At the port of Dressrosa.
Nicolas and Dragon were observing the birdcage that covered the entire Dressrosa.
Viola, looking at the backs of Nicolas and Dragon as they examined the birdcage, felt a surge of hope.
When she and her sister Scarlett arrived at the Dressrosa waters and saw the burning city, she had almost given in to despair.
But unexpectedly, these two men had summoned a torrential rainstorm over Dressrosa within a few minutes, extinguishing the flames.
Though the rain-soaked air made her feel a chill even through her princess dress, causing her to shiver involuntarily, her heart was burning with hope.
With the help of Lord Nicolas and Lord Dragon, Dressrosa could surely be saved.
"Dragon, what do you think?" Nicolas lightly touched the birdcage in front of him and asked Dragon.
This technique was a testament to Doflamingo's mastery of the String-String Fruit, using countless densely packed parasitic strings to cover a large area. The edges of the birdcage were extremely sharp and sturdy, capable of easily cutting through a person and being incredibly difficult to break through.
Moreover, the birdcage could block communication signals from Den Den Mushi, making it impossible to contact the outside world.
The most troubling aspect was that the parasitic strings within the birdcage could indiscriminately control people, causing them to attack others without distinction.
"An interesting ability. It's not only sturdy but also incredibly sharp. However, this is only formidable to the average person at sea. For top-tier warriors, breaking this ability isn't that difficult," Dragon remarked as he examined the birdcage.
The birdcage was a formidable ability, especially effective against those below the level of top-tier warriors. If someone's attacks couldn't cut through the strings, escape was impossible, and they would ultimately be strangled.
The creator of this birdcage, Doflamingo, had developed his abilities quite impressively.
"Let's go. It's time we paid a visit to the 'current' master of this place."
"No problem."
With that, Nicolas and Dragon's bodies transformed into elements, and when they reappeared, they were inside the birdcage.
"Um, Mr. Nicolas…"
Seeing the birdcage in front of her and then looking at Nicolas and Dragon inside it, Scarlett couldn't help but speak up.
When the birdcage had covered Dressrosa, she had witnessed it firsthand, knowing that she and Viola couldn't enter it on their own.
"Oh, I forgot you can't get in. My apologies," Nicolas said, embarrassed after hearing Scarlett's voice. Spending so much time with strong warriors, he had subconsciously thought such things were simple.
Nicolas then summoned a long sword covered in dazzling lightning. With a buzzing sound, the lightning-enhanced blade easily sliced through the birdcage, creating an opening large enough for several people to pass through.
Meanwhile, in the underground port,
Doflamingo, who was using his powers to torture the Tontatta Chief Gancho, suddenly stopped and looked towards the port, frowning. He sensed that his birdcage had been damaged.
Anyone capable of damaging the birdcage was likely a formidable opponent.
"Young master, what's wrong?"
Diamante, who was watching Doflamingo torment Gancho, noticed Doflamingo's unusual behavior and couldn't help but ask.
"A troublesome fellow has arrived. The birdcage has been breached," Doflamingo replied, extracting the strings deeply embedded in Gancho's body and standing up, looking serious.
"Hmm, besides using brute force, the birdcage can also be broken with various abilities. Maybe it's just some strange ability user trying to take advantage of the chaos in Dressrosa," Diamante speculated, not too concerned. After all, while the birdcage was powerful, his own Ripple-Ripple Fruit ability, as well as Señor's Devil Fruit ability, could easily break it.
"It wasn't broken by an ability; it was a direct, forceful break. Diamante, Señor, Lao G, Pica, come with me to see who has come to Dressrosa. Giolla, you stay here with Gladius and Rosinante, and keep an eye on things," Doflamingo ordered his family members.
"Understood, young master," they replied.
...
On the streets of Dressrosa, a distinctive red glow flickered in Dragon's eyes in the darkness. With his Observation Haki activated, his awareness swiftly scanned every inch of the surrounding area.
Moments later, Nicolas and his group arrived at the dilapidated building where the pirates had been.
Inside, they could hear the lecherous laughter of the pirates and the terrified cries of women.
Dragon took a quick glance and then vanished in an instant.
A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps rustling came from within the dilapidated building.
Dragon reappeared, followed by a group of trembling, terrified women, supporting each other as they walked out of the building.
It was clear that when the pirates had broken into the underground shelter, these women had given up hope. However, in the dim light of the underground shelter, a figure had appeared and swiftly dealt with the vile pirates.
As they emerged from the dilapidated building, the women, seeing the man who had saved them in the light, gazed at him with admiration.
"Was it you who saved us?" One bold woman finally stepped forward and asked Dragon in a soft voice.
Dragon's appearance had been like a beacon of hope in their moment of despair.
When Dragon remained silent, the woman looked downcast, but then she asked, "Can we stay with you?"
"Yes," Dragon finally replied, knowing that leaving these women to fend for themselves in a pirate-infested Dressrosa would only endanger them further.
"The damage is even worse than I expected. It seems like that guy plans to rebuild Dressrosa," Nicolas said, looking at the town of Dressrosa.
Although the heavy rain had extinguished the widespread fires and washed away the blood, the numerous corpses and charred remains of buildings were still a tragic sight.
Viola and Scarlett, tears streaming down their faces, looked heartbroken. The stark contrast between the once-beautiful Dressrosa and the current devastation was like comparing heaven to hell.