A Special Devil Fruit or a Trap?

"Fufu... Because they were salvaged from the seabed, I'm not talking about all of them, but a large portion of the Devil Fruits were obtained during a salvage operation. Over time, they came to be known as the Secret Treasure of the Sea.'"

The World Government has a dedicated salvage force responsible for recovering ships in waters around the world where shipwrecks frequently occur. Doflamingo also has people working specifically for this purpose.

Clearly, this is a highly technical and specialized job, and maintaining a salvage team requires a lot of funding.

Furthermore, such salvage operations rely entirely on luck; with current technology, there is no such thing as a "Devil Fruit detector."

"Undersea salvage?"

Samael looked disappointed upon hearing this.

He can go to the sky, but not to the sea. As Devil Fruit has become sentient, he can't get out once he enters the ocean.

Bethany spoke up at the opportune moment:

"If there aren't any Devil Fruits readily available, we'll place an order. If you have any information about Devil Fruits, we can also pay to buy them."

"As for intelligence, I happen to know some."

Intelligence gathering is also part of Doflamingo's business.

He got up, walked to the bedside table in the bedroom, opened the drawer, and took out an intelligence document.

He then took the documents back to the sofa, sat down, and began to explain as he flipped through them:

"It just so happens that it's the time of year again when various countries offer tributes to the Heavenly Tribute. Every year at this time, countries prepare ample offerings to submit to the Celestial Dragons, including the Devil Fruits you desire."

Bethany raised an eyebrow; she remembered her master mentioning this, and now was the perfect time to inquire.

"So, do you know which transport ship will have the fruit?"

"I used to do this all the time. I don't do it anymore, but I've been collecting related intelligence."

Doflamingo's smile was cunning.

After the World Government gave him the title of Shichibukai, he couldn't continue robbing Heavenly Tribute, but he still secretly sold information every year.

"Hehehe, you're really good. How much for your information?" Samael put away his arrogant attitude and leaned forward slightly as he sat on the sofa.

"Consider this a free gift; actually, I only received this information a day ago."

Doflamingo casually handed the intelligence file to Samael, saying, "The market isn't doing well this year. So far, only one of the Affiliated Nation has submitted Devil Fruit."

Samael disliked reading and handed the document to Bethany.

After opening the document, Bethany quickly found the corresponding target in the catalog.

"The Ifris Kingdom?"

"That's right, this is a small country located in the first half of the Grand Line. It's poor and has to rely on foreign wars every year to plunder people from other countries and capture slaves to make up for its share of Heavenly Tribute. It's quite surprising that it was able to produce Devil Fruit this time."

"Very good, once I snatch the fruit, you'll get a share of the credit."

Samael immediately stood up and pressed, "Where is this country's Heavenly Tribute transport ship now?"

Doflamingo shrugged, a half-smile on his face, "How would I know? I was just selling information; I wasn't planning on robbing anyone."

He paused, then continued, "Based on my experience, the Heavenly Tribute Transport Ship departs around the same time the tribute list is submitted. A day has passed now; it's probably somewhere in the sea."

The routes of the Heavenly Tribute Transport Ships are highly classified and difficult to ascertain unless one infiltrates the Marine Headquarters.

"Tsk... useless!"

Samael was disdainful.

Doflamingo just smiled and said, "If you're so capable, go investigate yourselves. Why are you asking me?"

At the same time.

Dimon immediately ordered Ain's main body to investigate the sailing route of the Ifris Kingdom's Heavenly Tribute Transport Ship at the Marine Headquarters.

The Grand Line, the first half, in the Sea of Paradise, somewhere in the ocean.

Volcanic ash floated in the sky, resembling a thick, dark cloud, while steam rose continuously from the sea like a hot spring.

A five-ship Heavenly Tribute transport fleet is currently sailing here.

At this moment, on the lower deck of the lead ship, in the warehouse where many tribute items were stored.

"Vice Admiral Momousagi, why are there magic circles-like things on the floor?"

The marine responsible for guarding the warehouse stared at the black pentagram magic circle on the floor with a puzzled expression.

The Vice Admiral, nicknamed "Momousagi" by the soldiers, had a beautiful face, a beauty mark under her lip, long black hair styled in a Japanese updo, and a tall, hot figure.

With her right hand on her hip and her left hand resting on the sword at her waist, she seemed equally puzzled by her subordinates' questions.

"The order from above requires me to use this warship on a mission, but who knows what it is? Besides, this mission wasn't ordered by headquarters; it was relayed directly from the World Government."

In short, this mission had a somewhat eerie feel to it.

But one thing she was very clear about was that the higher-ups attached great importance to this batch of Heavenly Tributes. After all, sending her to escort the Heavenly Tribute was an exception.

She is not only Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, but also Admiral Candidate.

Codenamed "Momousagi", Garden!

Chapter 92: A Special Devil Fruit or a Trap?

Momousagi, who was on a mission, didn't understand, and Dimon, far away in the Sabaody Archipelago, felt the same way.

"No?"

[Yes, Master, the Marine Headquarters has no information regarding the "Ifris Kingdom".]

During this time, Ain's true form has been lurking in Marineford.

