Chapter 148: Schemes (Patreon)

Chapter 148: Schemes

"Weapons are easy to discuss?" Bahr raised an eyebrow, his fingers lightly tapping on the stone table. "But I'm not looking for ordinary goods."

He lifted his gaze to Doflamingo, his tone carrying a hint of certainty. "I want Sea Stone weapons."

"Fufufu... You certainly know how to make outrageous demands." The smile on Doflamingo's face faded slightly as his pink feathered coat brushed against the molds at the edge of the stone table. "Sea Stone is a treasure tightly held by the Navy and the World Government. There are barely a handful of people in the entire sea who can get their hands on a decent supply."

He weighed the Smile Fruit in his hand, its rough skin scraping against his palm. "And the price isn't cheap. Do you know the market value of a standard Sea Stone ore?"

"Naturally," Bahr replied, leaning against the rocky wall, his voice calm. "Precisely because it's a scarce commodity controlled by the government, I came to you. Or do you expect me to 'procure' it from Navy Headquarters?"

Weapons are consumables, after all. For the Cross Guild to establish itself across the seas, it needs a stable supply channel. And when it comes to underground dealings, the "Broker of the Underworld," Joker, isn't just a name for nothing.

"You do have an eye for things," Doflamingo chuckled lowly, his gaze flickering behind his sunglasses. "But business is business. The cost of Sea Stone is what it is..."

"We're partners, aren't we?" Bahr interrupted, a playful smirk curling his lips. "How about you let me owe you for now? Once the Cross Guild gets its finances in order, I'll pay you back with interest."

"Fufufu—So you're trying to get something for nothing?" Doflamingo's laughter rose sharply, tinged with unmistakable displeasure. "That's not how deals work. The batch of weapons I sent you for Fish-Man Island was already a show of my sincerity. Don't push your luck."

He slammed the fruit onto the stone table, its bluish-purple skin splitting open. "The moment the money arrives is the moment you get your Sea Stone weapons. That's the rule."

Bahr observed the tension in Doflamingo's jawline, silently acknowledging that the old fox wasn't so easily fooled.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Bahr suddenly shifted the conversation. "Since talking about money hurts our partnership, how about a different condition?"

He took a step forward, lowering his voice. "As 'partners,' provide me with the routes those affiliated kingdoms use to deliver the Celestial Tribute to the Celestial Dragons. Surely that's doable?"

Doflamingo's pupils contracted sharply, as if he'd heard something unbelievable. He stared at Bahr for a long moment before bursting into sharp, raucous laughter. "Fufufufu! You're planning to target the Celestial Tribute?!"

Wiping away tears of amusement, his tone dripped with undisguised astonishment. "Truly a man crowned the 'King of Original Sin'—your audacity exceeds even my expectations!"

"What's the big deal?" Bahr shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm already a thorn in the World Government's side. Rather than tiptoeing around, I might as well make a real profit."

A single shipment of Celestial Tribute is worth at least several billion Berries. One successful heist could sustain the Cross Guild for half a year. Why pass up such an opportunity?

He grinned at Doflamingo. "Don’t you want to see the World Government scrambling? If the Celestial Tribute routes are disrupted, those kings of the affiliated kingdoms will probably lose sleep, won’t they?"

Doflamingo fell silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the stone table with a rhythmic tock tock, as if weighing the pros and cons.

He did indeed possess the route map for the Celestial Tribute. After all these years in the underworld, he had long since uncovered the secret channels of various royal families.

But he had never considered touching this hot potato—the risks far outweighed the rewards.

Back when he had attacked the Celestial Tribute, it was merely to negotiate a deal with the World Government before promptly returning it. But this Bahr fellow...

Truly an exceptionally sharp blade, capable of giving those high-and-mighty kings headaches and making the World Government sweat. Thinking about it... it did sound rather amusing.

"Fufufu... you madman." Doflamingo suddenly straightened up, his tone laced with a mix of concession and hidden excitement. "I can give you the route map, but—"

He raised a finger. "On one condition."

"Thirty percent of the looted Celestial Tribute goes to me."

"Ten percent." Bahr haggled without hesitation, shooting Doflamingo a sidelong glance. "I'm the one doing the work. You're just providing intel."

"Demanding thirty percent off the bat? Are you insane?"

"Twenty," Doflamingo refused to budge. "And you have to promise to notify me in advance before each operation—I don't want to be dragged into your mess and attract the Navy's trouble for no reason."

