Chapter 229: Compensation
Chapter 229: Compensation
Charlotte raised his sword in mid-air, ready to stab the black-masked CP0 agent in the chest.
"Wait!"
Seeing the imminent danger, both CP0 agents panicked and shouted hurriedly.
"Why? Any last words? Speak!"
Charlotte looked down at them, his expression calm and composed.
He wasn't worried in the slightest. Both men had already been crippled by his earlier attack, and they were deep within his territory. Killing them here would be effortless.
This wasn't a television drama—there would be no last-minute rescue.
---
"Mr. Charlotte! We are sincere. As long as you agree to evacuate those islands, the World Government will compensate you!"
The white-masked CP0 agent, sensing the urgency, quickly revealed the compensation the World Government had proposed.
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"Oh? And what kind of compensation are we talking about?"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow, momentarily intrigued.
"Devil Fruits! We can offer Devil Fruits to compensate for your losses!"
The CP0 agent spoke quickly, fearing Charlotte would strike again if he hesitated.
---
"Devil Fruits? How many? And what kind of Devil Fruits?"
Charlotte's interest was immediately piqued.
Everyone knew Charlotte had two primary passions: saving beautiful women and collecting rare Devil Fruits.
Anyone remotely familiar with Charlotte understood his preferences well.
The fact that the World Government was offering Devil Fruits as a bribe showed they had done their homework.
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"Eight Devil Fruits! One for each kingdom.
"As long as you agree to give up control of the eight kingdoms, the World Government is willing to pay the price of eight Devil Fruits!"
The white-masked CP0 agent stated clearly.
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"Eight?"
Charlotte hesitated for a moment.
Eight Devil Fruits was a significant amount.
Even though Charlotte had found thirteen Devil Fruits during his conquest of the eight kingdoms, those fruits had been the culmination of decades of hoarding by the royal families.
These treasures had been passed down for generations, collected over years, decades, or even centuries.
They weren't something one could stumble upon easily.
---
Charlotte's sword tilted slightly downward, the tip no longer aimed at the agents.
He pondered the situation carefully.
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Should I really hold on to those kingdoms?
The geographical locations of the eight kingdoms were far from Kami Island.
They lacked valuable resources and were closer to the first half of the New World and Charlotte Linlin's Totland territory.
Compared to Charlotte's affiliated islands, they held little strategic value.
---
Charlotte hadn't originally planned to occupy those kingdoms.
His initial goal had been to secure the resource islands they controlled.
However, the rulers of those kingdoms had foolishly tried to exploit their position by raising prices.
And when Charlotte retaliated, they had united with other kingdoms to form a coalition against him.
---
Wasn't that a direct provocation against the Rockefeller Pirates?
Against the world's greatest swordsman—one of the four legendary pirates of the New World, Rockefeller Charlotte?
They had brought this upon themselves—driven by their own greed.
---
Initially, Charlotte hadn't intended to conquer the kingdoms.
But after the kings' resistance, Douglas Barrett had taken matters into his own hands.
Leading more than 2,000 elite pirates, Barrett had swept through the eight kingdoms like a storm.
His victories had earned him the title of Nation Destroyer.
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However, holding those conquered kingdoms had become a logistical headache for Charlotte.
Occupying the territories was one thing.
Managing them was another.
He couldn't just leave them unattended.
Garrisons needed to be stationed, administrators appointed, and resources allocated.
---
With Charlotte already stretched thin from managing his resource islands, the burden was becoming overwhelming.
While controlling the kingdoms might offer long-term benefits, the immediate strain on the Rockefeller Pirates was undeniable.
They had already expanded too quickly, becoming bloated after biting off more than they could chew.
---
And the CP0 agents had made a valid point.
A pirate occupying a kingdom was bound to attract the hatred of the world's royal families.
---
No pirate had ever dared to openly annex a kingdom and declare themselves king.
Raiding and plundering kingdoms was one thing.
But holding territory was entirely different.
If a pirate ransacked a kingdom and left, the nobles would label them as mere criminals.
But if a pirate killed a king and took the throne, they became something far worse—a thief of the nation.
---
The term "country thief" would later be associated with Doflamingo.
But even now, it carried serious implications.
---
After all, the world was governed by the World Government, supported by its member and non-member states.
Seeing Charlotte deep in thought, the two CP0 agents exchanged worried glances.
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"Mr. Charlotte! We came here with genuine sincerity. Please consider the offer carefully!"
The black-masked CP0 agent broke the silence, trying to nudge Charlotte toward a decision.
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Unfortunately for him…
Whoosh!
Charlotte's wrist flicked, and his sword swept across faster than the eye could follow.
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"Ahhh!"
The black-masked CP0 agent screamed in agony.
He collapsed to the ground, clutching the bleeding stump of his left arm.
Charlotte had severed it cleanly at the shoulder.
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"No one tells me what to think.
"And I hate being interrupted when I'm thinking."
Charlotte's cold voice sent a chill down the spine of the remaining agent.
The white-masked CP0 agent couldn't help but curse his companion inwardly.
Idiot! Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?!
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After a moment, Charlotte turned to the surviving agent.
"Fine. I'll withdraw from those eight kingdoms.
"But I want all the surrounding islands. Can you agree to that?"
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"Yes! No problem at all!"
The white-masked CP0 agent nodded vigorously.
This was actually an easy compromise.
The World Government didn't care about the fate of the kingdoms themselves.
They only needed to restore the appearance of stability.
As long as the royal families remained in place, they could simply reestablish the kingdoms.
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"Also, I have conditions regarding the eight Devil Fruits.
"For Zoan-types, I only want Ancient or Mythical Beast varieties—no ordinary animal types.
"As for Paramecia and Logia, I have no specific requirements."
Charlotte laid out his terms clearly.
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"This…"
The white-masked CP0 agent hesitated, clearly troubled by the demand.
Ancient and Mythical Zoan types were incredibly rare.
Even for the World Government, securing eight such fruits would be no easy feat.
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"Mr. Charlotte! I will relay your request to the higher-ups.
"But whether it's possible or not will depend on their decision."
The agent wisely refrained from making promises he couldn't keep.
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"Fine. Take your time.
"Send the Devil Fruits, and I'll hand over the islands."
Charlotte's tone was indifferent, as though the entire matter was of little consequence to him.
He wasn't in a hurry.
---
The deal had been struck.
And once again, Charlotte had played the World Government like a fiddle.
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