Even now, the true identities of the Twelve Zodiacs remained shrouded in mystery.
However, details regarding their abilities had long since spread throughout the seas.
Among them, Zishu was one of the earliest members to reveal himself to the world. His mysterious, unpredictable assassination techniques had created quite a stir, making his ability to appear and disappear without a trace common knowledge.
So the moment Violet and King Riku saw the masked man standing before them, they knew instantly that he was the legendary shadow of the Twelve Zodiacs.
"I'm rather interested in the 'information' you two were just discussing," Zishu said, looking calmly at the father and daughter. "Could you tell me exactly what you discovered?"
The two caught his meaning immediately.
Violet glanced at King Riku, who gave her a silent nod.
As they had said, they possessed intel they believed was critical, intel that might very well explain Doflamingo's insane actions today.
Yet with their limited strength, neither King Riku nor Violet could do a thing to stop Doflamingo on their own. They desperately needed an ally. And in Dressrosa's current state, judging by both their overwhelming power and their recent actions, the Twelve Zodiacs were undeniably their best option.
"It concerns the royal port controlled by Doflamingo," Violet began solemnly.
Like many nations, Dressrosa maintained a private royal port reserved exclusively for the crown. Doflamingo conducted all his Underworld dealings there, and his pirate fleet remained docked in those waters year-round. Normally, Violet had no authority to enter the port; only high-ranking Officers of the Donquixote Family were granted access.
"However... Baby 5 vanished during a mission not long ago," Violet explained. "I temporarily took her place and started working alongside her partner, Buffalo. That gave me occasional access to the harbor. And recently, I saw a ship docked there."
Her expression darkened. "It was a World Government vessel."
That alone wasn't entirely abnormal. Doflamingo was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, so business with the World Government was to be expected.
The alarming part was what followed.
"Doflamingo went down to receive the passengers personally," Violet said, taking a sharp breath. "I used my ability to see who came ashore... They were Celestial Dragons."
She clearly remembered the figures she had spied on that day. Every one of them wore the distinctive bubble helmets of the World Nobles, but they also bore a unique crest.
As a former Princess of Dressrosa, Violet had attended the Reverie with her father and had seen Celestial Dragons before. But compared to the standard World Nobles living in the Holy Land, these people carried a completely different presence.
"The crest... was it this one?" Zishu asked smoothly.
He casually traced a shape through the air with a single finger, leaving a glowing emblem floating above the ground.
"Yes! That's it!" Violet gasped, staring at him in shock. "You know who they are?!"
"Yeah. You could say we've crossed paths before," Zishu replied with a light nod.
Privately, the confirmation settled several suspicions he had been harboring. But he volunteered no further details to Violet, simply fixing his gaze on her.
"Speaking of your ability, Princess, there's actually a favor I'd like to ask of you. If you don't mind, I need you to come with me."
Violet blinked, taken aback. "Come with you?"
She hadn't expected a request like that from him.
"Precisely." Zishu smiled behind his mask. "I need to infiltrate the Royal Palace to confirm a few things, and I could use your eyes to 'look' at a few targets for me."
Violet's heart tightened. She had eaten the Glare-Glare Fruit, granting her the ability to see through mind and matter alike. Zishu was not only fully aware of her power, but…
"The Royal Palace?" she echoed, dread creeping into her voice. "But all of the Donquixote Family Officers have been summoned there today..."
Instinctive panic seized her. After living among them for years, she knew better than anyone just how terrifying the Donquixote Officers truly were. If they caught her betraying them, the consequences would be worse than death.
"..."
She looked up at Zishu.
Then, the realization hit her. She was measuring the threat from the wrong scale entirely.
The Donquixote Family Officers were formidable, yes. But compared to the monster standing right in front of her... they didn't seem nearly as terrifying anymore.
"I'll go," she said firmly, pushing her hesitation aside.
"Violet!" King Riku frowned in concern.
"Father," she interrupted, meeting his eyes. "You are the King. Your place is alongside your people. So... as the Princess, I have to do my part too."
Tying her long hair back, Violet set her jaw with determination.
King Riku stared at his daughter, rendered speechless by her resolve.
"A wise choice," Zishu praised, nodding smoothly.
He swept a hand through the air, opening a silent Space Gate beside them. "Then, after you."
Zishu offered a polite, shallow bow, gesturing toward the portal. Without another second of hesitation, Violet stepped through, and the gate snapped shut behind her.
King Riku stared at the empty space where his daughter had been, taking a long, heavy breath.
"The Twelve Zodiacs..." he murmured.
The World Government branded them an 'extremely evil organization.' But after losing his kingdom to a rogue Warlord, and now discovering that today's nightmare might involve the Celestial Dragons themselves, King Riku no longer believed a word of the World Government's propaganda. He would trust only what he saw with his own eyes.
His gaze drifted toward the distance.
Across the horizon, countless clones of Shinko continued to spring up through the streets of Dressrosa, rescuing helpless civilians one after another.
For the first time in years, a tiny flicker of hope kindled in the former king's chest. Perhaps this country still had a future.
