NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Market for Power
The Merchant King of the Grand Line
Chapter 8: The Market for Power
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The Birth of a Black Market Empire
Power had always been a commodity.
Kings bought it with armies. Nobles bought it with influence. Pirates bought it with blood.
But what if I could sell power itself?
With my new Avarice-Avarice Fruit, I didn't just have an ability—I had proof that artificial Devil Fruits could work.
The next step?
Monetizing the market for Devil Fruits.
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The Problem with the Current Market
The natural Devil Fruit market was a mess.
Rarity: Finding a natural Devil Fruit was like searching for a needle in a stormy ocean.
Unpredictability: No one knew what fruit would give what power until someone ate it.
Danger: Some fruits were useless or actively harmful. Eating one was a gamble with your life.
But if I could control the market?
If I could offer guaranteed powers—custom-made abilities?
The entire world would want what I had.
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Step One: Creating Demand
Selling a product was easy. But creating a market addiction? That was art.
I needed my first major buyer. Someone powerful enough that their purchase would send ripples across the underworld.
And I had the perfect target:
Donquixote Doflamingo.
The man was already one of the biggest brokers in the underworld, dealing in arms, weapons, and even Devil Fruits.
If he backed my product?
The entire black market would start fighting to get their hands on my artificial fruits.
I reached out through my contacts. A week later, I had a meeting set in Dressrosa.
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Meeting the Heavenly Demon
Dressrosa was a city of contradictions.
A paradise on the surface, ruled by a smiling tyrant.
Doflamingo's palace was perched high above the city, a fortress of wealth and power.
When I arrived, I was met with his top executives—Trebol, Diamante, and Pica.
"Doffy doesn't meet just anyone," Trebol said, his slimy voice grating on my ears.
I smiled. "Then he's going to want to meet me. Because I'm offering something he's never seen before."
That got their attention.
Minutes later, I was led to the top of the palace, where Donquixote Doflamingo himself sat on his throne-like chair, sipping wine.
His grin was as sharp as a blade. "You're the one causing all that noise in the underworld."
I sat across from him, keeping my posture relaxed. "I prefer to think of it as revolutionizing an industry."
Doflamingo chuckled. "And what industry is that?"
I reached into my invisible inventory and pulled out something that shouldn't exist.
A Devil Fruit.
Right in front of his eyes.
His sunglasses hid his expression, but I knew I had his full attention.
"This," I said, spinning the fruit between my fingers, "is not natural. It was made. And it works."
For the first time, Doflamingo's smirk faded slightly. "Artificial?"
I tossed the fruit onto the table. "A fully functional, guaranteed-power Devil Fruit. No risk. No randomness."
His fingers tapped against the table. "And you're offering this… why?"
I grinned. "Because I'm looking for a distributor."
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The Negotiation
Doflamingo was a businessman at heart, just like me.
He knew what I was offering was dangerous, but also too valuable to ignore.
He leaned forward. "How many of these can you produce?"
"For now? A limited number," I admitted. "But with the right resources? Mass production."
Trebol made a weird hacking noise. "Kehihi… That sounds like a problem for the World Government."
I smirked. "The World Government won't know who's behind it."
Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "You're confident. I like that. But why should I work with you? Why not take your little operation and make it mine?"
I laughed. "You could try. But then you'd have one shipment of fruits… and no future supply."
Doflamingo tapped his fingers against the table again, thinking.
I leaned in slightly. "Let's be honest. You don't want to own the factory. You want to control the market."
His grin returned. "And you're offering me… what?"
I smiled. "A partnership. You distribute. I supply. We set the price."
He considered it for a long moment. Then he laughed, deep and full of amusement.
"Alright," he said finally. "I like you, Lancaster. You remind me of… me."
He raised his wine glass. "Let's make some money."
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The First Shipment
By the time I left Dressrosa, the deal was sealed.
Doflamingo would handle the underground distribution—ensuring the fruits reached the right hands while keeping the World Government off our backs.
I, on the other hand, would focus on scaling production.
Which meant expanding Kreig's research facility and securing more test subjects.
The first batch of ten artificial fruits was already in production.
Doflamingo had already lined up his first buyers:
A West Blue Mafia boss looking to give his best enforcer superpowers.
A rogue Marine officer willing to betray his station for strength.
A bounty hunter desperate to climb the food chain.
This was only the beginning.
Because once people saw that power was for sale?
The demand would never stop.
And when the world ran on my product…
I would own the world.
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Next Chapter: Expanding the Industry
(Victor moves to secure more resources for artificial Devil Fruit production, but an unexpected problem arises—Cipher Pol is investigating the sudden emergence of these new fruits.)