Chapter 240: Dressrosa
"Your methods are quite miraculous. My injuries have improved by quite a bit. Why didn't you just heal me completely?" Smoker could feel his injuries getting better, but Rodney hadn't healed him completely, which was quite uncomfortable.
"Haha, it's better to use this sparingly. It can shorten your lifespan," Rodney waved his hand and asked, "Where are Monkey D. Luffy and his crew?"
"They ran away. Trafalgar Law took a Garybusev with him, and the Straw Hat crew went along," Smoker shared the information generously. He didn't see Rodney as an enemy, and even if he did, he knew he couldn't win against him, so he figured he might as well cooperate.
"I see. It looks like I need to pay Dressrosa a visit. With a bit of luck, I might even take Doflamingo's head." Rodney chuckled and then turned to Violet. "I see you've become a Colonel in these two years, Violet. Aim for the rank of Vice Admiral."
"Oh, that's still a long way off," Violet said shyly, but her gaze was fixed on the sword at Rodney's waist.
Knowing she was a lover of swords, Rodney didn't say anything and simply handed her the sword, saying, "Take a look at this. It's the 21st-grade sword 'Shuusui.'"
He laughed with a hint of pride in his tone and then asked, "So, what's going on with those research facilities?"
"Why do you ask?" Smoker inquired.
"Of course, I want to know what's inside those research facilities and what kind of experiments they're conducting," Rodney explained.
"They're experimenting with artificial Devil Fruits and human gigantification. And those bastards are even using children for their experiments!" Violet's fists clenched as she spoke. Using children for experiments was unforgivable.
"So, that Garybusev guy used children for experiments too?" Rodney asked.
"Yes."
Rodney flexed his fingers and said with a sinister grin, "It looks like this guy is just as scummy as Caesar. He's a dead man walking. I'm telling you, killing a scumbag like him is no problem for me. Even though kids can be annoying, they are the future of the world, and no one has the right to harm them!"
His eyes flashed red, making him look even more menacing. He twisted his neck, took Shuusui from Violet's hands, and stood up.
"Where are you going, Rodney?"
"Dressrosa!"
He vanished into a blur, leaving Smoker to deeply realize that Rodney was indeed a monster. In just three or four years, he had far surpassed him and become a monster who could rival an Admiral.
"Monsters will always be monsters," Smoker muttered to himself, taking a drag from his cigarette. He chose to trust Rodney with this matter; he had entrusted it to someone who wouldn't die, after all.
The next morning, Doflamingo, who had returned to Dressrosa, announced in the newspapers that he was voluntarily resigning from his position as a Warlord of the Sea and the King of Dressrosa. This news sent shockwaves through Dressrosa.
In the hearts of these deceived Dressrosa citizens, Doflamingo was the perfect king. Unaware of his atrocities, the ordinary people of Dressrosa saw him as the ideal ruler, completely ignorant of what he had done. Compared to Riku King, who had taken their money, killed innocents, and betrayed them, Doflamingo, who had brought prosperity to Dressrosa, was undoubtedly a thousand times better.
If he resigned, what would they do?
In their minds, there was only one king fit for Dressrosa, and that was Doflamingo.
Rodney shook his head as he looked at the distressed people of Dressrosa. These people, who didn't know the truth, would probably suffer even more when they learned the truth.
Shaking his head, he picked up a Den Den Mushi and made a call. "Leave it to me. We no longer need Garybusev; I'll deal with him directly."
The person on the other end of the line fell silent for a moment before saying, "I've made an arrangement with Doflamingo. Since he's resigning from the Warlords and Dressrosa's throne, I'll hand Garybusev over to him."
The person on the other end was Law, and his words furrowed Rodney's brows. He didn't know Law's plan, but he knew Law would handle it brutally. Well, let Law do as he pleased; after all, as long as Luffy was around, nobody would die.
"I won't stop you. After Doflamingo, Dressrosa is my responsibility," Rodney said.
"Fine. After Doflamingo, it's yours," Law agreed.
Closing the Den Den Mushi, Rodney decided, "I'll head to the Dressrosa Colosseum now."
He sent a clone to the Colosseum while the real him headed to the location of Viola, his lover. However, when he arrived, he saw her in tears, pouring her heart out to Sanji, talking about how she had been deceived by a man and begging him to kill the man.
This wasn't uncommon in Dressrosa. The women of Dressrosa were passionate in love and hatred, and they were known for their strong jealousy. If betrayed by a man, they would resort to terrifying acts of revenge, especially the more beautiful women.
The more beautiful they were, the more likely they were to deceive others, as the saying went.
Sanji couldn't stand seeing women mistreated by men, and with his chivalrous spirit, he offered to help Viola take revenge. "Leave it to me, Miss Viola!"
At this moment, a hand patted Sanji's shoulder, and when he turned around, he saw Rodney, who had exited his Sage Mode. "Mr. Rodney?"
Viola's pupils shrank, and she took a step back involuntarily. Why had this terrifying man appeared here?
And he recognized her.
"What are you doing here, Sanji? Trying to pick up beautiful dancers like Miss Viola? If Miss Robin found out, she'd cry."
"I won't let Miss Robin cry. I'm just helping Miss Viola punish the scoundrel who betrayed her feelings," Sanji said, his eyes burning with anger.
"As I said, the more beautiful the woman, the more likely she is to deceive people. Miss Viola, you can stop pretending. Today, I will put an end to Doflamingo's era, and all you need to do is find your father," Rodney said.
"My father..." Viola lowered her head, her eyes avoiding Rodney's gaze.
"Miss Viola?"
Rodney smiled and said, "Follow me. I'll explain everything about what happened back then. Hmm, I remember there's a nice restaurant nearby."
The three of them entered a restaurant, and Rodney and Sanji briefly explained what had happened back then. "Everything that happened back then was just part of Doflamingo's plot. King Riku is a qualified king. Viola, as I told you before, waiting
with hope is essential. Now, hope has arrived! My strength is enough to kill Doflamingo and bring an end to his reign."
"Sugar?"
"Exactly! Sugar!"
(End of this chapter)