Chapter 147: The Factory (Patreon)

Chapter 147: The Factory

The damp air of the factory was thick with the pungent scent of earth and viscous fluids. On the multi-tiered platforms carved into the rocky walls, the dwarves were busy at work.

Barefoot, they trod on rough wooden planks, straining to carry clay jars taller than themselves. Some crouched at the joints of clay pipes, using vines wrapped in burlap to stem the leaks of oozing liquid. Others knelt before stone mixing troughs, stirring the bluish-purple slurry with wooden spoons. A few, under the watchful eyes of the overseers, hurriedly poured raw materials into neatly arranged molds.

At the center of the stone platform lay rows upon rows of molds, each cradling an unformed fruit—its surface pockmarked, its spiral patterns twisted and uneven, exuding an uncanny bluish-purple hue. These were the nascent forms of Smile.

Bahr took it all in at a glance. It was clear now—Doflamingo had brought him to a factory producing Artificial Devil Fruits.

Doflamingo plucked a fully formed fruit from the molds and casually tossed it to Bahr. The fruit was heavy, its surface gleaming unnaturally, hard to the touch like a piece of low-quality stone.

With deliberate slowness, Doflamingo began his explanation, "This isn't just any fruit. It's an Artificial Devil Fruit called 'Smile,' the product of my tireless efforts."

"You know how rare natural Devil Fruits are," he continued, his voice laced with amusement. "Across the vast seas, stumbling upon one is pure luck. But this? With enough raw materials and the help of these little ones, we can mass-produce them like crops."

He gestured toward the busy dwarves. "Their sensitivity to plants is beyond imagination. They can precisely control the ingredient ratios and fermentation conditions—key to manufacturing Smile."

"These fruits belong to the Zoan-type. Though the success rate is only ten percent, and the users can't swim, the advantage lies in mass production. Even lowly grunts can instantly gain the strength to tear through ordinary marines."

"And then?" Bahr weighed the fruit in his hand, his tone indifferent. "What's the point of telling me this?"

Doflamingo let out a low, "Fufufu," leaning forward, his gaze behind the sunglasses clinging to Bahr like glue. "You founded the Cross Guild—was it really just for self-preservation?"

"Or what?" Bahr tossed the fruit back onto the stone platform with a dull thud, his fingers leaving faint scratches on the surface.

"Drop the act," Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "Someone who stirred up the war at Marineford and dared to lay hands on a Celestial Dragon—do you really expect me to believe you're content hiding away on Fish-Man Island for 'self-preservation'?"

Suddenly, he closed the distance, his voice dripping with knowing certainty. "We're the same, Bahr. That ambition in your bones—you can't hide it."

"Since you're so eager to know," Bahr met the calculating glint in his eyes and smirked. "I plan to expand my influence and seize the world."

"Fufufufu! Now that's more like it!" Doflamingo erupted into exaggerated laughter, his pink feathered coat swaying with the tremors of his shoulders. "I knew you wouldn't settle for mediocrity!"

Bahr watched his frenzied display, his lips twitching slightly.

Truth be told, he didn't believe a word of it. But spinning a lie seemed to have sent Doflamingo into euphoria.

Seize the world? What would he even do with that damned world? Would ruling over endless lands compare to the warmth of a lover's embrace?

No.

But then again, since ancient times, the lure of power had always been the greatest.

Since the madman was eager to listen, it was best to humor him.

As the laughter faded, Doflamingo suddenly shifted the topic, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the stone table with a steady tock-tock. "To expand your influence, weapons alone aren't enough. You need sufficient combat power—an army terrifying enough to intimidate."

Pointing at the piles of Smiles, his eyes gleamed behind his sunglasses. "I supply the goods, you arm your men. Once your Cross Guild grows powerful enough, we join forces—you wreak havoc across the seas, and in the end, we tear that rotten crown off the Celestial Dragons' heads together. Fufufu... How's that for a deal?"

His eyes burned with madness, clearly lost in the grand vision he had painted. To him, Bahr's arrival was like a sharp blade—a perfect pawn to counter the World Government.

"Not interested." Bahr cut him off, setting his glass down on the stone table, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. "These defective products would only drag down my men's standards."

Of course, he knew about these things. In the original story, Doflamingo had used them to trade with Kaido. Those who consumed Smiles would lose their expressions but gain bizarre animal traits, turning into deformed monsters. They could indeed form a terrifying army.

But he didn’t need them.

"Defective?" Doflamingo's grin froze for a split second before resuming with another "Fufufu." "Bahr, don’t be too picky. Where else would you find so many natural Devil Fruits?"

Bahr didn’t respond. Instead, he leaned back against the rocky wall, eyeing Doflamingo with an indifferent tone that dropped like a bomb: "I don’t need artificial fruits. After all, I have a more direct method—stealing others' Devil Fruit abilities."

"What did you say?" Doflamingo's smile vanished completely. He straightened abruptly, his sunglasses nearly slipping off his nose. Staring at Bahr as if seeing him for the first time, he hissed, "Stealing abilities...?"

Bahr remained unfazed.

He had long considered this. Blackbeard had used the Dark-Dark Fruit to plunder abilities, and such methods couldn’t stay hidden forever. Rather than invite suspicion when discovered, it was better to reveal it himself—especially to ambitious schemers like Doflamingo. Since the man had brought him to this secret factory as a show of sincerity, he might as well reveal some of his own cards.

Dangling the bait in front of this old fox would squeeze more benefits out of him. Bahr understood this better than anyone. There was no reason to let a wealthy opportunity slip away.

Sure enough, Doflamingo's breathing grew visibly uneven. He scrutinized Bahr's eyes, searching for any hint of deception, but found only a calm, fathomless depth. After a long pause, he finally regained his voice, sharp with disbelief. "Fufu... You're lying. How could such a thing be possible...?"

Silence.

"Believe it or not." Bahr shrugged, picking up his glass again. "Either way, I have no interest in your 'Smiles.' If we can’t settle the weapons deal, I’ll return to Fish-Man Island tomorrow."

Doflamingo said nothing, his fingers clenching around a fruit on the table until his knuckles turned white. From the depths of the cavern came the clattering sounds of the dwarves transporting clay pots, the monotonous noise only amplifying the tension in the air.

Stealing abilities...?

If this was true... then Bahr's value was far more terrifying than he had imagined!

He suddenly let out a low "Fufufu" laugh, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement and wariness: "Interesting... truly fascinating!"

His gaze shifted to Bahr, his expression completely transformed—as if staring at a walking gold mine: "The weapons won't be a problem."