People in this world generally have well-developed limbs and simple minds; their first reaction to anything is to charge in headfirst.
But this informant was a bit different. At the very least, he was able to sense that Teach was not to be trifled with even without seeing a wanted poster, and he could describe Teach's appearance accurately during his report to Blake.
Don't think this is a simple matter; just look at those Marine messengers.
Whenever there is the slightest disturbance, those messengers can't even speak clearly.
However, although Blake appreciated this informant, he was no longer in a position where he lacked subordinates to the point of having to pull random people like Aramaki and Lafitte off the street.
A mere informant, even if appreciated, could just be mentioned to Aramaki later to be brought into the core team; there was no need to waste time here.
Blake calmly instructed the Den Den Mushi:
"Alright, you can leave that island for now, but don't go too far."
"A major battle should break out there in the coming days. Remember to use a camera to record the entire fight."
"Especially the scenes where that Black Fatty has the upper hand; they must be clear."
The informant didn't understand why, but acting on the principle of working for whoever paid him, he didn't ask about Blake's purpose and answered decisively:
"No problem, Boss."
Hanging up the phone, Blake tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, somewhat looking forward to the upcoming developments.
Since Teach had already arrived, Shanks shouldn't be too far behind. Otherwise, if the time difference was too great, Teach might have already found the sing-sing fruit and left. How would Uta become a sing-sing fruit user then?
Things went much as he had expected; just one day later, the informant called again.
"Boss! An unusual-looking pirate crew has appeared, and they are also asking about Devil Fruits on the island."
"The information provided this time is more specific. They are looking for a Devil Fruit that is pale pink overall, with musical staff patterns on the surface and a note-shaped stem."
"Oh?"
Blake was not surprised by this, but rather found the informant's attitude a bit strange:
"That is a Devil Fruit, a secret treasure of the sea. Even someone with the poorest talent could potentially use it to make a comeback and become a winner in life."
"If you took it to sell, you could get a high price of at least one hundred million Berries."
"I believe you can see that, given how precious this Devil Fruit is, it would easily fetch one billion Berries at an auction."
"Are you not tempted at all?"
In Blake's impression, people in this world never lacked an adventurous spirit.
What left the deepest impression on him were those two foolish thieves from the Sabaody Archipelago incident in the original work, who dared to sneak attack Kizaru with just a gun.
Especially their motives, which were simply jaw-dropping.
Taking such a huge risk to do an almost impossible task, only for the ultimate goal of making a name for themselves on the sea.
When Blake first saw this scene, he thought people in this world were truly crazy.
Now, a genuinely precious Devil Fruit was on the island right in front of the informant, yet judging by his tone, he had no intention of snatching food from the tiger's mouth.
Honestly speaking, even Blake himself, without system assistance, probably wouldn't be able to turn a blind eye if he found such an opportunity to make a comeback.
Even knowing there were huge risks, he would likely choose to take the gamble.
So Blake was curious; this kid wasn't tempted in the slightest. Could it be that he had quit drugs?
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, the informant's breathing clearly hitched, and then he fell silent.
A moment later, his voice sounded again, carrying a helpless sense of candor:
"Boss, to be honest, with so many people eyeing that Devil Fruit on Thersfield Island, I know it must be an incredible item."
"Seeing such a valuable treasure, to say I'm not tempted at all is naturally impossible."
He paused, reorganized his thoughts, and continued:
"But I just heard about the Ope-Ope no Mi incident in the North Blue a while ago. It's said that the entire island was sunk."
"I've weighed my own worth. For someone like me, just managing to save my life in the aftermath of a fight between such big shots would be a huge stroke of luck."
"Want to go snatch the treasure? I'm afraid I'd be wiped out by an attack from who knows where before I even saw what the treasure looked like."
"I know very well that some opportunities look tempting, but in reality, they are shortcuts to hell."
"It is a virtue for a person to know their own limits. If I force myself to touch things that don't belong to me, I'll only end up smashed to pieces."
After saying this, the informant's tone regained a hint of self-deprecating laughter:
"If I really had that kind of ability and luck, I wouldn't still be doing this errand-running job."
"Living is better than anything else. I don't want to lose my life in a place like this for a slim chance."
Blake nodded slightly, very much appreciating his calmness.
This kind of clear-headed awareness was indeed rare and commendable in a world where people would dare to charge at an Admiral just because their blood was pumping.
He appreciated this "clear-headed person" even more, so he promised:
"As long as this matter is handled well, I can give you a chance."
"Perhaps it won't compare to the sing-sing fruit, but it won't be hard to make something of yourself on the sea."
"Then I thank you, Boss!"
The informant responded with a smile, seemingly not taking it too seriously.
That was fair; for someone as clear-headed as him, the promise Blake gave was just a pie in the sky. Before seeing actual benefits, this guy would mostly maintain a business-like attitude.
Blake didn't continue to explain.
Just kidding, he was a dignified World Noble; did he really have to prove his own ability to a small-timer personally? How demeaning!
Now that both sides of the battle had arrived at Thersfield Island, all that remained was to wait for the big fight between them.
Blake's fun this time wasn't in the battle itself, but in waiting until the battle was over.
Seeing him hang up the phone, Perona and Olga, who had been hiding nearby eavesdropping, came over.
Perona's face wore that official fake smile again, and she said in a coquettish tone:
"Your Highness, listening to his retelling is so boring. Why don't we go over and take a look directly?"
"Exactly, it's such a lively event, it's a pity not to join in. We haven't been out to sea for so long."
Olga also chimed in from the side.
Blake narrowed his eyes and glanced at the two of them, sneering:
"Is the massive Mary Geoise not enough for you two to mess around in?"
"With your tiny frames, if you run over to interfere, you won't even know when someone scatters your ashes."
Seeing that their coquettish offensive had failed again, Perona huffed fiercely, grabbed Olga, and turned to run away, making faces at Blake while running:
"Stingy!"
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