Dreamland Island, Emerald Greenhouse.
"Hey, where's the jailer today?"
"Where's the big guy? The unicorn? The annoying little flame?"
Baby 5, currently the only prisoner in the facility, was as bored as ever.
Technically, she was in prison. But like everywhere else on Dreamland Island, the prison in the Emerald Greenhouse didn't look particularly cold or oppressive. She was surrounded by a massive house made of woven vines, where strange flowers bloomed along the stalks. The structure wasn't completely sealed off from the outside world, and there was even an exit not far away.
Still, Baby 5 knew she couldn't escape. Whenever she approached the exit, the vines would automatically grow and stretch to block her path. And with Seastone cuffs around her wrists blocking her Devil Fruit powers, she had no way to break through them.
She also knew that even without the cuffs, escaping wouldn't be easy. Outside, Phantom Beasts regularly acted as guards. They were completely laid-back about their duties, often playing around with her until they'd all grown pretty familiar with one another.
"If you guys don't come back soon, I'm gonna escape, you know?" Baby 5 complained to the empty room.
"Alright, alright."
A soft, clear voice spoke up from outside. "There's a banquet today. They all went to join in."
Baby 5 looked up to see the beautiful Miss Fairy walking in, followed by a small dog.
By now, she knew the woman's true title: Constellation 'Lunar Swallow' of the Twelve Zodiac's Hitsuji Division. She also knew the little dog beside her was one of the strongest Phantom Beasts on the island, the Beast Lord 'Yazi.'
"A banquet?"
"Mm. We have a new Dreamland Coaster King today," Cori explained with a smile. "They managed to dodge every Phantom Beast attack along the track and set a perfect score. Everyone's thrilled, so they're throwing a celebration."
"Huh. Sounds impressive. Which brat pulled that off?" Baby 5 snorted.
When Cori hesitated for a moment without answering, Baby 5 leaned back against a soft vine, trying to sound indifferent. "If you're not at the banquet, why'd you come here? To play more board games, or just to chat?"
She tilted her head, trying hard to act like she didn't care. But her hand was already slipping into her pocket, pulling out a glowing black piece from Dreamland.
She had to admit, that little game Cori had taught her, 'Dreamland Gomoku', was actually pretty fun. Even she could enjoy it.
"Just to be clear, same rules as always," Baby 5 added quickly. "If you want to play or chat, fine. But don't even think about getting me to betray my young lord…"
"I came to set you free," Cori interrupted.
"...Huh?"
Baby 5 froze, staring at her in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"It's Lord Hitsuji's orders," Cori said with a gentle smile. "He said he already got the information he needed, so he told me to release you."
"What do you mean!?"
Before Cori could finish, Baby 5's eyes flared red. She bit her lip, trying desperately to sound fierce. "You mean I'm useless again!?"
'Useless.'
It was the one word she feared most.
"No," Cori shook her head softly. Even through her veil, her tone was completely earnest. "That has nothing to do with it. It's just... I think we've become friends. So I'm just glad you get to leave here alive."
'Friends?'
The word made Baby 5 tremble.
"What the hell are you talking about!?" She gritted her teeth. "I'm the top assassin in the Donquixote Family! I'm not your damn friend..."
Cori didn't argue. She just looked at her quietly.
She had been responsible for taking care of Baby 5 the entire time she was held here. Since the island was mostly inhabited by Phantom Beasts and Hitsuji was rarely around for long, Cori had often spent her time talking with her. She never mentioned the Twelve Zodiac, choosing instead to share fun little stories about Dreamland Island. In turn, Baby 5 never revealed any secrets about the Donquixote Family. They had maintained an unspoken understanding, chatting like ordinary people.
Over time, Cori had come to understand what kind of person Baby 5 really was, and it made her heart ache. Cori knew the worst cruelty the world had to offer, she had suffered under the Celestial Dragons. But even in those dark, hopeless years, she had held onto a tiny glimmer of hope: the promise her older brother had made to her. That hope was what kept her alive.
Baby 5 had nothing like that. Abandoned by her mother as a child, she had no family. Doflamingo had taken her in and raised her as an assassin, twisting her life from the start. She killed only because others needed her to. She had never developed a sense of self.
Whenever Cori looked at her, she felt like she was looking at an alternate version of herself, one who had never been saved, but had fallen straight into the abyss instead. So when Hitsuji said he wanted to let Baby 5 go, Cori was genuinely relieved.
Cori pulled out a key and unlocked the Seastone cuffs around Baby 5's wrists.
Baby 5 glared at her fiercely the entire time, but whether out of caution toward Yazi or something else, she didn't attack.
"You'll regret this," Baby 5 growled, gritting her teeth. "Once I get back to Young Master, I might come back as your enemy!"
"Please don't," Cori replied, as sincere as ever. "If you do, you really will die."
"Who's gonna die!? Young Master is going to become the Pirate King! When that happens, you're the ones who'll lose!"
Grit her teeth as she might, Baby 5 turned and stormed out of the Emerald Greenhouse.
"Baby 5," Cori called out from behind.
Baby 5 stopped and turned back with a smug smirk. "Heh-heh... Changed your mind? Realized you don't have the guts to let me go after all?"
"No. I was just going to ask... everyone's having a banquet. Would you like to join us? You can leave afterward. There's no rush."
Baby 5 flushed with anger. "Who wants to feast with a bunch of enemies!?"
Refusing to listen to another word, she stormed all the way out to the southern side of the island and found the rainbow bridge that descended to sea level, a temporary route Cori had mentioned during one of their chats.
When Baby 5 stepped onto the bridge, the rainbow began floating downward, exactly as described. A cold sea breeze blew past, making her shiver.
She looked back up at Dreamland Island, surrounded by dazzling light and brimming with life, and felt a strange emptiness settle in her chest.
'Don't overthink it!' She shook her head briskly. 'Young Master and the others are waiting for me. I need to hurry back. First I'll turn into a glider, then find a ship in a nearby town... Hm?'
As she stretched, she noticed something in her palm. The 'Dreamland black piece' she often used to play Gomoku with Cori, the one that could split into countless smaller pieces, was still clutched in her hand.
"Who wants this stupid thing anyway..." She raised her arm, intending to throw it away.
At the same time, deep in the Fairy Tale Forest at the center of Dreamland Island, Hitsuji stood atop a massive sheep-headed stone statue, watching Baby 5 depart in the distance. Behind his mask, his eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
In his hand, a newspaper caught the shimmering rainbow light of the island.
'Whitebeard Pirates Suffer Losses Again in Clash with New World Rookies?'
'The Twelve Zodiac's Shinko? Grand Line Island 'Little Garden' Disappears!'
Either story, one involving a Yonko, the other involving the Twelve Zodiac, would normally be enough to throw the world into turmoil. Yet neither was the main attraction.
Instead, massive bold text dominated the front page, delivering news that was actively sending shockwaves across the globe:
''{Artificial Devil Fruit? Fact or Fiction?}''
The article beneath was remarkably concise:
'"Donquixote Doflamingo, King of Dressrosa and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has announced that Dressrosa will host the largest duel tournament in history, inviting powerful fighters from around the world to participate.'
'According to reports, the prize for this tournament will not be treasure, but a person.'
'Doflamingo claims this individual is a genius researcher who successfully created an 'Artificial Devil Fruit' and formerly served as the second-in-command of SSG: Caesar M. Clown."'
(End of Chapter)
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