Bardock and the others turned to look. A delicate Tontatta princess was walking up behind Leo. She was tiny and utterly adorable, wearing a fluffy, oversized dress. Her long blonde hair was tied into twin buns, with the rest of her golden locks flowing freely down her back.
Seeing the big humans staring at her, Mansherry shyly ducked behind Leo, but her voice remained firm. "I agree, Father."
"Tonta Chief, I will protect the Princess!" Leo declared proudly. He reached to his waist and drew a small needle—the physical manifestation of his "Jutsu," the Sew-Sew Fruit that allowed him to stitch absolutely anything together.
"How about it, King Gancho?" Bardock smiled. "I'll protect them both, too. After all, we're going to be crewmates from now on."
Gancho sighed, utterly at a loss. As a father, the last thing he wanted was to send his little girl off on a dangerous adventure. But as a Tontatta, they owed a massive, unpayable debt to Mont Blanc Noland; they simply couldn't turn a blind eye to his ruined legacy.
"But they're just children," Violet protested, frowning at Bardock. "Isn't it far too dangerous to drag them out into the open sea right now? Can't you choose older warriors?"
"Princess Violet, I'm not going to sail them straight into the New World or the City of Gold," Bardock explained calmly. "The Grand Line is definitely too perilous right now. We're going to navigate the West Blue for a few years to train and gain experience. I won't officially bring them into the Grand Line until I'm absolutely certain we're ready."
Violet pursed her lips. She desperately wanted to argue further, but she knew it wasn't her place to aggressively interfere in Tontatta affairs.
"Ah... my daughter is going to be away from home for years?" King Gancho gripped his tiny head, looking utterly heartbroken. "Will I really not see her for that long?"
Seeing the King's misery, Bardock felt a twinge of guilt, but remembering how Doflamingo would inevitably conquer Dressrosa and imprison Mansherry to exploit her healing powers, his resolve hardened. He reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi, gently placing it in front of the King.
"King Gancho, this is a Den Den Mushi," Bardock explained. "It allows for long-distance communication. It's very easy to take care of—just feed it some cabbage or greens. Once I get my hands on another one, I'll have Mansherry call you."
Remembering how the anime Tontattas had "released" Robin's Den Den Mushi back into the wild, Bardock quickly added a stern warning. "And remember! The receiver and the dial on its shell are artificial parts! Do not remove them, or it won't work anymore!" He then spent a few minutes teaching the dwarves exactly how to operate the snail.
"Alright, that just about settles it," Bardock said, turning to Hancock. "Are we taking care of your issue right now, or do you want to wait until we're back on the boat?"
"Let's wait until we're on the boat," Hancock replied smoothly. Though anxious, she kept her composure. This wasn't the right environment for it. She had already mentally steeled herself; even if Mansherry literally had to carve the flesh from her back, she was going to erase that mark today.
"Then it's settled! King Gancho, I'm going to go catch a couple of Fighting Fish! Let's throw a massive banquet to celebrate this great alliance!"
"No, no, no! We couldn't possibly ask our guests to do the hunting! Leave it to us!"
"Then let's go catch them together!"
Deep within Green Bit, a joyous, lively banquet eventually gave way to a melancholic farewell. Gancho clung to Mansherry's tiny hands, tearfully showering her with endless advice and warnings.
"King Gancho, it's time for us to go," Bardock reminded him gently.
"Mansherry, make sure you call us often!" Gancho sobbed.
"Leo! You protect the Princess with your life, or don't bother coming back!" Leo's grandmother shouted over the crowd.
"I know, I know!" Leo promised, puffing out his chest.
Bardock and Hancock led the way out of the underground kingdom. Leo and Mansherry, carrying the heavy responsibility of clearing Noland's name and buzzing with the excitement of an adventure, hurried after them.
Violet and Kyros had left shortly after the banquet ended. As the only public Princess and the Commander of the Riku Royal Army, they were incredibly busy and had a mountain of daily affairs to manage.
"Mansherry, Leo, the 'Jutsu' you two use is actually known across the seas as Devil Fruit abilities," Bardock explained as they walked through the giant forest. "Here, let me show you mine."
"Devil Fruits? Bardock, you can use Jutsu too?!" Leo gasped.
