Buy Devil Fruit, Operation Doll

"I'll establish information stations in various locations. In the future, the Red Hair Pirates can exchange bounties at these stations without any commission!"

After exchanging radio signals using their transponder snails, Arías continued, "Once the stations are set up, I'll send you the addresses."

With this goal accomplished, Arías asked, "You must have collected a lot of Devil Fruits. I assume none of you want to gain abilities, so how about selling them to me? I'll pay 10% more than the market value."

Arías was particularly interested in acquiring Devil Fruits. Initially, he considered stealing them, but knowing Shanks' sharp instincts, he realized the risk was too high. He decided to purchase them legitimately, especially since he wasn't short on money.

The value of a Devil Fruit typically ranges from 100 million to 1 billion beli. Special fruits like the Op-Op Fruit and Rubber Fruit are even more valuable, sometimes reaching up to 5 billion beli. Rare Logia fruits go for around 1 billion, while most Paramecia and common Zoan fruits hover around 100 million beli. The rarer Mythical Zoans are nearly priceless.

Arías wasn't expecting to acquire any Mythical Zoans or rare Logia fruits. Even regular Zoan and Paramecia fruits would be valuable for enhancing the strength of his crew.

"Devil Fruits, huh?"

Beckman hadn't anticipated Arías' interest in buying Devil Fruits. However, under Shanks' philosophy, none of the Red Hair Pirates were fruit users, so the fruits they found or seized were typically sold. Since they were going to sell them anyway, selling to Arías—especially with the promise of a 10% premium—was an attractive proposition.

Still, Beckman couldn't make the decision alone, so he told Arías, "I'll need to discuss this with Shanks."

By the time the hungover crew members awoke, it was already afternoon. Beckman relayed Arías' proposal to Shanks.

"Sure," Shanks agreed without hesitation.

He had no interest in being a Devil Fruit user, nor was he afraid of those with abilities. To Shanks, true strength ultimately lay in mastering Haki. He considered the time spent developing Devil Fruit abilities to be better invested elsewhere.

Rakiru soon emerged from the cabin carrying a large wooden box. When he opened it, five Devil Fruits were revealed.

This wasn't surprising. Even smaller crews like Doflamingo's had multiple Devil Fruit users, so it was expected that a crew as formidable as Shanks' would have acquired several.

Among the five fruits, four were identifiable from the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia:

[Zoan: Chong-Chong Fruit, Butterfly Form]

[Zoan: Cat-Cat Fruit, Rabbit Cat Form]

[Paramecia: Paper Fruit]

[Paramecia: Rage Fruit]

The fifth fruit, shaped like a mangosteen with black swirls, was not listed in the encyclopedia.

Shanks explained, "These four are fairly common Devil Fruits, totaling 400 million beli at market value. The last one is an unknown fruit, but its aura suggests it's at least an ancient Zoan type. If you want it, it'll be 1 billion beli. Including the 10% premium, the total comes to 1.54 billion beli."

It was a hefty sum, but Arías knew it was a fair price. His face twitched slightly at the cost, but he had ample resources—from the treasures seized from Donquixote Auction House and the Goawanguo, to the bounties collected from the Marine—to cover it.

Shanks accepted the payment with a smile. Though the Red Hair Pirates seemed carefree, they still had significant expenses. Having a partner like Arías would certainly smooth the process of selling their spoils.

"Haha, a pleasure doing business!" Shanks laughed, bidding farewell to Arías and his crew.

Usopp, reluctant to part with his father, shouted, "I'll become a great sea warrior! Next time we meet, I'll be stronger than you!"

Yasopp responded with a hearty laugh, "I'll be waiting!"

Poor Usopp had no idea that the ship before him would one day belong to one of the Four Emperors, its crew composed of legendary figures. But under Arías' guidance, Usopp's potential would be unlocked early, allowing him to grow into a true warrior rather than relying solely on luck.

Meanwhile, in the City of Water 7, a man in a black cloak arrived at a shipyard, discreetly purchasing a superior vessel.

Franky, watching from a distance, squinted in suspicion. The man looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

The ship launched into the sea, and the man pulled two large machines from an ornament on his waist, installing them onto the ship. This man was, in fact, a puppet created by Arías!

The puppet, after modifying the ship, sailed toward North Blue following the chart Arías had left. The route was familiar—this wasn't its first journey. It passed through the Calm Belt and by Berwick Island without stopping.

The puppet didn't expect to find the elusive "Night Ghost" Solomon Archibald right away. Instead, it sought traces of Doflamingo, who would soon take control of the underground world.

The puppet continued its journey, stopping at every island it encountered, until it reached the eighteenth island.

"What's this?"

As the puppet landed on the beach, it encountered two girls, one about seventeen or eighteen and the other around ten. They were thin, poorly dressed, and terrified.

A group of pursuers was closing in on them, shouting, "Stop, you ungrateful brats! How dare you harm your brother after all we've done for you!"

The older girl collided with the puppet and stumbled in pain. With nowhere to run but the sea, and their pursuers nearly upon them, desperation set in.

Looking at the man in black before them, a daring idea struck the older girl. She quickly pulled her sister down to their knees, clutching the puppet's legs as she cried out, "Please, sir, save us! We'll do anything you ask!"