Believe it or not, I'll spit a mouthful of saltwater soda and kill you?! (Please keep reading! Please keep reading!)

[Talk no Jutsu]

Single-use consumable

Description: The strongest ability of the Child of Destiny. No arguments accepted.

Effect: For the next five minutes after use, anything the host says will strike at the target's sensitive nerves to the greatest possible extent. (Only works against one person.)

P.S. Everybody get the hell out of my way! I'll even spit the dead back to life!

It really was just meant to be a joke, wasn't it?

Abel was too exhausted to complain. Maybe someday, if he got fed up with someone, he could try acting like Stephen Chow, talking rings around them until the living dropped dead and the dead sprang back to life.

Just then, Baby-5 rushed in. "The Young Master has called a family meeting. Everyone, head to the conference room immediately."

"At a time like this?"

Abel found it a little odd, but nodded all the same. "Got it. I'll be right there."

Baby-5 hurried off again, rushing around to notify everyone else.

Abel met up with Luo, and the two of them went to the conference room together.

Within the next few minutes, all the officers had gathered, waiting for that man's orders.

Doflamingo wasted no time and got straight to the point. "I just received word from the underground black market that someone's trying to sell a Devil Fruit that isn't listed in the encyclopedia. Its ability is unknown, and the asking price is too high, so no buyers have stepped forward yet. But according to the information I got, quite a few people have their eyes on this group and are planning to make a move to seize the Devil Fruit."

"Behehehe! I'm telling you, I'm telling you, how could we let the Donquixote Family miss out on something this good?"

Trebol was the first to speak up.

Jora laughed and chimed in next. "Ohohohohoho! I can hardly wait to let those people experience true art."

Everyone understood why Doflamingo had called the family meeting. They dealt in underground black-market transactions, but first, the sellers hadn't entrusted them with selling the Devil Fruit; second, if they could get it for free, why spend a fortune buying it?

Luo's heart stirred. "A Devil Fruit with an unknown ability?"

As if he'd seen what Luo was thinking, Doflamingo spoke up. "Whenever the family acquires a Devil Fruit, the officers can choose whether or not to eat it, starting with the highest-ranking officers."

"Only Corazon and Lao G in the family aren't Devil Fruit Users. Luo, Abel, you have a good chance. Want to take a gamble?"

Luo was immediately tempted!

Only he knew that Corazon had already eaten a Devil Fruit, so Corazon definitely wouldn't eat another one.

And Lao G didn't seem particularly interested in Devil Fruit abilities. He devoted himself to mastering martial arts.

Otherwise, with Lao G's age and seniority, he would probably have become a Devil Fruit User long ago.

Sure enough!

Corazon simply waved his hand to show he was passing.

Lao G also made it clear that he wasn't interested and didn't want to become a Devil Fruit User.

And since Dellinger was only a one-year-old baby, this rare opportunity had fallen to Luo and Abel.

Although they hadn't gotten their hands on the Devil Fruit yet, everyone present already considered it the Donquixote Family's property.

That wasn't arrogance or conceit. At the moment, there was no force in the North Sea capable of standing against the Donquixote Family.

Well, except the Marines.

Luo was deeply tempted, but he still looked toward Abel.

Abel immediately said, "I don't have that much faith in my luck. The unknown is terrifying, so I'll pass."

If they came across an especially powerful Devil Fruit, or one that appealed to him, he wouldn't hesitate to claim it.

But he'd have to be insane to use his one and only chance to gamble on an unknown ability.

The risk and reward were nowhere near proportional!

As soon as Luo heard Abel's words, his excitement was instantly doused like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him.

"Abel's right. I only get one chance. It'd be incredibly stupid to gamble it on some vague possibility!"

"Even if I do want to take a gamble, I should wait until I'm close to the end of my life."

So Luo spoke plainly as well. "I'd like to hold on to this chance for now and wait a little longer. If there aren't any better options, I'll take a gamble on this Devil Fruit."

It was an unreasonable request, but Doflamingo still agreed with a smile. "Fufufufu! Fine. Once we get the Devil Fruit, the family can hold on to it for you for now."

Doflamingo was generous with his Family Members. He used nearly every Devil Fruit the family acquired to help everyone grow stronger.

So as long as no one else wanted this Devil Fruit, he could grant Luo's somewhat "selfish" request.

"Same as always: two people stay behind to guard the house. Everyone else leaves soon."

Doflamingo swept his gaze around the room, but in the end, it settled on Corazon.

But just as he was about to leave Corazon behind as usual, Corazon wrote on a piece of paper first: "I'm going."

He was clearly doing it for Luo!

Doflamingo, unaware of the reason, was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Well, this is rare. You're actually volunteering for a mission."

Corazon continued writing on the paper: "I've been a little bored lately."

"Fufufufu! I've been telling you to find something fun to do. Now you know what it's like to be bored? All right, you won't have to stay and guard the house this time."

"Diamante, Mahalbes, I'll leave the house to you."

Diamante said, "Heh, it's rare to see Corazon take the initiative."

Mahalbes said, "No problem. Don't worry, Young Master! Hng!"

A hulking man with a chest full of hair, and he kept going "hng" for no reason!

Abel thought, It's so hard to fit in with this crowd when I don't have a verbal tic!

As everyone headed to the harbor to board the Numancia Flamingo, Luo was once again pulled aside by Corazon, away from the others.

"You're not going to stop me this time!"

Luo glared at Corazon like an angry rooster.

Corazon first did what he always did, setting up a soundproof barrier. Only then did he speak. "I'm not trying to stop you from going. But when the fighting starts, you have to stay within my sight at all times. Don't wander too far. Otherwise, even if you tell Doflamingo about me, I'll knock you out and take you somewhere no one can find you."

Luo glared at him, gritting his teeth as he forced out a few words. "Fine. You win. I'll do it."

"I'm warning you now: don't try anything when the time comes. You know what I'm capable of."

Luo snorted and walked away.

Corazon was starting to get a headache. Being a babysitter wasn't easy!

But no matter what, he couldn't stand by and watch Luo, a bearer of the "D" name, remain beside the dangerous Doflamingo.

"I'll have to think of a way to get Luo away from here as soon as possible."

"Maybe this time I can start with Luo's companion?"

Corazon looked at Abel, who had already boarded the ship, and wore a thoughtful expression.