'Tch, Admirals are nothing special.'
Allen scoffed and dropped his stance, clearly having no intention of pursuing them any further.
Defeating an Admiral wasn't difficult, but killing two of them at the same time was no easy feat.
Kizaru, in particular, would be incredibly hard to pin down if he wanted to escape, and forcing the issue could easily trigger an all-out war with the World Government.
That wouldn't be a good thing—at least, not right now.
With his current forces, it was still a bit too early to clash head-on with the entire World Government.
"Tsk, two Admirals fleeing in defeat... I'm sure Morgans will be more than happy to help me properly publicize such massive news." Allen's lips curled into an arrogant smirk as he looked back at the sea of flames behind him.
If he remembered correctly, this was supposed to be the habitat of the dwarves, right? Why couldn't he sense a single presence? Did they all go to Dressrosa?
Speaking of Dressrosa...
Allen suddenly remembered something and turned to look across the coast.
He had gotten a bit too caught up in the fight and almost forgot he was here for Doffy. He wondered what the situation on the island was like right now.
Just as he was thinking this, a dark silhouette gradually approached in the distant sky.
Allen's pupils turned golden as he actively zoomed in his vision, clearly seeing Sanji in his pink dragon form, carrying Nami and the others on his back.
Unfurling the pitch-black wings on his back, Allen gave a powerful flap and soared into the sky, flying toward Sanji and the crew.
Soon, Allen met up with them in midair.
"Are you okay, Allen?!"
"Looks like the battle is already over. We were just coming to back you up."
Nami and Sanji called out one after another. Seeing him empty-handed, Robin couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Where are the Admirals?"
"They ran away. Let's turn around and head back to Dressrosa," Allen said with a shrug, landing on Sanji's back and retracting his wings.
Nami gave him a strange look. "They?"
"Yeah, Kizaru showed up too," Allen replied flatly.
Hearing this, Nami couldn't help but look surprised. "Kizaru? Wait a minute, were you fighting two Admirals just now?"
"Ah, they're just Admirals. Where's Doffy?" Allen waved his hand dismissively, his expression completely unfazed. His gaze swept over the group and quickly landed on Doffy, who was sitting silently among them, battered, bloody, and looking utterly pathetic.
"Looks like someone beat the crap out of you. Tsk, how pathetic," Allen mocked him without mercy.
Hearing this, Doffy's face darkened even further, and he glared at Allen through gritted teeth.
At that moment, Perona suddenly leaned in, covering her mouth with one hand as she whispered into Allen's ear, "Um... Nami actually did half of that..."
Allen: "..."
Allen fell silent for a moment before slowly turning his head to give Nami a speechless look.
Nami crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away in annoyance.
"Whatever, as long as he's still alive, it's fine. The Marines should have retreated by now. Let's head back to the royal palace and wait for Gin and the others," Allen said, waving his hand casually.
Before long, the group rode the giant dragon Sanji back into Dressrosa's borders, flying all the way toward the King's Plateau.
The royal palace had been destroyed beyond recognition, with more than half of it completely reduced to rubble. However, there was still one small building on the plateau that remained relatively intact.
Dozens of soldiers stood in front of the building, wearing the country's distinctive gladiator attire. Seeing Sanji flying toward them, three leading figures stepped forward, gripping their swords with imposing auras.
The giant dragon's four feet touched down on the ground. Sanji looked down at the group of soldiers with icy dragon eyes, his oppressive aura making them feel suffocated.
That was, until his gaze landed on Rebecca, whose fair skin and sexy figure were exposed outside her armor.
"Woo~ What a cute girl~"
Sanji's intimidating aura instantly vanished. His eyes turned into popping heart shapes, and he opened his mouth excitedly, his long tongue rolling out from between his rows of sharp teeth, looking as if he were about to drool.
*Whack!!*
A fist the size of a sandbag smashed a massive lump onto his head as Nami jumped down from the dragon's back with an exasperated look.
"Have some dignity, you idiot."
"My name is Nami. I'm the navigator and Third Division Commander of the Demon Lion Pirates."
Nami walked up to them and introduced herself. She glanced at the group, roughly deducing their identities, and continued, "I've heard a bit about what happened on this island. Doffy has done a lot of terrible things here, but unfortunately, we can't hand him over to you."
"We will be taking him away, and this country will be returned to you. But before that, I'd like to have a few words with your king."
As soon as Nami finished speaking, a one-legged man holding a double-edged sword jumped out from the opposite side and shouted angrily, "We have nothing to discuss with you! Hand over Doffy and get out of this country, or fighting is your only option!"
"For us, fighting is the easiest way to solve things."
Nami stared at him and said in a flat tone, "But before you make a move, I want you to understand one thing. I am the only one here who is willing to talk to you peacefully."
"Is that a threat, you bastards...?!"
Kyros's face twisted in anger. He gripped his sharp sword tightly with both hands and bent his knees slightly, ready to charge.
But right then, a large hand pressed down on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Don't be rash, Kyros. Perhaps we should hear them out."
King Riku stepped out from behind. He looked at Nami calmly, then looked up at Allen, who was sitting cross-legged on the dragon's head.
It wasn't that he wanted to negotiate, but the gap in power was so massive that he simply had no choice.
Standing before them was an Emperor of the Sea who ruled over the world. This was not an existence they could defeat with mere hot-blooded passion.
Seeing that the man seemingly had no intention of speaking with him, King Riku shifted his gaze back to Nami and said, "You said you would return this country to us. Whatever it is you wish to discuss, I hope your conditions are based on that premise."
Nami nodded in agreement. "Of course. We never interfere with the internal politics of any country, as long as the rulers abide by the Alliance's rules."
"The Alliance's rules?"
Rebecca frowned slightly upon hearing this, completely at a loss.
However, King Riku seemed to know something. His expression showed a hint of surprise as he asked uncertainly, "Are you referring to the New World Alliance?"
"Exactly. It seems you've heard of it, which means our conversation won't be too difficult," Nami chuckled softly.
"I've heard about it from travelers from other countries. They say it's an alliance formed by a powerful faction. It seems that so-called powerful faction is you."
A look of relief washed over King Riku's face as he continued, "For all these years, I've only been able to live by hiding my identity. I could only occasionally get news of the outside world through conversations with travelers. I hope you can tell me more about it."
"Let's go inside and talk. Joining the Alliance will absolutely bring you no harm."
Nami smiled gently and turned to look at Allen for confirmation.
Allen nodded, jumped down, and walked toward the building with a smile.
"Let's go. We're throwing a banquet for the newest members of the New World Alliance."