At present, Caesar’s skills seem to hold some significance for Doflamingo.
Although Doflamingo wouldn’t treat Caesar as he does his family members, he would still grant him some status.
Before delivering the fruits, they had undergone some experiments. Doflamingo had seen those bizarre abilities before and couldn’t be sure whether Kaido would find them interesting.
Now that someone has arrived, it at least shows they have some interest in them, which is a good sign.
If they’re interested, they won’t kill Caesar outright. As long as they don’t kill him, beating him up a little isn’t a big deal.
To Doflamingo, Caesar is important, but it depends on the comparison. Compared to the Beasts Pirates, Caesar is considered nothing.
As for the reason for hosting a party, he couldn’t very well tell Caesar, “Someone’s coming to beat you up; you need to come over.”
Currently, Caesar hasn’t restarted Punk Hazard’s laboratory yet, so he wasn’t far away and was soon called over by someone sent by Doflamingo.
“Shurororororo, I heard you’re holding a party? Seems like they’re satisfied with the goods?”
Caesar had no idea what was about to happen, so his face was full of joy.
“Fuffuffuffu, well, let’s just say they’re somewhat interested in them, but the details still need to be discussed. They sent someone over to negotiate, and this person is very eager to meet you, their creator. You two should have some common topics to talk about.”
No matter how much Caesar pressed for answers, Doflamingo didn’t tell him who it was.
Caesar’s impression of Queen was still stuck in the MADS era. Back then, Queen didn’t have the title of “Versatile Helper,” and it was already a small miracle that the two managed not to come to blows. Thus, Caesar didn’t think in that direction.
While Caesar and Doflamingo were waiting, Queen’s Banana Brachiosaurus was en route. The ship’s bow featured the head of a Tropius, and the overall design of the ship resembled the Big Mom Pirates more than the Beasts Pirates.
Meanwhile, Rory and Harper were also dragged aboard by Queen. Their lives had changed dramatically due to excessive overtime work.
As test subjects, they gained new abilities and were temporarily transferred to Queen’s personal troops, currently on a “business-funded vacation” mission.
The atmosphere aboard Queen’s ship was quite lively. As the leader, Queen would take the lead in performing songs and dances, which was his hobby. As a result, everyone on his ship had learned at least a couple of dance routines.
Whether or not they danced well didn’t matter; what mattered was that Queen loved this kind of atmosphere.
Rory and Harper quickly integrated into the group. Although they weren’t originally part of Queen’s crew, Queen’s awkward dance routines were an annual tradition on Onigashima.
“Boss Queen, what exactly do you want us to do?”
“Yeah, is there a new mission for us?”
Initially, they thought that becoming a member of the Blessed Ones was no longer possible for them, as they were getting old, had no special talents, and hadn’t accumulated much contributions; they were already wondering which island they’d be assigned to after retirement.
But two Devil Fruits reignited their hope. Now that they have obtained standard Devil Fruits, the next step could be becoming Gifters. And if their luck turned just a little better, they might even become the Blessed Ones.
Once desire takes hold, it’s hard to stop. Now, their thoughts about the future were brimming with more possibilities.
“No mission. You just need to get familiar with your abilities and then show some people what you’re capable of.”
In an era rife with scapegoats everywhere, even Vegapunk and Judge had moments of self-doubt. But Caesar remained steadfast in his beliefs, convinced that Queen couldn’t possibly have such capabilities.
As old enemies, Caesar knew Queen inside out. Even with mountains of “evidence” in front of him, Caesar dismissed it as rumors.
Similarly, Queen had a clear understanding of Caesar’s limits. These two Devil Fruits had been refined by Arceus, and Queen was confident that the original versions of the Fruits could never achieve such effects.
As their creator, Caesar surely knew the limits of what he had made.
Apart from beating him up, Queen’s goal was to crush Caesar in the area he prided himself on the most.
And how would he do it?
He’s taken the blame for so many things, so it shouldn’t be a problem for him to show off a little when he goes out.
…….
“All right, boys, enjoy yourselves to the fullest! I’ll cover all the expenses for the next few days, but don’t forget what you need to be mindful of!”
After emphasizing the dos and don’ts, Queen dismissed his crew, letting them roam freely. He, on the other hand, took Rory and Harper along and headed for the King’s Plateau.
Meanwhile, at the King’s Plateau, Doflamingo was closely paying attention to Queen’s every move.
“Doffy, they’re here. They’re heading this way. Leading the group is the Plague Calamity… it seems he’s discovered me.”
A woman was reporting her observations to Doflamingo. She was Viola, now an assassin for the Donquixote Family, but formerly the daughter of King Riku.
She is an Eagle-Eyed Seer, who has eaten the Glare-Glare Fruit. Her primary ability was clairvoyance, allowing her to expand her vision up to 4,000 kilometers. The entirety of Dressrosa and its surrounding seas fell within her observational range.
Doflamingo liked her ability and ultimately persuaded her to join the Donquixote Family on the condition that King Riku’s life would be spared.
Doflamingo tasked her with monitoring Queen’s arrival. However, for some reason, she felt strongly that Queen had already discovered her presence.
“Such sharp instincts… Oh well, the guest is here, so there’s no need to risk offending them. Pica, go welcome the guest,” Doflamingo commanded.
He didn’t find it strange that a wanted criminal with a bounty of 2.7 billion Berries would notice being observed. In fact, he thought it was perfectly reasonable—without such strength, one couldn’t become a senior officer in the Beasts Pirates.
Doflamingo had prepared meticulously for the meeting, but Queen gave him a blow as soon as they met.
When Doflamingo offered a price of 20 million Berries, Queen responded by holding up two fingers.
“What’s… the meaning of this?”
“Two million. That’s the price we’re willing to pay. No more.”
A standard Devil Fruit typically sold for at least 100 million Berries, with prices increasing further if the type was known. Caesar’s artificial Devil Fruits were inferior to the originals, so the price was halved. Given the high failure rate, the price was discounted again.
Twenty million Berries was Doflamingo’s final offer, which he considered reasonable.
He did think the price was negotiable, but he didn’t expect Queen to slash off an entire zero.
“That’s far too low.”
“Joker, if their success rate was 100%, then it would barely be worth 20 million. But its success rate is only one in ten, so it’s only worth this much.”
“According to the rules of the sea, wouldn’t the buyer also normally share the risks of failure?”
He was right. In typical transactions involving items with possibility of failure, both buyer and seller usually shared the risk.
For instance, certain experiments that might fail do not lead to a reduction in material prices simply because of a high probability of failure. He has already relinquished a significant amount of profits, but unfortunately, the entity he is dealing with is a monster from the New World.
“Muhahaha, Joker, as a broker, aren’t you overestimating yourself too much?
“This is an underworld deal that falls under the jurisdiction of the New World. You’re not trading with Beasts Fruits, but with the Beasts Pirates.”
“At times like this, we don’t follow the rules—or rather, here, we are the rules.”
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