Turning a corner, the group arrived at the main street and froze, stunned by the sight before them.
Toys moved among humans as if they were ordinary citizens. Some sat under sun umbrellas at cafés, sipping coffee and reading newspapers. Others worked inside shops, carrying trays like waiters. Some walked hand-in-hand with humans, others even walked pets. Performers entertained crowds, just like street artists.
Almost everything humans could do, these toys could replicate.
"This… what is this?" everyone murmured, struck silent. Humans and toys lived together in seamless harmony.
Vivi's eyes widened in shock. "Nami, Rolan, is this… really Dressrosa?"
Lina's voice trembled with excitement. "Rolan, is this the country you told us about?"
Rolan, calm as ever, nodded. "This is Dressrosa, a land of love and passion." He observed everything with the detached poise of someone who had seen enough chaos to remain unshaken.
Robin smiled knowingly. "Dressrosa has three famous features."
The others leaned in, curious.
"Sunflowers bloom across the mountains, the food is exquisite, and the most remarkable… the sentient toys coexist with humans," Robin explained.
Rolan glanced sideways at Robin. She was still the same wise, composed woman. Lina and the others looked at her with awe, as though nothing in the world could escape her knowledge.
At that moment, a toy on a unicycle rolled before them.
"Can it… speak?" Lina asked, stunned.
The toy didn't answer immediately but stared at Rolan, scrutinizing him carefully. Its eyes widened in recognition.
"You… you are Godslayer Rolan, one of the Four Emperors, the world's strongest man!"
Lina and the others gaped. Not only could this toy speak, it recognized Rolan. It was no ordinary doll—it radiated the presence of a human mind trapped in a toy's body.
Rolan replied casually, "I am Rolan. And you are?"
The toy blinked, and the light in its eyes dimmed. Rolan noticed the change, reading the toy's mood effortlessly, but he showed no reaction.
"Hey, A Lun, what are you doing? Hurry, too many customers!" a voice called from a nearby noodle shop.
"Coming, coming!" the unicycle toy responded, dashing off toward the shop.
Vivi watched thoughtfully. "He must work there as a waiter."
When the toy returned, a young woman called out to him. "A Lun, it's busy today. I'll need your help. Once Ximen and I marry, you can take a few days off."
A trace of sadness flashed in the toy's eyes. The man he had loved—the one he was supposed to marry—was gone, replaced by the noodle shop's new owner. His existence as a human had been erased, and even his former lover no longer remembered him.
Despite his grievances, he bowed and replied softly, "Alright… I'll be right there."
Rolan and Issho both observed these subtle emotional shifts, though Rolan remained unreadable, accustomed to the tragedies that ran beneath Dressrosa's surface.
Issho frowned, sensing a human mind trapped in a toy's body. This was no ordinary Devil Fruit, but one with forced transformation abilities—likely the work of someone powerful.
"From their aura alone, these are all humans, but their bodies… toys. Incredible," Hancock remarked quietly, a rare expression of awe crossing her face.
Law nodded in certainty. "Lady Hancock is correct. These toys were once humans."
"Wh-what?" Lina, Nami, and Vivi all gasped, struggling to believe it.
Issho added, "Could this be the work of a Devil Fruit?"
Law confirmed, "Exactly, Mr. Issho. These are abilities of the Paramecia-type Hobi Hobi no Mi.
Dressrosa is ruled by the Donquixote Family. Among its executives is a woman named Sugar, in her twenties. Anyone she touches turns into a toy.
Once transformed, they obey only Sugar, and all traces of their former lives fade from the world. No one remembers them except themselves."
The group stared in disbelief. Almost a third of the street was filled with toys. Nearly a third of Dressrosa's population had been erased.
"So this country isn't as harmonious as it seems," Robin observed calmly, her eyes sharp.
Vivi's fists clenched. "Doflamingo's rule must be enforced through fear and suppression, turning anyone who opposes him into a toy. This is monstrous!"
Lina's anger matched Vivi's. "This is completely unacceptable! How can anyone tolerate such cruelty?"
Rolan watched the scene quietly, expression unreadable. He had seen horrors like this before, and in his mind, this was just the beginning of what Dressrosa hid beneath its smiling surface.