Just as the situation in Dressrosa was reaching its grim conclusion, Viola, who had journeyed alone to Green Bit, was finally discovered by a Tontatta patrol. With their help, she was granted an audience with King Gancho.
"Your Majesty, we need your help now," Viola said urgently the moment she saw him, getting straight to the point.
"Princess Viola, we are aware of your purpose in coming here. We know what has happened in Dressrosa, but... our power is also limited," Gancho said, beating around the bush, not immediately agreeing to her request.
Even if he had the ability to help, the ones suffering now were the Riku Royal Family. What did that have to do with the Tontatta tribe? Although the dwarves were naive, kind-hearted, and had previously received the Riku family's favor, Gancho was not foolish enough to drag his entire tribe into this vortex.
"But, Your Majesty, Green Bit and Dressrosa are inseparable!" Viola pleaded desperately. "And over the years, you have received much aid from us! Now that Dressrosa is in peril, how can you stand by and watch us perish?"
"Princess Viola, please do not be anxious," Gancho explained with a placid smile. "We are naturally grateful for the kindness you have shown us over the years, and we have no intention of standing aside. We will help you where we can."
"That's wonderful! Your Majesty, please dispatch your troops at once!" Hearing Gancho's words, Viola felt a small measure of comfort.
"Princess Viola, I will be honest with you. I am not optimistic about the outcome of this war in Dressrosa," Gancho said calmly. "Even if the Tontatta tribe were to intervene, we would be no match for those pirates."
"How can that be? Aren't the dwarves several times stronger than ordinary humans? You're fairies!" Viola's tone was one of astonishment and confusion.
"Yes, and it is important to know one's own limits. The Tontatta are indeed much stronger than ordinary people, but those pirates are no ordinary men. They all have bounties over 100 million. They are incredibly powerful. Even Kyros is likely not their match," Gancho analyzed.
"Impossible..." Viola knew how strong Kyros was. Hearing Gancho's assessment, she began to panic.
She was still just a young girl, not the calm and mature woman she would one day become. She easily fell into the rhythm of Gancho's argument.
The Tontatta tribe was small, and every member was precious. Gancho had no desire to see his people die for nothing. Even though they owed a debt to the Riku family, he would not lead his tribe to ruin. His frankness was part of a calculated plan.
They had, by chance, recently rescued Doflamingo. And so, an idea had formed in his mind: he would use this favor to repay the debt owed to the Riku family.
After Doflamingo had left, Gancho had his people gather information on pirates from the Blue Sea. He was shocked by what he found and realized just what kind of man they had saved.
If he could convince Doflamingo to intervene, Dressrosa's current predicament could be solved in an instant. The only problem was, Gancho wasn't sure if the Riku family would accept help from a pirate.
Especially a pirate with the name Donquixote. Gancho now knew Doflamingo's full name, and it naturally put him on guard. He had not forgotten the history of conflict between the Donquixote family and the dwarves. But he kept this to himself. Leo, Wicca, and the others still admired Doflamingo, and from Doflamingo's own behavior, he hadn't shown any malice toward them. Because of this, he hadn't said anything.
There were other reasons as well. First, Doflamingo was a pirate and had no conflict of interest with them. Although his name was Donquixote, he had broken away from that family. Second, Leo and the others had gotten along very well with him. Gancho was willing to foster a good relationship with Doflamingo, to keep a valuable card up his sleeve.
Viola, of course, knew nothing of Gancho's shrewd calculations. All she wanted was to save Dressrosa.
"The fact is, even if we were to act, I don't believe we could change the outcome of the battle. On the contrary, it might plunge Dressrosa into an even greater crisis," Gancho said calmly, laying the groundwork for what he would say next.
"Then what should I do? Your Majesty, what can I do to save Dressrosa?" Viola asked, her voice choked with tears.
"Princess Viola, do not despair. I know someone who can help us resolve this crisis. Even those pirates are like ants before him," Gancho said comfortingly.
Hearing that there was someone who could help, Viola was overjoyed. She stared at Gancho and asked, "Who is it?"
"He... is also a pirate," Gancho said, a little awkwardly.
"A pirate? No, that's out of the question! Father would never agree!" Viola shook her head like a rattle drum, rejecting the idea outright.
