and third places..."
In the audience, Luo Chen stared at the treasure box filled with fruit on the prize stage and said with a hint of regret.
clatter...
Just as Luo Chen was filled with regret, the sound of high heels rang out beside him, followed by a faint fragrance that reached his nose, causing Luo Chen to involuntarily twitch his nose and turn to look.
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
The owner of the fragrant scent was a beautiful woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, exuding a mature and alluring charm.
"Oh... no, please sit wherever you like!"
After seeing the woman's face clearly, Luo Chen recognized her identity. In the original work, Violet, the dancer who pretended to accidentally kill someone and feigned getting close to Sanji. She was also a woman and subordinate of Doflamingo with an unspeakable grudge.
Knowing her identity and intentions, Luo Chen didn't expose her, and continued to speak as if he were a stranger.
"Thank you so much... My name is Violet. May I ask your name, sir?"
Violet's acting skills came to the fore. Knowing that the other person was the one she wanted to get close to, and knowing their identity, she pretended not to recognize them and asked softly.
"Miss Violet? What a lovely name, it suits your temperament perfectly. My name is Luo Chen... I'm just an unknown person, I'm sure you haven't heard of me before, and I don't have any special talents, so I won't embarrass myself by introducing myself here..."
Luo Chen's expression shifted, as if he had seen a beautiful woman he admired and wanted to express himself but was too embarrassed to tell her. He then spoke.
"No, Mr. Luo Chen, you also have many great qualities. At least I admire you very much. In this crowd, it is your charisma that you exude at all times that attracts me and makes me want to get closer to you... I wonder if you believe in love at first sight?"
Violet abandoned her original identity and, like a lovestruck woman attracted by Luo Chen's temperament and appearance, covered her face and whispered shyly.
"Love at first sight?? Hahaha, to be honest, I might believe in that, but I would never expect it to happen to me. Miss Violet, you've got the wrong person!!"
At this moment, one could clearly sense the aloof attitude and tone in Luo Chen's words.
"No, Mr. Luo Chen, you misunderstand. I do indeed admire you greatly. Would you be willing to accept my sincere feelings?"
Hearing the clear refusal in Luo Chen's words, Violet became anxious. She reached out her fair and slender wrist and tightly grasped Luo Chen's arm, her eyes somewhat glazed, and said urgently.
"Hehehe, is this the sincere and overflowing love of the beauties of Dressrosa? How could I possibly refuse you like this?!"
If he hadn't known her identity and her ulterior motives for approaching him, Luo Chen might have truly become intoxicated by this burning love, unable to extricate himself. But...
Knowing that she harbored ill intentions, Luo Chen naturally wouldn't be fooled by the lies she had woven for him. Instead, he went along with her wishes, pretending to be moved by her feelings and accepting her love.
So, Luo Chen turned his body to the side, cupped Violet's beautiful face in his hands, gently kissed her forehead, and said excitedly.
"Since heaven has bestowed this love upon me, I will cherish it and never betray your heart... Miss Violet, will you be my girlfriend?"