Bahr studied the calculation in his eyes and suddenly grinned. "Deal."

Doflamingo chuckled, licking the corner of his lips before changing the subject. "But before that, there's a more... lucrative target that might suit your tastes better."

"Oh?" Bahr raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"Ever heard of the Gran Tesoro Battleship?" A shadow flickered imperceptibly in Doflamingo's eyes. "That floating fortress in the New World holds twenty percent of the world's Berries. Instead of biting into the Celestial Tribute, why not dig into the coffers of that Golden City?"

Bahr certainly knew of the place—less a "Golden City" and more a colossal floating casino, controlled by the so-called "Golden Emperor," Tesoro.

And this Golden Emperor had quite the history with the very Doflamingo standing before him.

"Tesoro's turf?" Bahr deliberately drew out his words, his gaze lingering on Doflamingo's face. "I did hear his Gold-Gold Fruit ability was originally—"

"No need to bring up the past." Doflamingo's smile stiffened for a split second before he resumed his "fufufu" laughter, though it now carried a colder edge.

He leaned in closer to Bahr, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That battleship is said to be impregnable, and Tesoro boasts about controlling all gold. I imagine a 'Blasphemer' like you could give him a proper taste of suffering."

Bahr instantly grasped his scheme. Doflamingo wanted to use him as a pawn—to eliminate Tesoro, his thorn in the side, while letting Bahr stir the pot and test his capabilities. A masterful play indeed.

"Not a bad proposal." Bahr's lips curled into an intrigued smirk. "The Golden City... does sound more entertaining than some escort convoy."

He looked up at Doflamingo. "Give me its location."

"Fufufu, straight to the point." Doflamingo replied. "I'll provide you with a Log Pose to the Golden City. But a word of warning—Tesoro's influence runs far deeper than it appears."

"Troublesome? Not only is he wealthy, but he's also swayed many marines and officials, even influencing newspaper reports. Moving against him is far more complicated than targeting the Celestial Tribute."

"Troublesome?" Bahr shrugged indifferently. "Do I look like I care about trouble now?"

Sometimes it was like that—when things were calm, he'd naturally be cautious. But now that he'd even killed a Celestial Dragon, what did other troubles matter?

With debts piling high, they no longer weighed him down; with fleas too many, the itch faded. Why hesitate?

"However—" Doflamingo suddenly shifted the topic, his fingers tapping lightly on the stone table with a rhythmic tock-tock, his sharp gaze fixed on Bahr.

"Since you claim you can steal Devil Fruit abilities... why not prove it with Tesoro's Gold-Gold Fruit?"

Leaning forward, his tone was laced with temptation yet underscored by an unyielding probe: "Bring that Fruit back, and I'll first provide you with a batch of the finest Sea Stone weapons—swords, bullets, handcuffs, everything. Quality even the Marine HQ would covet. Plus, I'll give you the routes of two 'Celestial Tributes' for free."

Doflamingo's laughter dripped with calculation: "Fufufu... A fair deal for both. You seize the wealth of the Golden City, I reclaim what's rightfully mine, and we get to see if your ability-stealing trick is as miraculous as you claim."

The Gold-Gold Fruit is worth more than the entire Donquixote Family, isn't it?

After all, cooperation requires sincerity, no?

Bahr studied the flicker of anticipation and wariness in Doflamingo's eyes, well aware this was his way of raising the stakes—testing his abilities, settling an old grudge through his hands, and securing their "partnership" with a batch of weapons. A triple win.

Rubbing his chin, Bahr fell silent for a moment before suddenly grinning. "No problem."

Two simple words made Doflamingo's pupils contract slightly. He'd expected bargaining or complaints about the mission's difficulty—not such a straightforward agreement.

"Fufufu... Knew I wasn't wrong about you." Suppressing his surprise, Doflamingo burst into exaggerated laughter. "Then I'll await good news, Bahr."

Bahr turned and strode toward the factory exit, tossing over his shoulder: "Have the weapons ready. I'll wander the town these next few days—don't disturb me unless necessary."

Having come to Dressrosa, this tropical resort island famed as the "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys," how could he not enjoy himself?

Watching Bahr's figure vanish at the entrance, Doflamingo's smile gradually faded. He raised a hand to stroke his chin, his gaze behind the sunglasses inscrutable, yet the curve of his lips twisted higher.

Stealing abilities... the Gold-Gold Fruit... This game just got a lot more interesting.