When all the forces that had gathered in Dressrosa fell silent…

After leaving the arena, Caelan and Dragon were already seated in the office, chatting. As for Koala, she had already been dragged away by Uta.

"You really are too powerful."

Dragon sat across from Caelan, speaking with heartfelt emotion.

The performance earlier had completely reshaped his understanding of strength.

He still hadn't fully recovered from the blow of that powerful punch, and his arm continued to throb.

The beam of light filled with seemingly endless energy, piercing through heaven and earth, left an unforgettable impression.

It was hard to believe that this was the power of a single man.

"It's nothing special."

Caelan took a sip of his fragrant tea, his expression relaxed.

After stretching his muscles in battle, his whole body felt loose and refreshed.

It would be great if he had a sandbag like this every day.

Caelan looked at Dragon with slight regret.

"If that's nothing special, then what is? Do you have any idea how hopeless it feels to be your enemy?"

Dragon exaggerated slightly.

Although it had been just a friendly duel, the pressure Caelan gave off was all too real.

Facing someone like Caelan made him feel utterly powerless.

It was like being twelve again, standing helplessly before Garp's iron fists.

But he wasn't going to say that part out loud.

"Alright, enough flattery. Just say what you really came to say."

Caelan could tell immediately that Dragon was putting on an act.

About thirty percent truth, seventy percent performance—almost impossible to detect for most.

But for the leader of the Revolutionary Army to be this humble? That wasn't normal.

The man who had been labeled the most dangerous criminal by the World Government wouldn't show such deference just because he'd lost a fight.

If he were really that soft, he wouldn't have raised the banner of rebellion in the first place.

"Haha, you caught me!"

Dragon laughed, completely unashamed.

Clearly, this feigned humility had an agenda behind it.

Rubbing his hands together, Dragon asked cautiously, "Caelan, we're allies now. You used me as a warning back there. So… can we discuss something?"

"Just say it. With our relationship, I'll help out if I can."

Caelan replied casually.

He'd just used Dragon as a punching bag and was in a great mood. As long as the request wasn't over the top, he'd consider it.

He was curious what could make the usually firm Dragon act like this.

"Ahem. Alright, I'll just come out with it."

Dragon coughed twice and said seriously,

"Would you be willing to share your artificial Devil Fruit technology with us?"

So that was it.

Caelan nodded in understanding.

No wonder he'd been hesitant. Turns out he'd been eyeing the prize all along.

Of course, Caelan had no intention of giving it away for free. But considering that Dragon had made him happy once and was technically an ally, a discount was negotiable.

"Tell me. How much can you offer?"

Caelan asked leisurely.

They were family now. A hundred or two hundred million discount wasn't a big deal.

There would be future costs anyway—raw materials, processing. It could all be bundled in.

"We're such close allies… wouldn't talking about money hurt our relationship?"

Dragon gave an awkward smile, clearly uncomfortable.

He understood how valuable the artificial Devil Fruit technology was. Asking for it free of charge was asking too much.

But the Revolutionary Army's funds were limited. The tech was too tempting to pass up, so this was his last resort.

"You want to get laid for free?" Caelan stared blankly, then scowled.

"Only women can do that with me."

"Don't want to talk about money? Want to talk about fists instead?"

"Let's play something new. First one to faint loses!"

As he spoke, Caelan rolled his wrists, faint black mist rising from his body.

His bones and muscles had just been stretched and were starting to itch again.

If Dragon was saying things like this, it meant he still didn't understand Caelan's strength.

"Whoa, whoa! Misunderstanding! Just kidding!"

Dragon waved his hands quickly, smiling awkwardly.

He could tell that if he really fought Caelan again right now, Caelan wouldn't stop until his ribcage was in pieces.

"I knew you were joking. But your acting was pretty convincing. I almost believed you were trying to take advantage of me."

Caelan retracted his Haki and chuckled.

"Haha… You're hilarious."

Dragon laughed awkwardly, knowing full well Caelan was mocking him.

"But seriously, can you really not share the artificial Devil Fruit tech with the Revolutionary Army?"

Dragon asked again, unwilling to give up.

The artificial Devil Fruit could drastically improve the Revolutionary Army's lack of powerful fighters.

It was the ultimate fix. If it worked, it would be like gaining 800 years of power in one go.

"If you can't afford it, you can't use it either. Just having the technology isn't enough. You still need the equipment, the materials, and a massive budget."

Caelan gave Dragon a side glance, as if looking at a beggar.

The tech wasn't plug-and-play. The maintenance and production costs far exceeded the price of just acquiring the method.

Production costs were high, and output was inconsistent. This was tech only the truly rich could afford to touch.

"Is that so?"

"Makes sense. I should've known… Some things have a user threshold."

Dragon smiled bitterly, Caelan's words bursting his bubble.

The allure of the technology had clouded his better judgment.

To have it right in front of him and still not be able to use it… That was truly frustrating.

"Don't get too discouraged. Artificial Devil Fruits aren't really suited for your army's situation. They have a usage threshold too."

"The user must have an extremely strong will and physical endurance. Otherwise, they'll most likely die. And even survivors will lose all emotions except laughter."

"With such serious side effects, it's not a good fit for you."

Caelan said calmly.

That was also why he didn't hoard them for himself.

They weren't efficient. The side effects were significant. Only those who had never tasted quality would mistake it for treasure.

Dragon should have had connections with Vegapunk. If it were the world's number one scientist's artificial Devil Fruit technology, that was something worth pursuing.

Maybe Vegapunk hadn't mentioned it to Dragon?

Well, perhaps Vegapunk considered it a basic-level invention, nothing worth bragging about compared to something like infinite energy.

"That actually makes me feel better."

Dragon's expression eased, and he finally looked at peace.

It was the classic "sour grapes" situation. Even if he still wanted it deep down, hearing those side effects helped suppress the obsession.

"Sounds like you don't think very highly of this tech. So, how much are you planning to sell it for?"

Dragon asked curiously.

"Five billion Berries."

Caelan held up five fingers, speaking casually.

"You just trashed it completely, and you're still asking for five billion?!"

Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief.

After all that talk about how flawed it was, he thought Caelan was about to give him a friend discount.

"Haha, everyone has different standards. To me, it's trash. To others, it's a treasure."

"Just like you right now. You're practically drooling for it, even though you're trying to comfort yourself with my words. If you had the money, you'd already be throwing it at me."

Caelan said, jokingly.

"Ugh…"

Dragon's face twitched.

That was how he felt… but did Caelan have to say it out loud?

(To be continued.)

***

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