"Damn it—"
"Did it fail?"
"This guy even knows such confidential information?"
The expressions of the CP0 officer, Steel Bone Kong, and Saint Howard shifted dramatically as they locked their gaze on the towering, ominous figure of El, who held the Celestial Dragon tightly bound and radiating Haki. Shocked and furious, they hadn't anticipated that their seemingly foolproof plan could still be thwarted.
"Nice trick; I have to admit, you did manage to amuse me…" El sneered down at the medic who had narrowly escaped his attack.
The medic wasn't particularly strong—El recalled him from their initial hostage exchange on the Sabaody Archipelago. He seemed weaker than the commanding CP0 agent, but his bizarre Devil Fruit ability posed a threat if one wasn't careful.
This Swap-Swap Fruit allowed him to instantly switch locations with any target in sight, even swapping multiple targets' positions. Though it required a medium and lacked the mobility of the Warp-Warp Fruit, it had a unique feature: it could swap personalities, similar to the abilities of the Op-Op Fruit.
"Damn it, I was so close!" The medic—or rather, the disguised CP0 agent—broke into a cold sweat, removing his medical gloves and ripping off his mask, glaring at El with a mix of regret and resentment. If he had been just a bit faster, he might have swapped Saint Rhodys back into safety.
"Life Return!" he shouted, clenching his fists as he invoked his power. His lean frame swelled to over 2.4 meters tall, though he remained slender compared to Steel Bone Kong.
"Mamamama… a Swap-Swap Fruit with abilities like that?" Linlin mused, wielding her giant sword, Napoleon, as she observed the unimposing CP0 agent. "If we'd been careless, we might've fallen for it!"
"We've stalled long enough. I'm done playing this game… so, are we trading or not?" El's gaze was icy as he stared down Saint Howard. "If not, I'll just leave—with the 'show' your Celestial Dragon will soon give the world."
"Bastard—"
"How dare you!"
Saint Howard glared at El, his face ashen, while the CP0 officer and Kong couldn't hide their displeasure.
"We'll trade!" Saint Howard spat through gritted teeth.
"Then hand over the Devil Fruits first," El said, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"No way!" Kong refused without hesitation. "If you try anything, we're the ones who'd lose out!"
"Well, that's easily solved!" El's smile widened as he pulled a strange, rough stone from his pocket and tossed it at the CP0 agent. "Eat this Seastone first."
The stone wasn't large—about the size of a baby's fist—just enough for the 2-meter-tall CP0 agent to swallow without choking.
"This guy…" Kong, Saint Howard, and the others felt their hearts skip a beat. Who carries Seastone on them like this?
The CP0 agent's face went pale; swallowing it would completely cripple his abilities. Even if it wasn't poisonous, any ensuing battle would leave him vulnerable, especially if El targeted him first.
"Eat it!" Saint Howard ordered, still scowling. No matter how much he despised Saint Rhodys, only they had the right to punish him—not these lowly pirates.
"Wait, rinse it in the ocean first," Kong reminded. With El, no precaution was too small.
"Yes, sir." Though reluctant, the CP0 agent dared not disobey, quickly donning his gloves, rinsing the Seastone thoroughly at the shore, and, gritting his teeth, swallowing it whole.
"Linlin, go and complete the exchange: one hand for the man, the other for the goods."
El, watching the agent display his now Seastone-laden mouth, nodded and tossed Saint Rhodys to Linlin, who then walked up to the CP0 officer with the box of Devil Fruits in hand.
The exchange proceeded smoothly, with both sides watching each other carefully, showing no signs of immediate betrayal. The CP0 agent, with Saint Rhodys in tow, returned to Steel Bone Kong's side, while Linlin carried the Devil Fruit case back to El.
"Now!"
Suddenly, Saint Howard and Kong sprang into action, charging toward El and Linlin with killing intent.
"El, you're staying here today… 'King Kong Chariot!'"
"It seems we had the same idea…" El sneered as he faced Kong's powerful fist. His own massive fist, imbued with overwhelming Haki, shot forward without hesitation.
"Hero's Spear!"
"Mamamama, I've been waiting for this…" Linlin cackled, swiftly hurling the Devil Fruit case into the sea and swinging Napoleon with deadly force, clashing against Saint Howard's ornate saber.
"Mighty Nation!"
"Heavenly Dragon Strike!"
'Boom!'