Seeing this, Shadow snorted coldly and said, "There are only five fruits here. Are you trying to play tricks?"
The agreed price was twenty fruits. There was no room for bargaining.
The moment the words left his mouth, the world plunged into darkness, like the eerie calm before a massive storm.
The Black Descent!
Immediately after, a terrifying, majestic pressure descended upon everyone present. It was so heavy and overwhelming that many people simply couldn't bear it and collapsed to the deck with loud thuds.
Vladimir looked straight at Dragon, waiting for him to give an explanation.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense and stiff. The members of the Revolutionary Army became highly alert, terrified that the members of Phantom might suddenly launch an attack.
"Hahaha... Now, now, don't be in such a hurry. Just hear me out first," Dragon said with a hearty laugh.
"The agreed price is still twenty fruits, exactly as we promised. However, we cannot produce the full amount all at once. The remaining fifteen will be delivered to you within the next six months. How does that sound?"
The Revolutionary Army didn't have a special department collecting Devil Fruits. These few they had managed to gather were all confiscated by chance when they overthrew tyrannical regimes in various countries.
"Agreed," Vladimir replied, keeping his words short and concise.
Hearing his approval, Shadow immediately waved his hand. Thick, billowing black smoke swirled out, enveloping the package and drawing the five fruits into the Shadow Dimension instantly.
"He is yours now," Shadow said, pointing at the old man. "But remember—if the remaining fifteen fruits are not delivered within six months... don't blame us for making you pay the price of breaking a deal."
Everyone heaved a collective sigh of relief.
In an instant, the sky brightened and returned to normal daylight. The brief darkness was gone, as if it had never existed at all.
The immense, suffocating pressure also vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"Rest assured, we will keep our word. After all, we have no desire to make enemies out of you people," one of the Revolutionary commanders said solemnly as he stepped forward to drag the old man away.
He glanced quickly at Shadow, then quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to look directly at Vladimir. Just meeting his eyes alone felt like a crushing weight pressing down on his soul.
"Then... the transaction is complete," Dragon smiled broadly. "Thank you for providing us with one of the Five Elders. This is of immense importance to us. Paying twenty Devil Fruits for such a prize is an absolute bargain."
While the Revolutionary Army did need Devil Fruits to strengthen their forces, they were nowhere near as valuable or important as capturing a high-ranking World Government figure like a Five Elder.
Vladimir spoke calmly, his voice steady and composed: "Monkey D. Dragon... Your Revolutionary Army seeks to overthrow the World Government and build a new world of true equality and freedom. I hold this ideal in high regard. Therefore... we of Phantom are willing to offer you financial assistance."
Dragon's expression froze instantly. He frowned slightly and asked, "Financial assistance? How much are we talking about?"
"100 billion Berries," Vladimir replied flatly, dropping the number casually.
It was as if a massive boulder had been hurled into a calm lake—sending shockwaves rippling through everyone present.
"O-One hundred billion...?!"
"Did I hear that right? That's one hundred billion Berries! I've never seen that much money in my entire life!"
"You wouldn't see it even if you lived ten lifetimes!"
Whispers and gasps broke out among the soldiers. It was clear that this sudden offer was completely staggering to them.
To spread their ideals, fund their operations, and overthrow tyrants across the seas, the Revolutionary Army was always in desperate need of funds. With enough money, they could expand their armed forces rapidly and carry out their missions with much greater ease.
War, at its core, was always a matter of resources and money.
Truth be told, the total wealth of the entire Revolutionary Army combined didn't even amount to 10 billion Berries, let alone a hundred billion!
Even Dragon himself was stunned speechless for a moment, though his sharp mind quickly recovered from the shock.
"You wish to give us one hundred billion Berries? It is hard for me to believe you would do this simply because you agree with our ideals," Dragon said slowly, taking a deep breath to steady his thoughts.
"Hahaha..." Vladimir let out a low laugh.
"Monkey D. Dragon... and all the brave members of the Revolutionary Army. The reason I personally came here to complete this transaction... is precisely because I intend to provide you with this one hundred billion Berries in aid."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"With this money, you will grow stronger and develop much faster. On top of that, I can also supply you with vast amounts of weapons and military equipment. All I ask in return is very simple... Continue your fight against the World Government. Push them to the brink of destruction until the Celestial Dragons are forced to bring out their legendary 'National Treasure' to protect their status as Gods of this world."
This was one of the primary purposes of Vladimir's plan all along.
He didn't know exactly what the National Treasure was, but just knowing it existed was enough to tell him it was something capable of shaking the foundations of the entire world.
It could be one of the Ancient Weapons—perhaps Uranus—or something even more terrifying and powerful than any of the known Ancient Weapons.
Phantom feared no one. Not the World Government, not the Marines. If necessary, he could even formulate a plan to wipe them out completely right now if he wanted to.
But there was one hidden danger—the mysterious National Treasure.
Who knew exactly what kind of power it held? It could be some kind of weapon that manipulated cause and effect, defying logic. It might be the Time-Time Fruit, allowing its user to travel back into the past and rewrite history. Or perhaps... it was something like a doomsday weapon capable of leveling entire continents in an instant.
"I see now..." Dragon suddenly understood, nodding slowly. "You want us to draw their fire and divert their attention away from you."
"You could certainly put it that way," Vladimir replied calmly.
"I give you one hundred billion Berries, and you act as the test subjects. If the National Treasure turns out to be nothing impressive, you will achieve your grand ideals and build the world you dream of. But if the National Treasure destroys you in the process... well, you were simply unlucky. And rest assured... Phantom will naturally avenge you afterward."
"Hahaha! As expected of Phantom... truly bold and generous. One hundred billion Berries just like that!" Dragon laughed heartily.
"I accept your terms. If you need someone to stand in the limelight and draw the World Government's fury, then we will gladly be that shield. As for the National Treasure... it is the absolute foundation upon which the Celestial Dragons rule the world. Unless their regime is facing total annihilation, they will never, under any circumstances, bring it out and use it."
He wasn't worried—at least not in the short term.
Of course, he could guess that Phantom had far more plans and goals in mind beyond just this.
But it didn't matter. There was no deep hatred or conflict between the Revolutionary Army and Phantom. In fact, they shared a common enemy—the World Government.
For now, they were simply using each other to achieve their own ends.
"Good. I hope you won't disappoint me," Vladimir said with a satisfied nod.
A mere hundred billion Berries meant nothing to him. Just during his last raid on the Celestial Dragons, he had looted over two hundred billion in cold hard cash.
Money, to him, was nothing more than numbers on a page. It held no real value or meaning at all.
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