Sanji stood in the plaza. He blew a ring of smoke into the air and sighed.
A moment ago, he was admiring the dancer on the stage. Now, he looked around and realized he stood alone. Nami, Franky, Bonney, and Chopper had vanished into the crowd. Sanji rubbed his temples.
"Idiots," Sanji muttered. "I leave them alone for two minutes."
He turned to find his group.
A hand grabbed his lapel. Someone yanked him into the narrow gap between two stone buildings. Sanji stumbled. Before he could speak, soft lips pressed against his.
Sanji's brain completely stopped working.
He stared cross-eyed. The dancer from the stage held him against the brick wall. She had a red rose in her hair. She kissed him deeply. Out on the street, a squad of Dressrosa police ran past the alley. They held batons and shouted.
"Check the square!" a police officer yelled. "She went this way!"
The footsteps faded.
The woman pulled back. She breathed heavily. Sanji slid down the brick wall and sat on the dirt, his eyes shaped like giant pink hearts.
"I apologize," the woman whispered, looking at the street. "I needed to hide."
Sanji stood up instantly, smoothing his tie. "I am your shield forever. I am Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates. May I know the name of the angel who just stole my breath?"
"Violet," she said. She looked down at him. Tears welled in her eyes. "Please, Sanji-san. I need your help. The police are chasing me because I stabbed a man. He tried to hurt me, and I defended myself. Now I have nowhere to go. I need to get to the next town. I need to kill a man there. Will you accompany me?"
Most men would ask questions. Most men would run away.
Sanji dusted off his white suit. "Lead the way, Violet-chan."
They walked through the commercial district. Violet stayed close to his side. Sanji walked with his hands in his pockets, completely ignoring the fact that he was escorting a confessed criminal.
They crossed an open plaza. Sanji stopped. He tilted his head. His Observation Haki flared.
Up on the roof of a nearby bakery, a man in a black suit aimed a sniper rifle right at Violet's back. The man pulled the trigger.
The bullet flew.
Sanji kicked the ground. "Sky Walk."
He launched into the air. He moved faster than the bullet. He spun, his leg glowing with friction. His heel slammed into the side of the bullet, altering its trajectory. The bullet buried itself into a chimney.
Sanji didn't stop. He kicked the air again, launching himself directly at the sniper on the roof.
"Mouton Shot!"
Sanji's foot struck the sniper in the chest. The man coughed blood, flew off the roof, and crashed into a dumpster in the alley below. Sanji landed lightly on the cobblestones next to Violet.
"Pest control," Sanji said smoothly.
"Thank you," Violet said. She pointed to a massive warehouse at the end of the street. "In there."
Sanji followed her inside. The warehouse was dark.
Suddenly, the heavy iron doors slammed shut. Floodlights snapped on.
Dozens of men armed with swords and guns stepped out from behind wooden crates. They wore the emblem of the Donquixote Family.
"Get him!" one of the thugs yelled. "He's with the Straw Hats!"
The men rushed forward.
Sanji lit a cigarette. He didn't even take his hands out of his pockets. He spun on his hands, launching into a breakdance motion.
"Party Table Kick Course!"
Sanji's legs became a blur. He swept through the crowd like a hurricane. Thugs flew into the air, crashing through wooden crates and smashing against the steel walls. In less than ten seconds, fifty armed men lay groaning on the concrete floor.
Sanji stood up. He adjusted his cuff. "Trash."
He turned to Violet to make sure she was safe.
A high-heeled shoe slammed directly into Sanji's jaw.
Sanji spun through the air and crashed into a pillar. He slid to the floor, bleeding from his lip. He looked up. Violet stood over him, her leg raised from the kick. Her helpless expression vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating stare.
"You are a fool, Black Leg Sanji," Violet said. "I am an elite officer of the Donquixote Pirates. I used you."
She kicked him again, driving her heel into his ribs. Sanji groaned, but he didn't raise his hands to block. He didn't use Haki to harden his skin. He just took the hit.
Violet frowned. She grabbed him by the collar and threw him into a heavy metal chair in the center of the room. She bound his wrists with thick steel chains.
Sanji sat there. Blood dripped from his nose onto his white suit. He smiled at her.
"Why aren't you fighting back?" Violet demanded. "You just wiped out my men in seconds."
"I am a man," Sanji stated. "I do not kick women. I would rather die."
Violet scoffed. "Pathetic. I need information." She raised her hands. She made circles with her fingers and placed them over her eyes. "Giro Giro no Mi. Peeping Mind."