From the moment his master ordered an investigation into the Heavenly Tribute Transport Ship of the Ifris Kingdom to the moment he found out the results, it took no more than three minutes.

"How did you find out?" Dimon asked after a long pause.

[Master, I directly inquired with the Fleet Admiral's personal Den Den Mushi.]

"You sneaked into the Fleet Admiral's office and questioned his Den Den Mushi right under Sengoku's nose?"

Dimon paused, wondering whether to say that Ain was bold, or just too bold.

[Yes, but you don't need to worry, Master. Sengoku is in a meeting; he's not in his office.]

Even Ain wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a thing in front of Sengoku.

Even if he resides in A Breath of Fresh Wind, a powerful figure like the Sengoku would still be able to detect anything amiss under his nose.

"That's strange..."

Dimon pinched his chin, his brows slightly furrowed.

The intelligence from Marine Headquarters doesn't match the information provided by Doflamingo. Is something amiss on one side?

Given that the Navy has just undergone an internal investigation and suspects a mole within the ranks, is the handling of intelligence becoming more stringent?

This possibility is very low. Even the most stringent defenses couldn't possibly be kept secret from the Sengoku's Den Den Mushi.

So, the one with the bigger problem is Doflamingo.

[Master, I suspect Doflamingo is lying to us.]

"Hmm... it's not that bad."

Dimon shook his head.

Doflamingo has a nickname among One Piece fans. "the Shame of the Shichibukai the Sea." This guy is arrogant and domineering towards his opponents below him, but he is very pragmatic when facing those above him, completely lacking the demeanor expected of Shichibukai.

Dimon didn't think the other party would dare to use false information to deceive the Seven Deadly Sins.

If the problem isn't Doflamingo, then the other side's intelligence source is flawed.

Where would his intelligence come from?

Dimon guessed the answer to this question in just one second.

"World Government."

Dimon tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his thoughts gradually clearing. "Doflamingo obtained this intelligence from the World Government's channels a day ago, but why didn't the Navy receive it?"

Escorting the Heavenly Tribute required the dispatch of the navy. According to past practice, the rank of the personnel dispatched varied depending on the importance of the tribute.

The lowest rank would be a colonel from headquarters, and the highest rank would be Vice Admiral.

Mammon is a captain, and he was not sent out on a solo mission, but rather to cooperate with a colonel.

If the tribute being escorted includes Devil Fruits, then it must be Vice Admiral is going.

"Could it be that the World Government directly sends Cipher Pol agents to carry out the mission?"

Dimon couldn't help but guess that.

The navy is merely the strongest force within the World Government's ruling system; it does not mean the World Government lacks other capable individuals.

But this is still very suspicious. In other countries, the navy is still responsible for transporting the Heavenly Tribute, but the Ifris Kingdom is different.

"Is it because of Devil Fruit? That's possible, and this fruit is quite important!"

Dimon's gaze sharpened slightly, a sense of unease still lingering in his heart. "This is a optimistic assumption; if we think the worst... it's a trap."

As someone hiding behind the scenes, he instinctively felt something was amiss about the whole thing.

If it's a trap, then there must be a target... and there won't be many such targets.

After all, it's hard to guess who it could be that requires the World Government to deal with it in this way.

"So what? Does that mean I won't rob it just because it's a trap?"

Dimon stood up and said to the paper airplane beside him, "Big Eyes, take refuge with me."

"Yes, Master."

A flash of white light appeared on the paper airplane, from which a huge eyeball emerged, then transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into Dimon's chest.

At this moment, Dimon once again became a power user.

Paramecia Storyboard Fruit, Storyboard Human.

He wanted to go and oversee the battle, to see for himself what the situation was, and if necessary, he could also use Shusui and Jijue to add more combat power.

Donning his usual "Big Eye" attire—a black robe and mask— Dimon activates the power of the Storyboard Fruit.

The figure vanished from the hotel in the next instant.

District 3, Black Market Street, Rose Flower House.

Azshara was calculating the month's revenue; after deducting the portion to be handed over to the higher-ups, the remaining amount was approximately twenty million.

"Excluding operating costs, the actual profit is less than five million? Sigh, money is really hard to earn."

She sighed softly, then heard the door open. Without looking up, she asked, "What is it, Mary?"

"I need to buy a nautical chart and an Eternal Pose from you."

Upon hearing the voice, Azshara was startled and looked up at the doorway in astonishment.

"It's you... you're still on this island? Showing up in broad daylight, you've got some nerve, Mr. Big Eyes of the Seven Deadly Sins!"

Her tone was somewhat resentful; seeing the mask with the Big Eyes reminded her of the 5 million yuan she had been swindled out of.

Without a word, Dimon reached under his cloak and tossed out three black gold notes with a face value of 5 million.

Now that he has a large amount of gold, he spends even more lavishly.

"Here's the money for this transaction. Give me the goods as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir/madam!"

Azshara instantly adopted a warm tone and hurriedly stood up to greet him, "Honorable guest, what kind of sea chart and Eternal Pose do you require?"

"A chart of the first half of the Grand Line, and Eternal Pose pointing to the Ifris Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Azshara looked slightly bewildered.

Sea charts are common items, but she had never even heard of the Ifris Kingdom.