Chapter 130: Chiba's Great Ambition
Rebecca was about to explain her grievances with Doflamingo, but Chiba interrupted her. "I'm not interested in your personal vendetta with Doflamingo," he said. "But I don't want you to lose when you face him. The reason is simple—if you fail, it'll damage the reputation of the Devil Fruits I create."
Chiba's expression was serious. "If you're going to fight Doflamingo, you need to win. You have to master the skills I taught you. Right now, your Haki is too weak—both Armament Haki and Observation Haki need serious improvement."
"Koby has excellent Observation Haki, and Helmeppo has strong Armament Haki. I've ordered them to train with you. When I'm satisfied with your progress, then, and only then, can you go seek revenge on Doflamingo."
Rebecca hesitated. "But… how far do I have to go before I'm ready to face him?"
"Your current strength is decent," Chiba replied, "but it's nowhere near enough. Doflamingo's Devil Fruit powers have awakened. You need to be able to manifest Armament Haki externally, and your Observation Haki should allow you to foresee events at least ten seconds ahead. Also, the techniques I taught you need to be perfected."
He looked at her intently. "Sharpening your skills before the battle will make all the difference. If you truly want revenge, then train hard."
Rebecca nodded firmly. Without another word, she turned and left to begin her training.
Watching her retreating figure, Sabo couldn't help but ask, "Is Doflamingo really as strong as you're making him out to be?"
"Of course not," Chiba replied.
"Then why push her so hard?" Sabo asked, confused.
Chiba smirked. "Do you think the impact of Rebecca barely defeating Doflamingo would be greater, or would it be more impactful if she completely overpowered him?"
Sabo caught on, grinning. "Ah, I see. You're looking to maximize the influence of your Devil Fruit, aren't you?"
"Heh, you know me well," Chiba chuckled. "Now, come on—let's grab a drink."
Ace shook his head. "Drinks can wait. I'd rather go train and increase my strength. The sooner I can take down Kaido, the sooner I can get one of those artificial Devil Fruits for myself." With that, he patted Chiba on the shoulder and headed off to train.
Chiba looked over at Sabo, who shrugged. "The Revolutionary Army's already aware that I'm out here, so I need to go report back. I'll probably get a scolding, but we'll see each other again."
Chiba sighed and nodded. "Alright then. There's always a time for farewells. Safe travels."
Sabo grinned. "And I wish you prosperity in your business. If I ever decide to buy a Devil Fruit, I expect a discount!"
Chiba laughed. "For you, Sabo, I'll give it at cost."
With that, Sabo waved goodbye, using Moonwalk to soar into the sky and disappear into the distance.
Chiba watched him go, then returned to his ship to continue his own training.
---
A few days later, Doflamingo arrived, his trademark grin spread across his face.
"Hey, Mr. Chiba," he called out, his voice laced with excitement. "Our business is booming. You wouldn't believe it—people are scrambling to buy Devil Fruits from us. Even the lowest-grade fruits are fetching a billion Berries. And as for that Mera-Mera Fruit in Golden Crow form… people are offering three billion Berries for it! We're about to make a fortune, Chiba!"
Chiba chuckled. "Three billion Berries for one Devil Fruit? These people really are loaded."
"Of course! It's because the Devil Fruits you make are insanely powerful, Chiba," Doflamingo replied. "That girl Rebecca… she got lucky."
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Speaking of Rebecca, I heard she came to see you recently. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"
Chiba feigned ignorance. "How would I know that?"
"Don't play games with me, Mr. Chiba," Doflamingo said, his smile turning cold. "We're partners, after all. You wouldn't side with that little girl against me, would you?"
Doflamingo had his suspicions. He knew Rebecca had visited Chiba's ship, and he knew that Sabo, a close friend of Chiba's, had been the one to hand Rebecca the fruit. It wasn't hard for him to put the pieces together.
Chiba smirked. "What are you implying, Doflamingo? Why would I ever help her against you? Have I ever had a reason to interfere with your business? Unless, of course, you have unfinished business with her?"
Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "Come on, Mr. Chiba. Don't let that girl fool you. In our world, only power, influence, and money truly matter. Trusting anyone else is a fool's game."
Chiba nodded. "I completely agree. Don't worry; our partnership is just beginning, and there's a lot of money to be made. I wouldn't jeopardize my interests over something so trivial."
Doflamingo's grin returned. "Glad to hear it. But, since you're uninvolved with Rebecca, I assume you won't mind if I go after her?"
Chiba shrugged. "She's not my problem. Do whatever you want with her."
"Excellent," Doflamingo replied, satisfied. "Now, let's talk business. We need to ramp up production on the artificial Devil Fruits. With demand this high, we have a golden opportunity to dominate the market."
"Mr. Doflamingo," Chiba replied with a sly smile, "you do realize that creating Devil Fruits of this caliber requires immense resources, right? Think about the kind of power these fruits possess."
Doflamingo considered this and nodded. "True. The fruits you make are exceptional. So, how long will it take to produce the next batch?"
Chiba leaned back. "At least a year."
"A year?" Doflamingo shouted, clearly displeased. "That's far too long! In a year, everyone will have forgotten about today's events. If we wait that long, the demand will drop, and the prices will plummet. We'll lose our chance to cash in on this investment."
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.