Violet stood frozen, her face flushed with embarrassment. Shame and self-consciousness flooded her thoughts. Her toes curled in her flat shoes as if she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it.
What on earth did I just say?! she thought in despair. Who says something like that to someone they just met? Now he's going to think I'm a complete pervert!
Luffy cleared his throat, breaking the tension. In a low voice, he offered an explanation:
"It's the ability of one of my crewmates. I can introduce you to her when you come aboard."
He spoke as if the previous awkward moment had never happened. Pulling a pocket watch from his coat, he pretended to check the time and suddenly exclaimed:
"Oh, it's already so late. I have some matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now."
Without further ado, Luffy tucked the watch back into his pocket and produced a Den Den Mushi, tossing it to Kyros.
"I'll be stationed in Wano Country for the foreseeable future. If you ever encounter any trouble, call me, and I'll be here as quickly as possible."
Kyros, still reeling from Violet's earlier comment, simply nodded, clutching the Den Den Mushi.
Luffy turned to King Riku, offering him a respectful nod.
"Your Majesty, General Gion will remain in Dressrosa for a while. If you face any difficulties, don't hesitate to reach out to her. And as I said before, this country will benefit most from your leadership. The people are waiting for their king to guide them once more."
King Riku nodded solemnly, though it wasn't clear whether he fully absorbed Luffy's words.
Finally, Luffy shifted his attention back to Violet, who was still nervously tapping her foot against the floor. He coughed lightly to catch her attention and said gently:
"Violet, spend the next couple of days with His Majesty King Riku. I'll stay until the nearby marine branches deliver their aid. Alternatively, you can head to the temporary Marine camp. Tell them you're under my invitation, and they'll take good care of you."
With that, Luffy bent down to pat Rebecca's head. A flash of lightning enveloped him, and he vanished, leaving the group stunned.
Kyros looked skyward, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luffy, but the admiral was already gone. With a resigned smile, he carefully pocketed the Den Den Mushi and muttered to himself:
"As expected, my strength is still far too lacking. Compared to warriors of his caliber, my own challenges are nothing more than minor obstacles."
King Riku placed a comforting hand on Kyros's shoulder.
"Don't underestimate yourself. You're a legend in the arena with an undefeated record of 3,000 matches. You're also the guardian of this nation and my most trusted warrior."
After offering these encouraging words, King Riku turned to Violet. A complex mix of emotions flitted across his face as he regarded his daughter.
Just like her sister… she'll leave too. I only hope that when she does, she remembers her father is here, waiting for her to return home.
While King Riku wrestled with his bittersweet thoughts, Luffy wasn't heading back to the Marine camp just yet. He had another matter to address.
"If I can bring Mansherry along," Luffy mused to himself, "that'll make two princesses recruited on this trip. Not a bad haul!"
A mischievous laugh escaped him as he activated his Observation Haki, extending it across the entirety of Dressrosa. It had been some time since he saw the one piece anime, and he couldn't quite recall where the dwarves' village was located. But with the heightened sensitivity of his Haki, he began scanning inch by inch, confident he'd find them soon enough.
Sure enough, Luffy didn't have to search for long. A voice reached him—someone was calling out Mansherry's name, their tone laced with urgency and fear. The distress in their voice made Luffy's heart clench.
Beneath the forested surface of Green Bit Island lay a small village of treehouses, appearing like toys from a human's perspective. Inside one such dwelling, a solemn gathering had formed.
Gancho, king of the Tontatta Tribe, leaned heavily on his cane as tears streamed down his face. Beside him stood Leo, the tribe's captain, as well as Kabu, Bian, and other high-ranking members of their kingdom.
All their attention was focused on the frail girl lying on a small bed in the room—their beloved princess, Mansherry.
Gancho's voice cracked as he wept openly, his heart burdened with guilt and sorrow.
"Mansherry… my poor child. This is all my fault. I believed Doflamingo's lies, and because of me, you and 500 of our people were captured. We finally drove him out, but now you're gravely ill. You can't even leave your bed."
The old king collapsed beside the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. "I've failed you… and our people…"
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