Violet watched as Donquixote Doflamingo vanished from her sight, leaving only a faint disturbance in the air behind him. With nothing else to do, she turned back toward the palace.
Along the way, she passed many residents of Dressrosa.
In the past, these same people would greet her warmly, their smiles sincere and open. Now, their eyes shifted away the moment they met hers, their expressions uneasy, their gazes evasive.
When King Riku Doldo III finally regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by a crowd. Soldiers of the Riku Royal Army stood guard alongside ordinary citizens, all watching him closely.
Relief surged through him. The familiar sight of his people gathered around gave him hope that his long-earned prestige still remained intact, that they still trusted him.
Just as he opened his mouth to explain what had happened earlier, a soldier noticed he had awakened and quickly spoke first.
"Your Majesty, Sir Kyros and the two princesses have been rescued."
"Is that so? That's good."
King Riku exhaled deeply, and the tension in the room eased. Many had feared that he would lose control again and continue his earlier rampage.
One of the citizens stepped forward, speaking with careful consideration.
"Your Majesty, your actions before were for the sake of your family. That is understandable. If it were us, we might have done the same."
The Riku family's reputation, built over eight hundred years, was not so easily erased. With Doflamingo's earlier explanation, most people had accepted what they saw as a desperate act born of love.
A king could make mistakes and still be forgiven.
Yet something had changed.
The words of Oni-Face Rambo had taken root. In their hearts, King Riku was no longer the flawless ruler they once believed him to be. He was kind, yes, but ineffective. A king unable to lead his nation out of poverty, unable to protect it from threats.
Dressrosa's peace had always been fragile, maintained not by strength, but by weakness.
And now, a seed had been planted.
They wanted a different kind of king.
"No, that's not it," King Riku said urgently, his voice tightening. "I was being controlled!"
The memory of losing control over his own body still burned within him, sharp and unbearable.
"Is that so… I see." The man who had spoken earlier smiled awkwardly, offering no further response.
King Riku looked around, panic rising in his chest.
"What I'm saying is the truth. You must believe me!"
Silence answered him.
Eyes shifted away. No one dared meet his gaze.
The weight of that silence pressed down on him, leaving him helpless.
Trying to regain control of the conversation, he asked, "Did the pirates retreat on their own?"
A Royal Army officer shook his head.
"No. It was the Shichibukai, 'Heavenly Yaksha,' who drove them away."
"Heavenly Yaksha…" King Riku frowned.
A nearby citizen spoke with excitement, unable to hide his admiration.
"He was incredible. The pirates fled the moment they saw him. They didn't even dare to fight!"
King Riku clenched his teeth.
"That's right. It must be him. Donquixote Doflamingo. His Devil Fruit allows him to control others. I was under his control!"
The crowd exchanged glances.
Disdain quietly surfaced in their hearts.
He saved your family. He saved the kingdom. He even explained your actions to preserve your reputation.
And now you accuse him?
To them, King Riku's words sounded less like truth and more like evasion.
His image sank further.
Realizing what they were thinking, King Riku grew more frantic.
"You have to think about it. Isn't it too coincidental that he appeared at that exact moment?"
A soldier coughed lightly before replying in a neutral tone.
"Your Majesty, he came at the request of the Marines. The situation was urgent. They had no choice but to seek his help."
King Riku froze.
"…I see."
The explanation felt too clean, too convenient, yet everyone around him accepted it without question.
At that moment, he noticed someone missing.
"Where is Violet? Scarlett, where is she?"
Scarlett replied calmly, "She went with Heavenly Yaksha to pursue the pirates. You can ask her when she returns."
As if summoned by those words, Violet stepped into the hall.
"Where is Doflamingo?" King Riku asked immediately.
"He left."
"Did he make any demands?"
She shook her head.
King Riku paused, then asked quietly, "And the pirates?"
"They… sank into the sea. Ship and all."
Silence fell again.
But this time, it carried a different weight.
In King Riku's heart, something shattered.
The trust he had spent decades building was slipping away.
Far above the sea, Doflamingo stood in midair, gazing down at the waters below. The surface churned as a submarine emerged.
