https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-449-The-Twenty-Two-Year-Old-Lolicon/12935516/
Chapter 450: Not Yet Qualified
Chapter 450: Not Yet Qualified
On the deck, Donquixote Doflamingo, who was lounging on a chair, sat up and waved for Monet to leave. He then walked to a secluded side of the ship's railing and picked up a call.
"Hahaha, Law, it's been a while. It's not easy to even hear your voice," Doflamingo said, his eyebrows furrowing in anger. "Hand over Caesar."
Law's voice came through the talking cricket, sounding somewhat weak, "Let's make a deal, Doflamingo."
"Is the little brat trying to make a deal like an adult now? Hmm, don't joke around. Hand over Caesar, and I might consider letting you off for killing Vergo," Doflamingo said, his temples throbbing with rage.
"Joking?"
The talking cricket emitted a light laugh, "I'm not joking with you. Your 'smile' fruit's most crucial ingredient is produced by Caesar. Without him, you won't be able to complete the deal."
He paused and spoke in a low voice, "The deal with one of the Four Emperors, Kaido."
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo's expression turned serious.
"He's your most important business partner, and to some extent, your backer. What would happen if he found out you can't produce the 'smile' fruit anymore?"
"Also, on Punk Hazard, I met a subordinate of the Cataclysm. I know the situation. Caesar handles the Cataclysm's drug trade. Without Caesar, you can't complete the deal with the Cataclysm either."
"With two Four Emperors as your enemies, I don't need to spell out the consequences. You'll be torn apart by them!"
"You seem to know a lot. So, what do you plan to do to get Caesar back to me?" Doflamingo's temples throbbed even more intensely.
"Just resign from the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
The talking cricket said, "I want to see this news in tomorrow's morning paper. Otherwise, you'll be served by the two Four Emperors one after the other!"
After saying this, the talking cricket hung up first.
Doflamingo held the receiver, his smile fading as his temples throbbed, the veins on his hands becoming visible.
Bang! He crushed the receiver in his hand, staring at the ocean in silence.
"Young Master."
Monet, standing behind him, looked worried. As she hesitated about whether to go and comfort him, she suddenly heard a voice.
"Call Sage. You're his partner, and that Kaido guy won't be a threat."
Monet turned around and saw Renetia, who had changed into new clothes, approaching Doflamingo.
"Did you hear that?" Doflamingo asked.
"It was so loud; how could I not hear it?"
"Hahaha, that's true, but I'm not angry about that."
Doflamingo grinned, "I'm angry because that little brat can threaten me now!"
He grinned again, spreading his arms wide, revealing a sinister expression, "Hahaha! Law, you've given me a big surprise! Is this your scheme? But you don't understand, I have many ways to deal with this, and..."
Kaido
Not to mention a year ago, Doflamingo would have been terrified, but ever since Sage became one of the Four Emperors, he wasn't as afraid.
The only deal Doflamingo had with Kaido was for the 'smile' fruit, the Artificial Devil Fruit. In exchange, he obtained weapons, Sea Mansion Stone, and other resources from Kaido, which were important but not indispensable.
In comparison, his collaboration with Sage was truly irreplaceable! Doflamingo was involved in all kinds of transactions with Sage, including food, weapons, warships, drugs, clothing, and more. He used his connections and underground resources to sell these goods to various places and also acquired the raw materials Sage needed from different regions.
This included infiltrating the underground world. After Sage eliminated the Undertaker, Doflamingo recruited those assassins and started a debt collection business in the underground killer industry, all of which he managed himself.
He was the person Sage needed, and it also indicated who his true backer was!
"Even if I can't bring you down, let's have some fun together, Law! Hahaha!"
As Doflamingo laughed maniacally, Renetia raised her eyebrows, stroked her chin, and said, "You'd better call Sage."
"If the Young Master is so confident, I believe in him too."
Monet followed, smiling, "This kind of thing doesn't require Sage's involvement."
"It's not a small matter to bother him!"
Renetia rolled her eyes and pointed at Doflamingo, "Hey! You're giving up your position as one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea. I don't care what your plan is, but it will definitely have an impact. It's fine if you create an impact, but if it affects our deal and prevents Sage from making a profit, then it's a problem!"
