Fang Huo studied the intelligence on this Doom Hunter.
The bounty hunter had actually captured a Great Pirate worth 300 million Berries.
Several pirates with bounties as high as 500 million Berries set out to corner and take revenge on him, yet every time the man escaped and left his pursuers nursing huge losses.
The Doom Hunter's fame soared.
Countless pirates lived in dread of being targeted by this jinxed bounty hunter.
Though he wasn't top-tier in raw power, he always defeated pirates in the strangest ways.
Enemies many times stronger couldn't kill him; instead they ended up battered or bankrupt.
'Is he really a Lucky Fruit user—or an Unlucky Fruit user?'
Fang Huo rubbed his chin, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
As long as his luck isn't drained, no one can kill him.
If I had that Lucky Fruit, it would be like owning the Heaven-Defying Fortune Gu.
I could shout: Who dares kill me? Who can kill me!
With luck on my side, I might even run into the giant lantern fish early and get my hands on the Pure Gold.
Supreme Great Succubus plus an invincible luck halo—
Fang Huo felt the possibilities!
With fortune backing me, not even Imu could ambush and kill me!
'This power could become my true life-saving trump card!'
The more Fang Huo thought, the more feasible it seemed. He already had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit; once he secured the Momo Fruit—
—his speed would reach an unimaginable realm.
Even a Glint-Glint Fruit user wouldn't be able to catch him.
He would represent the pinnacle of speed in this world!
In that case, the Teleport-Teleport Fruit is optional—cross it off.
With the Lost World of the Rainbow Mist, the Castle-Castle Fruit and spatial abilities are crossed off too.
Between the Vampire Ability and the Azure Dragon's regeneration and defense, the Barrier Fruit can also be discarded.
Apart from time-based powers, this Lucky Fruit suits me perfectly.
After careful consideration, Fang Huo silently moved the Doom Hunter to the top of his hit list.
He was already plotting how to deal with the man.
Usopp had given him a brilliant method—
—bleed his luck dry with a lottery machine!
Of course, in the future enemies might use the same trick on him.
So to kill this Doom Hunter, he had to act alone: no spectators, no intelligence leaks.
This power, as his hidden ace, must stay secret—even from the Rocks Pirates.
Naturally, as the most cautious and life-loving Great Love Immortal Venerable,
Fang Huo wouldn't copy Baccarat and merely siphon luck from a few dozen underlings.
Such an unreasonable ability drained by a mere lottery machine?
If he obtained it, he would drain the luck of thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands—whatever it took to keep his own fortune sky-high and guarantee absolute safety!
Not enough luck?
Just think of the countless pirates, Marines—and civilians—across the seas!
Survival comes first; nothing shameful about that.
'Momo ability, Azure Dragon, Lucky ability…'
'That leaves one last slot…'
Fang Huo closed his eyes to rest, reserving the spot in case some absurd, rule-breaking Devil Fruit appeared.
Otherwise he'd be finished!
Besides, both the Dark-Dark Fruit and Elbaf's inherited national treasure were still on his future wish list.
Who knew whether Rocks could survive until the Dark-Dark Fruit resurfaced?
And Elbaf's heirloom apparently wasn't the Sun God Nika Fruit.
Harald said no one had ever eaten that Devil Fruit.
The heirloom fruit was guarded by Tore Lagner, the divine hammer imbued with the squirrel Mythical Zoan Type Ratatoskr.
Elbaf's inherited fruit was rumored to be Nidhogg, the black dragon of legend that devours the World Tree (Adam, the Tree of War).
Fang Huo sensed the waters of this world ran deep; he needed a slot reserved for every unknown.
If the world's rules demanded specific legendary Devil Fruits to counter Imu's ability,
Fang Huo would prepare accordingly.
If necessary, his true body would eat a tenth power!
Sea-water curses, Sea Stone weaknesses—at that level they'd be negligible.
"Rocks!! I'll let that scoundrel John off for now—but as candidate meat, we can still drag him aboard."
"Whether I butcher him later depends on my mood!"
Fang Huo opened his eyes again and tossed the remark casually to Rocks.
"Huh? You're passing on the Magnet-Magnet Fruit—that power you coveted ever since you joined the Rocks Pirates."
"Never thought you'd give it up!"
"Come on, what stronger ability have you set your sights on now?"
Rocks knew Fang Huo wouldn't abandon the Magnet-Magnet Fruit without reason.
There could be only one truth—
Fang Huo had found a better replacement!
"Tch—then I'll turn that greedy, fickle John into my slave!"
Fang Huo raised an eyebrow; he could personally train Captain John in the Magnet-Magnet Fruit and later fuse it with electricity.
And keep the mutinous fool on a tight leash.
"…"
"Do as you like; he hasn't boarded yet."
After learning more about immortality from Fang Huo, Rocks no longer cared much for rookies lacking Haoshoku.
He aimed to build a core ace squad where every member possessed kings qualification.
Now, apart from the Four King Executives, the three Haoshoku powerhouses under Roger were on that elite list.
"You really don't mind?"
Fang Huo was a bit surprised Rocks handed Captain John over so readily.
Before, Rocks would probably have recruited John as an Executive.
"Just a Magnet-Magnet Fruit user."
"As you said, anyone who could lose to Ganzi's Bomb Bomb ability can't be that tough—he's wasting the Magnet power."
Rocks grinned; if Fang Huo hadn't revealed those potential seeds like Roger, he might have shown interest in Captain John.
Now the man was expendable.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
Since Rocks had spoken, Fang Huo would beat John into shape—lest the jewel-obsessed fool develop the Magnet-Magnet Fruit into a joke.
He probably wasn't even half as strong as the stubborn Kid.
"Tsk, scary! Let's pray for the poor souls the first mate has his eye on."
Kiel Bastard was deeply grateful Fang Huo looked down on his Ghost ability and that he'd joined the Rocks Pirates early.
Otherwise his fate would've been ugly.
The world destroyer and the jewel collector—two rising stars—were dispensed with like stray cats as the legendary pirates Fang Huo and Rocks chatted.
Such is the law of the jungle that rules this world!