Chapter 23: Need A Few More Hands
Lovers Avenue.
As a famous attraction in Dressrosa, this avenue is operated very well, with couples visible everywhere filling the street’s air with full pink glow. Looking at the couples in pairs, single dogs who accidentally enter this place······ tsk tsk!
Tragic!
Truly tragic!
This is unequivocally a single dog slaughterhouse.
“Dressrosa, Land of Love, Passion, and Toys······ Love and passion aside, I didn’t expect there to really be so many toys. So strange, are these toys alive?” A tall man wearing a small vest and using a baseball cap to cover his bald head was curiously looking around, staring at every toy passing by with extremely fervent eyes.
That gaze full of aggression scared these toys into quickening their steps, avoiding this outdoor cafe at the street corner.
Street corner.
A small outdoor cafe.
Several square tables placed outside the door are usually occupied by passing couples as the perfect rest spot, savoring the rich aroma of coffee while appreciating the passionate vibe of this street.
However,
a group of burly, obviously not-good men used a terrifying aura to drive away the couples, then occupied the place.
“Probably······ a Devil Fruit?”
Umit, wearing a tall hat, wasn’t drinking coffee; he actually didn’t like this dark beverage at all. Compared to coffee, he enjoyed the pure taste of a cup of clear tea more. He took a sip from the teacup—the tea leaves were his own—while looking at the toy people passing not far away, making a guess.
In this world, there are giants, Fish-Men, fur tribes, Snape Tribe, Sky People with wings······ and all sorts of strange humans, but no matter how strange they are, they are ultimately humans, still within the comprehensible scope.
But,
living toys.
Anyone whose brain isn’t too stupid or too straightforward knows such things can’t naturally exist.
Toys are toys; how could they live like humans? Yet the scenes in the Dressrosa Kingdom aren’t fake; the toys live in this country like humans. After thinking it over, the only explanation for this situation is a Devil Fruit.
After all,
the so-called Land of Toys is a title that came after Doflamingo arrived.
Before, this rundown little kingdom was dirt poor, with nothing but flower fields. Not only were the civilians’ pockets cleaner than a dog’s licked bowl, even the royal family’s life wasn’t affluent at all. To cut military expenses, the royals often led the charge in battles against pirates.
It was only after Doflamingo seized power in this country five years ago that this desperately poor nation became wealthy, and toys silently appeared on the streets, accepted by the citizens, living harmoniously together, somehow creating this so-called ‘Land of Love, Passion, and Toys’ reputation.
“Devil Fruit······”
The bald man wearing the baseball cap nodded thoughtfully, “Subordinates of Joker?”
“Probably!”
Umit replied casually.
He had no interest in Joker’s subordinates, and even less so in the toys on this street. This wasn’t his territory, so he couldn’t be bothered to worry for Joker. Compared to Joker’s subordinates, he wanted intelligence on Elus and his aide-de-camp.
The intelligence brought back by ‘Ghost Sword’ Venkura was sorely lacking.
Although through this period of investigation, he had gathered some news, it was ultimately too little, too vague, too fragmented to piece together truly valuable information like Elus’s abilities or weaknesses.
“Lord Umit, someone underground is watching us.”
Suddenly,
the bald man in the baseball cap said this.
“······Ignore it; it’s Joker’s subordinates, probably sent to tail us.” Umit had long noticed the aura underground, but since he didn’t plan to go to war with Doflamingo, he chose to ignore it.
“Ignore it?”
The bald man in the baseball cap glanced at the floor tiles underfoot, grinned, “Got it.”
As Umit’s top fierce general, this bald man was one of Umit’s trump cards. This time, to counter the Black Prince’s challenge, he specially brought him along to Dressrosa, waiting for Sokachio Elus’s arrival.
And not just the bald man; the other eight burly men on the surrounding chairs were also Umit’s subordinates.
All of them were experts.
Five were former pirates with bounties starting at one billion, and those were very old bounties; their current strength was naturally even greater and more ferocious than before. If not for Venkura repeatedly hyping up how formidable Elus was, he really wouldn’t have gathered so many experts stationed across various sea areas.
But better safe than sorry.
Caution ensures long-term sailing.
Even a lion uses full force against a rabbit, let alone Elus, who isn’t some easy rabbit to mess with······
“Sokachio Elus······ Stussy, I don’t believe you don’t have more detailed intelligence.” At some point, Umit was holding a Den Den Mushi, talking to someone, “Price isn’t an issue; I just want intelligence. Give me the most complete and detailed intelligence.”
“Sorry! Umit, it’s not that I don’t want to do business, but I really don’t have what you’re after.” Stussy, one of the magnates of the Dark World, Queen of the Red Light District, and the New World’s top information broker.
After all,
no place collects all sorts of diverse intelligence and news better or faster than the Red Light District.
The girls of the Red Light District always empty men’s bodies, wallets, and all sorts of information in their brains.
“How is that possible? You’re the Queen of the Red Light District······ Could it be, the Eckmond Kingdom paid you?” Umit frowned, thinking of a possibility.
“The Queen of the Red Light District isn’t omnipotent either, and I have no dealings with the Eckmond Kingdom.”
Stussy replied quickly.
“······Even you can’t find useful intelligence······ Black Prince, are you really preparing to stun the world?” Umit’s face was stern as he felt some pressure, his brain involuntarily recalling the various things the imprisoned Ghost Sword Venkura had said.
What if,
if Venkura wasn’t just scared witless but the enemy was truly that strong, then wouldn’t his attempt to permanently eliminate Elus turn into walking into a trap?
“······Manpower, a bit more!”
Umit picked up the teacup for a sip, deciding to reinforce their side’s forces a bit more.
