Goa Empire · Royal Capital · Palace.
Side Hall · Reception Hall · Evening Banquet.
After resting and bathing, Wang Shi formally met with the commercial delegation from Dressrosa, accompanied by his subordinates.
The Dressrosa officials, led by Diamante, a top officer of the Donquixote Family, confidently introduced their powerful weapons.
Besides conventional arms, they even had Poison Gas Shells, a rare sight on the market.
"Your Majesty Wang Shi, our Poison Gas Shells can take out a whole crowd with a single shot. They'll wipe out Germa 66's Clone Soldiers."
Diamante spoke excitedly at length, eager to see the damage they could inflict on Judge's Germa 66 Legion.
These Poison Gas Shells had been made by Queen the Plague.
When Queen the Plague of the Beasts Pirates heard that the underground broker emperor of the Dark World, Joker, planned to resell the Poison Gas Shells to the Goa Empire to use against Germa 66, he immediately increased the supply.
Queen was delighted to see his former colleague get into trouble.
Vegapunk, Queen, Judge, and Caesar, the members of the MADS team, had never gotten along.
Aside from Vegapunk, the other three all wanted to ruin each other and prove that their own scientific abilities were the best.
The more Diamante talked, the happier he became. This time, they would use the Goa Empire's money to crush Germa 66.
They'd make money, and they'd settle an old score!
···
From his throne, Wang Shi looked down at the Donquixote Family officers.
Diamante, a Paramecia user who had eaten the Flag-Flag Fruit; Machvise, a Paramecia user who had eaten the Ton-Ton Fruit; and Buffalo, a Paramecia user who had eaten the Spin-Spin Fruit.
There was also Lao G, a formidable Jio-Ken master.
The old man was probably even stronger than Diamante, the top officer.
Wang Shi also saw Baby 5, the combat maid and Weapon-Weapon Fruit user.
He hadn't expected that "maid who wanted to be needed" to come along too.
The Donquixote Family had actually sent five officers this time. They seemed to be making a major move.
What Wang Shi didn't know was that, aside from discussing the arms deal, Diamante, Machvise, and Lao G had come mainly to watch the war against Germa 66.
They hoped to see their old rival Judge have a miserable time.
Baby 5 and Buffalo, on the other hand, had simply wanted to visit the Goa Empire, the most beautiful country in the East Blue. Their motives were much simpler.
···
"I have money. I can take all these weapons."
"But, Ambassador Diamante, would you be interested in taking on another job?"
Wang Shi didn't mind spending money to strengthen the Guard Army of the Goa Empire.
After all, he couldn't fight this war alone with a few officers. The army would have to join the battle too.
Besides, with all that gold from Sky Island, the Goa Empire wouldn't run short on funds.
"Oh? What kind of job?"
Diamante's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to close the arms deal so quickly, let alone get another offer on top of it. The Goa Empire really was generous.
They'd definitely found themselves a rich business partner.
"I want to hire you all to help destroy Germa 66. Price is no object."
Wang Shi gave a calm smile. He'd noticed Diamante's resentment toward Judge, and thought he might be able to use it.
The Donquixote Family had risen to prominence in the North Blue. They probably had a long history of grudges and conflicts with Germa 66.
"You want to hire us?"
Diamante frowned. He knew how powerful Germa 66 was. With Young Master Doflamingo away, he worried that their group might get hurt—or even lose.
He wasn't keen on getting involved in this war.
"This war is a guaranteed win!"
"I don't need you to fight the Vinsmoke family. Just take out the Clone Soldiers."
"Surely officers of the mighty Shichibukai aren't afraid to go up against a few soldiers?"
Wang Shi went straight for the provocation, targeting Diamante, a useless officer who cared desperately about his pride.
"Who said we were afraid?"
"Your Majesty Wang Shi is sure you don't need us to fight those Vinsmoke super-soldiers, right?"
"We'll take the job!"
Diamante agreed on the spot, taking on the whole task. Lao G and Machvise tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
"Hahaha, Ambassador Diamante, you really are decisive. No wonder you're the top officer under Doflamingo."
When Wang Shi heard Diamante agree just like that, he immediately praised him again.
The intelligence of pirates in this world, their personalities...
They were damn easy to fool.
Wang Shi liked that.
"Hahaha, I think so too. I'm the strongest and smartest officer under Doffy, his absolute right-hand man."
Diamante laughed confidently. Lao G and Machvise wanted to cover their faces. It was just embarrassing.
Baby 5 and Buffalo were a little unhappy. They had mainly come to travel and take a vacation, so why were they getting dragged into a fight?
Their vacation!
After a round of mutual flattery, the two sides finalized the arms deal and the hiring agreement.
Wang Shi sent the nobles and officials under his command to equip the army with the new weapons.
You had to admit, Doflamingo was a bad person, but the reputation of this underground broker emperor was solid.
His weapons were reliable and state-of-the-art.
No wonder the Mulberry Kingdom in the West Blue, backed by the Donquixote Family, had driven the powerful Flower Kingdom back again and again.
Even Chinjao the Drill, a former pillar of the Happo Navy who possessed Conqueror's Haki, had been sent to Dressrosa to investigate and try to cut off the arms supply.
···
Back at the Foreign Envoy Hotel, Diamante carefully reported the hiring agreement he had made first and asked questions later to Doflamingo.
"Wang Shi actually thinks he can deal with the Vinsmoke family?"
Doflamingo's voice came through the Den Den Mushi wearing pink sunglasses.
Even he wasn't confident that he could beat the three Vinsmoke brothers working together.
Those modified monsters had steel Exoskeletons with tremendous defensive power. Even his strings couldn't cut through them.
"Doffy, didn't Wang Shi already use his Exile Ability on Vinsmoke Niji?"
"Maybe his ability is especially effective against those emotionless modified humans who only know how to charge in."
Thinking of the confidence behind Wang Shi's claim that victory was guaranteed, Diamante found himself feeling confident too.
This hiring job only required them to kill some Clone Soldiers.
That meant the payment was a sure thing, didn't it?
"Be careful. If you're in danger, leave immediately with Buffalo."
"And do your best to find out how Wang Shi's Exile Ability works."
Doflamingo gave his instructions in a grave tone. Wang Shi had exiled Vinsmoke Niji in an instant. That alone was enough to make him take Wang Shi seriously.
If he ever had to face Wang Shi, he didn't want to suddenly vanish without a trace.
Wang Shi's Exile Ability might be as impossible to counter and as domineering as the Pirate Empress's Petrification Ability.
When dealing with a user of such a bizarre ability, they had to figure out the activation requirements, then strike first and kill him before he could react.
Otherwise, they really might end up losing.
"Understood!"
Diamante agreed at once. Since they were currently Wang Shi's partners, this was the perfect time to investigate his ability.
Maybe if he learned all the ins and outs of Wang Shi's Exile Ability, he could sell it as valuable intelligence to the World Government and Morgans—and make another profit.
While Diamante was trying to uncover Wang Shi's trump card, Wang Shi had already started planning to "happen" to run into Baby 5, the "maid who wanted to be needed"...
As long as the price was right, Wang Shi could buy this combat maid away from Doflamingo.