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"Oh, sir... you..." Violet's voice trailed off as Hikaru gently held her slender waist.
"Don't worry, Violet," he murmured, his voice soft and comforting. "We'll have plenty of time together."
"Okay," she whispered, her voice like a soft hum, almost making Hikaru want to playfully tease her. But now wasn't the time.
As they spoke, they arrived at the location Violet had described. Without hesitation, Hikaru waved his hand, opening a door wide enough for two people in the wall.
"What's going on... who are these people?" Violet wondered aloud as they stepped through. They were immediately surrounded by minions of the Donquixote Family.
"100 Million Volt Lightning Chain!" Hikaru didn't even spare them a glance. Electricity surged from his feet, spreading rapidly towards the surrounding enemies.
Screams quickly filled the air. Hikaru continued to fly deeper into the palace, but Violet's attention was fixed on the door he had just opened. "This is... a mythical creature?" she muttered to herself. "No! Isn't Hikaru a user of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit? Could it be... that he can eat multiple Devil Fruits?" Her intuition, it seemed, was remarkably accurate.
Their journey was smooth, and Hikaru soon arrived at the chapel lobby, still carrying Violet. The space was vast and grand, with a towering dome adorned with golden decorations and religious murals. A soft red carpet stretched across the floor, leading to a statue surrounded by delicate floral arrangements, giving the chapel a rather stylish appearance.
"Is this the chapel? Is Mansherry still further in, Violet?" Hikaru asked, as they flew deeper into the room.
"Yes, she's right behind that wooden door! Once you enter, there's a prison built specifically for the Dwarves on the wall. Mansherry is inside!"
"Understood!"
After a few more moments of flight, they reached a dark passage. However, numerous minions were hidden within, guarding Mansherry. The light from Hikaru's lightning drove away the darkness, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who's there?!"
There was no answer, only the crackling of Hikaru's lightning. With each surge, a minion was electrocuted, their body falling as their soul ascended. Finally, Hikaru stopped before a wooden door. "This is it!" Violet softly confirmed.
Squeak—!
The wooden door swung open, and Hikaru's lightning illuminated the dim room. Guilt-inducing sobs echoed in the void – Mansherry's mournful cries.
Baah!
"Eh?!"
The brilliant lightning struck down several guards who had turned to look outside the door. The sudden flash of light startled Mansherry, making her stop crying and scream. Hikaru looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a small, arched cell built into the wall, with only a few thin iron bars serving as a fence.
A moment later, a pitiful little face appeared at the cell door, peering curiously at the outside world. Hikaru's lips curved into a slight smile. The princess of the Tontatta Kingdom? She would be the easiest to deceive... and capture.
"Are you Mansherry? Don't worry, I'm a genuinely good person. Your father begged me to come and save you."
"Wow! You're the best person in the world! Thank you so much, woohoo, I can finally leave here!" Mansherry exclaimed in a delicate voice, believing Hikaru's words without a shred of doubt. This wasn't due to any trickery on Hikaru's part, but because the Dwarves are born with an inherent trust in others.
The reason Mansherry was imprisoned and exploited by Doflamingo was that King Gancho of the Tontatta Kingdom had trusted Doflamingo. Gancho had believed that King Riku, who had shown them kindness for many years, had "gone mad" and slaughtered his citizens.
This led him to align his people with the Donquixote Family, resulting in over 500 tribal members, including Mansherry, being enslaved by Doflamingo! It was truly remarkable that such a gullible group of people had managed to survive this long without being wiped out.
Hikaru gently placed Violet down, then walked straight to the prison door. With a wave of his hand, the door opened. He extended his right hand. "Come out, Mansherry," he said softly.
Mansherry nodded, touched, and tried to jump into Hikaru's hands. But her calves suddenly gave out, her feet slipped, and she fell to the ground. It wasn't that she was clumsy; in fact, most Dwarves are incredibly agile and known as "fairies." Mansherry's weakness was due to prolonged imprisonment and insufficient food.
Hikaru easily caught her, holding her securely.
"Phew~ That was close! I'm sorry to cause you trouble. Thank you, kind Onii-chan!" Mansherry breathed a sigh of relief, thanking him again very politely.
Hikaru felt the sensation in his hand. The 20-centimeter Mansherry felt like a small... toy in his grasp! Her petite and delicate body made him involuntarily touch her tiny face and princess clothes gently with his thumb.
"Hmm~ Good sir, please stop poking my face. It hurts so much!" Mansherry's uncomfortable groans had no effect on Hikaru; they only piqued his curiosity further.
"I'm sorry, Mansherry. I've always been interested in you little people. Can you be patient for a moment and satisfy my curiosity?" Hikaru's expression was incredibly sincere. As a princess of a "villain" clan, how could Mansherry possibly refuse his small request?
"Well~ If it's a request from a kind person, of course, I can! But, could you please be a little gentler~ I'm most afraid of pain..." Mansherry hesitated for a moment but still pitifully agreed to Hikaru's request.
Hikaru was so convincing that even Violet couldn't tell if he was merely deceiving Mansherry or genuinely interested in the Dwarf people. As a prisoner herself at the moment, she could barely protect herself, so she naturally didn't dare to say much or interfere, fearing Hikaru's wrath.
Hikaru didn't go too far. He simply touched Mansherry's front and back a couple of times before letting her go. After all, he would have plenty of time to discuss the mysteries of human and Dwarf evolution with Mansherry in the future.
For now, he was sure that the Dwarves were different from the toys he used to play with. The real touch and softness were difficult to replicate artificially.
Mansherry had long golden hair, braided into two pigtails and adorned with two flowers. From behind, they looked like a "huge" pair of ponytails covering her entire body.
The only pity was that she... no, all Dwarves, had a pointed nose like Porche's, which somewhat detracted from their otherwise adorable appearance.
Mansherry: The princess of the Dwarf Tribe. She is very lovable for her kind and gentle personality and compact body. Her pointed nose is not a problem at all, as she will be attracted by it the moment she sees Nojiko.