Chapter 116

"Rumble... Rumble!!!" The sky roared as the thundercloud picked up more intensity, and lightning bolts rained down upon Greenbit. Meanwhile, King Riku, his ministers, generals, and other prominent figures of Dressrosa watched the darkened sky and the continuous storm from the balcony of the palace. The display was like the wrath of God descending upon Dressrosa.

"Your Majesty! We must find out what's going on in there. The less we know about what's happening, the more disadvantaged we are." One of the ministers couldn't help but voice his fears as he saw another lightning strike tear through the skies and descend upon Greenbit.

"As much as I would like to know what's happening, I am not sending our men into certain doom," King Riku replied, his grip on the balcony's railing tightening. He couldn't hide his frustration and helplessness.

"Your Majesty, we do not have to send anyone personally. Don't we have that item in the Treasury?" The old minister, who had been serving the Dressrosa kingdom the longest, suggested knowing a few of the Riku family's secrets.

King Riku's mind cleared immediately at the old minister's words. "Why didn't I think of that? Very well, we will adjourn this meeting for now. The rest of you can leave. Tank, stay back," King Riku ordered, dismissing the rest of the attendees except for the old minister and Tank.

***

Back at Greenbit, the intensity of the thunderstorm grew as the lightning bolts became more frequent. The sky seemed to be tearing apart as bolts of pure energy struck down, illuminating the darkened landscape.

"Ross, are you sure about this? The intensity seems higher than last time," Leo shouted from their safe spot, his voice tinged with concern. Mansherry stood beside him, her healing powers at the ready, her face a mixture of worry and determination.

"Don't worry, Leo. This is necessary," I shouted back, my voice steady. The raw power of the lightning was crucial for my training, pushing the limits of my physical and mental endurance.

The first bolt struck me, and pain seared through my body, but I stood my ground. Mansherry's healing abilities kicked in almost immediately, mending the damage as it occurred. The process was excruciating but essential. Each bolt that struck me pushed my body beyond its previous limits, tempering me like steel forged in a furnace.

In the distance, the Tontatta tribe watched in awe and fear. They had grown accustomed to these displays of power, yet each session was more intense than the last.

***

Inside the palace, King Riku and the old minister, Tank, made their way to the Treasury. Hidden away in a secret compartment was a small chest long forgotten by many—an ancient, old, tattered chest wrapped in cloth.

"Are you certain this will work, Your Majesty?" Tank asked, his voice filled with a mix of hope and skepticism.

"We have no other choice, Tank. We need to know what we're dealing with," King Riku replied, carefully lifting the old chest from its resting place.

Opening the chest carefully, King Riku peered into its contents. Inside lay an old, tattered Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and a crystal-white Devil Fruit, the Paramecia-type Giro Giro no Mi. This fruit had been safeguarded by the Riku family for generations.

"Tank! Bring Scarlett here. Let her know that I need her for something important," King Riku commanded after contemplating for a few moments. He had decided it was best for the crown princess to consume the devil fruit. The details about the fruit were well-known to him. There was a note stating that they should find a seer or someone with clairvoyance abilities to unlock the full potential of the fruit.

That was the reason the Riku family had kept the fruit locked up for all these years—they had not found a suitable candidate. But now, the situation was dire, and this fruit offered a safe way to spy on the Donquixote brothers without alerting them. They might even be able to eavesdrop on their plans with its power.

Soon enough, Tank returned to the earlier meeting hall, where King Riku and the old minister were waiting. Following Tank were two young children, none other than the princesses of the Dressrosa kingdom, Scarlett and Viola. Scarlett was currently eleven, while Viola was five.

King Riku's face blossomed with a smile as he saw his daughters. Though he was a benevolent king, he was not naive enough to let someone outside the family consume the Devil Fruit that had been safeguarded by the Riku family for generations. By choosing his daughters, he ensured that the fruit's power would stay within the family.

"My dear Scarlett, come closer," King Riku beckoned, his voice gentle but firm.

Scarlett approached, curiosity evident in her eyes. "What is it, Father?"

King Riku knelt to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is a Devil Fruit, the Giro Giro no Mi. It grants the power of clairvoyance, the ability to see and hear things from great distances. Our kingdom is in great danger, and I believe that with this power, you can help us protect Dressrosa."

Scarlett looked at the fruit, then back at her father. "But why me?"

"Because I trust you, my dear. You are brave and wise beyond your years. This power must remain within our family, and I know you will use it wisely," King Riku explained, his voice filled with both love and urgency.

Viola, standing beside them, looked up at her sister with wide eyes. "Will it hurt, Scarlett?"

Scarlett shook her head, trying to be brave for her sister. "No, Viola. I think it will be okay."

With a deep breath, Scarlett took the fruit from the chest. The Devil Fruit was heavy in her hands, its surface smooth and cool. She hesitated for a moment, looking at her father one last time. King Riku gave her an encouraging nod.

Scarlett was an intelligent child, mature beyond her years. She knew her father had been trying his best to keep Dressrosa together amidst the chaos, but the pirates that had taken over the northern town had become an insurmountable headache. The Marines, whom they had counted on, were nowhere in sight. Resolving herself, Scarlett decided that if consuming this Devil Fruit would help her father, then she would do it.

