Chapter 21: Dressrosa

Dressrosa is located in the early part of the New World, a kingdom surrounded by huge rocks and known as the "Land of Love and Passion."

Later, Doflamingo took control of this country. He used Sugar to transform his enemies into toys, forcing them to work for him. Because of this, the country was also called the "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys."

After Doflamingo was defeated, King Riku reclaimed the throne. The dwarves, who had a friendly relationship with King Riku and were known as fairies, led to the country being nicknamed the "Land of Love, Passion, and Fairies."

In short, love and passion are always integral to this land.

Bardock and Hancock were dining in a restaurant, where most of the patrons were couples. The open and passionate atmosphere made Hancock feel quite uncomfortable.

"Bardock, it shouldn't be easy to meet the king, right?" Hancock asked.

"Hard to say. I've heard that King Riku is a ruler who cares deeply for his people, so it might still be possible to see him. Otherwise, we'll have to look for him in the Flower Fields," Bardock replied.

"Flower Fields?" Hancock repeated.

"Yes. Hmm, what's wrong?" Bardock noticed Hancock looking warily toward the entrance of the restaurant. Turning around, he saw two people walking in their direction. One was a strong man with a sword on his back, guarding the young woman in front of him. They were none other than Kyros and Viola.

The next moment, the young woman made an 'OK' gesture, then flipped her hand and pointed her fingers downward. She looked at Bardock and Hancock through the circle formed by her thumb and index finger.

"Quick, Hancock! This is a mind-reading ability! Think of something lewd!" Bardock panicked. Could this ability read memories as well? He absolutely couldn't let anyone read his memories. But then he remembered the way Sanji countered this ability, and he shouted without thinking.

"Go to hell, you bastard!"

With a swift kick, Hancock sent Bardock flying out of the window, attracting the attention of the people around them. However, everyone just smiled knowingly; after all, sometimes even more intense incidents, like women stabbing men with knives, happened around here.

Viola frowned and asked, "Who are you people? Are you here to harm this country? And how do you know about my ability?"

Viola used her ability to peer into Hancock's mind, but she found nothing. The woman seemed to have emptied her mind, thinking of nothing but remaining wary of Kyros. When she turned her attention to Bardock, she quickly canceled her ability in anger; this scoundrel was really thinking about lewd things.

"Are you pirates?" Kyros asked at that moment.

"We're just here to find someone," Bardock answered quickly from his position by the window, worried that Hancock might admit she was a pirate, which could lead to a fight.

"I saw you flying in. Who are you looking for? Don't even think about causing any trouble. Your actions won't escape my sight," Viola said, still fuming.

"Oh, is that so? We are here to find King Riku and ask him to introduce us to the dwarves," Bardock replied calmly.

"My father would never help you... Wait, how do you know about them?" Viola asked, surprised.

Hancock's eyes lit up when she heard this. The dwarves truly existed, so there was a good chance that the Dwarf Princess, who could heal anything, was real too.

"We mean no harm. We just want to discuss something with the dwarves," Hancock said patiently.

"The dwarves do not interact with outsiders. You should give up!" Viola insisted.

"I have important news for the dwarves. Once they hear it, they will agree to meet us. So, how about it? Will you help us deliver a message? That way, we may not need to see King Riku after all. Finding you might be enough, Princess Viola," Bardock replied confidently. He was sure he could persuade the dwarves.

"No way. I won't take you there," Viola retorted.

The dwarves were naive to a ridiculous degree; they would believe almost anything. She didn't dare bring Bardock over there—they would surely be manipulated.

"Princess Viola, I hope you understand that we come with goodwill. The dwarves are in Green Bit, and I have the ability to fly. I can go there anytime to find them directly. I approached you first to show sincerity, and secondly... um, Hancock, what was the other reason?" Bardock trailed off.

Hancock pretended not to know him and rolled her eyes.

In reality, Bardock just wanted to lighten the tense atmosphere; after all, didn't he notice that Kyros was about to draw his sword?

"My father is not here. I can take you to meet them, but we must be present. Otherwise, no deal!" Viola finally conceded.

Hancock looked at Bardock, unsure what his message was and whether having others present would affect their plan.

"Princess, I happen to know a little about your ability. Even if you're not with us, you can still see, can't you? So, feel free to come along. Also, Mr. Kyros, I assume you will be protecting her, right? You're welcome to join us too," Bardock said generously.

Viola was surprised by his attitude. Could it be they truly meant no harm?

"Mr. Kyros, I've heard that you hold the record for 3,000 consecutive wins in the arena. How about a sparring session? You could help me improve my swordsmanship," Bardock suggested.

"I am always up for a challenge. And call me Kyros," Kyros replied, willing to accept any challenge.

"Why not do it today? I'm Bardock, and this is Hancock," Bardock introduced themselves.

"Sure, we could spar near the Flower Fields. At this time, there won't be anyone around, so we won't disturb others," Kyros suggested.

"I know the Flower Fields. I heard it's a beautiful place. Aren't you afraid we might damage it?" Bardock asked with a grin.

Kyros looked at Bardock in confusion. "We're just sparring near the fields, not in the middle of them. How would we destroy them?"

Fair enough, Bardock thought. When I was a kid, I was the bane of canola flowers. Seeing all those sunflowers, and with a sword in my hand, I feel an irresistible urge, you know?

Bardock and Kyros squared off, suddenly charging at each other at the same time. Bardock only used his eye abilities this time, so the moment their swords clashed, he felt a powerful force coming his way.

Luckily, he had spent time studying the duel between Mihawk and Shanks, thinking about various ways to respond to different sword techniques. He used the force to retreat and avoided engaging Kyros directly. Instead, he relied on his eyesight to find openings and his swift movements to disrupt Kyros's rhythm.

Kyros was truly a swordsman who had won 3,000 matches in the arena. Every time Bardock seemed to find an opening, Kyros countered flawlessly.

Kyros was also perplexed. Bardock's current swordsmanship was still a long way from that of a true swordsman; he was merely proficient with a sword. Yet, their fight was evenly matched. In terms of swordsmanship and strength, Bardock was at a disadvantage, but he managed to seize the gaps in Kyros's attacks, forcing him to fight cautiously.

After quite a while, Kyros, having repelled Bardock once more, ended the match.

Ordinary sword techniques had already been tested and proved ineffective. Powerful finishing moves weren't suitable for a sparring match, so he might as well declare a draw.

Bardock, rarely encountering such a skilled swordsman, was left wanting more. However, he knew that his swordsmanship still had a long way to go; he needed to continue solidifying his fundamentals.

Viola was astonished. Bardock was young, yet he could fight Kyros to such an extent. She knew Kyros was the strongest person in Dressrosa.

"Princess Viola, please lead the way. Let's head to Green Bit," Bardock said with a calm smile.