In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
Today’s weather was exceptionally cool, especially during the night in Dressrosa, which was gradually recovering from the King Riku incident and moving towards prosperity once more.
With King Riku’s fall, neighboring kingdoms in the surrounding seas fell into chaos, causing increasing friction among them. Doflamingo took advantage of this by instigating conflicts and profiting from the arms trade, living a flourishing life.
Making money allowed him to stabilize Dressrosa’s populace by reducing taxes and providing subsidies, which is why Dressrosa quickly regained peace and the people began to adore Doflamingo.
It’s all about money.
“Brurururu!”
In the dark of night, a Den Den Mushi rang on a rooftop.
Having healed and eaten his fill, Hermes felt ready to act again. Tonight, he planned to sneak into the Royal Plateau to find the Tontatta who ate the Heal-Heal Fruit, Mansherry.
With Mansherry by his side, he could fight and go wild as much as he wanted, as long as he didn’t die, he could quickly recover and be back in action.
It was practically a cheat.
It was like adding wings to a tiger, an instant boost.
Taking out the Den Den Mushi from his pocket, Hermes answered the call.
“Mr. Yamongard, are you alright?”
The familiar voice of Elizabello II came through the receiver. Hermes had guessed it, given the limited number of people who had his contact, and the Den Den Mushi’s simulated image made it clear who it was.
“I’m not dead yet. What do you want?”
Hermes raised an eyebrow.
“Lord Yamongard, are you in Dressrosa? Recently, because of King Riku’s fall, there have been many changes in the surrounding kingdoms. Some of them are already at war, and I’ve discovered that someone is instigating these conflicts and selling weapons.
Our preliminary investigation points to the new king, the Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo. The Kingdom of Providence has also been affected.”
Elizabello II’s tone was severe. If it weren’t for the fact that the Kingdom of Prodence had greatly improved and his efforts had garnered over eighty percent approval from the populace, there might have been unrest.
There were already signs of trouble.
The main reasons were others’ provocations and some unresolved issues from before, but the biggest reason was that Hermes, the hero, had left the Kingdom of Prodence. Once this news spread, many hidden threats started to act up.
The Kingdom of Prodence’s trade relations with other nations were now problematic.
“It seems Doflamingo is making a fortune from war! Typical of his dark nature.”
Hermes instinctively stroked his chin. No wonder Doflamingo hadn’t bothered him recently; he was busy making a fortune.
Elizabello’s information was crucial.
Doflamingo might not even be at the Royal Plateau, and some family members might have been sent out to stir trouble, leaving the base vulnerable.
“So, why are you calling?”
“If possible, I hope you can warn the Donquixote Family.”
Hearing Elizabello’s request, Hermes chuckled. The guy had a lot of faith in him. Did he not realize how dangerous Doflamingo was?
Was it Elizabello who was overestimating him, or had Hermes himself grown arrogant?
“I’ll see what I can do. That’s all.”
Hermes hung up and took to the air, shrinking to five millimeters, using Moonwalk to head towards the Royal Plateau quickly.
If Doflamingo were there, he’d gain some combat experience. If not, he’d look for others; the Donquixote Family had plenty of talent.
But first, he needed to find Mansherry, his recovery cheat.
The Royal Plateau was partly lit and partly dark.
Many places had guards or toys patrolling, armed to the teeth. Hermes descended from the sky, releasing his Observation Haki freely, strutting around as if it were his own home.
Half an hour later.
Hermes found himself in a room full of stored alcohol. Everywhere he looked, there were high-end or rare liquors: rum, wine, fruit wine, you name it.
The neighboring room contained precious metals and treasures.
Next were some documents and files.
Hermes had no interest in these for now, but he marked the spot mentally for future use in case he needed some quick cash. He was sure Doflamingo wouldn’t mind.
After another ten minutes, he finally heard something near the palace chapel.
He heard intermittent sobbing from a distance.
Hermes followed the sound to a wall, and with a powerful kick, he broke through, causing the crying inside to stop abruptly.
Mansherry, terrified, shrank back, staring at the clearing dust with a pale face. She could barely make out a figure becoming clearer.
She had been crying, but the sudden crash nearly scared her soul out of her body.
“Found you!”
Hermes’s tall figure loomed over Mansherry, blocking the light, and making him appear both divine and eerie.
“Who are you?”
“I wasn’t crying, don’t hit me.”
Mansherry instinctively thought Hermes belonged to the Donquixote Family. Her tear-streaked face was full of fear and pitifulness.
She had been beaten many times since being captured.
Especially when healing an old woman and an old man, those people would pinch her hard, causing her great pain.
Mansherry had many pinch marks, some areas bruised and purple.
She looked highly pitiful and miserable.
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll get you out of here, and you stay with me for a while. I need your healing abilities.”
Hermes stated his purpose directly, showing neither pity nor playing the saint. This was still a generous offer. If Mansherry didn’t agree, he’d have to get rough.
Mansherry shrank back, her bright eyes showing a glimmer of hope, but quickly turning to suspicion. She feared going from one danger to another.
“There seems to be something happening over there.”
“Let’s check it out!”
“Damn, someone broke into the plateau. Notify Diamante!”
Hermes’s kick had alerted the nearby patrols.
This was intentional on Hermes’s part. Without causing some commotion, he couldn’t draw out the Donquixote Family members. He wasn’t just here for Mansherry.
“You have five seconds.”
Hermes leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, as his Observation Haki sensed many guards approaching.
“I agree.”
Mansherry bit her lip. Regardless of whether this human was good or bad, she needed to leave here first.
“Good!”
Hermes was pleased. A small, delicate companion like Mansherry was better treated gently. After all, he was a man of high standards.
Bending down, Hermes picked up Mansherry and placed her on his shoulder. Then he leisurely walked out, soon encountering over a dozen armed guards.
“Stop.”
“Who are you?”
The guards aimed their guns at Hermes, ready to shoot at any sudden movement.
“You’re too slow!”
Hermes glanced eastward, sensing a strong presence approaching through the buildings. It was probably a high-ranking member of the Donquixote Family.
But before that…
Turning back to the guards, Hermes flicked his fingers, sending waves of air slicing through the distance, causing the guards to fall like wheat.
All of them were hit in the kidneys.
Mansherry, who had been hiding her face in Hermes’s hair, peeked out at the sound of screams. Her large, watery eyes were filled with shock and fear.
Unconsciously, her tiny hands tightly gripped Hermes’s hair.
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