15: Summon Three More

"Deal..."

Seeing that he had finally convinced Kaido, and at least avoided the price going any higher, Doflamingo's smile was forced. The 30 billion Berries still stung, but at least he had Caesar in his grasp. He managed a strained laugh, "Well then, let's have a pleasant cooperation."

Kaido, watching Doflamingo's forced smile, couldn't help but tease, "Actually, when I mentioned 30 billion Berries earlier, I was just joking. I didn't expect you to be so rich that you'd agree without even blinking an eye."

Doflamingo's mouth twitched at Kaido's words, inwardly cursing. Kaido continued, "Honestly, with our relationship, money isn't the issue. I'm just worried that someone else might snatch Caesar away. But since you insist, it's fine for Caesar to stay with you."

Doflamingo didn't want to drag the money issue on any longer, especially since Kaido was clearly speaking from a place of personal relationship. So, he shifted gears, deciding to play along with the emotional appeal. "Hehehe... You're right, money isn't a problem. After all, there's still a lot I need to learn from you in the New World, Mr. Kaido. If I run into any trouble in the future, I hope you'll be willing to step in and mediate."

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem..." Kaido responded nonchalantly. After all, it was just a verbal agreement. As a pirate, Kaido didn't put too much stock in formal promises. But who knew—if Doflamingo really did run into trouble, Kaido might just lend him a hand. He had always liked this character from his previous life.

At that moment, King, who had been silent until now, coldly interjected, "Doflamingo, since everything is settled, could you now tell us when and how Caesar is being transported to Impel Down?"

Doflamingo, ever the strategist, would never reveal such sensitive information. If he did, it was likely that the Beast Pirates would go off on their own, which would complicate things. He grinned and replied, "As for that, I don't have the exact details yet. But don't worry, I have my own sources within the Navy. I'll notify you when the time comes."

"Hmph..." King scoffed, clearly dissatisfied.

"Well then, I'll take my leave now," Doflamingo said, eager to exit the situation.

Kaido, however, tried to keep him there a bit longer. "What, Doflamingo? You're leaving already? You've come all the way here, and you don't even want to stay for a drink?"

Doflamingo was slightly surprised by Kaido's politeness, but he knew he couldn't stay. On Onigashima, Kaido was the king, and Doflamingo felt uncomfortable in his presence. With a courteous smile, he replied, "Hehehe, thank you for the generous invitation, but I have a lot of things to handle in Dressrosa. Next time, if you come to Dressrosa, I'll treat you to a drink."

Kaido laughed boisterously, "Hahaha, alright, it's a promise then!"

After that, Doflamingo used his String-String Fruit powers to soar into the air, quickly disappearing into the clouds.

Once Doflamingo was gone, King finally spoke, his voice steady: "Governor Kaido, you clearly know the method for creating artificial Devil Fruits. Why did you let Doflamingo leave? If we could get the information from him about the Navy's transport route and schedule for Caesar, we wouldn't even need to cooperate with him."

Kaido listened with a sense of helplessness. There were several reasons why he didn't want to kill Doflamingo. First, he had grown fond of the character after reading the manga. Secondly, Doflamingo was the underground emperor of the New World, and there was no need to turn against him. Moreover, Doflamingo held the title of a Warlord of the Sea, which allowed him to summon a significant amount of Navy forces.

Although Kaido now had the power of the Tailed Beasts, he was unable to fully unleash the true potential of his current body. Kaido didn't dare to engage in large-scale warfare at the moment. He was certain that he couldn't even use one-tenth of his original strength. Kaido didn't know the full extent of his abilities or how to fight effectively with this new form, and he still needed time to master his power. Out of caution, he decided it would be best to refine his strength before making any moves.

Kaido turned to King and said, "Didn't Doflamingo say it himself? Killing him would be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs—it's unnecessary. Besides, there are many ways in which we can use him. Keeping him alive is far more valuable than killing him."

King nodded as he listened to Kaido's words. He knew well the value of Doflamingo, but the thought that Doflamingo would take a 30% cut of the artificial Devil Fruits still irked him.

"Since that's the governor's decision, I have no objections," King said, reluctantly.

At that moment, a loud 'clap' echoed as Kaido brought his hands together, then growled, "Summoning Jutsu, summon, Three-Tails Isobu!"

With a 'boom', a thick white smoke appeared on the surface of the sea. A few seconds later, a giant turtle emerged before them.

"Is this the Three-Tails?" King muttered as he watched in awe.

"Summoning, Two-Tails Matatabi, Four-Tails Son Goku, Five-Tails Kokuo..." Kaido continued, summoning the others.

With two more 'booms', the Two-Tails Matatabi and Four-Tails Son Goku materialized on the surface of the sea.

The Three-Tails, Isobu, glanced at Kaido and coolly asked, "Kaido, what is it that you summoned me for?"

"What's the deal? You summoned us out here on the ocean, of all places? I hate water!" The shrill voice of the Two-Tails, Matatabi, came from behind.

"Is this kid the one who signed the contract with us?" Son Goku, the Four-Tails, asked while eyeing Kaido with a neutral expression. "So, what do you need us for?"

"No, nothing." Kaido calmly responded, observing the Tailed Beasts in front of him. "I just wanted to test the summoning technique."

The sight of the Tailed Beasts standing on the surface of the water like they were on solid ground amazed the pirates around them.

The Three-Tails, Isobu, spoke again, "If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving now."

Kaido quickly called out, "Wait! There's one thing I need to ask you..."