One Piece - Life Choice Ask Me to Kiss Marine Goddes Hina

"Cut the nonsense, Doffy," Lynch said sharply. "You'd better explain what's going on with this woman named Monet."

"Monet? Fufufufu~ So, she's still alive," Doflamingo chuckled. "To be honest, I sent her to infiltrate your territory a few years ago to carry out espionage missions."

"You can't blame me for this," he continued nonchalantly.

"Your hands are stretched too far in the black market. Sooner or later, I will confront you one day."

Doflamingo, known as the "Joker" in the underworld, controlled both the legal and illegal realms, solidifying his reputation as an underground emperor.

Not only did Doflamingo operate the infamous human auction house on the Sabaody Archipelago, but he was also deeply entrenched in the global arms trade.

Before Lynch entered the scene, Doflamingo controlled at least 70% of the black market's arms trade, a near-monopoly. 

Even Kaido relied on him to distribute his manufactured weapons, earning Doflamingo an astronomical income each year.

However, since West Blue's weapons began flooding the black market, Doflamingo's once-thriving weapons business had been declining year after year.

There was no helping it—West Blue's discarded weapons, even those outdated by several generations, were far superior to what Doflamingo could offer.

The introduction of steam and brass technology only widened the gap. Outdated equipment was dumped into the black market, yet demand still far exceeded supply.

Watching his massive arms trade being overtaken by Lynch was infuriating for Doflamingo. And arms were just the tip of the iceberg. 

West Blue's materials were leagues ahead of anything Doflamingo could provide.

Except for the fact that West Blue does not sell slaves, there is nothing else that West Blue does not do, which has caused a serious blow to Doflamingo's business.

In a world with limited resources and profits, gaining a larger slice of the pie inevitably meant carving it out of someone else's. 

Since ancient times, commerce has always been a battlefield.

For a while, Doflamingo had even fantasized about eliminating Lynch entirely.

"But," Doflamingo chuckled darkly, "after I heard you defeated the World Government, I changed my perspective."

"I tried to inform Monet to abandon the mission, but her number couldn't be reached."

"We all have a common enemy. If we divide, we both lose, and if we work together, we both benefit. Let's cooperate, Lynch!" 

Doflamingo's voice on the other end of the line carried a rare note of excitement.

His biggest dream is to one day kill Mariejois and trample those Celestial Dragons who are as stupid as pigs and dogs, so that they will understand what a stupid choice they made to abandon his family back then!

Being able to cooperate with the King of West Blue to destroy the world ruled by the World Government adds another layer of hope.

"Heh, Doffy, when you act, you act. No need for all the sweet talk."

"In my hometown, we have a saying: If explanations were enough, there'd be no need for police."

Doflamingo's explanation might have been earnest, but it didn't erase the betrayal—or the consequences of his actions.

What's the difference between sending a spy and only explaining after getting caught? It's no better than delayed justice.

Lynch didn't believe for a second that if Monet had uncovered any valuable secrets, Doflamingo wouldn't have acted on them. That's just how the game worked.

More importantly, Lynch didn't trust Doflamingo. He didn't need a so-called Shichibukai who couldn't even handle Luffy in Fourth Gear.

As for Luffy? Lynch knew that dealing with him now would take mere moments.

"Fufufu, don't be so quick to refuse," Doflamingo said with a sly tone.

 "Surely, the mighty Emperor of West Blue isn't afraid to hear me out?"

Lynch remained silent, responding only with a curt, "Say it."

Leaning into his usual mysterious air, Doflamingo lowered his voice. "Artificial Devil Fruits. Ever heard of them?"

"If you work with me and supply the materials to produce them, I can provide you with a limitless supply of Zoan Devil Fruits. In return, all I ask is your help gathering certain resources and protection when I need it most."

"It's a good deal, isn't it?" 

Doflamingo leaned back in his chair confidently, crossing his legs and clasping his hands. He was certain no one could resist the temptation of Artificial Devil Fruits—a treasure even Kaido couldn't pass up.

But Lynch's expression didn't change. "Doffy, do you really think I don't know of the flaws in Artificial Devil Fruits? Keep that garbage and keep selling it to Kaido."

His voice grew colder. "And as for offending me this time, you owe me. Send five real Devil Fruits as an apology. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"If you want to redeem Monet, add three more."

Click.

The line went dead, leaving the frozen smile on Doflamingo's face to twist into anger. Veins bulged on his temples as he growled, "Lynch!!!"

How dare that man refuse the invitation of Heavenly Yaksha so boldly? And to top it off, he seemed well-informed about the flaws of Artificial Devil Fruits.

A flicker of doubt crossed Doflamingo's mind. Did Monet betray me?

But he quickly dismissed the thought. "Impossible," he muttered to himself. "Monet would never betray me."

"Young Master, is everything alright?" 

Pika's voice echoed as he entered the room after hearing the commotion.

"It's fine," Doflamingo replied, his anger already under control. 

His tone was calm, almost unnervingly so. "Prepare eight Devil Fruits and send them to King Lynch of West Blue."

Despite his fury, Doflamingo showed why he was a mastermind of the underworld. 

As much as he wanted to kill Lynch, the man's formidable reputation and alliances forced him to swallow his pride. For now, he chose to pay the price and seek reconciliation.

Doflamingo smirked coldly. "Fuufufufu…Fuufufufufu... Lynch, we'll see who has the last laugh!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lynch was unfazed, confident he had the upper hand.

A person who wouldn't dare speak up in front of Kaido now thinks they can negotiate with him?

The only ones who can make his heart beat are Dressrosa and Doffy himself.

It's a bit difficult to conquer, not only the opponent's arrogance, but also the support of Kaido behind him.

The plan to capture Doffy can be put on the agenda.

As for the artificial Devil Fruit? It's not worth his time. Not only does it have a weakness against water, but Zoan types are the only ones worth considering.

The artificial Devil Fruit is much weaker than the original. It can cause users to lose control of their abilities, and the human-animal form has serious flaws.

Apart from Kaido, who is obsessed with Zoan fruits, only the uninformed would buy it.

The artificial Devil Fruit was first created by Vegapunk, but it quickly revealed irreparable flaws, and production was halted. It wasn't until six years later that anyone succeeded in improving it.

Upon returning, Lynch contacted the user of the Memory Fruit.

"Is it possible to erase all of Monet's memories related to Doflamingo?"

"It's difficult. She has too many memories of Doflamingo. Deleting them all might damage her brain."

"Do your best," Lynch said, patting the capable person on the shoulder.

"No! No! No! I don't want to forget the young master!" Monet struggled in fear when she realized what Lynch was planning.

Lynch knocked Monet out and signaled the user to begin.

The ability user reached out and carefully extracted a string of memories from Monet's mind, like a movie reel.

After a while, he collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely.

"Sir, I'm relieved to have completed the task as ordered!"

.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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