218: Chapter 218 Register for the CompetitionDressrosa, a country filled with laughter and joy, saw people bustling through the streets and alleys, seemingly unaffected by the festivities.However, behind this liveliness lay a massive secret.The Straw Hat crew and Law had successfully infiltrated Dressrosa and, as planned, split into three groups.Their objective was clear: to defeat Doflamingo.On the streets of Dressrosa, while humans were present, the majority were freely moving dolls.Their animalistic, lifeless forms wore false smiles, sending chills down one's spine.Luffy looked at these dolls, a strange sadness welling up within him.He knew that these dolls had once been vibrant lives, now trapped within these shells.Their hearts were filled with pain and sorrow, unspoken.
These dolls were created by Monet's sister, Sugar, using her Hobby-Hobby Fruit ability.This is a rather unique fruit power that can turn people into toys and erase their memories of them.This ability made her one of the Donquixote Family's most powerful weapons, as no one could resist her power.Meanwhile, the Donquixote Family's henchmen hid in the shadows, closely monitoring these dolls.Their task was to ensure that nothing unusual happened to the dolls; if they detected anything amiss, they would immediately rush out, destroy the dolls, and throw them into the junkyard.This way, even if someone tried to resist, they would be swiftly eliminated.
"Luffy, over here!" As Luffy and his crew passed by a restaurant, a familiar voice called out from upstairs.The owner of the voice was none other than Ace and Sabo, who had arrived earlier.Luffy smiled slightly, told Zoro, Kuina, and Franky to go first, and then brought Uta to Ace and Sabo.
"Luffy, it's been a long time!You look even stronger than before!" Ace hugged Luffy and then looked him over and said.
Luffy grinned: "Of course, I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Sabo chuckled and patted Luffy on the shoulder: "Haha, it seems we've both grown quite a bit!"
The four sat around the table and began to chat.Sabo remained largely unchanged, but Ace was quite different.Since the Marineford War, Whitebeard, feeling his age, had decided to retire.He entrusted the Whitebeard Pirates to Ace and returned to his hometown to enjoy a carefree life.Now, Ace was the new captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, continuing his adventures on the vast ocean.Through his strength and courage, he gradually gained fame, his bounty reaching a staggering 1.4 billion Berries!Furthermore, his Flame-Flame Fruit ability had awakened, earning him the title "Emperor Flame Ace."
"But Luffy, you're truly amazing!I never imagined you'd become one of the Four Emperors.This brings you one step closer to realizing your dream!" Ace hugged Luffy with a broad smile, his eyes sparkling with joy.He was genuinely proud and happy for Luffy, and seeing his younger brother grow stronger every day filled him with pride as the older brother.
After chatting for a while, the three began to discuss their next course of action.
Sabo took a sip of his drink and looked at Luffy and Uta seriously, saying, "Didn't you ask me to investigate Doflamingo's recent activities?According to the intelligence, Doflamingo recently held a tournament.Whoever wins first place will receive a mysterious reward, which is a Logia-type Devil Fruit."
"A Logia-type Devil Fruit?It seems Doflamingo was right, it really is a great gift.Looks like I'll have to sign up for this tournament again," Luffy said, stroking his chin, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Uta nodded in agreement.She knew this match would be no challenge for Luffy, and as for the tasks of finding and destroying the factory, Zoro and the others could handle that; they could continue with other important matters.
Ace took a swig of wine and laughed, "Luffy, with your strength, you'd be a force to be reckoned with in the tournament.Those weaklings wouldn't stand a chance against you." He had complete confidence in Luffy, as if he was already certain Luffy would be the winner."Don't let your guard down," Luffy said modestly."What if someone stronger than me?" Uta rolled his eyes, thinking, "Stronger than you?That's not easy." Since entering the New World, Luffy hadn't used his full strength in either of his two battles.But there was nothing he could do about it; his opponents were too weak.Uta secretly speculated that perhaps Luffy would only go all out against a Yonko or a Marine Admiral.
The four chatted for a while longer, and as dusk approached, Luffy bid farewell to Ace and Sabo.Ace needed to travel to Wano Country to visit his adopted sister, while Sabo was to investigate with his Revolutionary Army comrades whether Doflamingo was again selling arms around the world.
"By the way, Ace, I think I'll be going to Wano Country soon.I've allied with another pirate and we're going to fight the Four Emperors who are occupying the country.If possible, I hope we brothers can fight side by side!" Luffy earnestly asked Ace before parting.
"Of course!But I didn't expect Luffy to be challenging one of the Four Emperors so soon!" Ace agreed without hesitation, a hint of surprise on his face.Although many pirates in the New World dare to challenge the Four Emperors, most of them are seasoned veterans who have been fighting in this sea for many years.Luffy, however, is the first pirate to prepare to challenge a Four Emperor so quickly.
"Oh?You mean Kidd?Sorry, I forgot about him.That guy."He was indeed incredibly brave, daring to directly challenge one of the Four Emperors.Unfortunately, the Four Emperors' strength was no joke; a single strike could have severed his arm.I also heard that not long ago he allied with other pirates to challenge the Four Emperors, but was betrayed by his allies and ultimately captured." Ace recalled the rumors he had heard and couldn't help but sigh.
"By the way, Luffy, while I don't object to you forming alliances or anything like that—after all, joining forces to fight the Four Emperors is indeed a wise choice—you must be careful of those with ulterior motives.In this world, there are quite a few people who will stab you in the back for their own benefit.So, you must always be vigilant." After solemnly giving Luffy these words, Ace boarded the small boat and returned to the ship.
"Okay, Sabo, I understand.Let's set off now!" Luffy replied with a smile.They left the hotel together and headed towards the registration point.Along the way, Sabo and Luffy talked about the competition and how to deal with potential opponents.Sabo told Luffy that strong fighters from all over the world were participating in this competition, including some very powerful individuals.