A Stalemate and the Healing Fruit User

"Controlled by the String-String Fruit?" Nami asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Yes," Law replied. "Doflamingo's String-String Fruit allows him to control people like marionettes. The controlled retain their consciousness, which makes it even more terrifying."

Law continued, his tone laced with disgust. "Doflamingo loves this sense of manipulation. He takes pleasure in forcing his victims to kill their subordinates, comrades, or even loved ones."

Violanodded, her voice trembling slightly. "That's exactly what happened to my father. Under Doflamingo's control, he was fully aware of his actions as he slaughtered the very people he wanted to protect."

Her eyes darkened as the memory resurfaced—her father's face contorted with pain as he carried out the atrocities.

"That's horrible!" Nami's expression turned to one of pure revulsion as she glanced at Doflamingo, lying unconscious on the ground.

To force someone to kill their loved ones while fully aware—it was a cruelty beyond comprehension.

Thinking about it, she felt a chill run down her spine. What if I had been controlled and forced to kill Belle-Mère back then? She shuddered. I'd have probably ended my own life out of despair.

"What about these toys?" Law relaxed his stance, resting his cursed blade, Kikoku, on his shoulder. "Do you know what's going on with them?"

"It's Sugar's Devil Fruit ability," Violaexplained. "All these toys were once humans."

"Humans?!" Nami stared at the struggling toys in shock.

"The Hobby-Hobby Fruit," Violaclarified. "It allows her to transform anyone she touches into a toy. These individuals retain their memories and thoughts but are physically controlled by Sugar, bound by a contract to obey Doflamingo's orders. They're forced to work or fight until they die."

The horror didn't stop there.

"Additionally," Violacontinued, "anyone connected to the transformed individual—friends, family, acquaintances—will lose all memories of them. To their loved ones, it's as if they never existed."

The implications sent chills through the group.

"A father might remember his daughter, but the daughter would have no memory of him. Over half of Dressrosa's population has already been turned into toys," Violarevealed, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Doflamingo also enforced a segregation law between humans and toys to control public perception and maintain his rule."

The more Violaspoke, the deeper Nami's disgust grew. "That's... monstrous."

Imagining the despair of these toy people—forgotten by everyone they cared about and forced to serve their oppressor indefinitely—Nami couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

"What's the solution? How do we break this curse?" Robin asked, her voice steady and analytical.

"If these toys attacked Issho, that means Sugar must be nearby," she deduced, glancing at the scattered unconscious members of the Donquixote Family.

"Yes," Violaconfirmed, "Sugar is in that small tower over there." She pointed to a building not far away.

Inside the tower, Sugar peeked through a window and froze when she noticed Violapointing in her direction. In a panic, she ducked out of sight.

"Trebol, what do we do? They've found us!" Sugar whispered frantically.

Trebol, ever loyal, assessed the situation. "There's no choice—we retreat for now."

"Retreat? Doffy's still out there! Are we just going to abandon him?" Sugar frowned, her voice tinged with frustration.

"We'll regroup with Vergo and come up with a plan to rescue him," Trebol said firmly. "If we stay here, we'll be captured, and that won't help Doffy at all."

Reluctantly, Sugar nodded, preparing to flee with Trebol as their enemies closed in.

As he grabbed Sugar and prepared to leave, Trebol muttered to himself. Going out to fight now would be suicide. Escaping to find Vergo was their only chance to save Doflamingo.

Before Trebol could step out of the small building, Issho descended from the sky, blocking his path.

Boom!

Trebol was sent flying with a single strike, and Sugar fell to the ground as well.

"That snot-nosed sloppy old guy isn't Sugar, is he?" Nami glanced at the fallen Trebol with disgust.

"No, that little girl is Sugar. She's one of the key officers of the Donquixote Family," Violaexplained, pointing at Sugar, who was lying on the ground.

"She looks about ten years old. Is she really one of the Donquixote Family's officers?" Nami asked skeptically, looking at Sugar, whose appearance didn't match her status.

