NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Price of Power
The Merchant King of the Grand Line
Chapter 9: The Price of Power
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The First Shipment's Fallout
Selling artificial Devil Fruits wasn't just a business—it was a declaration of war against the established order.
And war always had consequences.
The first batch had barely hit the underground market before I got word that Cipher Pol was already investigating.
Which meant I had two problems:
1. The World Government was noticing my operation too quickly.
2. Someone was leaking information.
Doflamingo's network was supposed to keep things discreet—so why the hell was Cipher Pol already sniffing around?
Either someone talked, or someone died in a way that drew attention.
I needed answers. Fast.
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A Cipher Pol Agent Vanishes
Two days later, one of my informants reported a Cipher Pol agent had gone missing.
Not just any agent.
Cipher Pol 6.
They handled industrial espionage, sniffing out black-market trade networks. If one of their people had vanished after poking into my operations?
That meant I had an internal problem.
Either someone in Doflamingo's network acted without permission, or…
Someone inside my own operation was getting reckless.
Either way, I needed to clean up the mess before it spiraled.
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A Private Meeting with Doflamingo
I returned to Dressrosa immediately, securing a private meeting with Doflamingo.
When I entered his throne room, he was already lounging in his chair, twirling a glass of wine between his fingers.
"I hear Cipher Pol's already breathing down your neck," he said with a grin.
I didn't react. "One of their agents went missing. That's a problem for both of us."
Doflamingo's smirk widened. "Not for me. You're the manufacturer. I'm just a humble broker."
Trebol snorted beside him. "Kehihihi… Maybe your operation isn't as secure as you thought."
I didn't take the bait. "Let's cut through the bullshit. Did any of your men take out the agent?"
Doflamingo chuckled. "If I had, you wouldn't be asking. No, Lancaster. This is your problem."
Which meant the leak was inside my own ranks.
I clenched my jaw.
I needed to fix this before Cipher Pol started pulling more threads.
And I had one way to find out who was responsible.
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The Bait and the Rat
Back at my facility, I set a trap.
I had Kreig announce that a new experimental Devil Fruit prototype was being transported to another lab.
Then, I watched.
And sure enough—one of my own men disappeared that night.
I found him in a back alley in Spider Miles, trying to meet with an unknown contact.
Before he could realize what was happening, my men had captured him.
A few hours later, I was sitting across from him in a dimly lit room.
He was shaking. Terrified.
"Tell me," I said, voice calm. "Who are you working for?"
His mouth clamped shut. I sighed.
"You know, loyalty is admirable," I said, pulling out a small golden coin.
With a flick of my fingers, it vanished into my inventory.
His eyes widened. "W-what was that?"
I smirked. "A little trick I picked up recently. But you know what's more interesting? I can store more than just money."
I reached into my invisible storage and pulled out a dagger.
His breathing hitched.
"Last chance," I said. "Talk, or I'll store pieces of you instead."
He cracked instantly.
"T-The Cipher Pol agent found out about the fruits by accident," he stammered. "I panicked. I—I thought if I took him out quietly, no one would know."
I stared at him. "…You killed a government agent? Without orders?"
He nodded frantically. "I didn't think it would cause this much trouble! I was just—"
I didn't let him finish.
With a nod, my men dragged him away.
There were no second chances for reckless stupidity in my business.
And just like that, the leak was plugged.
But I still had one more problem.
Cipher Pol wasn't going to let this go.
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The Cleanup
To make sure this problem didn't escalate, I needed a fall guy.
I contacted a small-time underground broker—someone completely unrelated to me—who had been trying to sell fake Devil Fruits.
Then, I tipped off Cipher Pol anonymously.
A few days later, the broker was arrested, his operation dismantled.
The World Government believed they had solved the mystery.
And just like that, my artificial Devil Fruit business remained hidden.
For now.
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A New Market Opportunity
Despite the close call, demand for my fruits was skyrocketing.
Doflamingo's buyers were lining up.
But now I was thinking bigger.
Why stop at criminals and bounty hunters?
If I could get pirates from the New World to buy from me…
If even the Yonko became interested in my products…
Then not even the World Government could stop me.
I needed a high-profile pirate client.
And I already had someone in mind.
Kaido.
The man was obsessed with building an army of Devil Fruit users.
If I could sell to him?
I wouldn't just be a supplier.
I would be the arms dealer of the new world.
I smirked to myself.
Time to take over another market.
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Next Chapter: A Deal with a Beast
(Victor makes his first approach toward Kaido's forces, aiming to supply artificial fruits to the Beast Pirates.)