Robbing treasures?
Research Discontinuation?
Treasures that weren't under Sage's control and research that had already turned a profit were all minor concerns.
But once it affected the trade routes, that's when a real disaster would strike!
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo's face turned grim, his initial excitement and confident smile fading into seriousness.
"I'll make sure to explain everything," he said in a low voice.
...
In a certain sea area, a ship that had been destroyed by one-third was stranded on a deserted island. A group of people were carrying parts and repairing the ship.
"Fortunately, the keel is intact. It's truly the Adam Tree, capable of withstanding any damage without a scratch."
Franky's massive mechanical arm extended, revealing smaller mechanical hands that hammered and fixed the ship.
After escaping from Punk Hazard, thanks to Chopper's timely treatment, Law was saved, and although everyone was injured, they were healed and would be fine after a few days of rest.
"Are you sure there won't be any problems?"
Usopp, covered in frostbite ointment and with most of his body wrapped in bandages, handed a piece of wood to Franky and asked, "Will the ship be okay with this repair?"
"Trust in Franky's skills!"
Franky confidently replied, "As long as the keel is intact, the ship will be fully restored! Usopp, give me that piece of steel."
"It's fine." Usopp nodded and ran to fetch new materials.
The Merry had suffered too much damage and couldn't be repaired, and now the Sunny, which inherited its spirit, was also in danger. Usopp didn't want it to face any issues.
Meanwhile, on the island, Law ended his call and glanced at Caesar, who was tied to a tree. "This will be enough. Once he resigns from the Seven Warlords, we will have completed the first step of our plan."
"Next, we just need to use Caesar as bait. We'll seize the opportunity to destroy the 'Smile' factory in Dressrosa. Without the Seven Warlords' position and the trade with Kaido, Doflamingo will surely perish!"
This was his original plan—to infiltrate Punk Hazard and uncover Caesar's actions and the production base of the Artificial Devil Fruit ingredient, SAD.
"In that case, we'll be facing a Yonko directly, right?"
Nami, sitting nearby, hugged her body tightly and exclaimed, "No, please! Even the subordinates of a Yonko are terrifying enough. How powerful must a Yonko be?!"
This time, they had directly faced the might of a Yonko. Although they knew about the Yonko's fearsome reputation, they had never experienced it firsthand, and even Sage, whom they were familiar with, had given them a hard time.
But this battle had given Nami a firsthand experience of what a Yonko was.
They knew Renetia, and in just two years, that little girl had caused them significant trouble. If it weren't for Law, they might have been defeated.
Law looked ahead at Luffy, who was helping Franky repair the ship with a cheerful smile, unaffected by the recent battle. "Your captain aims to challenge all the Pirate Emperors. This is just the first one. I only need to challenge one Yonko, and once Kaido is defeated, our alliance will come to an end, even though the probability is infinitely low."
He truly understood the terror of a Yonko.
"Sage."
Robin, sitting on the other side, muttered and furrowed her brows. "Thriller Bark, this plan might not be as simple as it seems. Sage and Doflamingo's involvement is likely deeper than just being drug intermediaries."
"Robin?" Nami looked over.
"Well, I've been working with the Revolutionary Army for the past two years. Recently, I visited Ohara at the Revolutionary Army's request."
At the mention of this name, she paused before continuing, "Sage's business is extensive, and he deals with everyone—pirates, black market traders, the Revolutionary Army, and possibly even the World Government."
"As you said, if Doflamingo is the leader of the underworld, he must have deep connections with Sage. If our plan succeeds, we might have to face not only Kaido's wrath but also pressure from Sage."
"Huh? Aren't they already enemies?" Nami asked, puzzled.
"It's not the same."
Robin shook her head. "Although I don't know much about him, I doubt he'd care about what happened on Punk Hazard and Fishman Island. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Renetia, who was involved in those incidents, to deal with us. He'd have sent someone even more formidable."
"After this, if we meet Sage again, he won't target us. A Yonko's 'lesson' follows a code."
Nami: "... "
They had nearly lost their lives and their ship was destroyed, and he claimed it wasn't a big deal?
What does it mean to truly care? "But if the deal is broken, it's a different story. Maybe he won't care, maybe he will."
