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The King's Plateau should have been the heavily fortified core of Doflamingo's power, yet Luffy's team encountered no resistance during their aerial approach. The absence of intercepting forces struck everyone as deeply suspicious.
"I can see the summit! Hold tight, everyone!" Luffy called out as his gravity-manipulating sandals shifted into cloud-like formations. Understanding their master's intent, the mystical footwear continued adjusting gravitational fields to accelerate their ascent.
Their first destination proved to be an expansive sea of flowers surrounding the royal palace's base. Leo poked his head out from Usopp's ammunition pouch, his tiny voice filled with recognition.
"Luffyland, Usoland—you're incredibly fast! We've reached the flower field where Doflamingo's daughters live."
"We're here to defeat Doflamingo, not threaten his family," Luffy declared with characteristic moral clarity. "Let's proceed directly to the palace."
The Straw Hat captain had no intention of stooping to hostage-taking or using innocent family members as leverage against the Shichibukai. Such tactics were beneath him—he preferred letting his fists do the talking, with conversation coming only after decisive victory.
In the pirate world, surrender through negotiation was virtually unheard of. Strength commanded respect, and only those with the biggest fists earned the right to be heard. Even someone with Luffy's limited emotional intelligence understood this fundamental truth.
When Luffy moved to continue their aerial journey, his companions unanimously rejected the offer. They'd had enough of the captain's turbulent flying style—their stomachs couldn't handle another bout of motion sickness.
Besides, they'd reached the flower field with the palace directly ahead. Walking the remaining distance seemed far more appealing than enduring another gravity-defying roller coaster ride.
As the group began traversing the botanical paradise, a young girl with twin ponytails burst from a cluster of sunflowers. She brandished a gardening shovel defensively, her voice sharp with suspicion.
"How did strangers reach this place? Are you here to cause trouble?"
Trouble? The Straw Hat Pirates exchanged glances. While their primary mission was rescuing prisoners, some collateral damage was inevitable—buildings might suffer, flowers might be trampled. Such consequences were unfortunate but unavoidable.
Zoro studied the girl blocking their path, his scarred visage perfectly suited for intimidation. "Where did you come from, brat? Run home to mama before someone gets hurt." His hand settled meaningfully on Sandai Kitetsu's hilt. "Anyone who blocks our way becomes a problem."
The girl's slender frame trembled with obvious fear, but she didn't retreat. Anna had never faced genuine threats before, yet something drove her to stand firm—her family needed warning.
"Sister! Mama! Run!" she suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs. "There are dangerous people in the flower field!"
Anna's unchanged voice carried that particularly piercing quality only children possessed. Her desperate warning grated against everyone's ears, but Luffy felt no anger. He didn't consider himself a villain—they simply stood on opposite sides of this conflict.
"You adults are actually threatening a child? How shameless!" A blue-haired dwarf emerged from Anna's clothing, hurling pebbles at the intruders with fierce determination. Whether such actions would provoke retaliation didn't matter—she had to protect the girl who'd shown her kindness.
"Wicca?!" Leo cried out in astonishment. "You survived!"
"Leo! You're free!" Wicca's voice broke with emotion as the two palm-sized figures rushed into each other's arms.
Their reunion was heart-wrenching—two survivors of unimaginable suffering finding solace in their shared endurance. Tears flowed freely as they clung to one another.
After their initial emotional outburst subsided, Leo proudly introduced his companion. "Wicca, meet Usoland—descendant of the legendary hero Noland! These are his trusted allies. We're heading to the palace together to rescue Princess Mansherry, defeat Doflamingo, and liberate the Tontatta tribe!"
Wicca immediately accepted Leo's explanation, but doubt clouded her expression. Could these adults truly succeed where so many had failed? Three years ago, their rebellion had ended in catastrophic defeat, nearly exterminating the entire tribe and condemning survivors to factory slavery.
"Usoland and Luffyland will definitely succeed!" Leo insisted, his emaciated frame radiating desperate conviction. "This is our final opportunity, Wicca. Come with us!"
The starved captain didn't notice his friend's hesitation. While Leo bore the physical scars of prolonged torture, Wicca had been well-fed under Anna's care, her plump appearance contrasting starkly with his skeletal condition. Their drastically different experiences had shaped divergent perspectives on survival.
"Just the few of you?" an unexpected voice interrupted. "Doflamingo is so powerful that numbers won't matter—you'll all simply die."
Elsa hurried over after hearing Anna's alarm, but relaxed upon recognizing the Straw Hat captain and his swordsman. As allies of Eren, they posed no threat to her sister.
"It's you! The girl who was with Eren," Luffy observed with interest. "I thought you might be his daughter, though you don't really look alike."
With Wicca's whispered explanation, the situation became clear. Both Elsa and Anna were Doflamingo's daughters, and Wicca had no intention of joining what might prove to be a suicidal mission. She preferred remaining here, protecting the sisters who'd shown the Tontatta kindness.
"You're Doflamingo's daughter? Disappointing—I really hoped you belonged to Eren," Luffy muttered, his frustration evident. The failed expectation left him eager for combat to vent his irritation.
Wicca's caution stemmed from pragmatic fear. Even heroes' descendants might fail against such overwhelming evil. If her predictions proved accurate, she could continue living peacefully in the flower fields under Elsa's protection. Survival took precedence over pride—humiliating existence was still existence.
Since their philosophies diverged so completely, Leo chose not to press his friend. "Wicca, I respect your decision. I'll face Doflamingo with death-defying determination. For our people's future, I'll fight until my final breath."
The twin sisters watched the group's departure while Wicca sobbed inconsolably, her tears soaking through her tiny garments. She understood this might be their final meeting—Leo probably wouldn't return alive.
"Leo, you must survive..." Wicca whispered desperately, uncertain whether her voice would carry. The dwarf had already compromised with evil forces and felt too ashamed to drag Leo into her cowardice.
"If you can't defeat Doflamingo, you're just throwing your lives away, idiots!" Elsa shouted after them, hoping Eren's friends might reconsider. Despite everything, she believed her adoptive father remained invincible.
"After we defeat your father, we'll celebrate together!" Luffy's voice boomed back cheerfully, clearly dismissing Violet's concerns.
The Straw Hat captain felt completely confident about engaging Shichibukai opponents. While the Yonko might give him pause, former Warlords were simply stepping stones for his growth—obstacles to overcome rather than insurmountable threats.