"Watch this." Bardock exhaled a puff of white cloud, which rapidly expanded into the Flying Nimbus. He effortlessly hopped onto it. "This is just one of my abilities. I'll show you the rest later. Hop on!"
"Whoa! So cool! Can we ride it too?!" Leo prepared to jump, but Mansherry suddenly hopped onto his back, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.
"Leo, I can't reach! Carry me!" she demanded.
"Seriously, Princess, you really need to start training," Leo grumbled. Despite the extra weight, the tiny dwarf leaped onto the floating cloud with terrifying, effortless speed. The Tontatta truly possessed incredible physical strength; it was no wonder the locals called them fairies.
Once Hancock boarded, Bardock commanded the Nimbus into the air, flying straight toward his parked sloop. Since he had already fully stocked the boat with provisions the day before, they could set sail immediately.
"Whoa! This is amazing, Bardock!" Leo cheered, feeling the rush of flying high above the ground for the first time. "Can it go even faster?!"
"Of course it can! Hold on tight, Leo, Mansherry! Accelerating!"
The Nimbus instantly doubled its speed, blurring into a streak of gold that ordinary humans wouldn't even be able to track.
"Whoa! So fast! The wind is so strong!"
Bardock and Hancock landed in a secluded, empty alleyway near the port and walked the rest of the way to the Monkey King. Leo and Mansherry hid securely inside a miniaturized piece of the Nimbus tucked into Bardock's coat. Keeping with their tribe's long-standing traditions, they preferred not to expose themselves to the casual gazes of big humans.
Once back on the boat, Bardock did a quick pre-departure inspection to ensure everything was in order.
"Oh, crap," Bardock suddenly muttered, slapping his forehead. "I only bought the Eternal Pose to get us here. I completely forgot to buy one for the trip back!"
Hancock gave him a completely deadpan look. Thankfully, Shakky was a seasoned veteran who planned for everything. Hancock reached into her dress and pulled out a small piece of paper. "Look. Shakky gave me her Vivre Card. It'll point us straight back to the archipelago."
"As expected of a true veteran. Good thing she's got our backs," Bardock sighed in relief. "Alright, Hancock, it's your turn. Once your issue is taken care of, we set sail."
While Bardock was highly confident Mansherry's Heal-Heal Fruit could erase the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, he still needed to see the results to be absolutely sure. There was always a slim chance her abilities hadn't developed enough yet.
Hancock gently scooped up Mansherry and walked into the ship's cabin, shutting the door behind them. Faint, muffled whispers drifted through the wood for a few minutes—likely Hancock explaining the exact nature of the brand and asking for her help.
A few moments later, the cabin door clicked open and Mansherry stepped out. Her big eyes were completely red and puffy, tears streaming down her tiny cheeks. Leo immediately ran over, anxiously asking what was wrong, but Mansherry just shook her head, hiccuping softly.
Crying was how she activated her Devil Fruit, sure, but what did the head shake mean?
Bardock froze, his stomach sinking. 'Wait, did it fail?' He quickly knelt down to comfort the sobbing dwarf.
"Mansherry, it's okay," he said softly. "Your abilities just aren't fully developed yet. You'll definitely be able to do it when you're older."
"N-No, I succeeded!" Mansherry sniffled, wiping her eyes with her tiny hands. "I just feel so horrible for Hancock... What kind of evil people would ever hurt her like that? Waaah..."
Mansherry burst into fresh, empathetic tears.
Bardock sweatdropped, completely at a loss for how to comfort a crying Tontatta. Thankfully, Hancock stepped out of the cabin, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
How to describe it? Before, Hancock had struck Bardock as beautiful but guarded, wrapped in a fragile, hardened shell of trauma. Now? She was absolutely radiant. It was as if a thick layer of dust had finally been wiped away from a priceless jewel, allowing it to shine with a blinding, untethered brilliance.
"Hey, Hancock," Bardock grinned, leaning against the mast. "If it worked, why didn't you come out sooner? You had us worried sick out here."
"I just... I didn't expect it to be that simple," she said softly, a breathtaking, genuine smile gracing her lips. "It only erased the physical mark on my skin... but for the first time in three years, I feel like I'm finally free from the terror."