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Erumalu—a city long since run dry.
Once known as the Green City on the lower Sandora River, it had been reduced to a desert wasteland after the waters receded.
A sand-laced wind gusted through the empty streets, whipping at the corner of Katakuri's coat.
He spared Crocodile a glance before his gaze settled on Jin. He was younger than expected—impossibly so.
"The merchandise?"
ARROGANT BASTARD!!!
Katakuri suppressed a flicker of anger, his calm unwavering. He gave Daifuku a look.
Daifuku turned and retrieved three boxes from the packs slung over his camel's back. He opened them, revealing a Devil Fruit in each.
Then, he closed the lids and stood guard beside them.
"And the prisoners?" Katakuri demanded.
"On a ship in the harbor," Jin said, holding up a key. "This is for the Seastone cuffs. You can send someone to confirm. Crocodile has already seen them."
"He has," Crocodile grunted.
But Katakuri shook his head. "I don't trust you. Release them first."
"The goods for the key," Jin said, holding it up. "I'm a firm believer in fair trade."
Stussy, her voice the picture of elegance, interjected. "Which harbor? What ship? My people can confirm."
Katakuri hesitated for a moment. He doubted Stussy would take sides in a matter like this. He nodded.
Jin had no objections and told her the ship's location.
It was in Nanohana.
Once Stussy's people confirmed the prisoners were there, Katakuri gave Daifuku a nod, signaling him to hand over the Devil Fruits.
However, Daifuku didn't seem to get the message. Instead, it was Oven—hot-headed, aggressive, and spoiling for a fight—who suddenly made a move.
He lunged, throwing a punch at Jin as a wave of scorching air coiled around his fist.
"Heatwave Fist!"
The Paramecia Heat-Heat Fruit—it allowed its user to transfer immense heat to any object they touched, incinerating it in an instant.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A figure flashed in front of Jin. Crocodile's arm, transformed into a blade of sand, met Oven's punch head-on.
"Desert Spada!"
The two attacks collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave that sent a massive cloud of sand swirling into the air.
"Crocodile, get out of the way!" Oven roared, locked in the stalemate. "This is none of your business!"
He was a mountain of a man, his body rippling with muscle. His orange hair was styled into three distinct, fan-like sections, growing darker from bottom to top. He had thick eyebrows and a matching orange beard. He was shirtless, wearing only an orange cape, brown gloves, red pants, and orange-and-yellow striped socks, all tucked into a pair of pointed orange shoes.
Heat and flames rolled off his body in waves, so intense that the sand around him began to melt into glass.
"Is this how the Big Mom Pirates do business?" Crocodile drawled, his voice laced with scorn. He ignored Oven, his golden hook fixed on Katakuri. "Going back on a deal that's already been struck?"
"Katakuri, what is the meaning of this?" Stussy asked, her tone sharp.
Katakuri frowned. This wasn't his style. It must have been Oven and Daifuku, still fuming, who had planned this stunt. His expression darkened. He shot them a cold glare. "Daifuku. Give them the goods."
It was only three Devil Fruits. It wasn't a price Big Mom couldn't afford. It wasn't worth losing face over.
"No need," a calm voice said. "I've already got them."
WHAT??
Katakuri, Stussy, and Oven all whipped their heads around. Across from them, Jin was now holding the satchel that had been on the camel.
Daifuku looked behind him in alarm. The pack was gone.
'When??' Daifuku thought, a jolt of alarm shooting through him. He hadn't felt a thing. Was it... when the sand kicked up?
More shocking still—not a single person, not even Katakuri or Stussy, had sensed it with their Observation Haki.
Katakuri's pupils contracted. Was it in that instant? When Oven had thrown his punch and Crocodile had intercepted, everyone's attention had been drawn to the clash. For a fraction of a second, their focus had been diverted, their Observation Haki lapsing.
This man... he was dangerous.
For the first time, Katakuri truly saw him. It sounded simple, but the timing, the speed... it had been perfect. In that one moment of "invisibility," he could have launched a devastating attack on Daifuku—or even on himself.
".." Stussy was equally stunned.
The Five Elders, Big Mom, even she herself... they had all underestimated him. People always had a tendency to judge based on age and appearance, a fatal flaw.
Jin tossed the key to Katakuri. "Here. I'm not like some people..."
He shot a sidelong glance at Oven. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one. But there's no need for these cheap tricks. It's embarrassing for our mediator."
Jin then turned to Stussy. "Isn't that right, Miss Stussy?"
He remembered who she was—a clone of Miss Buckingham Stussy, a former member of the Rocks Pirates. She was the first successful product of MADS' cloning experiments.
MADS, an illegal scientific research organization led by Vegapunk and funded by the "Loan Shark King," Du Feld, had been a hotbed of geniuses. Besides Vegapunk, its ranks had included Caesar Clown, Vinsmoke Judge, and Queen, all dedicated to researching Lineage Factor and cloning technology. Stussy's creation had been their first major breakthrough.
The World Government had quickly shut them down. Vegapunk was arrested, and the organization was disbanded, its members scattering to the winds—Vegapunk and Caesar to the Marines, Judge to establish Germa, and Queen to the Beasts Pirates. The technological legacy of MADS—cloning, biomechanical fusion, artificial Devil Fruits—had been fought over by the world's major powers ever since.
And Stussy, though she had many identities—CP0 agent, Queen of the Pleasure Quarter—had always remained loyal to Vegapunk.
Jin's overture to her was, on the surface, a simple flirtation. In reality, it was an attempt to establish a connection with the brilliant scientist.
"Womanizer" was a weakness Jin deliberately projected to the world, a convenient mask to hide his true intentions.
Stussy, having infiltrated the underworld and risen to become one of its key players, had seen it all. She knew Jin's reputation.
She gave a faint smile in response, then said in a cold voice, "Oven, that's enough. This is over. If this exchange fails because of your recklessness, can you take responsibility for the consequences? I will be sure to report this to Linlin."
At the mention of "Linlin," Oven deflated. He knew all too well the terror of his mother's wrath. The heat radiating from his body subsided, and he stepped back.
Katakuri pocketed the key. His priority was to rescue his siblings. "Let's go," he said to Oven and Daifuku.
"Wait."
Jin's voice stopped them.
"What is it now?" Oven snarled, turning, his anger flaring up again.
Katakuri and Daifuku also turned.
"Seeing as you're all so eager for a fight," Jin said with a smile, "how about I give you a chance? The wager? These three Devil Fruits. You win, you take the prisoners and the fruits. You lose, you give me three more. Fair, isn't it?"
Oven's eyes widened, first in surprise, then in delight. He cracked his knuckles. "Are you serious?"
Daifuku's eyes glinted. He was tempted, but he was more level-headed than his brother. He looked to Katakuri.
It wasn't that Big Mom had never suffered a defeat. But her opponents had always been legends—Whitebeard, the Marines, the World Government... Now, to be humiliated by some no-name king from Paradise? It was an insult.
Katakuri felt it too. He had been itching for a fight, but with Stussy present, he hadn't had a proper justification.
Now, Jin had given him one.
It was exactly what he wanted.
"Fine," Katakuri said, his gaze cold. "But... there are only two of you. To make it fair, it will be a one-on-one duel. Me against you."
"You're mistaken," Jin said with a laugh. "It's not two of us. It's one."
Crocodile, a fresh cigar in his mouth, stepped back. "I was just invited to bear witness. I'm not getting involved."
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