Before a single day of peace could pass, another disaster struck Dressrosa.
The pirates who had previously withdrawn had returned. The news shattered King Riku's last vestiges of hope, causing him to lose consciousness and fall gravely ill. With Scarlett already married and thus without rights of succession, the entire burden now fell upon Viola's shoulders. Walker, Simmons, and the others placed all their hopes in her.
Viola had never been in such a position, and the sudden responsibility caught her completely off guard. Thankfully, she had everyone's support, which prevented Dressrosa from descending into even greater panic. The public's opinion of Viola was slightly better than their view of King Riku, which made her temporary role a little less difficult.
However, the malicious rumors among the citizens continued to spread like wildfire, and the royal family was powerless to stop them.
It was one crisis after another. Just as King Riku had been planning to rally their forces, win back the people's trust, and quell the rumors, the simultaneous arrival of both the pirates and the Marines had caught the royal family completely by surprise.
Inside the royal palace, Viola, Kyros, and the others gathered to devise a plan.
"Your Highness, according to our reports, the pirates were forced to retreat to Dressrosa by the Marines."
As Walker said this, he felt a sliver of relief. At least the pirates hadn't gone back on their word and returned for more. If that had been the case, they would all be traitors to their country.
"The Marines are here?" Viola's heart lifted at the news. In her mind, the Marines were a force for justice; surely, they would protect them.
Seeing Viola's hopeful expression, Simmons had no choice but to pour cold water on her optimism.
"Your Highness, don't forget that Dressrosa has been disavowed by the World Government," Simmons said gravely. "The Marines' arrival now is not a good omen."
The smile on Viola's face vanished, replaced by a deep-seated worry.
"What should we do?" she asked helplessly.
"Let the pirates and the Marines kill each other. It has nothing to do with us," Walker suggested.
"That's a good idea, but they aren't fools. They won't just throw their lives away for nothing," the usually silent Scarlett finally spoke up, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "Besides, we don't know the Marines' true objective. Their arrival at this time can only mean trouble."
"I agree with Princess Scarlett," Simmons declared with a powerful voice. "But no matter what, we must defend Dressrosa."
They talked in circles, but no real solution emerged. Viola's head throbbed. For the first time, she truly understood the immense pressure her father had been under.
In the end, the decision was hers. Whether to fight or to retreat, it was all up to her.
"We will fight to the death! We will defend Dressrosa!" Viola rose to her feet, raising her arm and declaring with regal solemnity.
Be it pirates or Marines, Dressrosa would not fall.
For Dressrosa, for the citizens who had lived here for generations, for the homeland she could not bear to part with, Viola made her resolve. She would live or die with her kingdom. In that moment, she was a supreme queen, a kingly aura erupting from her.
"Fight to the death! For Dressrosa!"
Simmons, Walker, and Kyros roared in unison. Even Scarlett looked on with emotion at the majestic figure of her sister on the throne.
At that moment, Scarlett truly felt that Viola had grown up. She was no longer the little girl who used to trail behind her, calling out "Big Sister."
"Now, assemble all available troops! Prepare for battle against the Marines and the pirates!" Viola commanded in an orderly fashion.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Once everyone had left, the stern expression on Viola's face finally melted away, revealing the innocent look of the young woman she was.
"This must be hard on you, Viola. This was supposed to be my responsibility," Scarlett said, stepping forward and pulling her sister into a comforting embrace. Kyros, seeing the scene, tactfully excused himself to give the sisters their privacy.
"It's alright. Only now do I understand how difficult it was for Father. But no matter the cost, I will protect Dressrosa."
Seeing the determination on Viola's face, Scarlett felt a pang in her heart, mixed with a sense of shame.
The two sisters held each other in silence for a while, forgetting their troubles and finding warmth in their shared bond.
"Sister, I've made a decision," Viola said, looking up at Scarlett.
"What is it?" Scarlett asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly added, "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Viola nodded firmly, her resolve unshakeable.
"But… they're pirates, too! And after what happened, the Tontatta tribe must be heartbroken by our actions. They have no reason to help us," Scarlett pointed out.
"That's why we have to rescue them and atone for our mistake," Viola explained simply. "Then, through our connection with them, we can seek a chance for Dressrosa's survival. Otherwise, caught between the pirates and the Marines, how can we possibly survive?"
