The explosion came suddenly and dissipated quickly.
After shattering the weak point of Dressrosa’s underground rocky layers, causing Dressrosa to split into four, the turmoil gradually subsided.
Fortunately, the Marine soldiers who received the order to evacuate to a distant location managed to escape the flames. They now emerged from the water and began busily rescuing their comrades. An ensign wearing the Justice cape stood on a towering rock, gazing ahead with a bewildered and terrified expression.
He couldn’t understand anything.
Dressrosa… How could it explode?
What kind of power could destroy this kingdom, composed of solid rock, in such a manner?
In the face of this heaven-alarming and earth-shattering terrifying force, there was nothing they could do but endure the impact of the raging shockwaves and be thrown into the sea.
“Sir, we have only found seventy of our comrades. The others…”
At this moment, a corporal approached the leader with a sorrowful expression on her face.
They had already begun rescuing their people as soon as possible, but they could only find seventy. Considering the speed at which the waves spread, the others were either swept into the depths of the sea and drowned or carried away for miles, making it difficult to rescue them.
There were not many people who came down from the Qilin, but including themselves, there were only a hundred left out of the initial three to four hundred!
They were a detachment stationed at the southern gate of the Underground Port, and the northern gate, closer to the center of the explosion, would likely have a more disastrous fate than theirs!
“Understood…”
The middle-aged Ensign Officer fell silent. After a moment of silence, he gave his command.
“Contact Colonel Dante and tell him we need support. The rest… those who are still alive, follow me!”
The corporal was taken aback and asked, “Where are we going?”
“We… are going to save Vice Admiral Rowen!”
The middle-aged Ensign Officer clenched his fists tightly as he spoke with a serious expression on his face.
He didn’t know that Doflamingo had prepared Sea Stone powder for Rowen, which would make any Devil Fruit user lose their powers with just a small intake. But he knew that with Dressrosa crumbling if Rowen was okay, he would definitely make a big commotion to inform all the soldiers.
However, there had been no news since the explosion subsided, indicating that something had gone wrong.
Upon hearing the Ensign Officer’s command, the surrounding soldiers began to realize the situation and started organizing their equipment, preparing to swim in the sea.
They were on a huge rock that had broken away from Dressrosa, and on the other side of the rock, facing downward, there were even remnants of houses that had not been completely destroyed. As for the ruins of Dressrosa, it was still a few hundred meters away, separated by a trench.
…
Huā Lā La!
The loud buzzing sound of the large and sturdy mechanical arm echoed as it lifted the small submarine from the water and dropped it into the cabin. Lirisk sat on a nearby sofa, holding a glass of wine, with Zero wearing the Fukuro mask beside him.
Bang!
“Ouch!” The mechanical arm roughly dropped the submarine, causing Sugar to cry out in pain as she staggered to her feet.
“Young lord, where are we…”
Through the window, Sugar immediately saw the scene outside.
Inside the gigantic submarine, which resembled a sea monster, the surroundings were brightly lit, as if it were daytime. The walls and floor were made of solid metal plates, seamlessly joined together.
Sugar was certain that outside, the sea was in a state of violent turbulence during this peak period. Their submarine was on the verge of being torn apart by the rushing sea currents. However, inside here, apart from the faint tremors caused by the flowing water, there was not a single ripple.
Moreover, the man sitting on the sofa looked familiar in his attire.
As she looked at him, Sugar’s words became incoherent, and she opened her mouth in shock.
“Wh… What…”
Smack!
A large hand slapped her shoulder, and a familiar presence engulfed her.
“Calm down, Sugar. Let me go meet an old friend.” Doflamingo, looking somewhat disheveled with his clothes soaked in seawater, pushed aside his wet feather coat and approached the cabin door.
Boom!
He kicked open the door and walked down, spreading his arms.
“Long time no see, Lirisk!”
“After ten years apart, I never expected you to still look so young…”
However, Lirisk didn’t pay attention to his enthusiastic greeting. He picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and spoke slowly.
“It seems you’re not surprised to see me here. Donquixote Doflamingo.”
“No, no, no. I was genuinely surprised when I heard you were found!”
Doflamingo approached step by step, and Zero instinctively wanted to stop him, but a single glance from Lirisk made him back off. Doflamingo nonchalantly sat at the other end of the sofa, crossed his legs, and picked up a pastry from the table, stuffing it into his mouth.
“After all, I saw you being swept away by the explosion. I thought you were completely annihilated. But not only are you alive, but you’re also even lively and kicking. It’s quite… unbelievable!”
Upon hearing these words, Zero’s expression behind the mask trembled, and he looked at Lirisk again.
“Should I kill him…”
Lirisk nodded as if responding to an irrelevant remark.
“Yes, my lord!”
Zero respectfully nodded, his eyes flickering with killing intent. He raised his right hand, adorned with sea beast skin gloves, and swung it forward.
Buzz!
Inside the submarine, Sugar looked horrified. She watched as the man in the white suit waved his hand, and in an instant, the black-suited men and the large group of staff standing around turned into a cloud of dust, dissipating bit by bit in the air, from head to toe.
There were no screams, no chaos.
With just a wave of his hand, dozens of vibrant lives vanished into thin air!
“How… Howw… Devil Fruit!” Sugar was suddenly overwhelmed by fear. This invisible method of killing with ease could only be explained by a Devil Fruit ability.
“My lord, what about the little girl…”
Zero asked, looking at the submarine, referring to the surrounding eavesdroppers.
“No need to bother. Her fruit ability is interesting; she might be useful.”
“Understood!”
Sugar didn’t realize she had narrowly escaped her death. When Zero’s mask aimed at her, her heart started pounding, sweat poured down her body, and then she tilted her head and fainted.
Thud!
As the user of the fruit ability, Sugar fell unconscious, and simultaneously, the effects of the Hobi Hobi no Mi (Toy Toy Fruit) were lifted. Violet, the purple toy bear, was pleasantly surprised to find herself restored to normal.
However, before she could rejoice, Zero instantly moved from a distance to the right in front of her, looking down at her from a superior position.
“Who are you?!”
…
(End of the chapter)
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