[~1400 Words]
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Sugar popped another grape into her mouth, chewing slowly, as she rarely let the fruit leave her hand.
"Huh? Now that you mention it, why does it seem like no one's moving outside?" Trebol tilted his head, his voice carrying a strange note of confusion. "Just when we need them most, why are they all gone at a time like this?"
Baby-5's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, as if a special switch had been flipped inside her. She looked at the other two with bright enthusiasm.
"It sounds like someone needs help! What do you need me to do?"
"Fix this screen!" Sugar quickly seized the opportunity.
"Okay!" Baby-5 replied cheerfully. She jumped in front of the monitor, dismantled it with swift, practiced movements, and began repairing it with loud clanging sounds.
Trebol, growing curious, left Sugar's side and wandered toward the door. He couldn't hear a single sound from outside, which felt wrong. He wanted to see what the rest of the family members were up to.
The moment he opened the door, a large hand filled his vision and moved with terrifying speed. He had no time to react.
**Bang!**
*Sizzle—sizzle—*
The heavy thud of a head slamming into the ground, followed by the crackle of electricity, immediately drew Baby-5 and Sugar's attention.
They turned to see Trebol being grabbed by the head and brutally smashed into the floor by a man. His body convulsed violently as it endured the intense electric current.
Even the thick mucus he used to fake his obese appearance evaporated under the high heat, revealing his true form: a thin, hunched, and surprisingly frail body.
"Trebol!!" Sugar shrieked, stumbling back a step as if facing a deadly enemy.
Baby-5's expression turned solemn, yet her hands never stopped repairing the screen. The sharp clanging noises echoed harshly in the tense room.
"Oh, it seems I've arrived at quite an interesting place!"
The newcomer was James. With a casual wave of his hand, white lightning surged forth, mercilessly plundering Trebol's Sticky Fruit power and storing it away in his personal space.
Without hesitation, he kicked the critically injured Trebol, sending him flying.
*Whoosh—Bang!*
Trebol traced a dark arc through the air before smashing hard into the far wall, embedding deeply into it. His fate was unknown.
"Trebol… Is he… Is he dead…?" Sugar's eyes widened in shock.
Though she had eaten the Hobi Hobi no Mi and her appearance was forever locked in her teenage years, Sugar was actually twenty years old. Her real mental age, however, remained a mystery known only to herself.
Baby-5 showed almost no reaction to Trebol's miserable state. In a flash, she positioned herself in front of Sugar, her right arm transforming into a missile launcher aimed directly at James.
It was clear: if James made even the slightest move to harm Sugar, she would fire without hesitation.
James stepped slowly into the room, revealing the graceful figure of Violet behind him.
"Violet! Have you betrayed the Young Master?" Sugar asked incredulously.
"Betrayal? Heh~" Violet curled her lip in clear disdain. "I was never Doflamingo's subordinate to begin with."
James raised a hand calmly. "Don't get excited, Baby-5. We're not enemies here. I need you to lower your weapons so we can talk peacefully, alright?"
"You…" Sugar started to retort, but she quickly noticed something strange about Baby-5.
"I… I'm needed…? You just said you needed me, right?!"
Baby-5's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. She obediently retracted her weapon, her solemn expression melting away into one of eager anticipation.
James's lips curved into a charming smile. He beckoned her closer with a gentle, coaxing tone.
"Yes, yes, yes! I need you very much—more than anyone else."
"Come to my side. With me, you'll be needed endlessly. I'll fill that empty heart of yours completely."
"Hey, hey! Baby-5, he's lying to you! Don't believe him!" Sugar cried out desperately, trying to stop her.
"I need you very much too~" Sugar said.
"Oh my…" The conflicting "needs" from both sides seemed to overload Baby-5's brain. She froze, unsure which command to follow first.
"You're Sugar, right?" James turned his gaze to the cute girl wearing a small crown and bear hood, studying her with clear interest.
[Oh no… This is bad!!!]
Sugar's heart skipped a beat. She had been so focused on Trebol and Baby-5 that she had completely forgotten about herself—she was just as vulnerable!
[Violet has already been subdued by him, so he must know about my ability. I won't even be able to play the pity card…]
"Stop muttering to yourself," James said lightly. "Don't worry, I won't let you go. If you behave well, I might even give you fewer 'small punishments' later~"
In a burst of lightning, James instantly appeared behind Sugar.
"So fast!"
Her small, delicate body could never withstand a full-powered strike from him. Instead, James simply pressed a thick Sea Prism Stone rod gently against her lower back. The effect was immediate—her body went limp and she collapsed to the floor.
"Wuwu~ What do you want to do to me? Let go!"
"Oh? It seems you have the potential to be quite the mischievous little brat~"
James grabbed her slender arms, crossed them behind her back, and with a crisp *click*, snapped a pair of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs into place.
"Now, it's time for Sugar's adorable capture segment~"
He turned back to Baby-5 with a confident smile. "Baby-5, I'm the winner here now—and the one who needs you the most. Well? Do you know whose command… whose need you should follow?"
"I… I know!" Baby-5 replied sweetly, her voice bright with excitement. Deep down, however, she was secretly thrilled.
[I'm… I'm needed by him again!!]
"First, come behind me and massage my shoulders~"
"Okay!" Her eyes sparkled. She hurried behind James and began gently kneading his shoulders with her soft hands.
She was still wearing her signature maid outfit, and the white katyusha headband on her head bobbed like waves, perfectly matching her joyful mood.
James considered the situation for a moment. He couldn't take Sugar's Hobi Hobi no Mi away just yet. It would be inconvenient while he still had to deal with all the toys she had created.
Once everything calmed down, he would gather, destroy, reorganize, or process the toys in one go.
He was no savior, after all.
Most of the people Sugar had turned into toys were desperate gladiators who had fought for money in the arena—individuals with little value for his country's future development.
There were also some rebels who had resisted Doflamingo's rule and remained fiercely loyal to King Riku. Their fate would depend on the situation; if they submitted to Violet, they might still keep their lives.
The rest—especially scientists and skilled professionals from various fields—would have a real chance to survive and contribute.
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**Character Note:**
**Baby-5**: Black hair, sweet appearance, always dressed as a maid. She desperately longs to be needed by others and cannot refuse anyone who says they need her. The best way to handle her is to keep her obediently within his harem sanctuary, where she can feel constantly needed.
**Sugar**: Never lets go of her grapes. A BUG-level existence whose touch can turn anyone into a toy. Monet's younger sister. Currently a twenty-year-old cunning loli in the body of a child. The real question is: how exactly should he "bully" her?
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