Arceus's Pirate Journey

Chapter 501: Chapter 500: Pure ”Handout” Behavior

The time when Jack acquired his abilities in the original timeline is unknown, but it can be confirmed that the Poneglyph at the bottom of the inner sea of Wano Kuni was discovered by the adult Jack.

Now, due to a series of butterfly effects, this fruit still ended up in Doflamingo’s hands.

As for that ordinary Eleph-Eleph Fruit, it was originally going to be traded to the World Government. However, due to changes in Doflamingo’s plan, this Eleph-Eleph Fruit now has a new arrangement.

Double-crossing is a common occurrence in Underworld trades, but those are usually small-time local bosses who can’t achieve big things.

For the Underworld, the character of the traders is very important. Once some bad news gets out, other forces will try to avoid continuing with trades.

The Hundred Beasts currently have a decent reputation in the Underworld. As long as they don’t get any bad ideas, they won’t actively disrupt the content of trades.

Previously, there was a need to guard against being backstabbed, for example, contacting the Navy during the trades, which Doflamingo also considered might be related to the appearance of Tsuru, but this was evidently quite abnormal several times.

This time, he wasn’t worried about that issue. As a notorious Great Pirate in the New World, the Hundred Beasts would not have any connections with the Navy.

The World Government is the World Government, and the Navy is the Navy. Although the Navy is a subordinate force of the World Government, they cannot be interchanged.

Even for Doflamingo’s own plans, his future trading targets are also the World Government, not the Navy. As a former Heavenly Celestial Dragon, he knows too many secrets that ordinary people do not.

”Doflamingo, they’re here.”

As Doflamingo and Trebol were conversing, a sharp voice came from outside the door, followed by a tall and burly man walking in.

He is Pika, one of the officers of the Donquixote family, and his sharp voice is his trademark, something he dislikes. If anyone mocks him for it, he would fly into a rage.

Pika, like Trebol, chose to follow Doflamingo, and he is one of his most trusted officers, previously monitoring the situation by the sea.

”Have they come? They are quite punctual.”

”Yes, but only two of them arrived, ’Plague Disaster’ Queen and an unfamiliar girl, along with a bizarre flying machine.”

”It’s not important. As long as they’re from the Hundred Beasts, it’s enough. Let’s go, the trade has begun.”

The existence of Yamato remains unknown to the outside world. Even Knight hasn’t figured out her identity. All that’s known are the titles ’Miss Yamato’ and ’Ghost Princess.’

This information was previously obtained in battle from Queen and Genesect, not because Queen had a big mouth, but because they were on the battlefield without using any communication devices like a Radio Snail.

In such situations, the other party wouldn’t hear anything at normal volume, and shouting was the only method.

However, not figuring it out doesn’t mean being completely clueless. Someone whom Queen would call ’miss’ could only be a child of the Hundred Beasts’ top brass. Queen is already a high-ranking officer in the Beast Pirates, so Yamato is either Kaidou’s daughter or Arceus’s daughter.

Though they still harbor doubts about Arceus, they merely regard him as an eccentric ability user.

This information is still being verified within the World Government, and of course, Doflamingo is unaware of such matters.

The trade proceeded smoothly, without any instances of double-crossing or unexpected Navy interference. However, the trade’s development was not quite as Doflamingo had anticipated.

The value of two Devil Fruits is indeed considerable, and although he had already intended to use these two fruits as a goodwill gesture, not expecting any payment, based on his understanding, after he expressed that this trade item was free of charge, the other party should understand his intention to deepen cooperation.

Intelligent people shouldn’t have to overthink communication; when someone extends goodwill, the other side should reciprocate with a contact method or something else, but Queen didn’t follow the script, simply taking the fruit and leaving without a word.

Not to say he didn’t say anything at all; he kindly told Doflamingo that if he wished to give gifts next time, he should continue to use that phone. In a sense, this did establish a communication channel, yet for some reason, Doflamingo felt it wasn’t quite what he expected.

”Doflamingo, was this... a success?”

Watching Queen and Yamato departing on Genesect, several of his officers around felt something was off too, but since they had already taken off, there was no way to bring them down again.

”It should... be considered as such....”

This was his first trade with a New World’s monster, and he inevitably had some doubts about the New World’s trading style.

...

On the other hand, Yamato, already having left, also found it strange as she looked at the two fruits in the box. Encountering no trouble at all was equally at odds with her expectations.

”Didn’t even ask for payment, he seems like a good person.”

Doflamingo’s act of giving away for free earned him a ’good person card,’ although it was a remark he himself didn’t hear.

”A good person? That guy’s just an idiot. Miss Yamato, although there’s a saying that free things are the most expensive, that doesn’t apply to us.”

Queen naturally understood Doflamingo’s intention, but he currently had no qualifications to discuss such matters with the Beast Pirates. Wano Kuni’s farmers could find a Devil Fruit while farming, so occasionally producing two fruits didn’t prove anything.

To make the other party feel indebted, one’s status and power must be higher than the other party’s, or at least equal. The disparity between them made Doflamingo’s actions seem to Queen as merely currying favor.

Unless what Doflamingo produced was a Plate, which in the Beast Pirates’ internal affairs, was almost like a get-out-of-jail-free card.

”I think so too. Who sells things for free? But Jack should be quite pleased; these two fruits will likely advance his subordinates.”

Jack has an unusual fondness for elephants, including but not limited to admiring the power of elephants and enjoying roasted elephant ribs. If she guessed right, these two fruits will most likely be given to Jack’s future aides.

This is also related to the internal rewards within the Hundred Beasts. The highest level of reward is the complete ability transfer from Arceus, followed by Devil Fruits modified by Arceus, and then unmodified Devil Fruits, along with ordinary skills acquired by gift-givers, are all part of the third tier.

Unless it’s an exceptionally powerful fruit, members of the Beast Pirates generally prefer to gain some skills, but no one would refuse a Devil Fruit either. Although there’s the fear of water, ultimately it’s a power ordinary people don’t have.