"She's probably older than you. After eating the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, her body stopped aging," Violaexplained.

"Violet, you traitor! Don't forget who spared your father's life!" Trebol growled viciously as he struggled to get up.

"And I haven't forgotten who turned this kingdom into the mess it is now," Violareplied coldly, her face filled with loathing.

Crack!

Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the area, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap.

Everyone flinched in surprise.

When they turned to look, they saw Sugar lying on the ground with her eyes rolled back, unconscious.

"Relax, I controlled the power. She won't die," Nami said with a cheeky grin as everyone turned their attention to her. "I just wanted to test if knocking her out would disable her Devil Fruit ability."

In most cases, a Devil Fruit power deactivates when its user loses consciousness. However, there are exceptions where the ability persists even after the user's death.

"It seems to have worked!" Law noted quietly, glancing at the distance where the toys were.

The group turned to look and saw that one by one, the toys were transforming back into humans.

The former toys wore a variety of outfits—some were dressed as civilians, others in military uniforms, and some even in black suits, looking like gangsters.

All of them stared at their hands in amazement, joy lighting up their faces.

"We're… we're back!"

"I'm human again!"

"We're finally back to normal! Finally!"

The former toys cried tears of joy.

Issho also released the gravity restraining them, restoring their freedom completely.

Across Dressrosa, on every street corner, the toys reverted to their original forms. Meanwhile, the unaffected human residents began to regain their lost memories.

They remembered their fathers, mothers, children, husbands, wives, and friends—their loved ones who had seemingly disappeared from their lives.

"Damn that Doflamingo! Finally, he's defeated!"

"We're free! We're free!"

"That bastard turned me into a toy!"

"Thank goodness! I need to find my child! My family!"

The formerly oppressed people erupted in shouts, venting the rage they had suppressed for years.

Some sprinted toward their homes, desperate to reunite with their families after years of separation.

In a small flower-filled cabin on the outskirts of Dressrosa, a one-legged toy soldier transformed into a burly middle-aged man.

Standing beside him was a little girl with pink hair.

The girl's eyes initially showed confusion, but then recognition dawned on her face as her memories flooded back. Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.

"Daddy…"

"Rebecca!"

"You finally remember me!"

The father and daughter embraced tightly, tears streaming down their faces.

After a long moment, they separated.

"Dad, what happened?" Rebecca asked softly, her voice tinged with confusion.

"I'm not sure. It might have something to do with the battle happening near the coast," Kyros replied, shaking his head.

To protect his daughter, Kyros had stayed by her side ever since he heard the distant sounds of fighting, so he was unaware of the larger events unfolding outside.

"Rebecca, stay here and wait for me to return, okay?" Kyros said gently, unsheathing his large sword.

"Dad, where are you going?" Rebecca's small hands clutched at the red cloak draped over Kyros' shoulders, her expression full of worry.

"Even though I don't know the exact situation outside, this might be our one chance to overthrow Doflamingo!" Kyros said as he tousled Rebecca's pink hair.

He had to seize this opportunity, now that he was human again, to free Dressrosa from the oppressive rule of the Donquixote Pirates.

"But wasn't everyone freed from being toys because Doflamingo was defeated?" Rebecca asked, puzzled.

"It's not certain yet. What if it was just the Devil Fruit user being incapacitated?" Kyros shook his head solemnly.

Either way, he had to go to the royal palace. If Doflamingo had truly been defeated, it would be a joyous moment. But if not, Kyros vowed to use his sword to bring down the tyrant and save Dressrosa. He believed that he wasn't alone in feeling this way—many of the soldiers who had been turned into toys surely shared his resolve.

"Wait here for me," Kyros instructed Rebecca firmly before stepping out of the house, sword in hand.

He wasn't wrong.

All across the kingdom, former soldiers who had regained their human forms picked up their weapons and began marching toward the palace.