Violet activated her Devil Fruit. Her vision plunged directly into Sanji's brain. She prepared herself to uncover the Straw Hat alliance's master plan. She expected to see tactical maps, crew weaknesses, and hidden agendas.
Instead, a tidal wave of psychic energy hit her.
Violet screamed. She fell backward, covering her eyes.
"What is wrong with your head?!" Violet gasped, hyperventilating. "Mermaids! Women in bathing suits! Your navigator! Your sous chef! It's nothing but pure, unadulterated filth! There are no thoughts in your brain!"
"I am a man of culture," Sanji stated proudly.
Violet glared at him. "You let yourself get captured. You knew my story was a lie from the start."
"I knew," Sanji said softly. "But you were crying."
Violet froze.
"When you asked me to help you kill a man, you meant it," Sanji said. He looked her directly in the eyes. "You don't want to be with Doflamingo. You are trapped. And even if a million people tell me otherwise, I will never doubt a woman's tears."
Violet stared at him. Her hands shook. For ten years, she had survived by betraying everyone. But this pirate just saw right through her defenses.
"Hierro Tear," Violet whispered.
Massive teardrops fell from her eyes. They hardened into solid steel. She swung her arm, using the steel tears as blades to shatter the chains binding Sanji to the chair.
"Run," Violet urged, her voice shaking. "You don't understand Doflamingo's power. He will destroy your crew."
Sanji stood up. He brushed the dust off his suit. He smiled confidently.
"My captain is going to be the King of the Pirates," Sanji said. "A Warlord is like an ant to us. You don't have to worry."
Before Violet could respond, the warehouse door kicked open.
Nami walked in. She looked at her wrist. The Kimoyo bead glowed brightly. She looked up. She saw the unconscious men. She saw Violet. She saw Sanji, covered in bruises and bleeding from his nose.
"Sanji," Nami sighed, crossing her arms. "Why are you bleeding in a warehouse?"
"Nami-swan!" Sanji yelled. He completely ignored his injuries and spun toward her like a tornado. "Nothing happened! I was just capturing a woman's heart!"
Nami shook her head. "You are hopeless. Come on. We need to find the SAD factory. Let's go."
"Right behind you," Sanji nodded. He turned back to Violet.
Suddenly, a massive, invisible shockwave ripped through the city.
The air vibrated. The ground hummed. It wasn't an explosion. It was a pulse of raw energy. Ben had just knocked Sugar unconscious in the underground port.
Violet gasped. Her eyes went wide. She dropped to her knees on the concrete floor. She grabbed her head.
Memories flooded her mind. A tall man swinging a broadsword. A cheering Colosseum. A beautiful woman named Scarlett. A one-legged toy soldier raising a little girl in the slums.
"Kyros," Violet whispered. Tears streamed down her face. "Kyros! He was my brother-in-law! The undefeated gladiator of the Colosseum! He married my sister Scarlett. He never ran away. He was the one-legged toy soldier this whole time! He raised Rebecca! How could I forget him?!"
Sanji knelt beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Violet-chan. What happened?"
Violet looked up. She sobbed openly. "I am Viola. I am the daughter of King Riku. Ten years ago, Doflamingo stole this country. He turned our loved ones into toys so we would forget them. He took my father. He ruined my family."
Sanji's expression hardened. The light-hearted cook vanished. The pirate remained.
"Where is your father?" Sanji asked.
"In the Royal Palace," Viola cried. "Trapped."
"Go to him," Sanji commanded. "Go find your family. Rescue your father."
"But Doflamingoβ"
"Doflamingo is fighting my captain right now," Sanji interrupted. "He won't be coming back. I promise you that. Go."
Viola wiped her eyes. She stood up. She looked at Sanji and Nami with absolute determination.
"The SAD factory is directly beneath us," Viola said quickly. "Go to the Toy House in the center of town. There is a hidden elevator inside. Take it down to the underground scrap port. From there, you will find a massive tunnel leading directly into the factory."
She paused, grabbing Sanji's hand. "Please. There is a girl locked in the palace chapel. Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta tribe. Doflamingo uses her powers. Rescue her."
Nami smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "We handle rescues too. Don't worry. Just give us the coordinates."
"Thank you," Viola said. She turned and sprinted out of the warehouse, heading straight for the palace.
Sanji lit a fresh cigarette. He looked at Nami.
"Toy House elevator," Sanji said.
"Underground scrap port," Nami agreed.
They ran out into the street. The real battle for Dressrosa was about to begin.
