HPDBC Chapter 271: Up for It?
Chapter 271: Up for It?
Claudius had no idea about the fight that had erupted between Enel, Shanks, Marco, and Teach on Versailles Island.
After all, it wasn't that big of a deal.
Other major factions on the seas hadn't even paid attention to it. Small-scale conflicts happened all the time, Kaido's men constantly clashed with Whitebeard's commanders, and those kinds of battles were just part of life in the New World.
As long as a skirmish didn't escalate into a full-scale war, no one really cared.
And the Dark-Dark Fruit?
At the end of the day, it was just a Logia-type Devil Fruit. Sure, it was rare and valuable, but it wasn't world-changing on its own.
So, to most people, the incident was a trivial matter, something not even worth reporting to Claudius.
If every minor scuffle in the sea required his attention, he would have burned out long ago.
That's why, when Claudius saw the Dark-Dark Fruit sitting before him, sent to him by Enel, he was completely stunned.
"Enel... did you actually just screw over Teach that badly?"
"What's with the shocked face?" Gion asked, watching Claudius blankly stare at the fruit in his hands.
"It's just a Devil Fruit, right? I heard Enel gives you these kinds of gifts all the time."
Claudius ignored her, turning instead to Nia.
"How exactly did Enel get this fruit? Did he tell you anything?"
Nia nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. There was actually quite a story behind it. It all started with a small-time pirate..."
She proceeded to recount the entire sequence of events, how the fruit had been stolen, how Teach had tried to claim it, and how Enel had stepped in and crushed any attempts to take it from him.
As he listened, a flicker of intrigue passed through Claudius' eyes.
When he heard Teach had been after the Dark-Dark Fruit, a thought formed in his mind, a very interesting and dangerous thought.
"Fascinating," he murmured to himself.
The Dark-Dark Fruit was incredibly useful.
If the rumors were true, it had the power to steal the abilities of other Devil Fruit users.
That alone made it potentially one of the most dangerous fruits in existence.
Claudius couldn't deny it—he wanted it.
There were so many powerful criminals locked up in Impel Down.
If he could use the Dark-Dark Fruit to strip their abilities... that would be a game-changer.
But there was one problem.
Before Teach appeared, the Dark-Dark Fruit had already been documented in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
That meant someone else had eaten it in the past.
And yet, no records existed of anyone using it to steal abilities before Teach.
Which meant there was a chance that only Teach himself could unlock its true power.
Without that ability, the Dark-Dark Fruit was still a strong Logia, but it wouldn't be game-breaking.
And for Claudius, that made it far less important.
Claudius already had a Devil Fruit of his own.
He wasn't about to risk his life gambling on whether the Dark-Dark Fruit was worth switching to.
For someone in his position, it was just an extra asset—useful, but not necessary.
Gion raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Claudius grinned.
"Tell him I might have a way to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates."
Teach alone wasn't enough.
To truly shake the power balance, Marine needed to be involved.
A war between Whitebeard and Marine would change the entire world.
And in that chaos...
Claudius would seize his opportunity.
Gion sighed, already sensing that whatever Claudius was planning, it was going to be big.
"You really just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
Claudius just chuckled.
"Just trust me. This is only the beginning."
---
Teach had finally made his way to Enel's territory in the New World.
Enel had already been warned by Claudius about Teach's arrival.
He didn't know why Claudius was interested in Teach, but orders were orders.
So when Teach walked in, Enel observed him carefully.
"Will this guy end up being one of my new pawns?"
Teach, on the other hand, was his usual self.
"Zehahahaha! Lord Enel, we meet again!" Teach laughed as if nothing had happened between them before.
Enel sat back on his sofa, nodding as he gestured for Teach to sit.
"Marshall D. Teach, right?"
"That's me! I see your reputation precedes you, Lord Enel!" Teach grinned.
Enel smirked. "You're strong. I respect strength."
Not really, he thought.
In truth, he was only humoring Teach because Claudius had told him to.
Teach, of course, had no idea.
Instead, he eagerly leaned forward.
"I came here for one reason," Teach said, his eyes gleaming with greed.
Enel already knew the answer.
"Dark-Dark Fruit?" he asked.
Teach grinned.
"That's right," he said without hesitation. His eyes burned with ambition.
***
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