There was undoubtedly something peculiar about this tavern!
Just moments ago, Doflamingo was on the verge of fury. However, out of the corner of his eye, he observed a pair of twin sisters effortlessly handling a large fish. The girl with blue hair skillfully wielded a small knife, separating fish bones and slicing the meat with incredible precision, as if the fish felt no pain, blinking and moving its gills.
Not even the most skilled swordsman in the Donquixote family could match this level of precision. Meanwhile, the girl with short pink hair, enveloping her hands in Armament Haki, effortlessly bent steel bars with her bare hands to create a simple grill. With a lift of her Haki, a blaze ignited in her palm, setting the charcoal beneath the grill ablaze.
Doflamingo's pupils suddenly contracted. In his shock, he noticed the supremely sharp blade adorning the wall behind Ron—the Pirate King's official sword, emitting a fearsome aura. This revelation instantly overwhelmed Doflamingo's thoughts.
Why did this little girl possess Mera-Mera Fruit powers like Ace?
Why was Roger's saber present here?
Brimming with questions, Doflamingo silently closed the door, then approached the bar and took a seat. Witnessing Doflamingo's demeanor, Diamante refrained from uttering another word, obediently standing behind him.
"You guys go ahead and enjoy. I should step out for a bit," Rayleigh slowly rose, placed a stack of Berry on the counter, and gently patted Doflamingo's shoulder.
"Young man, your abilities are impressive, but it's in your best interest not to stir up trouble. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you."
It was both a reminder and a threat—advising against causing a disturbance in the tavern and warning against harboring ill intentions towards Ace.
Shakky had already received information that Doflamingo was discreetly sending people to monitor Ace. Confronted with the warning, Doflamingo grinned, and his eyes under the sunglasses reflected a hint of madness. "Fufufufu..."
"A relic of the old era, if he want to retire, he shouldn't be overly concerned," he remarked cryptically.
Rayleigh smiled and gently placed his large hand on Doflamingo's shoulder.
In the next moment, a searing pain surged through Doflamingo, causing his face to pale.
Observing this, Diamante instinctively rested his hand on his sword hilt, ready for action. However, Rayleigh had no intention of continuing the confrontation. With a single step, he vanished in a flash.
"What would you two like to drink?" Ron asked softly, deliberately steering the conversation in a different direction.
In case Doflamingo decided to pursue the matter. The success of this business was at stake, and Ron recognized the financial potential in the wealthy man before him.
Ron adhered to the tavern management philosophy of plucking the feathers when the geese pass by and leaving the skin when the animals flee.
"As long as it's good," Doflamingo replied casually, white threads extending from his right hand to mend the shoulder wound inflicted by Rayleigh's blow.
Rayleigh's strike had crushed his shoulder. If not for the String-String Fruit's regenerative ability, Doflamingo would be on his way to see a doctor.
Following Ron's instructions, Ram placed a large jar of wine on the bar.
"Please savor this wine slowly."
The wine jar, entirely black, bore the inscription [Bamboo Leaf Green].
Ron introduced with a smile, "This wine is called Zhuyeqing. It's brewed with liquor as the base wine and precious medicinal ingredients..."
As he spoke, Ron unfurled the red wine sealing cloth. With a muffled "bang," a distinctive aroma of white wine infused with medicinal herbs wafted through the tavern.
"Give it a try, but I must warn you, this wine is a bit on the expensive side."
Ron filled three cups, pouring one for himself and another for Doflamingo seated across from him.
Doflamingo examined the wine in the glass, his eyes suddenly lighting up. The wine displayed a golden and transparent hue, tinged with a verdant green, exuding a soothing ambiance.
"How much does this wine cost?" Doflamingo inquired before lifting the glass and taking a sip.
Gulping down the wine...
Doflamingo finally understood why Rayleigh frequented this tavern.
Unlike any red wine he had ever tasted, this wine was fragrant and mellow, offering a sweet and slightly bitter palate. The potent alcohol stimulated endless aftertastes.
"Not expensive, only 400 million Berry," Ron said with a smile.
"Hmm... the price is acceptable," Doflamingo replied softly, adding, "This wine is indeed excellent."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he realized something was amiss.
400 million Berry?
A proper black shop, indeed!
Doflamingo, accustomed to extorting others, found himself unexpectedly on the receiving end of extortion.
"Boss, isn't this drink a bit expensive?" Doflamingo's expression gradually darkened.
"If you think it's not worth it, I don't have to charge you, and you can leave now," Ron suggested with a smile, covering the wine jar with the cloth again, as if seeing off a departing guest.
Doflamingo was an outlier, even among countless pirates—an extreme outlier. To deal with such distinctiveness, a completely different approach was needed. Moreover, Doflamingo was undeniably wealthy. If Ron succeeded in shearing him this time, the tavern's turnover for future upgrades would cease to be a concern.
While Hei Xiaohu was also affluent, he rarely frequented the tavern. As for Rayleigh, considering his age, it was uncertain how many more years he had left—probably not many.
"Fufufufu... you are truly an interesting person," Doflamingo laughed, his mood shifting from gloom to amusement.
After a brief pause, he instructed, "Diamante, go fetch the money, get cash!"
Without hesitation, Diamante rushed out of the tavern to withdraw the necessary funds.
From Doflamingo's perspective, spending 400 million was not a loss. After all, the tavern owner before him possessed strength comparable to an Admiral, making the expenditure seem like an investment for potential future benefits.
Of course, if Ron had demanded payment upfront, Doflamingo wouldn't have minded a confrontation.
Ten minutes later, Diamante returned to the tavern carrying two large black boxes.
Opening the boxes revealed a quiet assembly of 400 million Berries.
"This is for your wine. Enjoy it at your own pace," Ron said, reopening the wine seal and sliding the jar towards Doflamingo.
Just as Ron finished speaking, the system's prompt echoed in his mind:
[Ding, congratulations to Host for completing a turnover of 500 million. The tavern will start to upgrade after closing.]
[Ding, the privilege of the tavern has increased, and there will be a certain chance to invite a guest from another world to visit the tavern every day.]
[Ding, the Wanjie Tavern Mall system is open. The host can use the points to buy the required items in the mall.]
[Ding, after the Host completes a turnover of 2 billion, the tavern will be upgraded again. When the upgrade reaches a certain level, the Host will break the dimensional wall and go to other worlds!]
Ron couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the pace of upgrades. He complained internally about the system's apparent excess and immediately opened the tavern mall system.
Props from various worlds were displayed in Ron's mind—One piece World, Marvel World, Bleach World, Naruto World, Akame ga Kill World. Items ranged from Devil Fruits to fairy beans, ninjutsu techniques, Anywhere Doors, Hulk's underwear, and more.
As the system had mentioned, all these items could be exchanged for points.
"System, how can I earn points?" Ron inquired.
[Ding, Devil Fruits and skill books in the system warehouse can be exchanged for points.]
Pondering for a moment, Ron turned his attention to Doflamingo and asked, "Can man-made Devil Fruits be exchanged for points?"
[Ding, 300 points for man-made Devil Fruit, 500 points for Zoan Devil Fruit, 600 points for Paramecia, 700 points for ancient zoan, 1,000 points for Logia and Mythical ZoN]
Ron's eyes gleamed at the information.
Furthermore, the Devil Fruits sold in the mall were priced similarly to the points he had exchanged for himself. Ron then focused on Doflamingo.
Perhaps sensing something, Doflamingo frowned and questioned, "What's the matter?"
"Drop the deal with Kaido, and I'll handle all your man-made Devil Fruits in the future," Ron proposed with a smile.
Doflamingo: "???"