Robin spoke in a low voice, "We'll be hunted down."
"There's nothing we can do about it."
Luo crossed his arms, covering the lower half of his face, "This is the plan. Once we start, there's no turning back. Or are you all getting cold feet?"
"No way!"
A spirited voice echoed from behind.
Luffy had approached without them noticing, his straw hat pushed down, revealing a bright smile through his clenched teeth, "I'm the man who will become the Pirate King! On this path, as long as I have no regrets, even death means nothing!"
"Hmph! If you don't have the guts, we might as well change captains." Zoro appeared behind him, a smirk forming on his face.
Further away, Sanji silently lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke.
Usopp crossed his arms, Chopper excitedly raised his hoof, Brook let out his unique laugh, Franky struck a pose, and Robin smiled almost indulgently.
"You..."
Nami patted her forehead and said to the slightly dazed Luo, "Yes, that's just how we are!"
(---)
Storm City, the Royal Palace.
"You should know what this means."
In an office that seemed to be for official business but was actually Sage's resting place, he chewed on a cigar, holding a microphone, and spoke to a Talking Cricket that had taken on the form of a pair of sunglasses, wearing a sinister smile, "I don't care about your Seven Warlords position, but it will affect our deal, won't it? If it's delayed by a day, how much money will I lose? Or do you want to take over Crocodile's business? A guy like Caesar, once he's gone, he's gone. He's not as important as my deal."
"Grrr, grrr, grrr, grrr, Sage, I'm not your subordinate either. This matter concerns me personally, and I'll make the specific judgment. As for the deal being delayed for a few days, I'll count it as half a month. I'll buy the goods for this half-month period." The Talking Cricket spoke.
Upon hearing this, Sage exhaled a puff of smoke, "Carla, calculate it."
Carla, standing beside him in a secretary outfit, pushed up her glasses and, after a moment of silence, said, "If it's within half a month, the goods we have in Doflamingo's channel for this period are weapons, warships, food, and a batch of Rainbow Gems. Including the cost, the total value is five billion belli."
"Did you hear that? Five billion."
Sage said, "But it's not just about money. I want resources. The cash flow is five billion belli, but the economic and production value generated by the incoming resources is not limited to this amount. With fewer resources, my people will have less work, they'll earn less, and my economic flow will be affected."
"I can give you face, but you have to compensate me for this loss. I'll count it as one hundred billion. In half a month, I want to see one hundred billion in resources. Is that a problem?"
"Grrr, grrr, grrr, grrr, you're so ruthless, Sage. I thought our relationship was good enough that I wouldn't have to pay compensation."
"Do you want to go to heaven?"
Sage rolled his eyes, "Even if the Space Pirates attack the next day, how should I calculate it then?"
"Alright, I agree." Doflamingo said, "In half a month, I'll keep my promise. That's it."
As he spoke, the Talking Cricket's form suddenly changed into a small toothy grin.
"Sage, Sage, it seems like Straw Hat and Luo are targeting Doflamingo. Should I stay with Wibul?"
"No need, there are apprentices on the ship, bring them back. You should come back too, it's not safe for kids to be running around!"
Before Renetia could argue, Sage hung up the phone and then pointed at the Talking Cricket, annoyed, "Look, look, Carla, this is the two-way nature of having the channel in someone else's hands. It's convenient for me because I don't have to worry, but it's also inconvenient because he does whatever he wants, stopping whenever he pleases."
"Should we take out Doflamingo?" Carla asked.
"Does he look like the kind of guy who doesn't care about honor?"
Sage said, "I'm one of the Four Emperors! Cooperation is cooperation, and I'm willing to pay compensation if needed."
As he spoke, he leaned back, took the cigar from his mouth, and pressed it into the ashtray. Then he picked up a gem-encrusted wine glass.
"Dressrosa?"
He let out a cold laugh, "Call Lily."
"Yes."
Carla pushed up her glasses and left, twisting her sexy hips.
Sage swirled the wine in his glass, "Fate? I'll see if it's true. Besides, a guy like that..."
He drank the wine, looking out the window at the pouring rain, and coldly said, "Isn't good enough."
(End of Chapter)
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