บท 168: 168. Barrels Pirates

"I want to find out where the pirates with the Op-Op Devil Fruit are."

"It's impossible. Those troublesome pirates won't just give away their location easily before the deal," Sengoku expressed his frustration. As a Marine, waiting for the transaction between the two parties wasn't a viable option. Naturally, it would be safer to arrange the deal in advance.

"What if I told you... Doflamingo plans to forcefully take the Op-Op Devil Fruit before the trade."

Rosinante understood that he and Law couldn't just take the Op-Op Devil Fruit from Doflamingo on their own. Their only chance was to involve the Marines and create enough chaos to seize the opportunity and get the Op-Op Fruit.

"Is what you said really true...!?"

Sengoku was a bit taken aback. If this information was indeed true, then the efforts of the Marines might be in vain.

"Where is the location for their trade?"

Rosinante seized the moment to inquire.

"They plan to trade on Minion island in North Blue in three weeks."

"Doflamingo told me to rendezvous at Minion Island on the evening of the third day before the transaction. All members of the Donquixote Family will gather there..."

"I understand..."

Sengoku responded, acknowledging that Rosinante had made it clear that this would mark the end of the Donquixote Family.

"Minion Island? We, the Marines, will set up an ambush there beforehand. Doflamingo is coming our way. Stay away from that island. Keep an eye on your safety!"

Sengoku's expression turned serious, but he clearly recognized that it was time to alter his strategy.

"I've got evidence of the dealings between Doflamingo and those influential figures. I'll pass them on to you later. When the time comes, the shady dealings in North Blue will be fully exposed to the world!"

Rosinante uttered these words, but deep inside, he felt a sense of regret towards Sengoku. He had achieved his desired outcome, but he could only express his apologies to the Marines.

'Whom did Mr. Corazon communicate with using the den den mushi...!?'

Young Law stared blankly at Rosinante, who was speaking to herself, and a troubling suspicion began to form in his mind.

'Could it be that Corazon is... a Marine!?'

As this thought crossed his mind, Trafalgar Law suddenly felt a darkness descend over his eyes. His entire body twitched involuntarily, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Hey! Law, what's going on with you?"

Rosinante, who had been keeping an eye on Law, quickly noticed Law's condition. Before Sengoku could say anything, he swiftly ended the call, scooped up Law who was on the ground, and anxiously checked his physical condition.

"Hey!! Wake up quickly. It's tough to see hope, but you can't just collapse here!!"

Rosinante was extremely anxious, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He vividly recalled that it hadn't been three years yet. There was no way Law could deteriorate so rapidly!

Suddenly, Law struggled to get up, tightly holding onto Rosinante's supportive hand. He looked earnestly at this man, who was clearly not his blood relative but cared deeply for him.

"The World Government is well aware that amber lead is highly toxic, but they ignore us for the sake of massive profits. They spread rumors about amber lead syndrome being contagious..."

"So, the World Government is the one responsible for the death of my family and the people in the white town!"

"Mr. Corazon, if you're working with the World Government - the Marines, please tell me the truth..."

Corazon looked fierce as he tried to defend himself, "Stop talking nonsense! I'm not a Marine!!"

"...That's a relief..."

Upon hearing this, Law struggled to force a smile onto his face, despite it being distorted by intense pain.

Rosinante sighed quietly to himself.

If... they steal the Op-Op Devil Fruit, it won't just sever ties with Doflamingo, but the Marines and the World Government might relentlessly pursue both of them. Recognizing the true value of the Op-Op Fruit, he clearly grasps the crucial point.

.....

Time flew by, and it was now the third day before the Op-Op Devil Fruit trade.

Minion Island.

This is the temporary base of the Barrels Pirates. They are gearing up for the deal in three days. Captain Barrels is yelling in front of the crew.

"Hey! Kid, bring a barrel of wine for me!"

Barrels, a man with a chin resembling a butt, shouted at a slender boy.

"Right away!"

The young man responded promptly, as if taking a step slower would result in a severe beating.

"Hey! Do you have any idea how much we can sell such a piece of fruit for?"

Barrels noticed that the drinks were ready, so he pulled out the Op-Op Devil Fruit and proudly displayed it to the crew.

"The folks in the World Government are absolutely nuts. They're willing to cough up a staggering 5 billion for this thing!"

"Uh-oh! If we had that kind of money, why would we even be pirates?!"

"Hahahaha! You got a point..."

The surrounding crew members also cheered excitedly.

"You're thinking too simplistically... If a doctor consumes this, he'll undoubtedly become one of the world's most renowned doctors! Throughout history, doctors who've consumed it have performed 'miracle surgeries,' continuously curing many difficult and complicated diseases."

"This is a legendary fruit. It's an irresistible temptation for doctors, but..."

"This has nothing to do with us; money is more practical! Hahahaha!"

Valleruz raised the Op-Op Devil Fruit in his hand and examined it carefully.

It has a red heart shape overall, with a similar spiral pattern to other Devil Fruits. It's hard to imagine that such a thing is actually worth 5 billion Berries.

You know, even the Pirate King Roger's bounty is only 5.5648 billion Berries!

However, Barrels obviously has limited knowledge about the capabilities of the Op-Op Devil Fruit and doesn't grasp its true value at all. This is also because the World Government has concealed the true role of the Op-Op Fruit too effectively!

The Barrels Pirates are still naively caught up in the dream of acquiring 5 billion in wealth. They haven't realized that more than one group of forces is targeting them. Neither Doflamingo nor the World Government seems to have considered the possibility of allowing the Barrels Pirates to safely complete the Op-Op Fruit transaction.

When none of the three parties were aware, Rosinante and Law had quietly approached the Barrels Pirates.

At this point, Minion Island has become the epicenter of swirling currents, and the Barrels Pirates have unwittingly become lambs to be slaughtered...

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As I promised, I am uploading 3 chapters for reaching 200 power stones.

Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari