Roya couldn't care less about how Sengoku would handle Doflamingo's situation afterward.
After all, if Doflamingo wanted to regain his freedom, he'd have to pay a hefty price.
Meanwhile, the repercussions of Roya's actions were gradually spreading.
Everyone's impression of Roya had shifted to that of an extremely protective, formidable powerhouse who shouldn't be provoked!
Especially Dark King Rayleigh and Shakky, who now had a clearer understanding of White Dove's strength.
Rayleigh was particularly sensitive to detecting auras.
Although Roya had concentrated his Spirit Pressure solely on Doflamingo, Rayleigh still managed to sense that terrifying Conqueror's Haki that sent shivers down his spine.
"Admiral White Dove truly possesses astonishing talent. Even Roger hadn't reached his current level at the same age."
With this thought, Rayleigh shook his head.
Deciding not to dwell on it further, he resumed his ship-coating work.
After all, he was just an ordinary coating craftsman now, and he had promised to complete the coating within a day. Time was indeed very tight!
Roya woke up the slaves one by one and brought them to the Marine base on Sabaody Archipelago to conduct individual investigations.
He planned to send them all back to their hometowns.
As the slaves were being registered one after another, it was soon Stella's turn.
Ain was deeply impressed by the beautiful golden-haired woman before her.
It was because Stella had escaped from the cloth-covered cages that Ain had discovered these slaves in the first place.
Otherwise, not only would they have been unable to rescue them, but Ain couldn't even imagine what kind of future awaited them.
"Stella, where is your hometown?" Ain asked with concern, pen in hand.
Stella's expression darkened, tears welling up in her eyes as she slowly shook her head. "I don't have a hometown. I've been a slave since the day I was born."
A slave since birth!
This meant there was a high probability that Stella's parents were slaves too.
Ain's heart ached for Stella.
She turned to Roya, who was feigning sleep nearby, and asked, "Roya-sama, Stella here..."
Before Ain could finish her sentence, Roya rose from his seat and approached Stella with a gentle smile. "Stella, is it? If you're willing, my ship is in need of a cook. I'd like to invite you to join us as our chef. Would you accept?"
Upon hearing Roya's offer, Stella didn't hesitate for a second.
She nodded excitedly, "Yes! I'd love to!"After receiving Stella's response, Roya smiled and said, "Then I'll be in your care from now on."
"Likewise, White Dove..."
"Just call me Roya, like Ain does."
Hearing Roya's words, Stella's delicate face flushed red.
She nodded instinctively and replied, "Mm."
——
Time passed quickly, and after resting for a day at the Marine base on Sabaody Archipelago, Roya took Ain and Stella to the Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
Neither Ain nor Stella knew Rayleigh, assuming he was just an ordinary coating craftsman.
"Here's your Beri, old man. Please work hard to complete the coating process within a day."
An Admiral-class Battleship was enormous—far from small. Calling it a "project" was no exaggeration.
When Rayleigh heard Roya refer to him as "old man," he burst into laughter. "Hahaha, it's an honor to coat a ship for an Admiral."
"Roya-sama, this old man feels completely different from others. Just his vitality alone far surpasses people his age," Ain remarked.
Hearing this, Stella nodded seriously beside her.
Roya internally quipped: Of course—this is the Dark King Rayleigh! Even now, his strength is nothing to scoff at.
As they boarded the battleship, Stella couldn't hide her astonishment at its sheer size. Since she and Ain were around the same age, they got along quite well.
She instinctively asked Ain, "Ain, do you usually pilot this battleship alone? That's incredible!"
Ain shook her head. "No. Roya-sama's Devil Fruit ability isn't just bizarre—it's also extremely practical."
As if to prove her point, Roya snapped his fingers lightly.
Instantly, a hundred Phantoms, each identical to Roya, appeared on the Admiral-class Battleship.
Stella's expression turned utterly shocked at the sight.
Seeing her reaction, Ain could roughly imagine what her own face must have looked like back then.
"Alright, everyone, let's set off. We'll aim to reach Fish-Man Island within two days."
By now, the system's countdown had shortened from three days to two.
Under the control of the hundred Phantoms, the battleship gradually began to submerge into the sea.
Seawater slowly enveloped the vessel as the massive ship descended deeper.
Darkness soon swallowed them.
Both Stella and Ain were young girls, and the darkness made them uneasy.
So, Roya turned on all the battleship's lights.
The illumination revealed a gradually vibrant and dazzling underwater world.
"Wow, what kind of fish is that?"
"It looks so cute!"
"Right?! I never knew the ocean could be this fascinating—it's so mysterious!"
...
Standing on the deck, Roya gazed through the coating at the surrounding sea, his smile unwavering.
This was his first time underwater. The unique marine life and the presence of Sea Kings instantly reminded him of Shirahoshi.
If given the chance, he wanted to meet her—to see if he could build a good relationship with her.In this vast world of oceans, the existence of Sea Kings is truly invincible!
Time passed minute by minute.
The initial excitement of the group gradually settled into calm.
At this moment, Stella made her way to the kitchen of the warship.
She was extremely confident in her culinary skills.
Her talent in this area was truly remarkable.
No matter the cuisine, she could grasp the essence and reach the pinnacle with ease.
As Roya put it, they had struck gold.
Soon, a feast of exquisite color, aroma, and taste appeared before everyone's eyes.
But!
Perhaps drawn by the fragrance of the dishes, a dark shadow flashed across the distant ocean, swiftly approaching Roya's warship.
In the blink of an eye, it arrived right in front of the warship...