Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Line-Line Fruit
A Devil Fruit worth 1 billion Berries?
"That's right, it's a Superhuman-type Devil Fruit!"
As Vergo spoke, even Doflamingo couldn't help but feel tempted.
Because this was the era when Superhuman-type Devil Fruits were thriving.
"Admiral of the Pirates" Leo D. Kinshiki used his "Superhuman-type Drift-Drift Fruit" to form the Flying Pirates, lifting dozens of islands into the sky and establishing his own kingdom, leaving both the Navy and enemies in awe.
Charlotte Linlin, known as "the Most Beautiful," used the "Superhuman-type Soul-Soul Fruit" to create a large number of fearless soldiers and endowed them with various abilities, effectively forming an army of ability users.
"Bondy the World Destroyer" consumed the "Superhuman-type Null-Null Fruit," which allowed him to increase the volume and speed of objects he touched multiple times over, enabling him to destroy battleships with a single shot and islands with a single cannonball, making him one of the most destructive forces.
Not to mention "the World's Strongest Man," Edward Newgate, whose "Superhuman-type Quake-Quake Fruit" could turn the ground into ravines and create massive tsunamis, earning him the title of possessing the power to destroy the world.
And many more...
Although a significant portion of these strong individuals were already formidable on their own, people tend to attribute their power solely to the abilities of their Devil Fruits. This led to the perception that anyone could be just as strong if they had a Superhuman-type Devil Fruit.
Hence, Superhuman-type Devil Fruits were highly prized.
Selling one for 1 billion Berries was not impossible.
As for the starting price of 100 million Berries, that was only for ordinary Animal-type Devil Fruits.
Licking his lips, a determined glint shone through Doflamingo's sunglasses, while Rosinante couldn't help but roll his eyes.
The "Superhuman-type Devil Fruit" that Vergo mentioned was undoubtedly the one that originally belonged to Doflamingo—the "Line-Line Fruit"!
To be honest, the Line-Line Fruit... was quite mediocre.
Selling it for 200 to 300 million Berries would be about right.
The development of Devil Fruits also needed a certain logical connection.
You couldn't say, for example, that "Time Lines" are lines, so the Line-Line Fruit can control time, or that "Parallel Lines" are also lines, so the Paper-Paper Fruit can compress galaxies, or that "Galaxies" are also rivers... This would be nothing but forced correlations.
In fact, the Line-Line Fruit's upper limit wasn't very high. In the original work, it was so powerful because Doflamingo had developed it deeply enough. If someone else had it, it might only be used for tailoring...
Bang!
Just as these thoughts were swirling in Rosinante's mind, a gunshot rang out along with Vergo's muffled groan, reverberating through the third-floor room.
"Where's the Devil Fruit? Hand it over—"
For Doflamingo, helping the other party save someone in exchange for the Devil Fruit?
What a joke. He could just interrogate him!
"This time it's your left hand, and next time it'll be your right hand."
With one shot, Vergo's left arm was pierced, and Doflamingo's flintlock gun pointed at his right hand.
"Please save my fam—"
Bang!
"Next time it's your left foot,"
Another shot pierced Vergo's right hand, and facing his same-aged companion lying in a pool of blood with both arms hit, Doflamingo nonchalantly began to reload.
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"My hands, feet, my life, take them all!"
Vergo lying on the ground raised his head, and under his askew square-shaped sunglasses, his eyes showed a pleading look.
It wasn't for himself but for those supporting each other.
"As long as you help me rescue Tore and the others, everything I have will be yours."
But if they thought they could get information about the whereabouts of the Devil Fruit through "interrogation," it was utterly impossible!
... Family?
"Hmph, Rosinante, what do you think?"
Facing Doflamingo's arrogant turn towards him, Rosinante simply squatted down and extended his hand to Vergo lying in the pool of blood.
"This guy probably won't yield to violence, and since we just took care of the 'Jadeite Family,' why not—"
"Finish the job and wipe them out!"
Helping Vergo up, Rosinante decided on their next course of action.
"If we take out the 'Jadeite Family,' we can obtain the legacies of two families."
Regardless of what the Four-Color Family and this Jadeite Family were involved in before, their assets, markets, and networks would belong to the Tang Jike family in the future!
"Thank you,"
As Rosinante helped him up and began bandaging Vergo's wounds, the latter refused to be supported by Polking and chose to walk on his own.
He was indeed a tough guy, even though he was only 11 years old...
Beside the three of them, Polking had been ignored, but he quietly raised the gun in his hand.
Rosinante and Doflamingo clearly looked like outsiders who knew nothing, willing to apologize and offer money. Thus, the ones who ruined his family were the "Four-Color Family."
When he thought of the decades of hard work by his grandfather, father, and uncles, and even the family's establishment with his father's "compensation money," being casually destroyed by the other party, Polking couldn't swallow this anger.
He didn't understand what "Devil Fruit" was, nor did he know how much 1 billion Berries were. But the "Vergo" before him was his enemy, right?
