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So what if I admitted to Stussy right to her face that I want the Op-Op Fruit?
Years ago, the Thunder God Pirates had already announced to the entire world Arthur's burning desire for that specific Devil Fruit.
The standing offer was simple: Find the Op-Op Fruit, hand it over to the Thunder Emperor, and the Thunder God Pirates would grant the deliverer any wish within their power.
It was an open secret. Everyone knew it.
The World Government wanted that fruit too, which was exactly why Arthur had no qualms about speaking his mind.
Conspiracies? Schemes? They didn't matter. As long as there was news of the Op-Op Fruit, Arthur was willing to pay any price.
Besides, if his current experiment proved successful, petty schemes and political maneuvering would lose all meaning to him.
Absolute, overwhelming strength was the ultimate counter to any conspiracy.
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Sabaody Archipelago.
A massive flamingo-themed ship surged up from ten thousand meters beneath the sea, breaching the surface with a roar. The coating bubble surrounding the vessel shattered with a loud POP.
On the bow of the ship stood the core members of the Donquixote Family, led by Doflamingo himself. Smiles plastered their faces as they breathed in the surface air.
The gang was all there: Trebol, Diamante, Senor Pink, Pica, Gladius, Giolla, Lao G, and the rest. Standing among them was Doflamingo's biological brother, clad in a black feather coat with makeup painted on his face—the Marine undercover agent, Donquixote Rosinante.
Behind the executives stood the younger generation: Baby-5, Trafalgar Law, Monet, Buffalo, and the eight-year-old Sugar.
Baby-5's Arms-Arms Fruit (Buki Buki no Mi) had already been handed over to Arthur by Doflamingo in a previous deal.
Sugar had consumed the Hobby-Hobby Fruit (Hobi Hobi no Mi), halting her aging process forever. And Law... the Amber Lead Syndrome was ravaging his body. Patches of white skin were visible all over him, the hallmark of the "White Town," Flevance.
The entire Donquixote Family had arrived at Sabaody Archipelago. Their auction house was about to hold its grand opening.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffuffu—"
Doflamingo stared at the Lawless Zone of Sabaody in the distance, his mouth wide open in a maniacal laugh.
The mission assigned by the Thunder Emperor to find the Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi) had been successfully completed. The fruit was now in his possession. This meant that from now on, he could negotiate business with the overlords of the New World as a partner rather than a subordinate. There was nothing more perfect than this.
"Buffalo, I have a mission for you. You can handle it one hundred percent, right? Hmm?" Doflamingo turned his head, grinning at Buffalo, who had the Jolly Roger painted on his buckteeth.
"Young Master, whatever the mission is, I'll do it!" Buffalo shouted, shaking with excitement.
"You can fly. I need you to safely deliver this fruit to the Thunder God Sea..."
Doflamingo pulled a box from beneath his feet and opened it, revealing a brown Devil Fruit adorned with cloud-like patterns.
The Float-Float Fruit. It had taken him two years to find it.
But inside that same chest sat three other Paramecia-type Devil Fruits.
One was shaped like a gourd with red and white swirls. Another was shaped like a five-pointed lucky star. The last was a palm-sized fruit shaped like a ring.
If Arthur were here, he would instantly recognize this trifecta. They were the Gold-Gold Fruit (Gol Gol no Mi), the long-sought Luck-Luck Fruit (Laki Laki no Mi), and the Through-Through Fruit (Nuke Nuke no Mi).
It had to be said—Doflamingo's intelligence network was terrifyingly efficient. He had a knack for hunting down Devil Fruits.
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The truth was, Doflamingo didn't want to face Arthur again. Ever since he acquired the Float-Float Fruit, he had been debating who to send. It wasn't until they reached Sabaody that he decided to let Buffalo fly Shiki's legacy over to the Thunder God Sea.
The Donquixote Family disembarked from the Flamingo ship, carrying the chest containing the three other fruits. They marched excitedly toward their newly established auction house.
The finale of today's auction was, without a doubt, these Devil Fruits!
The interior of the auction house was vast, designed like a coliseum with tiered seating circling the stage. The higher the status, the closer the seat to the auction block.
As Doflamingo led his family inside, more and more people began to converge on the location from all corners of the archipelago. Powerful pirates, noble guards, and wealthy merchants desperate for power—they all knew that the grand opening of the Donquixote Auction House would feature three Devil Fruits.
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A Restaurant in the Lawless Zone.
Gild Tesoro, with his slicked-back ash-green hair and plain shirt, looked up from his plate. A flash of intense, burning desire cut through his eyes.
Ever since Doflamingo released the auction announcement, Tesoro had been on Sabaody, waiting for a full month.
As a former slave of the Celestial Dragons, he had once accidentally glimpsed a copy of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. He had no interest in the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit, or the Op-Op Fruit. None of them mattered.
The only thing he wanted was the gourd-shaped fruit. The Gold-Gold Fruit.
"Money can buy everything."
Ever since the woman he loved, Stella, was bought by a Celestial Dragon and died in captivity, that sentence had taken root in his heart like a poisonous vine. He wanted to control all the Berries in the world!!
Straightening his collar, a calm but determined Tesoro walked out of the restaurant. He merged with the crowd flowing into the Donquixote Auction House. He found a random seat, glanced at the strangers around him, and began calculating how to get his hands on that fruit.
Time ticked by. The auction hall filled up. Every seat surrounding the stage was taken.
Tesoro sat quietly, observing. The core combat members of the Donquixote Family were seated in the front row, while Doflamingo stood on stage with a microphone, ready to host the event.
The auction items must be backstage. And the powerful family executives aren't guarding them; they're out here maintaining order...
Tesoro made his calculations. Ignoring the noise around him, he stood up and slipped into the shadows.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffuffu! Since the seats are practically full, let the auction officially begin..." Doflamingo announced loudly.
The lights in the entire venue cut out, leaving only a single spotlight beaming down on the stage.
"To all of you who have been waiting impatiently—I am Doflamingo, and I hope you all find exactly what you're looking for!"
"Cut the crap and start already!"
"I came here specifically for the Devil Fruits!"
"We don't have time to waste with you..."
The hall erupted into chaos. The uncouth pirates had no respect for Doflamingo's theatrics.
Seeing the disorder, Tesoro felt a surge of excitement. This crowd was practically a gift from the gods.
He felt his way along the walls of the auction house, moving carefully through the darkness until he slipped behind the curtains and into the backstage area.
"Who goes there?"
The reserve members of the Donquixote Family—the children charged with guarding the inventory—turned their heads.
But a group of kids held zero intimidation factor for a desperate man.
"Get the hell out of my way!!"
With the Gold-Gold Fruit of his dreams within arm's reach, Tesoro's eyes turned red with adrenaline. He slapped Baby-5, Law, and the others aside with frantic force, sending the children sprawling.
He lunged forward and snatched the three most prominent Devil Fruits from the tray!
"Hahahahahaha!!"
His heart pounding like a war drum, Tesoro laughed wildly. He grabbed the gourd-shaped fruit, shoved it into his mouth, and swallowed it in huge gulps, ignoring the vile, retch-inducing taste.
In the darkness of the backstage, the future "Golden Emperor," Gild Tesoro, was born!
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