The so-called fairy was a member of the Tontatta tribe, a race of tiny people living in Dressrosa. The Tontatta are known for their exceptional speed and strength.
The Tontatta tribe is even more potent than the Fish-Men, who are naturally ten times stronger than humans. Their speed is almost unbelievable, with nearly all of the tribe's warriors achieving the "Soru."
However, compared to Hailan, this fairy was still a bit slower. If it weren't for the Tontatta's natural advantage in the city's tight spaces, Hailan would have caught him long ago.
In truth, it was just a few snacks, and Hailan had earned plenty of money from the bullfighting arena over the past few days. He wasn't short on cash. If the Tontatta had asked for food sincerely, Hailan might have even taken them to a restaurant for a feast, given their cute appearance.
But outright theft was intolerable. It was a blatant provocation. Why else would martial artists in a new place perform for money instead of stealing? They knew the importance of honour.
Unfortunately for the Tontatta, they had chosen to steal from a Marine, almost begging to be caught red-handed.
Two small and one large shadows flashed through the city, making everything else appear in slow motion. The citizens of Dressrosa witnessed an unusual sight today.
They were used to "fairy thefts," but seeing such a large "fairy" was a first. Ordinary people's eyes couldn't track Hailan using "Soru," but they noticed that the shadow chasing the fairy was more significant than usual, dubbing him a "big fairy."
After a winding chase that covered half of Dressrosa and even crossed the iron bridge surrounded by ferocious fighting fish, they arrived at the northern island of Green Bit. Just as the Tontatta was about to enter the forest, their home turf, Hailan lunged forward and finally caught the troublesome fairy.
"Ugh..."
A muffled grunt sounded as Hailan, losing control, collided with a man walking out of the forest.
"Did I kill someone?" Hailan worried. With his iron-hard body and speed, the collision could have been as deadly as a speeding car.
"Hey, are you alright?" Hailan asked instinctively. To his surprise, the man got up as quickly as Hailan, showing no signs of injury.
The man waved, indicating he was fine. Hailan, relieved, thought the man might be a skilled hunter from Dressrosa.
"You troublesome little fairy, you've wasted so much of my energy. How are you going to apologize? Didn't anyone teach you that stealing is wrong?" Hailan said, looking at the teary-eyed Tontatta in his hand. He considered keeping the cute creature as a pet but quickly dismissed the idea. After all, the Tontatta were people, not pets.
"Run... ran away!" the Tontatta shouted, pointing behind Hailan.
"Ran away?" Hailan turned to see the man he had collided with fleeing back into the forest, leaving only a blur.
"What kind of place is this? Shouldn't he be demanding compensation?" Hailan thought, realising something was off. "This feels suspicious—like he's up to no good!"
Hailan dropped the fairy and focused on the fleeing man.
Vergo was in a bind. He had successfully lured the Marines to the secluded island of Green Bit, as per Doflamingo's orders. But he hadn't expected to encounter such a formidable young man. The brief collision had allowed Vergo to gauge Hailan's strength. Beating him wouldn't be easy.
Vergo prioritised escaping since he was a vital, secret asset to Doflamingo. "Shh... Do you hear something?" one female Marine asked her squad as they cautiously searched the forest.
"Maybe just the wind," another suggested.
"No, I think we're walking into an ambush. We should hurry back to the captain!" the first Marine insisted.
They referred to Tsuru, who had suspected the leads they were following might be trapped. Disguised as an ordinary soldier, she had joined the mission to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, Hailan was hot on Vergo's trail. Despite his impressive physical skills and speed, Vergo couldn't shake Hailan. Growing increasingly anxious, he suddenly felt the ground tremble like an earthquake had struck.
Vergo realised it was Pica's doing and hoped it would slow Hailan down. But Hailan quickly regained his balance. Just as he was about to resume the chase, a massive web-like net descended from above, blocking his path.
"Rankyaku!" "Soru!"
Hailan combined two techniques to slow the net's descent and evade capture. Amidst sinister laughter, a blonde man in a flamingo feather coat and red sunglasses descended from the sky.
"You must be Hailan. Why are you chasing my family instead of competing in the bullfighting arena?" Doflamingo sneered.