The bar had already been politely cleared out by Bruki. Even the staff had been given the day off. Something major was about to go down here, and it wouldn't do to have outsiders lingering around.
Missing a day of business was no big deal to them. What mattered more was the opportunity to associate with powerful figures.
In the spacious, now-empty bar, only Weiss and Bruki remained.
At that moment, Weiss was lightly swirling his wine glass, his thoughts preoccupied with how to improve his techniques — how to better integrate sword intent into his combat style.
Whenever he lounged back in a chair like this, Weiss would go deep into thought. Then, in his next battle, he'd test and refine those ideas.
Right now, his repertoire of techniques was rather limited:
A basic strike.
Another basic strike.
And… yet another basic strike!
In the future? Probably just more variations of the same basic strike!
…
…
Bruki noticed Weiss was deep in thought and didn't dare to interrupt.
Time always seemed to fly by when the mind wandered. By midday, the door to the bar creaked open, letting in a shaft of sunlight through the shadows.
Kadun and his two companions appeared at the entrance, carrying large crates.
Back on the ship, Kadun had seen Jack loitering around, watching Rayleigh work on the ship's coating. Without hesitation, Kadun had roped him into helping — five hundred million Berries was no small sum. More hands meant lighter loads.
"Captain, say something about Kadun, will you?" Jack complained as he set the crate down in front of Weiss. "I was peacefully studying coating techniques, and he dragged me over to carry money — nearly two hundred million Berries' worth! You've got no idea how heavy it was!"
Weiss didn't look up. "Sounds like your training hasn't been nearly enough. If you're struggling with just this much, then once we reach the New World, you can pull the ship yourself."
"Huh???" Jack stared, dumbfounded.
Bruki stepped forward and said seriously, "Here it is, five hundred million Berries in total. Lord Sword Demon, I know you're not a bandit. Think of this Devil Fruit as something you're purchasing. But if you insist on calling it a gift, then I'll take the money back and leave right now."
Weiss sipped his wine, his tone earnest. "I mean it."
Bruki sighed inwardly. He knew this matter was settled. Still, it wasn't a loss — the first transaction always opened the door for future dealings.
Deals like this were binary: either zero or countless more to come.
"Very well, Lord Sword Demon. But let's wait to confirm the value after you've identified what ability the fruit holds. If it turns out to be a dud, it may not be worth five hundred million."
Weiss nodded. That was a fair point. Having money and being a fool were two different things. He wasn't that kind of person.
"Kadun," Weiss said, "this Devil Fruit isn't recorded in any existing guide. Its powers are unknown. Whether you eat it is up to you. If you choose not to, we'll just look for a different one later — one with a known ability."
Kadun stood frozen. He had only been told to bring money — he hadn't expected it would be used to buy him a Devil Fruit. And for five hundred million at that!
He wasn't even sure he'd be worth that much if he sold himself!
After all, Weiss wasn't a pirate — no one on the crew had a bounty, except for Theodore.
"Captain… this fruit is for me?" Kadun looked uncertainly at the strange fruit on the table.
Weiss rolled his eyes. "What do you think? You think I'm buying it for myself?"
"But Captain… we don't even know what ability it has. It could be powerful — or it could just curse me with the sea's hatred for nothing."
Weiss snorted. "There's no such thing as a useless ability, only useless users."
That was a phrase he'd always found annoying. Give someone a Teddy Bear Fruit — what's the potential? Enhanced smell? Hugging things to death?
Would you really choose an earthworm-type Zoan Fruit over a Logia Fruit?
Anyone with a sliver of common sense would pick the Logia.
As for "there are no useless powers," well…
Pfft.
Kadun hesitated. Wasn't this just gambling with his future?
But then again — what future did he have?
If not for meeting Weiss, he'd probably be dead at sea already.
Granted, it was him who had smashed the ship…
"Captain," Kadun asked seriously, "what kind of ability do you think this fruit might grant?"
Weiss examined the fruit's pattern. "Can't really tell, but I'd guess it's something practical."
Paramecia fruits were all over the place — manipulation, transformation, control, rules — the variety was insane.
Control emotions by drawing pictures? It exists.
Exploding fruit that develops into… producing snot? Yeah.
Eyes that can see hundreds of miles away? Real.
Kadun glanced around the crew. At this point, he was basically the weakest onboard. Karina and Joanne didn't count — one was a pretty face, the other a chef, neither were combatants.
Who in this whole sea would spend 500 million Berries just to buy a Devil Fruit for a crew member?
Hardly anyone.
Kadun clenched his fists. "Captain, I'll eat it. If it turns out to be a dud, well… that just means I was unlucky."
"Make sure you're sure," Weiss warned.
Jack and Theodore chimed in, "Kadun, you don't have to rush. If this one's not right, we can find you another in the New World."
Everyone knew Kadun was desperate to grow stronger. He was the oldest guy on the ship — and the weakest in combat.
Nobody really minded, but it was a thorn in his side.
Even though right now their strengths were roughly equal, Kadun knew he'd fall behind fast.
A pirate with a bounty of 100 million Berries was impressive — in Paradise. Stay away from Navy HQ or branches with Vice Admirals, and you could live like a king.
But in the New World? That made you a rookie.
Only pirates with bounties of 300 to 500 million could roam freely. The true monsters, the ones atop the food chain, all had bounties over 800 million.
A 100 million bounty barely made a splash.
Look at Kidd — tried to challenge Kaido and got defeated instantly.
Weiss could probably one-shot one of those so-called Supernovas now.
Kadun took a deep breath. "I've made up my mind, Captain. This fruit is mine now, right? You guys aren't gonna fight me for it, are you?" He gave the other two a mock-suspicious look, like a kid guarding a snack.
"Who'd want to eat that crap?" Theodore scoffed with his arms crossed. "Looks like garbage."
Theodore believed in his fists. Never once had he considered eating a Devil Fruit.
Jack had mastered his gun to near perfection — even in close combat, he held his own. He had room to grow, and no desire to rely on a fruit.
"You... you've eaten garbage before?" Kadun asked seriously. "How else would you know what it tastes like?"
"Enough nonsense," Theodore growled, a bit flustered. "Just eat the thing already, or someone's gonna start punching."
"O-okay, okay!"
Kadun picked up the Devil Fruit, closed his eyes, and took a huge bite — forcing it down despite the nausea. He swallowed the whole thing in one go.
Weiss looked like he was going to say something — but seeing how eagerly Kadun ate it, he let it go.
"Ugh… blegh…" Kadun doubled over, dry-heaving on the floor.
"So… what ability did you get?" Jack asked with a teasing grin. "Don't tell me it's the drowning duck power."
"Seems like it might be…"