M.F.S [Deleted]

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Soon, a knock sounded at the door, and the auction house manager stepped inside.

Bowing slightly with a polite smile, the manager said, "Lord Joey, are you planning to purchase the Sphinx Zoan Devil Fruit?"

Joey smiled and replied, "Of course. Name your price. If it's reasonable, I'll take it right now. Frankly, I'm not too interested in the other items."

The manager chuckled softly. "As expected of Lord Joey. Very well, the price will be 5 billion Berries. On the black market, the Op-Op Fruit goes for that amount, and the rarity of a Mythical Zoan is comparable."

Joey nodded without hesitation. "That works. Send someone to Whole Cake Island to retrieve the payment."

"Certainly."

The manager clapped his hands, and a guard entered carrying a treasure chest. Placing it before Joey, the guard opened the chest to reveal its contents.

Joey glanced at it and then called out, "Cabaletta!"

Cabaletta's grin stretched wide. "I'm on it, big brother!"

He stepped forward and, without the slightest hesitation, began devouring the whole Devil Fruit. Its infamous, disgusting taste didn't faze him in the slightest.

The manager's eye twitched at the sight. What a savage! Watching someone gulp down the disgusting Devil Fruit as if it were nothing was an experience he wasn't sure how to process.

"ROAR!"

A deep growl erupted from Cabaletta as the transformation began. His head retained its original human shape but now bore markings reminiscent of ancient Egyptian adornments.

(A/N: Anyone visited Egypt?)

His body, however, underwent a dramatic change, growing rapidly until he towered at a height of five meters. Thankfully, the room had been specially designed to accommodate such transformations.

Cabaletta's body morphed into the shape of a monstrous lion with a powerful, radiant aura. His glowing eyes carried a fierce intensity that sent chills down spines. The same as the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Gradually, however, he suppressed his raging energy, calming himself and looked at Joey. He grinned, sharp teeth flashing. "Big brother!"

Joey smirked. "Cabaletta, don't scare the manager anymore."

"Got it, big brother!" Cabaletta replied as he shifted back into his human form, rolling his shoulders and stretching his newly enhanced body.

Even without fully testing the fruit's abilities, the transformation had already resulted in significant physical improvements.

Cabaletta's overall strength skyrocketed from Bronze Level 3 to Bronze Level 6 in an instant.

Now, all four brothers—Opera, Counter, Gala, and Cabaletta—stood at the same power level. Only Cadenza remained without a Devil Fruit.

However, Joey had already made arrangements for Cadenza. The fruit meant for him had been located in the North Blue. Coincidentally, that was their next destination.

Getting what he wanted, Joey said, "It's time for us to leave."

The manager bowed respectfully. "Safe travels, Lord Joey!"

The entire auction process had taken less than thirty minutes, and Joey departed with exactly what he wanted.

This was the privilege of power.

---

The next day, the group's ship departed the Sabaody Archipelago.

"Cabaletta," Joey said sternly, "Get a proper grasp of your new Devil Fruit powers. I don't want to see you in battle unable to use even a fraction of your full strength."

"Hahaha!" Cabaletta scratched his head awkwardly, embarrassed but understanding. "Got it, big brother! Don't worry, I'll figure it out."

Joey turned to Cadenza and said, "Cadenza, keep an eye on this troublemaker."

Cadenza saluted, his expression serious. "Don't worry, big brother. Leave it to me."

Satisfied, Joey nodded. Among his five younger brothers, Cabaletta was the only one with a short temper and a tendency to slack off. Without proper discipline, he could easily become lazy.

After making his arrangements, Joey began to ponder aloud, "The Devil Fruit for Cadenza is in the North Blue. Based on our intel, it's not far from our next destination. But for now, we need to take care of matters in Alabasta."

Cadenza's fruit, like the others, had to be something exceptional. For Joey, it was non-negotiable—it had to be a Mythical Zoan. Yet finding such fruits was no simple task.

Some, like the Azure Dragon, Yamata no Orochi, and Phoenix fruits, were known and could be tracked. Others, like the Sphinx fruit, were matters of pure luck. It had taken Joey ten years of effort just to find suitable fruits for his brothers.

As Joey contemplated, Broyé approached him. "Big brother, what's on your mind?"

Joey shook his head. "Nothing serious. I was just thinking about Cadenza's fruit."

Broyé chuckled. "Big brother, I'm sure Cadenza isn't in a hurry."

"I know that," Joey said with a smile, "but as his older brother, it's my responsibility to prepare everything for him. Once we handle the situation in Alabasta, we'll set course for the North Blue."

Broyé tilted her head in thought. "Alabasta, huh? Big brother, are you sure the World Government won't secretly intervene in this?"

Joey smirked. "You still don't get it, do you, little one? Some nations pose a threat to the World Government's authority. If something happens to them, the World Government might be more than happy to look the other way."

The Kingdom of Alabasta—a legendary superpower, wealthy beyond imagination.

Joey had plans to collaborate with them, but their unique status made coercion impossible. Navigating these waters required delicate strategies and subtlety.

Thus, Joey decided to take an unusual approach.

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