Jack leapt into the sea and pulled Baby 5 out of the water, his eyes flashing with a strange light.
Don't get the wrong idea—he hadn't fallen for the little maid. What caught his interest was her body's ability to transform into weapons.
Wait, doesn't that sound even more scummy?
No, no—it's not her, it's the Weapon-Weapon Fruit he's after!
For a sniper, consuming the Weapon-Weapon Fruit would be a game-changer. No need to reload—every shot would simply cost stamina. Instant reloads and zero downtime. That's a huge advantage.
Sopping wet, Baby 5 was tossed onto the deck. She gasped for breath, then slowly stood up, glaring warily at everyone.
"You bastards! You almost killed me with that stunt!"
"Hey now, food can be eaten carelessly, but words? Not so much," Weiss shrugged. "All I did was call you back to the ship. How was I supposed to know you'd jump into the sea like an idiot? Don't you know Devil Fruit users are weak to seawater?"
He raised his leg casually and continued, "Want me to send you back?"
"No! That won't be necessary!" Baby 5 shook her head furiously, like a rattle-drum. Being "sent back" like Buffalo was? She'd probably lose half her life!
…
"Jack, row her back," Weiss ordered. It wasn't that he was afraid of Doflamingo; there just wasn't enough conflict yet to escalate things. With the force of that kick, Buffalo wasn't dead, but he'd definitely be unconscious for at least ten days.
Weiss was merciful… for now.
But if they crossed paths again, he wouldn't show mercy.
"I'll walk back myself," Baby 5 refused firmly. While unconscious, she'd felt an ominous, predatory gaze—like someone wanted to devour her alive.
No way was she letting that guy take her back.
And she knew better than to throw around threats. This man didn't care about the name of the Seven Warlords. He wasn't like that fool Buffalo, blind to reality.
Jack shrugged—didn't bother him either way. He was drooling over that Devil Fruit, but he wasn't a madman who killed just to get one. Besides, even if he did kill her, there was no guarantee the fruit would fall into his hands. Too much randomness involved.
As the maid finally left, Weiss leaned back on his deck chair with a sigh.
"Karina, we've got a serious problem now. And it's all your fault. What do you suggest we do?"
Jack and Kadun walked over too, curious about the so-called trouble.
If there was a problem, they'd face it together.
"Captain, what's the issue? Want me to deal with it?" Jack offered eagerly. "Kadun can stay behind and cheer us on."
"No way, you closet freak! You think I'm weak or something?"
"No, no, of course not. You're definitely not weak." Jack was very sincere… though his tone begged to differ.
Sparks flew.
Karina, meanwhile, was starting to panic.
What kind of trouble? she thought. Could it be the employers I robbed coming back for revenge? No way! I only stole from pirates, and even asked the Sword Demon first!
Wait... maybe it was the haggling from yesterday's job?
"W-what kind of trouble are we talking about? Don't scare me like that!" Karina blinked rapidly, trying to act cute and pitiful.
Weiss conjured a coconut from behind his chair like a magician.
"It's just that a spoiled young master realized he got ripped off, and now he's coming aboard claiming he's owed something for the 'price he paid.' So? What should we do?"
"Hey! You're the one who told me to do that job!" Karina pointed at him indignantly. "Now you're trying to pin it all on me? What kind of captain are you?!"
As a seasoned thief of the seas, Karina instantly saw through the situation.
Although… was this really that big of a problem for Weiss?
Hearing the whole story, Jack and Kadun quietly left to go handle their own tasks. They still had to stay on this island for at least two more days—and a fight could break out any time. Better be prepared.
"…So you really cleaned the guy out?" Weiss asked. "Ten million worth of goods, and I barely saw anything yesterday."
Karina exploded.
"You've got some nerve saying that! Do you know how much the Chris lost over the last few months?! Repairs, materials, everything costs money! If Jack asked you for anything, could you provide it?"
"We replaced all the kitchenware, tossed out spoiled food, restocked supplies—and that's not free!"
"Have you noticed all the new training equipment? The new decorations? The upgraded cannon at the bow? Kadun's bookshelf got refilled too!"
"And you're lying there on a brand-new deck chair, sipping coconuts I replenished myself!"
"…Huh. No wonder this chair feels weird today. So it was new." Weiss looked genuinely surprised.
"Don't be so calm about it!!"
"And now you're blaming me for being too greedy? Come on! When fate hands you a sucker, if you don't go hard, it's like you're disrespecting them!"
"No, no—actually, I'd prefer it if you didn't treat me like a sucker. That would be much more respectful."
A voice echoed up from below the ship.
A figure leapt from the shore and perched on the rail: shirtless, wide shorts, over-the-top attitude.
Who else could it be but Theodore?
Weiss and Karina immediately covered their faces in shame. Nothing was more embarrassing than trash-talking someone and getting caught by them.
"Uhh… what brings you here?" Weiss asked awkwardly.
Karina shrank behind him like a guilty schoolgirl.
Even her thick skin was burning red right now.
"I heard some news and came to share it. Thought you might find it useful," Theodore walked up but noticed there was only one chair—so he remained standing.
"I don't think I'll need it. I'm just attending an auction. I'll look around, then leave. I'm not here to cause trouble."
Theodore twitched. Not here to cause trouble? If he didn't know these two maniacs had turned half of Canopy Island into a cratered wasteland, he might've believed it.
"Seriously. Believe me! I swear!" Weiss pleaded.
Trouble always came looking for him—not the other way around. All he wanted was to forge a sword and find his people. Everything else had forced his hand.
"I heard this auction was already causing a stir, since there's a Devil Fruit up for sale. Normally, those things get used the moment they're found."
"But this time, word got out. At least seven pirates with bounties over 80 million are participating. Two of them are over 100 million. Old veterans who don't dare set foot in the New World."
"That was it… until a mysterious figure dropped off a note. On it was part of a method to extract Devil Fruit powers."
"Now it's not just pirates. CP agents have been spotted too. And who knows how many hidden powers are lurking in the shadows."
"Reliable sources say that during your last brawl, when you wrecked Canopy Island, that technique was leaked—and now three families have acquired it."
"But nobody knows which families. No matter how deep the investigation, it's like they vanished into thin air."
"Most likely, someone is using this opportunity to fish out the other two parties. The real question is: who'll end up with the complete method?"
Weiss was stunned. Absolutely dumbfounded.
A method to extract Devil Fruits?
Wasn't that the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit? To extract others' abilities? He'd never heard of a method before.
Could it be that someone once obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, kept it secret, then died—and eventually Blackbeard found it?
What the hell was going on?!