He landed lightly atop it.
Members of the Ghost-faced Pirate Crew stepped forward, including Oni-Face Rambo.
"Young Master, what are your orders?"
"Your role is finished," Doflamingo replied with a faint smile. "Return to North Blue. Stay there for two years and keep certain forces in check."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"It seems some people have grown restless in my absence."
Though he had briefly considered eliminating them to erase loose ends, he abandoned the thought. Their strength was useful, and in the New World, power alone was never enough.
After dismissing them, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Prepare yourselves," he said lazily. "In seven days… we attack Dressrosa."
"Fufufufu…"
His laughter echoed across the sea.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.
Back in the palace, King Riku stood before his daughters and Kyros, his voice filled with desperation.
"I was controlled. You must believe me."
Scarlett spoke gently, trying to calm him.
"Father, the citizens have already forgiven you. There's no need to dwell on it."
Kyros added in a steady tone, "What matters now is moving forward."
Even Violet, who distrusted Doflamingo, found it difficult to fully accept her father's claim.
The truth was simple.
No one had seen the strings.
No one had felt them.
And so, no one believed.
Days later, another pirate attack struck Dressrosa.
This time, Kyros led the defense.
But the enemy was different.
Stronger. Organized. Ruthless.
Though Kyros fought with everything he had, facing the pirate captain and three powerful officers at once, even he was pushed to his limits.
From afar, King Riku and the others watched anxiously.
A citizen approached him.
"Your Majesty, have you requested Marine support?"
"They will arrive in a few hours," King Riku replied.
"A few hours…" The man hesitated. "Should we ask Heavenly Yaksha for help?"
King Riku's expression darkened instantly.
"No. That man brings disaster."
The surrounding citizens fell silent, disappointment clear in their eyes.
Their faith in him continued to erode.
As the battle dragged on, the tide turned against Kyros.
Hidden above the battlefield, Doflamingo watched with interest.
"What a shame," he murmured. "Such talent."
Then, his fingers twitched.
A nearly invisible string descended.
In the chaos of battle, Kyros felt a sudden chill, but before he could react, the string pierced his arm, wrapping around his veins.
Pain exploded through his body.
His sword slipped from his grasp.
The pirates seized the opportunity.
Blades struck one after another.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
With a final, brutal strike, Kyros's arm was severed, and moments later, his body collapsed to the ground.
He died with his eyes still open.
The fall of Dressrosa's strongest warrior shattered the army's morale.
The pirates surged forward, slaughtering soldiers, pillaging towns, and dragging civilians away.
By the time the Marines arrived, the damage was already done.
The kingdom lay in ruins.
And in the eyes of the people, there was only one person to blame.
King Riku.
Hatred spread like wildfire.
Every loss, every death, every destroyed home became a weight placed upon his shoulders.
Their trust was gone.
Their loyalty turned to resentment.
And in that growing chaos, Doflamingo's shadow loomed ever larger.
Weeks later, under the cover of night, King Riku moved once again.
Not by his own will.
Threads descended silently from the sky.
His body obeyed.
Step by step, he walked toward the port.
Toward the flag of the Donquixote Pirates.
Inside his mind, he screamed.
But his body did not listen.
Before the eyes of soldiers and citizens alike, he raised a torch and set the flag ablaze.
Flames devoured it.
The symbol of protection turned to ash.
And with it, the fate of Dressrosa was sealed.
Panic erupted across the kingdom.
The act was undeniable.
An attack on a pirate's flag was a declaration of war.
The people, terrified of what would come next, turned on their king.
They seized him.
And in the chaos, a single gunshot rang out.
King Riku fell.
Dead.
No one saw who pulled the trigger.
With the king gone, fear consumed Dressrosa.
In the end, the decision came swiftly.
The throne was offered to Doflamingo.
When his response arrived, it was merciful… on the surface.
He would forgive them.
He would protect them.
And he would become their king.
From that moment on, Dressrosa belonged to him.
Not just its land.
Not just its throne.
But its people.
Every last one of them.