As news of the Swordsmanship Tournament continued to spread and intensify across the seas, few people realized that, in the eastern region of the New World near the Red Line, a carefully orchestrated scheme to seize a nation was already underway in the kingdom of Dressrosa.
Donquixote Doflamingo had successfully secured the title of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, gaining recognition from the World Government and partially cleansing his identity. However, that alone was far from enough to satisfy him. What he truly wanted was a throne, and the easiest throne for him to claim was Dressrosa itself.
After all, the Donquixote Family had once ruled this land.
That heritage alone could significantly reduce resistance. If he became king of a World Government–affiliated nation, his identity would be completely legitimized.
Within Dressrosa, atop the King's Plateau, King Riku ruled as a monarch deeply respected by his people. Over the years, he had fought numerous battles to maintain peace and stability, not only within Dressrosa but also among neighboring kingdoms, acting as a vital link that preserved regional balance.
Yet recently, King Riku had been troubled, his brow often furrowed with unease.
One day, a young girl approached him from behind and gently patted his shoulder.
"Father, why do you look so unhappy?"
King Riku turned and saw his beloved second daughter, Violet. He quickly adjusted his expression, smoothing his frown into a smile.
"Violet? What brings you here?"
She smiled softly. "You've been worried for days. You haven't said anything, so I didn't ask, but Sister noticed too. She asked me to come talk to you. If something's wrong, we can face it together. You don't have to carry it alone."
King Riku hesitated for a moment under her gaze, then let out a quiet sigh.
"It's about the Donquixote Pirates."
Violet tilted her head slightly. "The ones who took that island nearby? They've been quiet since then. Isn't that a good thing?"
"That's exactly what worries me," King Riku said, his voice low.
Seeing her confusion, he continued, "Eight hundred years ago, the family that ruled Dressrosa… was the Donquixote Family."
Violet's eyes widened in shock. "Is that true?"
"It is."
"Then you're worried that Donquixote Doflamingo might be their descendant?"
"It's possible. Or perhaps I'm overthinking it. But that name… I can't ignore it."
Violet thought for a moment before asking, "Then why did they lose this country?"
"They didn't lose it," King Riku replied, shaking his head. "They abandoned it. They joined nineteen other royal families to form the World Government, becoming Celestial Dragons and moving to Mariejois."
Violet blinked, then smiled. "If that's the case, Father, then you must be worrying too much. Why would Celestial Dragons become pirates?"
King Riku paused, then chuckled softly. "You may be right. Perhaps I've been thinking too much."
He stood and gently gestured. "Go check on Scarlett."
Dressrosa remained peaceful, though poor. Kyros, the legendary gladiator with over two thousand victories, still fought in the colosseum, his reputation unmatched.
Then, without warning, chaos erupted.
"Your Majesty! Pirates have invaded Dressrosa!"
King Riku reacted instantly, donning his armor and taking up his weapon. As both king and the kingdom's strongest warrior, he wasted no time mobilizing his forces.
"Call Kyros," he ordered. "We need him."
Soon, King Riku led his army toward the port, the distant roar of cannon fire growing louder with each passing second.
At the docks, a pirate ship had already landed. A group of ferocious pirates poured onto the shore, led by a man wearing a ghost-face mask.
Cannons thundered, buildings collapsed, and civilians fled in terror.
"It's the Oni-Face Pirates!"
"That's Oni-Face Rambo, worth 200 million Berries!"
The town descended into chaos.
Then, suddenly, a blur of motion cut through the battlefield.
In an instant, blood sprayed as pirate after pirate fell. When the movement ceased, a towering figure stood among the bodies, a greatsword in hand and a red cape draped behind him.
Kyros had arrived.
Cheers erupted among the civilians, but the pirates faltered in shock.
Oni-Face Rambo stepped forward, his calm gaze fixed on Kyros. He already knew this man would be the greatest obstacle in this mission.
The two clashed fiercely. Despite Rambo's strength and numerical advantage, Kyros steadily held the upper hand.
Before long, King Riku's army arrived, reinforcing the battlefield.
Yet amid the chaos, Rambo caught sight of King Riku and smiled faintly beneath his mask.
The plan had already succeeded.
While the main forces were engaged at the port, another group of pirates infiltrated the King's Plateau with ease. The lightly guarded palace offered little resistance.
Scarlett and Violet were quickly captured.
When the battle at the port ended with the pirates' sudden retreat, King Riku sensed something was terribly wrong.
His fears were confirmed upon returning to the palace.
The halls were stained with blood. Guards lay dead. Treasure had been looted.
Worst of all, both his daughters had been taken.
A note was found.
The demand was simple.
Ten billion Berries by tomorrow, or the hostages would die.
King Riku's hand trembled as he read it.
The kingdom was already poor. Even gathering the entire nation's wealth might barely meet the demand, and doing so would ruin everyone.
As both king and father, he was torn apart.
Kyros stepped forward. "Then there's only one option. Tonight, I'll infiltrate their ship and rescue them."
King Riku nodded heavily, placing all hope on him.
However, even that hope was soon threatened. The Den Den Mushi had stopped working entirely, cutting Dressrosa off from the outside world.
An invisible net had already descended.
That night, Kyros set out alone.
He reached the pirate ship under the cover of darkness and slipped inside undetected. Yet as he moved through the cabin, a faint scent lingered in the air.
Moments later, his vision blurred.
Realization struck too late.
He collapsed.
The trap had been set long in advance.
From the shadows, Oni-Face Rambo emerged, calmly observing the fallen warrior before contacting his true master.
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Donquixote Doflamingo's voice rang out with amusement.
"Fufufufu… is that so? Then prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we put on a show."
High above Dressrosa, Doflamingo stood atop an enormous Birdcage woven from countless razor-thin strings, gazing down at the kingdom with a confident smile.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
The next morning, the pirates launched a full-scale assault.
Without Kyros, the Royal Army was quickly overwhelmed. Thousands of pirates surged forward, capturing civilians and using them as shields as they advanced toward the King's Plateau.
Cornered, King Riku rallied his people.
"This is our home! We cannot run any longer!"
The citizens responded, their voices rising in unity.
Yet when the pirates halted before them and revealed their captives, despair spread instantly.
Kyros, Scarlett, and Violet were brought forward in chains.
Rambo's voice rang out coldly as he mocked the so-called peace of Dressrosa, tearing apart King Riku's reputation with ruthless logic.
The words shook the crowd.
Then came the cruel game.
Kill your own people, and your daughters live.
Refuse, and they die.
King Riku refused without hesitation.
But in the next moment, his body betrayed him.
His sword swung.
Blood spilled.
Under the unseen control of Doflamingo's strings, the king became a puppet.
Panic erupted as he turned on his own people, chasing them down while tears streamed from his eyes, powerless to resist.
At that moment, a figure descended from the sky.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
With calculated precision, he played the role of savior, driving away the pirates and rescuing the hostages in full view of the shaken citizens.
To them, he appeared as a hero.
To those who understood, it was a flawless performance.
And thus, the fall of Dressrosa had only just begun.