"10!"
"You're dreaming!" Sengoku's anger exploded. "Do you know how many people have to sacrifice to retrieve one Devil Fruit?"
"Oh... does that have anything to do with me?"
Vladimir feigned ignorance. "A mere 10 fruits, according to market prices, is only 2 to 3 billion."
Before Sengoku could speak, Chief of Staff Tsuru interjected, "Vladimir, we don't play these games. No matter how much you ask for, we can't produce 10 fruits at once."
"Installments are fine," Vladimir said calmly.
"Don't push your luck!" Vice Admiral Garp said in a deep voice.
Vladimir laughed. "If you can't afford the reward, you can find someone else."
"6!"
Sengoku waved his hand. "This is the bottom line!"
"7."
"Fine!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth and nodded. "If you quell this turmoil, we'll give you a reward of 7 Devil Fruits at once."
"Pay a deposit first," Vladimir said calmly. "Give me an Animal-type fruit first to show your sincerity."
"...No problem!"
Sengoku's face darkened, and he nodded after a long while. "Then, next is about how to wipe out..."
Before he could finish, Vladimir interrupted, "No need for that. I guess you were going to say to suppress the most powerful pirate forces and deter the others."
"Hmm?"
"The way of the weak," Vladimir snorted. "Any strategy is redundant and pale in the face of absolute power."
Sengoku was speechless.
The Phantom had just destroyed the Big Mom Pirates, so even if he spoke arrogantly, he couldn't refute it.
"What do you want to do?" Sengoku asked.
Vladimir grinned, his eyes burning.
"Add a clause to the agreement: everything obtained from the pirate forces wiped out by the Phantom belongs to the Phantom!"
...
"Add a clause to the agreement: everything obtained from the pirate forces wiped out by the Phantom belongs to the Phantom!"
Vladimir watched Sengoku's face intently.
This was a small test.
Hearing this, Sengoku's expression didn't change, and he nodded. "No problem."
He didn't expect the Phantom to hand over anything gained from the wipeout in the first place, so of course, he agreed quickly.
The Shichibukai had similar privileges, but the Shichibukai still had to hand over a small portion to the Navy. Obviously, the Shichibukai's rules wouldn't work for the Phantom.
Seeing this, Vladimir tapped the table and chuckled, "It seems you're really in a hurry."
Sengoku didn't deny it, saying directly, "When will you take action?"
"Naturally, we will,"
Vladimir said calmly. "Pay the deposit first, and our Phantom can take action at any time."
Hearing him say this, Sengoku could only look at Vice Admiral Onigumo beside him, raising his chin to signal.
Receiving the order, Onigumo immediately moved into the cabin. Not long after, he reappeared and handed a Devil Fruit to Sengoku.
Sengoku transferred it to Vladimir very readily, saying, "The item is yours, confirm it yourself."
The fruit was indeed real. Vladimir could confirm it with a scan.
Without being prompted, Uchiha Itachi stepped forward and took the fruit.
"I see your sincerity. So, next, let's talk about the specific details..."
...
The cooperation between the Navy and the Phantom was forced by the situation.
One side was a symbol of disaster, and the other was the executor of justice. It was impossible for these two forces to cooperate closely.
Therefore, the Navy was only temporarily letting the Phantom help wipe out the pirates in the form of "mercenaries."
During this period, all the people and things of the Phantom Pirates were protected by the Navy. The Navy would not have any intention of taking action against the Phantom.
At the same time, the Navy was responsible for providing intelligence and the whereabouts of the target, and the Phantom was responsible for killing them.
In short, the two sides did their own thing and were not constrained by each other.
This was only a verbal agreement. No one knew what would happen in the future.
However, Vladimir wasn't afraid of the Navy going back on their word. If this happened, he wouldn't mind taking a trip to Marineford, or even the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
In the end, the two sides discussed for half an hour, and the Navy left satisfied.
Ten warships left in a mighty manner, riding the waves and soon disappearing from sight.
On the dragon's head, Vladimir watched the group leave. He waved his hand, letting the Sea Beast Army open a passage and let them leave.
"Let's go, back to Ghost Island."
The three people and the dragon soared into the air, disappearing into the island in an instant.
The Sea Beast Army also slowly sank into the seabed, hiding and responsible for protecting the island's safety.
After returning to Ghost Island, Vladimir gave the newly acquired Animal-type Devil Fruit to Caesar, asking him to develop artificial Devil Fruits as soon as possible.
"Next... before wiping out the rioting pirates, let's destroy the Four Emperors Alliance first."
____________________
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