"Alright. Viola, you've really grown up," Scarlett said, gently stroking her sister's head with a happy smile.
"We'll do everything we can. I will defend the last inch of Dressrosa's soil."
Compared to Scarlett's joy and relief, Viola felt mostly frustration and helplessness, but she refused to give up even the slightest glimmer of hope.
"Dressrosa will be victorious!" Scarlett offered a rare word of encouragement.
"It will."
Both sisters' eyes held a resolve rarely seen by others.
Soon, the army was assembled, and Viola led them out to the field.
On Green Bit, the dwarves, who had been keeping a close watch on Dressrosa, noticed the return of the pirates and immediately relayed the news to Doflamingo.
When Doflamingo received their call, he simply told them not to worry and that he would be there to rescue them shortly.
Tens of thousands of meters up in the sky, the Donquixote Pirates remained hidden, undetected by the Marines below. Doflamingo had been preparing for this grand performance for a long time; there could be no mistakes.
With imposing momentum, the Marines, led by Akainu, advanced toward Dressrosa.
Monroe and his crew knew they couldn't possibly stand against Akainu, but under Doflamingo's orders, they had to drag King Riku down with them and muddle the waters of Dressrosa even further.
They made their way toward the Royal Plateau, drawing the attention of both the Marines and the Dressrosa army.
On the Marines' side, Akainu was indifferent to Monroe's games. He just wanted to find the man he was looking for.
"Have you contacted Commodore Vergo yet?" Akainu asked, his brow furrowed with impatience. If it weren't for the fact that there was a decent Marine asset on this island—one that Sengoku had specifically ordered him to bring back unharmed—he would have already turned Dressrosa into a volcanic hell with his Meteor Volcano.
Sensing the edge in Akainu's voice, the communications officer broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding with anxiety.
"I'm through!" he suddenly exclaimed with joy.
"Give it to me."
The officer quickly handed the Den Den Mushi to his superior, terrified of causing any delays.
"Is this Commodore Vergo?"
Akainu's cold, stern aura was so palpable that even through the Den Den Mushi, Vergo felt a jolt of fear.
"It is, Admiral Akainu," Vergo replied, his voice sounding weak.
"Where are you? Rendezvous with me at once. I'm about to initiate the Buster Call."
"A Buster Call?" Vergo's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly composed himself. "Understood."
"You have ten minutes."
With that, Akainu mercilessly hung up. Giving a mere Commodore ten minutes was a courtesy extended only out of respect for Sengoku.
The surrounding Marines remained deathly silent, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
While Akainu waited, Monroe and his crew ran into some old acquaintances. This time, however, the one leading them wasn't an old man, but a young woman.
"Well, look who it is! Such a warm welcome for old friends, you really shouldn't have! But where's King Riku?" Monroe taunted.
"Damned pirates! Who's friends with you? Have you no shame, trying to claim a connection like that?" Walker cursed.
At the same time, Kyros stepped forward, drawing his sword. "Damned pirates," he said, pointing his blade at Monroe. "Release the Tontatta now!"
"Hey, hey, this was a deal between us and King Riku! It was all agreed upon, wasn't it?" Barossa chimed in, stirring the pot.
"Stop spreading rumors," Viola stepped forward and said, her voice unwavering.
"Haha, has the Riku family run out of people? Sending a little girl out to take the heat," Monroe mocked.
"Enough of your nonsense. Hand over the dwarves," Kyros said, his sword held steady, his cold glare radiating an intimidating aura.
"We can give them to you, but with the Marines bearing down on us, isn't it about time King Riku fulfilled his promise?" Monroe sneered inwardly. He didn't care about the dwarves at all; the Donquixote Pirates had given him specific instructions not to harm them.
"Promise? What promise? Stop making things up. There was no such thing," Viola retorted.
"Kids will be kids. Go get your old man. What can a little brat like you decide?" Monroe said rudely.
"Insolence! This is Her Highness, the Princess!" Simmons shouted, drawing his sword.
"Oh, I'm so scared! Her Highness, the Princess," Monroe feigned terror. "Don't you know that Dressrosa is on the brink of disaster?"
"What are you talking about? Don't try to cause a panic!" Viola said, suppressing the fear in her own heart and forcing herself to remain calm.