Whether that future would survive the day, however... not even he could say.
King Riku bowed deeply to the empty air.
"As a king, it brings me shame to say this... but I leave the destiny of this country in your hands! If you can save my people, the Riku Royal Family will give you everything we have in return!"
Straightening up, he pulled his gladiator helmet down over his face.
"Now... Gladiator Ricky is heading to the battlefield."
Turning on his heel, he leapt off the ledge, charging down toward the fleeing crowds and the marauding pirates.
"Intruders! Face me!"
---
Meanwhile, near the Fourth Gate of the colosseum…
'BOOM!'
A compressed blast of air blew an enemy pirate clean off his feet.
A tall, heavily built man casually lowered his palm and continued making his way toward the Fifth Gate.
"That's 'Balloon Vendor' Assoria!"
"Why is he heading toward the Fifth Gate? Isn't that where the Twelve Zodiac member dropped in?"
"Who knows? He's already crushed most of the fighters around the Fourth Gate. He's the strongest guy here."
"Is he seriously planning to challenge the Twelve Zodiacs?! They say he's a Logia user who ate the Air-Air Fruit, he even survived a clash with the Whitebeard Pirates and killed one of Whitebeard's division commanders!"
The surrounding gladiators and pirates scrambled out of his path, whispering in hushed awe.
"Zeahahahaha!" Assoria let out a strange, rumbling laugh.
'What luck. To think a member of the Twelve Zodiacs is right here on this island. Once I track him down, I can complete the crucial first phase of my plan. After that, all I have to do is... Hm?'
He paused mid-thought.
Anyone truly familiar with 'Balloon Vendor' Assoria would have immediately noticed something deeply off. His tone, his body language, and even his laughter were completely foreign to the gloomy, taciturn demeanor he was known for.
Just as he took another step toward the Fifth Gate, a sudden instinct made him stop and look up.
High above the Birdcage, a brilliant mass of light came plunging down from the sky. It tore through Doflamingo's razor-sharp strings effortlessly, crashing down into the heart of Dressrosa.
A closer look revealed a swirling aura of green and gold flames, thrumming with vibrant vitality.
"That presence..." Assoria muttered, freezing in his tracks.
His expression flickered rapidly through shock, annoyance, and calculating malice.
"Zeahahahaha!" He let out a low, sinister chuckle. "So you came looking for me after all... Looks like today isn't the day."
He cast a reluctant glance toward the Fifth Gate before sighing.
'BOOM!'
Raising a hand, he compressed the atmosphere. A nearby pirate shrieked as an invisible vacuum seized him, dragging him violently through the air until Assoria caught him by the throat.
"Please... spare me..." the pirate choked out, thrashing helplessly.
Assoria ignored the plea completely, extending his free hand.
'Zzt!'
A surge of invisible, pitch-black energy quietly impaled the pirate's chest from an angle hidden from the crowd.
'Thud!'
Assoria casually tossed the limp body aside, letting it bounce heavily across the pavement.
"So brutal!"
"Hey, that guy didn't even do anything to him!"
The surrounding pirates scrambled backward in terror. Assoria's power was far too volatile.
"Hm?"
The next second, Assoria shook his head, looking mildly disoriented. The ominous, crushing pressure radiating from him suddenly evaporated.
"Why am I over here? Wasn't I heading for the Fourth Gate?" the large man muttered, scratching his head in confusion.
"Right... I thought I wanted to challenge Shinko to a duel for a second there. What was I thinking? Why would I go out of my way to fight a monster like that?"
He wincing slightly, clutching his side. "Aaagh... my body hurts. Did that old wound from the Whitebeard Pirate reopen? It stopped burning days ago..."
Shaking his head, he grunted, "Whatever. I'm just going to the arena."
Exhaling heavily, he turned on his heel and trudged back toward the Fourth Gate, muttering to himself the entire way.
The onlookers stared in sheer confusion. What was wrong with this guy? He was charging toward the Fifth Gate like a man possessed a second ago, why the sudden change of heart?
And while everyone was distracted by Assoria's strange behavior, no one noticed the pirate he had tossed aside slowly dragging himself back to his feet.
"Ah... that hurt..."
"Wait... I'm alive?"
The pirate looked down at his blood-soaked clothes, shocked to find that he felt no pain at all. In fact, his internal injuries seemed to be rapidly mending themselves.
"Was that Assoria guy just putting on a show?" he wondered, thoroughly baffled.
He shook his head, brushing it off. "Whatever. I need to get to the arena."
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a distinct, echoing voice resonated from deep within his own subconscious:
'No. With this many monsters gathered here, I'll never complete the Captain's mission even if I make it to the arena.'
'I need to lie low. Staying alive is the only priority.'
'Yeah, exactly. Getting off this island alive comes first. We can figure out the rest later. Zeahahahaha!'
He chuckled softly to himself.
A second later, he paused, blinking in confusion. "Wait... when did I start laughing like that?"
The doubt vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Ah, whatever. It actually feels pretty good to laugh like this."
"Zeahahahaha!"
(End of Chapter)
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