14: The Battle for Caesar

"Sure." 

Upon hearing that Kaido had agreed, King was immediately flustered. Even Donquixote Doflamingo was shocked. He had prepared for the worst-case scenario, expecting to share the spoils with Kaido in a 9:1 split. After all, Doflamingo believed that Kaido wouldn't kill him, but would certainly squeeze him dry. He never thought Kaido would actually agree.

"Fufufufu, Mr. Kaido, you truly live up to your reputation as the Emperor of the New World. You really are generous! Well then, it's settled." Doflamingo, afraid Kaido might change his mind, immediately began to flatter him.

"What are you panicking for? I have conditions," Kaido coldly replied.

'As expected…' Upon hearing Kaido's words, Doflamingo couldn't help but feel helpless. Good things like this don't just fall from the sky. After all, in this deal between him and Kaido, he was the one at a disadvantage.

The New World belonged to the pirates, and he needed Kaido's protection in the New World. As long as Kaido's demands weren't too unreasonable, Doflamingo would do his best to satisfy them.

Kaido looked at Doflamingo and spoke, "First, after getting Caesar, for every batch of raw materials 'SAD' he produces for artificial Devil Fruits, I want 70%."

"SAD?" Doflamingo was taken aback. He thought to himself, 'Is he planning to research how to cultivate artificial Devil Fruits himself? Fufufu, too bad! Only I can cultivate them.'

"No problem. However, Mr. Kaido, if you take 70% of the raw materials, the quantity of artificial Devil Fruits I can produce will decrease. This means the amount you can get will also decrease. Are you sure that's okay?"

Kaido snorted coldly. "You don't need to worry about that. Second, I need a certain number of Tontatta Tribe."

"Tontatta Tribe?" Doflamingo's pupils shrank as he heard that.

Kaido looked at Doflamingo's shocked expression and mocked him. "The little people from Greenbit. I heard they can cultivate any plant. Doflamingo, you probably want to use these Tontatta Tribe to help you cultivate artificial Devil Fruits, right?"

Hearing Kaido's words, Doflamingo fell silent. Inside, however, a storm was raging. How did Kaido know about the method of cultivating artificial Devil Fruits? If he knows, then why is he still giving me 30%?

"Fufufufu, it seems Mr. Kaido's intelligence network is truly impressive. No wonder you're the Emperor of the Sea," Doflamingo replied with a teasing tone. "So this is your idea—using the Tontatta Tribe to cultivate them? Indeed, I've heard such rumors before. It's said that there's no plant they can't cultivate."

Hearing Doflamingo speak in such a mysterious way, as though he had another method of cultivation, Kaido wasn't shy. He spoke up, "Oh, so you have another method for cultivating artificial Devil Fruits? If that's the case, I'll just send people to capture all the Tontatta from Greenbit."

Doflamingo was stunned. He had only been trying to act all high and mighty, half-jokingly saying, "That won't do! Mr. Kaido, you should know the Tontatta Tribe are also part of Dressrosa. In Dressrosa, they are known as 'elves.' They're a big feature of the country. If they all disappear, Dressrosa will lose its flavor."

Hearing Doflamingo's words, Kaido's heart sneered, and he was now certain—Doflamingo had no other methods of cultivating artificial Devil Fruits except for the Tontatta Tribe.

"Third, once I get Caesar, you have to leave him with me."

Upon hearing the final demand, Doflamingo's face immediately turned grim. "If I leave him with you, how will I ever get him back?" He spoke up, trying to keep his composure. "This won't work, Mr. Kaido. You see, Caesar is about to be handed over to the Marines and taken to Impel Down. Our next move will be to intercept him, and the Beast Pirates will inevitably be exposed."

"And I, with the title of Shichibukai, can easily evade the Marines' pursuit. So, it would be better if Caesar stayed with me. Besides, what difference does it make whether he's with you or me?"

"Are you afraid of losing him if he stays with me?" Kaido's eyes flashed with anger, and he roared, "Even if the Marines know Caesar is here, so what? You've seen the destruction power of the Tailed Beasts. Just one, the One-Tailed Shukaku, has such destructive power. The rest of the Tailed Beasts are even stronger!"

"And Wano and Onigashima are in a strategic position—easy to defend, hard to attack. Plus, with the Tailed Beasts now under my control, even if the Marines send three Admirals, they won't be able to take Caesar from me."

At this point, Doflamingo was getting anxious. He had indeed seen the power of the Tailed Beasts, and despite being mere beasts, their destructive capabilities were beyond compare.

Perhaps Kaido had intentionally allowed him to witness the power of the Tailed Beasts, making him realize just how powerful the Beast Pirates truly were.

After Doflamingo witnessed the Tailed Beasts' power, he confirmed in his heart that with the nine Tailed Beasts under his command, the Beast Pirates were already stronger than the Whitebeard Pirates, becoming the most powerful crew in the New World.

But Doflamingo knew all too well that if Caesar fell into Kaido's hands, his chances of obtaining 'SAD' would depend entirely on Kaido's mood. Even worse, Kaido might not need him anymore and could easily cast him aside in the future.

Doflamingo was fully aware of Caesar's value—not only could he produce 'SAD', but he was also skilled in creating toxins, conducting experiments on body gigantism, and developing high-tech weapons. In other words, controlling Caesar was like controlling multiple technological treasures. How could he let that slip away?

With a determined heart, Doflamingo bit the bullet. He had no choice but to secure Caesar, or else this entire operation would be meaningless. He spoke up, "How about this, Mr. Kaido? Consider Caesar as a rental from me. I'll pay you ten billion Berries in advance each year. How does that sound?"

Kaido looked at Doflamingo, and although Doflamingo was trying to hide it, Kaido could still see that he was on the verge of losing his temper. He spoke coldly, "Looks like you really value Caesar. Since that's the case, how about twenty billion Berries per year? I'm sure you have no objections, right?"

"Twenty... twenty billion..." Upon hearing this sum, Doflamingo felt an urge to curse, but he swallowed it down. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "Fine, twenty billion it is."

"And thirty billion?" Kaido said, a playful gleam in his eyes.

At this point, Doflamingo felt as though Kaido was mocking him. No matter how much he restrained himself, the veins on his forehead were throbbing, but he held it in. He forced a manic laugh and said, "Mr. Kaido, please stop joking. We are partners—partners for long-term interests. Please don't raise the price like this. A final price of thirty billion Berries, no more increases!"