"Polking, let's go."
Rosinante looked back at Polking, and his calm gaze made Polking hesitate. It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, causing him to unconsciously lower the gun and quickly catch up.
"Sure, Rosinante, big brother."
...
Hoo—smack!
A barbed whip swung through the air, landing on the emaciated body, leaving a long, bloody gash.
"Ugh,"
The man hanging from iron chains gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as the executioner swung the whip again. A mixture of flesh, fat, and blood splattered on the ground, creating a vivid arc.
Hoo hoo...
Several hunting dogs approached, licking their lips, and with a flick of their tongues, they swallowed the bloody flesh on the ground.
"Who would have thought that the mighty 'Four-Color Family' leader, Trebol, is such a weakling."
The man being whipped, with long arms and legs, was so thin that you could see each rib. His black, messy hair covered a square and shabby face.
Trebol.
Facing the bloodied and mutilated Trebol, a man sitting on a sofa casually flicked the ring on his thumb.
The man wore a sophisticated high-end suit, sporting a big belly, and a circle of brown curls under his bald head. When he smiled, he exuded an amiable feeling, as if he were a generous and kind-hearted old man. If not for the situation, this fat man would seem more like a philanthropist than the leader of the "Jadeite Family."
Arcate Thompson.
The "patriarch" of the Jadeite Family, known as the "Big Bill."
He earned the nickname because he often threw large sums of money to the mayor and sheriff of Spedamairu Town, and there were even rumors that nobles within the Lafal Kingdom also accepted his bribes.
With the approval of the ruling upper class, Arcate Thompson's business naturally had no restraints!
Weapons, forbidden drugs, labor, slaves... As long as he gave the order, anyone in the Garbage Processing Area would kneel before him and beg for mercy. Except for:
"A few orphans, thinking they can fight?"
With a genial smile, the fat man snapped his fingers, and someone immediately handed him a pre-cut cigar, then respectfully lit it for him.
"Trebol, if you want to survive in this world, it's not enough just to be able to fight."
Exhaling a puff of smoke, "Big Bill" Thompson looked satisfied at the enemy before him, who was beaten to the brink of death.
The Four-Color Family had risen in the past two years, and the four bosses dared to oppose him with just a little strength.
Before the Jadeite Family could make a move, these guys who were used to solving problems through violence fell flat on their faces, severely injured by the Overjiang Menglong. Thompson naturally seized the opportunity and launched an attack on their stronghold, capturing the three leaders.
"Your reliance on Devil Fruit abilities is just as much of a bluff as you are!"
As the man named Thompson said:
Trebol, who usually used his ability to create a lot of mucus and disguise himself as a fat man, was, just like his Devil Fruit ability, all about "bluffing."
Facing people who didn't know the details, the "invincible" effect of his Sticky-Sticky Fruit could easily deceive many. However, once people learned about the Sticky-Sticky Fruit's vulnerability to heat, Trebol, who was always covered in a large amount of mucus, became nothing more than a self-destructing truck.
"Now, I can give you a chance."
The reason Thompson didn't kill Trebol was that he knew the Four-Color Family still possessed another Devil Fruit.
"Surrender the Devil Fruit, and I'll spare your life. - The entire Spedamairu Town knows that I, Thompson, keep my word."
After saying that, the fat businessman, sitting back on the sofa, shook the cigar in his hand.
"The other two leaders of your family, Pika and Diamanti,"
"Are currently enjoying the hospitality of my subordinates, just like you."
Thompson's words contained a hint of malice in his seemingly smiling expression:
"No matter who reveals the whereabouts of the Devil Fruit first, the 'survival' spot belongs to him... Only to him!"
This was what they called the "Prisoner's Dilemma." If they continued to resist, the only outcome was that all three of them would be killed together. However, if someone confessed to save their own life, the remaining two would undoubtedly die.
"I say..."
Trebol, whose body was covered in injuries, raised his eyelids, and his ugly face was only filled with a cold smile.
"Who do you think we are?"
"We are family, bound together in life and death. Don't try such cheap tricks on us—"
"Hit me."
Smack!
Following the fat businessman's ruthless order, the burly man beside him, wearing a hood and leather jacket, swung the whip in his hand, accurately "digging" another strip of flesh from Trebol's body.
"Ugh!!"
"Let me see who among you three will break first."
The fat businessman stood up, and after his subordinates handed him his top hat and cane, he left, dressed immaculately.
In fact, in the other two torture rooms, Pika and Diamanti, also covered in blood and injuries, showed no signs of giving in, which made the fat businessman very annoyed.
"Family and loyalty?"
Then you can cling to these naive thoughts and go to hell together!
Anyway—
If he could obtain the Devil Fruit, that would be great, but it didn't matter if he couldn't.
With the financial power of "Big Bill" Thompson, he could easily afford to buy a Devil Fruit.
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(End of this chapter)
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