Pica's voice echoed across the Flower Capital...
Yet none of the samurai or the SWORD Forces members showed any sign of being intimidated. Instead...
They were desperately holding back laughter.
But as everyone knows, laughter can sometimes be harder to suppress than groans of pain.
"Pfft!"
Once one person cracked, the rest followed suit.
Waves of laughter filled the air.
"Hahaha! What's with that voice? It's so shrill! Is he a kid or something?"
"Listening to the voice alone isn't so bad, but paired with that massive body, it's just hilariously mismatched!"
"Is this guy trying to be funny on purpose!?"
Pica's face darkened.
The one thing he hated most was people mocking his voice!
As the laughter surrounded him, Pica didn't hesitate to detonate a Dyna Stone in the distance.
With a thunderous "BOOM," a massive explosion erupted in the forest.
"This! Is your warning!"
"I'm giving you a chance! Hand over our young master, and I'll tell you where the Dyna Stones are buried!"
While Pica was making his threats, several Logia-type Devil Fruit users from the SWORD Forces had already hidden behind Jack the moment he appeared.
As his attention was fully consumed by the waves of laughter, the four of them activated their elemental forms...
And slipped into his blind spots.
Enel's Mantra instantly expanded, quickly locating the hidden Donquixote Family executives scattered throughout the Flower Capital.
It seems they've already prepared their escape route... just waiting for Doflamingo to be rescued.
After informing everyone of their positions, Stella waved her hand at the others.
"You go after those people... leave this big guy to me."
Enel, who had initially wanted to say something, obediently closed his mouth after seeing the look in Stella's eyes.
Even he didn't want to provoke Stella at a time like this.
So he obediently vanished into his Logia form on the spot.
Stella looked up at Pica.
A user of the Paramecia-type Ishi Ishi no Mi (Stone-Stone Fruit)...
As someone who had seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, she naturally knew the characteristics of this fruit.
The user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi can assimilate with any rock they touch, absorbing all its properties as their own power.
Moreover, they can freely alter the form of the absorbed rock.
In reality, the user doesn't actually turn into stone—they hide their true body within a massive stone golem.
But exactly where they're hidden is anyone's guess.
"If we don't know where you are... then smashing the whole thing will do."
"A mere few dozen meters..."
"You really think you're Bullet or something?!"
Stella had suffered her biggest humiliation ever at Bullet's hands today...
Right now...
She desperately needed to vent.
And as she spoke, countless clouds formed in Stella's hands.
Each one brimming with violent lightning and ice.
Gradually gathering above Pica's head.
"Attacks that barely tickle a thirty-thousand-meter giant..."
"I refuse to believe a puny few dozen meters can withstand this!"
"In my entire life! What I hate most are you oversized freaks who transform for no reason!"
...
"Let go! Let go right now!"
"My, my, what an energetic little cat."
After landing, Michael casually released Pedro, who had been struggling the entire way.
Once his feet touched solid ground again, Pedro let out a long sigh of relief.
Then he turned to look at Michael.
"You... just who are you?" Pedro gripped his sword tightly, his expression tense.
"This is where the Poneglyphs are kept, the sacred land of the Mink Tribe... I absolutely won't let you enter!"
"Can't you be reasonable? Someone sent me a letter that's in there, what's the problem with me going in? Are you planning to keep it for yourselves?"
"Nonsense! The only thing in there is the Poneglyph left by Joy Boy..."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Michael rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain further. "Anyway, I've already gotten Inuarashi's permission..."
Then he walked toward the roots of the whale-shaped giant tree.
Entering the cave, the space suddenly opened up.
In the vast tree hollow stood two Poneglyphs—one large, one small.
The larger one was undoubtedly a Road Poneglyph, pointing the way to Laugh Tale.
The much smaller one was made of the same material as the Poneglyphs, but the writing on it appeared far more casual.
Combined with what Zunesha had said, this was Joy Boy's message to him.
"I should have brought Robin up here with me."
Michael sighed, hefted the one-meter cube in his hand, and turned to leave.
"That's a Poneglyph you're holding! I won't let you take it away!"
"Which eye of yours saw this as a Poneglyph?!" Michael's lips twitched. "Look at these crooked scribbles... clearly just some personal note or letter!"
"Don't try to fool me! I'm smart!"
"Fool you... sigh."
Michael rubbed his temples.
The next instant, his figure vanished from the spot.
Pedro's fur instantly stood on end.
Just as he was about to activate his Observation Haki, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck before losing consciousness and collapsing to the ground.
Over half an hour later, a groggy and irritable Nekomamushi arrived at the tree hollow housing the Poneglyph, surrounded by his Musketeer Squad.
"Where's that damned intruder?!"
"Hmm? Is that Pedro lying there?"
Though Nekomamushi was notoriously violent—even described by Inuarashi as "the craziest bastard on this land"—he was also fiercely loyal to his comrades, willing to sacrifice his life for them...
Otherwise, he wouldn't have lost his left arm to Jack's torture in the original story.
Nekomamushi picked up Pedro, relieved to feel his steady heartbeat.
"He's fine, just knocked out."
Standing up, he scanned the surroundings.
Then he noticed—the small Poneglyph that had always stood beside the main one was gone.
"This... must have been taken by that winged human you mentioned."
"Damn it! I'll find that human and tear him to pieces!"
As Nekomamushi turned to leave, his nose suddenly twitched.
He hadn't caught it earlier, but in this enclosed space, more scents became apparent.
And with one sniff, his eyes filled with shock and hatred.
Among the many smells, one stood out overwhelmingly—one he could never forget...
The scent of Kaido!