Just as she mustered the courage to sink her teeth into the fruit, a soft chuckle interrupted the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Hahahaha, no wonder little Shyarly asked me to come to the palace in all haste. You guys have a Devil Fruit, I see. For Shyarly to send me here, it must be quite special, I suppose," Doffy remarked, perched on the balcony with a cruel smile. He ignored everyone else; his attention was focused solely on the fruit in Scarlett's hands.

Quick-thinking Scarlett immediately tried to bite into the Devil Fruit to prevent the villain from getting it, but Doffy was faster. Using Shave, he flickered past the rest, snatching the fruit from Scarlett's grasp.

"Aaarghh!!!" Scarlett screamed in agony as she clutched her charred arm and fell to the ground, rolling in pain. It was only then that the others in the room reacted.

"You bastard!" Tank roared, charging at Doffy with his sword drawn, intent on striking him down for harming the little princess. "Busoshoku Koka!" Tank clad himself in Armament Haki and rushed forward. However, Doffy looked at him nonchalantly, as if he were a mere pest, and raised a finger, pointing at Tank.

"Tobu Shigan: Hibachi," Doffy intoned, infusing the Rokushiki technique with his blue flames. A deadly projectile, akin to a blue flaming spear, shot out at blinding speed. Tank immediately sensed the threat and instinctively leaned to the side, but the blue spear tore through him, severing his left arm.

"Aaaaaah!" Tank rolled to the side, dodging the attack at the cost of his arm.

King Riku, now cradling his daughter Scarlett, whose entire right arm was scorched black, watched in horror. Viola, his younger daughter, was down in tears, looking at the monster that had intruded upon their home.

"Bang... Bang!" A series of gunshots fired, but the bullets passed harmlessly through Doffy. He turned to the source, finding the old minister with shivering hands, holding a pistol pointed at him.

"Hiken!" Doffy roared, sending a dazzling blue stream of flames towards the old man. In front of the shocked eyes of the others, the old minister was reduced to ashes within seconds.

Hearing the commotion, hundreds of soldiers rushed into the room, surrounding the intruder. However, Doffy remained unfazed. He walked casually to the table, placed the Devil Fruit upon it, and began flicking through the encyclopedia.

"You should have known better than to oppose me; did we not come to an agreement not to bother each other? And here you are trying to spy on us." Doffy remarked coolly. "The Giro Giro no Mi, a fascinating fruit indeed. Perfect for our little Shyarly, I wonder what would happen if a seer truly consumed this fruit. Well, I will know soon enough."

King Riku, his heart filled with rage and desperation, shouted, "You monster! Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?"

Doffy looked up, his smile widening. "Gain? I aim to control, to dominate. Dressrosa will be the cornerstone of my new empire. And with the powers of this Devil Fruit, I will ensure no one can sneak into my territory ever again."

Scarlett, writhing in pain, looked at her father with tear-filled eyes. "Father, I'm sorry... I couldn't..."

King Riku hugged her tightly. "It's not your fault, Scarlett. We'll find a way out of this, I promise."

But deep inside, Riku knew that promise was becoming harder to keep. With the Donquixote brothers' increasing power and influence, the future of Dressrosa had never looked so bleak.

Seeing the little princess harmed and their commander lying on the floor with a scorched stump, the soldiers' eyes turned blood red with anger. The younger ones, in particular, threw caution to the wind and charged forward collectively, their spears aiming to skewer Doffy.

"Nooooo!!!" Riku screamed, trying to stop his men, but it was too late. Doffy, using his Observation Haki, had already assessed that none of them were Haki users. He remained seated, nonchalant, as more than three dozen spears passed harmlessly through his body.

"What the hell!!" one of the soldiers exclaimed in shock as his spear phased through Doffy.

"Get away from that monster!!!!" Tank, who had collected himself, shouted from the floor.

Doffy looked up with a wide grin plastered on his face and whispered, "Hell's Judgement: Diablo." Suddenly, the room's temperature rose rapidly, and a massive blue flaming skull appeared above Doffy's head. With Doffy as the center, a concentric circle of blue flames erupted, incinerating every soldier surrounding him to nothingness.

The entire room fell silent at the display. Where there were once more than three dozen soldiers, now there's not even a trace of ashes left.

Many of the soldiers who had stayed back unconsciously took a step back, unsure of what to do. Even Riku was frozen, realizing he had gravely underestimated Doflamingo. He had not known that Doflamingo possessed such terrifying abilities, but now it was clear that, in addition to the blind swordsman Issho, there was another monster among the Donquixote brothers.

Scarlett, still writhing in pain, whimpered, drawing Riku's attention back to her. He tightened his grip around her, his heart breaking at his inability to protect his daughter. Viola clung to his leg, tears streaming down her face.

Doffy, sensing the fear and desperation in the room, leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the scene. "Do you see now?" he said, his voice cold and menacing. "Resistance is futile. Dressrosa will fall under our control, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

King Riku, gathering what little courage he had left, stood up. "This isn't over, Doflamingo. The people of Dressrosa will never bow to you willingly."

Doffy laughed, the sound chilling to everyone in the room. "Willingly or not, they will bow. But for now, I think I've made my point." He picked up the devil fruit from the table and examined it closely. "Such a fascinating fruit. Say, Riku, are you hiding any other devil frit in that treasury of yours?"

Tank, clutching his severed arm, struggled to his feet. "You won't get away with this," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but I already have," Doffy replied, his eyes gleaming with malice. He stood up, still holding the Devil Fruit, and walked towards the balcony.

***************

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