"Heh, what do you think the Marines are here for? Just to eliminate us?" Monroe said with a self-deprecating sneer. "Have you ever seen an Admiral personally hunt down small-fry like us?"
Before Viola and the others could react, Monroe continued, "Ever heard of a Buster Call? I truly regret taking this job from King Riku. Now we're all just grasshoppers tied to the same rope."
Monroe spun his tale, not forgetting to sling more mud at King Riku.
"A Buster Call?"
Hearing those three words, Viola and the others were stunned into silence, completely forgetting Monroe's slander against the king.
In truth, Monroe had no idea what the Marines' real objective was. He was just trying to bluff them, but he had unknowingly hit the nail on the head. The Marines were indeed here to destroy Dressrosa.
"It's over… it's all over," Walker collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap.
A flash of fear crossed Kyros's face, but he was Dressrosa's last pillar of strength. He could not fall.
Viola was terrified, but a shred of suspicion remained. She forced herself to stand tall and question him. "No matter what the Marines' objective is, you pirates are just trying to use us as a shield! Otherwise, you wouldn't be so willing to hand over the dwarves!"
Clap, clap, clap. "What a clever little girl. Too bad there's no prize for guessing correctly," Monroe applauded mockingly. "You with your vast kingdom are the Marines' real target. We're just King Riku's accomplices, at most. They won't hunt us to the ends of the earth."
Hearing the exchange between Viola and Monroe, Kyros and the others finally began to understand the twisted situation they were in.
"We're doomed! The Marines are going to kill us! They're going to destroy Dressrosa!"
"A Buster Call is coming! Run for your lives!"
There were many bold citizens near the confrontation between the pirates and the army, and they had heard everything Monroe said. Inevitably, panic began to spread.
An atmosphere of despair was about to engulf the entire country.
Seeing all this, Viola knew she was powerless to stop it. It was a checkmate, unless a warrior of unparalleled strength could save their nation.
Then, as if grasping at the last straw, an idea came to her.
"Give me the dwarves, now!" Viola demanded, her voice tight with desperation.
"Tsk, tsk, you've got some nerve. Much better than your old man," Monroe jeered. "But this is all the Riku family's own doing. King Riku brought Dressrosa to this state with his own two hands."
"Give them to me, now!"
Viola ignored his taunts. She had only one goal now: get the Tontatta.
With bloodshot eyes, like a woman possessed, she repeated the same phrase over and over until her voice was hoarse. The sight terrified the guards around her.
"Rib, give them to her. Let's go. We can't stay in this mess any longer," Monroe said. Seeing that his objective was more or less complete, he said no more. The rest was up to the Donquixote Pirates.
As for them, they just had to wait to get their hearts back.
Rib nonchalantly tossed the sack containing the dwarves onto the ground, then left with Monroe and the others.
The pirates swaggered off, and Kyros and his men didn't stop them. They had no mind to fight pirates now; the Marines were their primary threat.
As soon as the sack hit the ground, Viola rushed to it, eagerly untying it and freeing the Tontatta inside.
"We're… saved?" Kabu flew out of the bag, overjoyed to see the sun again. But when he saw the faces of Kyros and the others, his good mood instantly vanished.
"In the name of the centuries-long friendship between the Riku family and the Tontatta tribe, and because we have rescued you, I beg you to help us," Viola pleaded, her posture humble, which made it difficult for the furious Kabu to lash out.
"I don't think we have the power to save Dressrosa," Kabu said honestly.
"Yes, you do! If Doflamingo helps us, this crisis can be solved!" Viola said, her eyes shining with hope as she looked at the dwarves.
"This…"
Seeing Kabu hesitate, Viola pressed on. "Dressrosa belongs to all of us, and that includes the Tontatta tribe. Are you really going to stand by and watch it be destroyed?"
"I understand," Kabu relented. Though he hated the Riku family for abandoning them, his heart wouldn't let him abandon Dressrosa. He still had feelings for this land and couldn't bear to see it perish.
Carrying Viola's hopes, Kabu prepared to return with his comrades to the Tontatta Kingdom to seek Doflamingo's aid.
But before he could even take flight, brilliant fireworks began to rain down from the sky.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Akainu's voice was like the knock of the Grim Reaper at the door, shattering the last shred of hope for every person in Dressrosa.
The Buster Call, as promised, had arrived.
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