Now, whenever the Punk Hazard incident came up in conversation, Jerry and his crewmates couldn't help but give Deuce an appreciative thumbs up.
After all, not everyone possessed the courage to simultaneously offend two of the Four Emperors and one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea in a single afternoon.
Beyond those major powers, there were now countless nations eager to declare war on them, plus numerous underground organizations that had developed serious grudges against the Black Star Pirates.
"In that situation, who would worry about offending a few Emperors?" Deuce said with obvious pride in his moral stance.
"Absolutely incredible! I'd like to officially declare you the Fifth Emperor of the Sea!" Jerry announced with enthusiastic approval, giving another thumbs up.
Then he winked at Skull, clasped his hands together dramatically, and called out loudly, "Everyone gather around to pay respects to the Fifth Emperor! All hail Emperor Deuce!"
Seeing this theatrical display, Skull immediately joined in the performance. "Long live the Fifth Emperor! All hail Emperor Deuce!"
"Get lost! Stop with the nonsense and focus on where we should go next," Deuce waved his hand dismissively, trying to return to serious matters. "Are we really sure we want to head to Dressrosa?"
Hearing this crucial topic raised, everyone's attention immediately focused on the navigation decision.
Jerry smiled with calm confidence. "Absolutely. Doflamingo has already provoked us directly—how could we not respond to such a challenge?"
Since Caesar and Doflamingo had been working in close cooperation, the Heavenly Yaksha had sent his subordinates to assist with the Punk Hazard operations. Therefore, when the Black Star Pirates destroyed the research facility, Doflamingo had witnessed everything through Den Den Mushi communication with Caesar.
This had naturally enraged the Warlord, and he couldn't resist issuing warnings and direct provocations toward Jerry's crew.
Because of this disrespectful behavior, Jerry wanted to visit Dressrosa personally to see if Doflamingo was truly as arrogant as he appeared.
At noon that day, Jerry guided the Black Nova into Dressrosa's harbor, arriving with his entire crew at the island nation.
He looked around at the bustling port and crowded streets, noting the numerous toy people still wandering freely throughout the area, and fell into thoughtful consideration.
Jerry concluded that since people were continuing their peaceful daily routines as usual, it meant Doflamingo and his organization should still be maintaining control over the island.
Anyone familiar with the situation would understand that these animated toys were the masterful creations of Sugar—a special officer of the Donquixote Family and user of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit.
People who were transformed into toys retained their emotions, consciousness, and memories completely, but they became erased from everyone else's memories entirely.
Additionally, they found themselves controlled by contracts established through Sugar's ability, unable to act freely according to their own thoughts and compelled to obey whatever orders they received.
"So Doflamingo is afraid of Kaido, but he's not concerned about anyone else?" Jerry muttered to himself with growing confusion. "What kind of logic is that? Or is he planning some kind of elaborate scheme?"
At this moment, he felt completely unable to understand Doflamingo's thinking process or strategic calculations.
Watching Carrot drag Carina around the streets while staring hungrily at various delicious foods with obvious impatience, Jerry shook his head slightly and decided to observe the situation more carefully before taking action.
After Dressrosa had been conquered by Doflamingo more than eight years ago, it had been transformed into the self-proclaimed "Land of Love, Passion and Toys."
The entire island was filled with the fragrance of flowers and had become world-famous for its incredible cuisine. In addition to the food and music, the sexy and passionate dancing of beautiful women that could be witnessed everywhere added vibrant color to this tropical paradise.
Although Doflamingo was conducting all manner of shady and evil business behind the scenes, on the surface he had managed the Kingdom of Dressrosa so skillfully that it appeared genuinely prosperous—a testament to his attention to effective governance.
After Doflamingo had assumed the throne, not only were there crowds of people walking through busy streets, but numerous toys could also be seen performing entertainment, providing services, or even serving as patrol guards to help maintain order throughout the city.
The island featured an entertainment center for its citizens in the form of the famous Corrida Colosseum, as well as hidden factories that produced artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits for the black market.
Perhaps because of Doflamingo's origins as a former Celestial Dragon, he had grown accustomed to making places resemble Mariejois—bright and beautiful on the surface while concealing corruption underneath.
However, this approach did indeed bring him significant benefits while covering up numerous problems, making it difficult for the World Government and Marines to easily obtain evidence of his crimes or take effective action against him.
"Brother Jerry, let's get something to eat first!"
Suddenly, Carrot—who had been walking ahead of the group—turned around and waved excitedly toward Jerry and the others.
Looking more closely, Jerry could see she was already standing in front of a restaurant with Carina, apparently having discovered some particularly mouth-watering cuisine.
Everyone smiled at each other and raised no objections to this suggestion.
Since they'd arrived close to mealtime anyway, they had already planned to enjoy a good meal before exploring the island further.
The restaurant Carrot had selected was clearly popular, with many customers creating a bustling and lively atmosphere inside.
This busy scene indirectly confirmed that the food served here must taste quite exceptional to attract so many regular diners.
The entire crew filed inside and quickly found adequate seating under the guidance of their helpful waiter.
While waiting for their orders to be prepared, Jerry and Cavendish suddenly made eye contact with meaningful looks.
Then both their gazes shifted simultaneously toward a corner of the restaurant before quickly moving away, as if they'd spotted something that required discretion.
A moment later, Jerry withdrew his attention and recalled specific information about a particular race known to inhabit this region.
Just as dishes began arriving one after another and everyone started eating, increasingly noisy complaints gradually arose throughout the restaurant.
"Ah! My watch has disappeared!"
"Mine too! My bag is completely gone!"
"My wallet vanished! How am I supposed to pay the bill... No, please listen to me—I really don't want to dine and dash!"
Hearing the entire restaurant buzzing with reports of missing belongings, Carina was startled and hurriedly checked to ensure her own wallet was still secure.
"Eh?" She reached for it but discovered that what she felt in her hand wasn't her familiar wallet at all, but rather something warm and soft that seemed to be moving.
"Ah!" Carina heard a faint, high-pitched scream and froze in confusion.
Then she felt her hand suddenly lighten, and when she reached again, the space where her wallet should have been was completely empty.
"My—" She opened her mouth to speak but noticed Jerry's left hand quickly extend outward before immediately retracting.
At this moment, a toy who was obviously a local resident chuckled knowingly. "It seems everyone has lost some belongings today. I'd guess those items were taken by the 'fairies.'"
Hearing his casual explanation, other citizens also smiled and began offering their own commentary.
"Ah, if it's the fairies' doing, we should just laugh it off."
"That's exactly right. After all, the fairies have been the guardians of this place since ancient times."
"So we just need to turn a blind eye to their harmless pranks."
The people of this land had been deeply influenced by "fairy" legends passed down for hundreds of years, so they could easily dismiss these daily incidents with good humor rather than genuine concern.
However, since Dressrosa's prosperity attracted many foreign tourists, the locals had developed the habit of explaining fairy-related incidents to confused visitors.
After listening to the residents' matter-of-fact discussion, the Black Star Pirates turned their attention toward Jerry's outstretched left hand.
They understood that although Jerry occasionally displayed eccentric behavior, he generally avoided unnecessary actions without good reason.
Sure enough, gently held within Jerry's carefully cupped palm was a tiny, exquisitely detailed little person. Her crystal-clear eyes were opened wide with surprise and fear, creating an absolutely adorable sight.