It's like fishing—you always need to put some bait on the hook.
Caesar didn't really care about the deal with Doflamingo, but he had to make Doflamingo think he did. That way, Doflamingo would be motivated to find what he needed for him.
After all, even livestock need a carrot dangled in front of them…
"No rush, take your time."
Caesar waved his hand slightly. "As for the Supreme Grade Sword, if you have connections, you can have someone forge it. As long as it meets the standards of the Supreme Grade Swords, it's fine."
"If that's the case, then it's not a big problem."
Doflamingo nodded. While forging a Supreme Grade Sword wasn't easy, it wasn't impossible. There were many renowned blacksmiths around the world, and since Caesar was willing to spend the money, Doflamingo could only "reluctantly" make a hefty profit.
"Also, if you're in urgent need of a Devil Fruit, I happen to have one on hand," Doflamingo said.
He wasn't the type to believe everything Caesar said just because he said it. If you want a Devil Fruit, you'd better show me the money first.
"I was originally planning to auction it off, but since you're fond of collecting Devil Fruits, I might as well do you a favor and sell it directly to you."
"What kind of fruit is it?"
"The Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison Form."
"That'll do."
Caesar nodded. A bison was better than something like a caterpillar. Given the nature of Devil Fruits, he wouldn't be surprised if one day a Paramecia-type Poop Fruit popped up. Compared to that, the bison was already quite decent. It would be perfect for rewarding his subordinates later.
"Send it over. We'll exchange goods for money."
A crimson blood sphere appeared out of thin air beside Caesar. Using his Devil Fruit ability as cover, he reached into the blood sphere and pulled out two suitcases. Opening them, he revealed two large stacks of gold bricks neatly arranged inside.
This ability…
The Vampire Fruit? Or the Blood-Blood Fruit?
Doflamingo's Observation Haki swept over the gold, confirming it was real. He stopped paying attention to the gold but began to speculate about Caesar's Devil Fruit ability.
He almost forgot—this guy was Kaidou's son-in-law.
So it must be that fruit, right?
The Vampire!
"Fufufu… what an enviable ability."
Doflamingo laughed. "The Vampire… even the Celestial Dragons covet that power."
"Is that so? Then I guess I have good taste."
Caesar nodded, acknowledging Doflamingo's guess.
"It's indeed quite impressive."
Doflamingo said calmly, "If this fruit were to be auctioned, it would be worth at least two billion. But I didn't expect it could also develop spatial abilities."
He didn't doubt that this was the Vampire Fruit's ability. For one, Caesar's blood could block Observation Haki, so he couldn't see through it. Secondly, there were indeed many fruits that seemed unrelated to space but could develop spatial abilities, like the Swamp Fruit.
Doflamingo ordered someone to bring the Bison Fruit, and soon, a small wooden box was placed in front of Caesar.
Caesar opened the box. Inside was a banana-shaped fruit with a black-gray hue, adorned with a floral pattern and a pair of bison horns at the top.
"System, collect!"
[Collected Item: Devil Fruit (Zoan Type, Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison Form)]
[Rarity: S]
[Collection Value: S]
[Evaluation: Moo—what else do you want to hear?]
[Achievement Unlocked: Collect Ten Devil Fruits]
[Achievement Reward: Bloodline Furnace]
[Bloodline Furnace: Fuse all bloodline abilities within oneself and complete a single bloodline evolution]
Ability fusion?
Bloodline evolution?
This is amazing!
Caesar felt a surge of joy in his heart.
In the original storyline, Blackbeard simultaneously wielded the powers of the Dark-Dark and Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruits, but there was a significant drawback.
The two abilities were not compatible!
Aside from their different attributes, it was fundamentally because they were two independent Devil Fruit wills.
Caesar had been worried about this as well. Although the upgraded Devil Fruit no longer had a will, and its immense power was entirely under his control, it was still three different sources of power. He wasn't sure if he could wield them as he wished.
Now, with the Bloodline Furnace, he no longer needed to worry about this.
Moreover, this thing didn't just fuse Devil Fruit abilities.
He could also adapt and evolve the innate abilities of other races by absorbing Lineage Factors.
If he could gain the underwater breathing and swimming speed of the merfolk, the immense strength of the giants, and the Sulong Form of the minks…
Then, at that point, he wouldn't care about wills or purity anymore. No matter what enemy he faced, he could simply crush them with sheer power.
As if sensing Caesar's improved mood, Doflamingo chuckled softly, his laughter seeming a bit more genuine.
This guy indeed had the qualifications to make a deal with him!
At least in terms of wealth…
"Fufufu… It seems we've reached a consensus."
Doflamingo raised his glass: "To a pleasant cooperation!"
"To a pleasant cooperation!"
Caesar raised his glass, gestured across the table, and downed it in one go, giving Doflamingo a rare smile.
"Next, shouldn't we discuss the issue with the World Government?"
Putting down his glass, Doflamingo brought up the old topic again.
Due to the shortage of Sea Prism Stone resources, the pressure from the World Government was becoming imminent.
"We'll give up the position of Warlord of the Sea, but the money and food they owe us must be paid in full!"
Caesar wiped his mouth: "How about it? I've already made the biggest concession."
"Hmm…"
Doflamingo fell silent for a moment: "You should know that the World Government doesn't care about resources or the Warlord position. What they value most is Sea Prism Stone."
"Sea Prism Stone can be exported, but the sales won't increase in the short term. Kaidou has already ruined Wano Country beyond recognition. At this rate, in five years at most, Wano Country won't have a drop of oil left to squeeze."
Caesar shook his head, indicating that the taxes in Goose City had already been collected for the next ninety years.
"As the king of Dressrosa, you should know very well how much resources and revenue a healthy economy can bring, not to mention that Wano Country is a resource-rich nation."
"Is that so…"
Doflamingo frowned deeply, cursing Kaidou's short-sightedness in his heart.
Though he was also a villain who had harmed many of his citizens, at least the GDP of his country had risen, and the annual tax revenue was substantial.
Before he arrived, Dressrosa was a notoriously poor country, where everyone had to tighten their belts just to scrape together the Celestial Tribute!
Despite occupying a key route at the entrance to the New World, being so close to Fish-Man Island, and having such convenient transportation, they still managed to be so destitute…
Nowadays, when people mention the former King Riku Doldo, they often do so with disdain, and poverty is undoubtedly a contributing factor!
As for Kaidou's act of drinking poison to quench his thirst, it's essentially on the same level as Riku Doldo's actions.
If he were to occupy a natural fortress like Wano Country, which is easy to defend and hard to attack, the resources at his disposal would likely be more than ten times what he has now!
(End of Chapter)