"In that case, I am out of options," Gancho said, his tone final. "However, I will send some of my people to help you. Just... don't hold out too much hope."
"Alright... fine." Viola was lost in a fog of confusion. Gancho's suggestion both frightened and tempted her. If the king was willing to ask this pirate for help, he must be trustworthy. But she couldn't make that decision. She would have to ask her father and sister.
She had come with a glimmer of hope, only to return facing an even deeper despair.
Viola had done all that she could.
"Wait... may I ask who he is?" Before leaving, Viola finally asked the question that had been weighing on her mind.
"Doflamingo. Captain of the Donquixote Pirates, and a friend to our Tontatta tribe," Gancho said, adding a little polish to his own reputation with a hint of pride.
"Doflamingo..."
Viola murmured the name as she led the small group of Tontatta warriors back to Dressrosa.
When she arrived, she found the two armies facing each other in the streets of the capital.
As expected, King Riku's side were the undisputed losers. Their dignity and honor were gone.
Every face was etched with failure, resentment, and helplessness.
"Hahaha! If you'd just been this sensible from the start, I wouldn't have had to slaughter you all! You people are just a bunch of stubborn fools who won't learn until it's too late!"
Monroe and his men reveled in their victory, flaunting their glory before the defeated King Riku and his followers.
"You!"
Kyros looked up, glaring daggers at Monroe.
"What? Am I wrong?" Monroe said with a chuckle, ignoring Kyros's murderous gaze. "The defeated have no right to bargain. Since you've lost, you must accept the consequences."
"What do you want?" King Riku asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
"Hahaha! Treasure, of course! What pirate doesn't love treasure?"
Hearing that all they wanted was treasure, King Riku's men seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. If it was only treasure, it didn't seem too excessive. It was a worthy trade for the peace of Dressrosa.
Just as they relaxed, Monroe made his exorbitant demand. "I want ten billion Berries. I'm sure that's an easy feat for you, isn't it?"
"Ten billion Berries?! That's... that's our lives! Our royal treasury isn't that wealthy! Why don't you just rob us blind?"
Viola, having just arrived on the scene, shouted in outrage.
Hearing his beloved daughter's voice, King Riku's expression changed. Kyros also grew tense, afraid that his sister-in-law's words would anger the pirates.
But contrary to their fears, Monroe and his men did nothing to Viola.
"Viola, come here, quickly," King Riku said nervously.
Viola realized the danger she was in and quickly ran to her father's side.
"Father."
"Are you alright, Viola?"
The father-daughter reunion was a brief, warm moment in the cold reality.
"Heh, I don't care," Monroe said, ignoring Viola as she passed him. He had no need to squabble with a girl. "I want my money. If you don't have it, I'm sure your subjects do. Speaking of which, King Riku, you're not a very good king, are you? Can't even come up with such a small sum."
"Small sum?"
Hearing Monroe's casual, greedy demand, King Riku and his men seethed with anger.
"What's the matter, King Riku? I've already given you a solution," Monroe said with a grin.
"If you leave, you will have your ten billion Berries," King Riku said through clenched teeth.
"Spoken like a true king! Very generous!" Barossa praised him with a grand gesture.
"I'll give you half a day. Otherwise, prepare for Dressrosa to become a ghost town," Monroe threatened with a wicked smile.
"We're leaving," King Riku said, ignoring Monroe's threat and turning to lead his remaining people away.
"Remember, King Riku! Only half a day! Half a day!"
Monroe's arrogant voice echoed behind them, making King Riku and his followers clench their teeth in hatred.
Once they were gone, the smile vanished from Monroe's face.
The pirate captains gathered in a hidden place and made a call.
"Sir, we are continuing to pressure King Riku. We've even forced him to target his own citizens," Monroe reported truthfully.
"You've done well. Now we just wait for the relationship between Riku and his subjects to completely shatter. Also, I hear King Riku has a good relationship with the Tontatta tribe. It's time to make a move on them."
"We understand, sir."
"Excellent."
After ending the call, Monroe and the others looked forward to the next stage of the plan.
The chaos in Dressrosa had quieted down for now. But soon, it was bound to get much livelier.