But faster than them were the remnants of King Riku's royal army. A growing tide of people advanced on the palace, with more joining by the minute.

At the royal palace, watching the toys transform back into humans, tears streamed down Violet's face.

No matter what the future held for Dressrosa, at least for now, the "toys" who had been separated from their loved ones could finally reunite with them.

"So, what should we do next?" Nami asked, glancing at her crewmates. Her gaze lingered on the crowd of humans celebrating their freedom.

"Take control of this place?"

Doflamingo had been defeated, Law's vengeance was fulfilled, and the people of Dressrosa had regained their freedom. What was next for the Thunder God Pirates?

"I'm not sure. That's for the captain to decide," Robin replied with a small laugh and a shrug.

All eyes turned toward Vice-Captain Issho.

Sensing the gazes, Issho smiled. "I am merely the vice-captain."

At that moment, Nami's expression turned to surprise.

"The sounds of fighting near the coast... they've stopped! Do you think the captain is okay? Issho-san, you should go check!"

"No need. He's already on his way," Issho replied, tilting his head skyward.

Everyone looked up and saw Saunders descending from the sky, his body battered and bruised.

"You're hurt, Saunders! Are you okay?" Nami asked with concern.

"Law, you're the doctor—check on the captain!"

Waving a hand dismissively, Saunders replied, "I'm fine. Just a few scratches."

He turned his gaze to Violet. "You're the daughter of King Riku, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Violaanswered, her voice tinged with unease.

After all, the man standing before her was someone powerful enough to clash with Kaido, a Yonko. He was nothing short of a monster in terms of strength.

Sanders leaned back slightly as he felt the warmth spreading through his body. The pain that had been wracking him moments ago began to ease significantly. Everyone around watched in awe as the tiny Tontatta princess, Mansherry, used her healing ability.

Her small hands glowed faintly as the restorative energy mended the injuries on Sanders' body. Though not fully healed, he could feel his bones aligning properly and his muscles regaining strength.

"Impressive," Law commented, watching closely. "Her healing capabilities might rival those of the finest doctors."

Mansherry stepped back once she was done, her petite frame trembling slightly from exhaustion.

"Thank you, Princess," Sanders said, bowing his head lightly to her. "Your assistance is much appreciated."

Mansherry smiled shyly, hiding behind Viola. "It's no problem... I just hope it helped enough."

"It's more than enough," Sanders replied, stretching his arms to confirm his mobility. "But don't push yourself too hard. Your power is invaluable."

Viola gently lifted Mansherry back into her arms, giving her a comforting pat on the head.

Nami, unable to suppress her curiosity, leaned forward. "So, Sanders, what's next? Are we staying here to finish things with Doflamingo, or is there something else on your mind?"

Sanders stood up, dusting himself off as he adjusted his battered coat. "The fight isn't over yet. We may have bought the people some time, but as long as Doflamingo and his crew are active, this island isn't truly free."

"You're planning to go after him?" Robin asked with a calm yet intrigued expression.

"Yes," Sanders said firmly. "This isn't just about revenge or justice anymore. It's about making sure this kingdom doesn't fall into chaos again."

"Shouldn't we rest first?" Nami suggested, glancing at his still-healing injuries.

"Rest isn't a luxury we can afford right now," Sanders said, shaking his head. "Doflamingo will be regrouping, and we need to act before he can recover."

Viola stepped forward. "If you're going to confront him, we'll support you in any way we can. The people of Dressrosa are ready to fight for their freedom."

Sanders gave her a nod. "Good. Prepare everyone who can fight. But keep the non-combatants safe. This isn't going to be easy."

As the group began to strategize, Mansherry tugged on Viola's sleeve and whispered something. Viola looked surprised but then nodded, turning to Sanders.

"The princess wants you to know she's willing to heal anyone who gets injured in the battle," Viola said.

Sanders smiled. "Tell her I appreciate it, but let's try to make sure no one else needs healing. We'll finish this quickly."

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T/N:

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