Dressrosa, located in the first half of the New World, was a country encircled by massive boulders and known as the "Country of Love and Passion."
Later, when Doflamingo ruled this nation, he had Sugar turn his enemies into toys, forcing them to work for him. Thus, it became known as the "Country of Love, Passion, and Toys."
After Doflamingo was defeated, King Riku reclaimed the throne. The Tontatta tribe, who were on good terms with King Riku, were called "fairies," and the country earned yet another title: the "Country of Love, Passion, and Fairies."
In short, this nation was inseparable from love and passion.
Badak and Hancock were dining at a restaurant where most of the patrons were couples, their behavior open and passionate, making Hancock visibly uncomfortable.
"Badak, meeting the king shouldn't be easy, right?"
"Hard to say. I've heard King Riku is a ruler who cares for his people. I think we'll manage to see him. Otherwise, we might have to search the flower fields."
"Flower fields?"
"Yeah. Hmm? What's wrong?"
Badak noticed Hancock warily eyeing the restaurant entrance and turned around in confusion. Two people were approaching—a burly man carrying a sword, guarding a young woman in front of him. It was Kyros and Violet.
The next moment, the young woman formed an "OK" gesture with her fingers, flipped it upside down, and peered through the circle formed by her thumb and forefinger at Badak and Hancock.
"Quick, Hancock! That's a mind-reading ability! Think of something perverted!"
Badak panicked. Could this ability read memories as well as thoughts? He absolutely couldn't let anyone access his memories. But then he remembered Sanji's method of countering the ability and blurted out without thinking:
"Drop dead, you bastard!"
Hancock kicked Badak straight out the window with a swift stomp, drawing the attention of everyone around. However, the onlookers just chuckled knowingly—sometimes, women here even stabbed men with knives.
Violet frowned, puzzled. "Who are you? Are you planning to harm this country? And how do you know about my ability?"
She used her power to peer into Hancock's mind but found nothing—the woman seemed to have emptied her thoughts, merely keeping a wary eye on Kyros. When she turned her gaze to Badak, she angrily deactivated her ability the next second. That bastard was actually thinking about something perverse.
"Are you pirates?"
At that moment, Kyros spoke up.
"We're here looking for someone," Badak answered from where he was sprawled by the window, cutting off Hancock before she could respond. He worried she might admit to being a pirate, which could lead to a fight.
"I saw you flying here. Who are you looking for? Don't even think about causing trouble—your every move is under my watch."
Violet was still seething.
"Oh, really? We're here to see King Riku—to ask him to introduce us to the Tontatta tribe."
"My father would never help you— Wait, how did you know that?"
Hancock's eyes lit up. If the Tontatta tribe truly existed, then the princess who could heal anything was likely real as well."We mean no harm. We just wish to discuss a matter with the dwarves," Hancock said patiently.
"The dwarves do not interact with outsiders. You might as well give up!"
"I have important news for the dwarves. Once they hear it, they will agree. How about it? Will you relay our message? Perhaps we don't need to seek King Riku after all. You will suffice, Princess Violet."
Badak remained calm, confident in his ability to persuade the dwarves.
"Impossible. I won't take you there."
The dwarves were naively gullible, believing anything they were told. She dared not lead Badak to them—they'd be easily deceived.
"Princess Violet, I hope you understand we come with good intentions. The dwarves are in Green Bit. I can fly there anytime if I wish. We approached you first to show sincerity, and secondly... well, secondly—what was it again, Hancock?"
Hancock pretended not to know him and rolled her eyes.
Truthfully, Badak was just trying to lighten the tense atmosphere. Couldn't they see Kyros was already reaching for his sword?
"My father isn't here. I can take you to see them, but we must be present. Otherwise, no deal!"
Hancock glanced at Badak. She didn't understand what his message was or whether others being present would affect their plans.
"Princess, I happen to know a little about your abilities. Even if we didn't let you follow, would you really be unable to see? So, feel free to come along. And this gentleman, Kyros, I assume he's here to protect you. He can join us too."
Badak was surprisingly accommodating, which took Violet aback. Could they truly mean no harm?
"Mr. Kyros, I heard you hold a record of 3,000 consecutive victories in the coliseum. How about a friendly spar sometime? I could use some pointers on my swordsmanship."
"A spar can happen anytime. And just call me Kyros."
Kyros never backed down from a challenge.
"No time like the present. Today seems perfect. By the way, I'm Badak, and this is Hancock."
"Fine. We can duel in the flower field. There won't be anyone there at this time, so we won't disturb others."
"I've heard of the flower field—it's said to be beautiful. Kyros, aren't you worried we might wreck it?"
Kyros gave Badak a puzzled look. "We'll be sparring near the flower field, not in the middle of it. How would we damage it?"
Fair enough. I was a bit of a flower destroyer as a kid. Seeing so many sunflowers and holding a sword makes my fingers itch, you know?
Badak and Kyros took their stances, then suddenly charged at each other. This time, Badak only relied on his eyes' ability, so the moment their swords clashed, he felt an overwhelming force.
Fortunately, he had spent time analyzing the duels between Hawkeye and Shanks, considering various swordplay counters. Using the momentum, he retreated, avoiding direct clashes with Kyros. Instead, he exploited openings spotted by his eyes and his rapid Shave movements to disrupt Kyros' rhythm.Cyrus truly lived up to his reputation as a gladiator with three thousand victories. Every time it seemed Badak had found an opening, Cyrus responded flawlessly without leaving any gaps.
Cyrus found it strange: Based on Badak's current swordsmanship, he still had a way to go before reaching the level of a master swordsman. He was merely proficient with a blade. Yet their duel remained fiercely contested. In terms of both swordsmanship and strength, Badak was at a disadvantage, yet he consistently seized the intervals between Cyrus's attacks, forcing Cyrus to fight with restraint.
The two continued exchanging blows for quite some time until Cyrus called a halt after repelling Badak once more.
Ordinary sword techniques had been tested—to no avail. Powerful finishing moves weren't suitable for a sparring match either. It was best to end it as a draw.
Badak, having rarely encountered such a skilled swordsman, was reluctant to stop. But he also understood that his swordsmanship still fell far short. He needed to focus on honing his fundamentals next.
Violet was astonished. Despite his young age, Badak had managed to fight Cyrus to such an extent. After all, Cyrus was the strongest warrior in Dressrosa.
"Your Highness, please lead the way. Let's head to Green Bit."