53 Chapter 53

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Chapter 53 Blackbeard: You Treat Me As A Tool? Double The Price!

The cadres of Don Quixote were busy coming and going when Kaido swapped out another phone bug right in front of him. This one had a distinct appearance, carved to resemble Teach. Doflamingo dialed the number.

On Hive Island, Shiryu, biting down on a cigar, approached Teach with a ringing phone bug. "Captain, it's Joker on the phone." He handed the device to Teach.

"Doflamingo? What does he want with me?" laughed Teach, stretching out on a soft, leather-wrapped chair, his feet propped up on a woman's legs. He took the phone bug with one hand and answered, revealing a few teeth as he grinned drunkenly. His speech was contemptuous. "Hey, Joker, what do you need from me? Are you thinking of turning to me for something?"

Teach made no secret of his disdain for Doflamingo. When Teach had become a Shichibukai, Doflamingo was already considered old in the role. Now, Teach had risen to the rank of Four Emperors while Doflamingo was still a veteran Shichibukai. Teach scoffed at Doflamingo's underground business dealings, believing that Doflamingo had lost his pirate edge, which made him no match for the likes of Blackbeard.

Doflamingo's eyes narrowed, his forehead pulsing with anger. "Don't get too full of yourself, Teach. You started as nothing more than a petty thief and pirate; those habits stick. You're strong only because you steal. Who in their right mind would surrender to you?"

Despite his frustration, Doflamingo was confident. He believed he could stand up to Blackbeard, even if Teach had two Devil Fruit powers.

"Well said, Doflamingo. But remember, I am one of the Four Emperors," Blackbeard retorted, unfazed by the insults and declaring his superior status.

Doflamingo was furious, his green veins standing out as he clenched his fists, vowing to make Teach kneel before him when he claimed the title of One Piece.

The conversation turned as Kaido broke in on the call. "Teach, I'm looking for you," he said.

Teach, still inebriated, confusedly replied, "And who might you be?"

Although Teach's cadres were not as drunk, they recognized Kaido's voice. The strongest man in the sea, Kaido of the Beasts, was not someone to be taken lightly.

"Captain! You're too drunk right now!" shouted Shiryu, alerting Teach to the gravity of the situation.

"Wow, that's Kaido calling, Captain," said Catarina Devon, the only female pirate there, smirking at the unfolding chaos.

"Our captain is really bold..." mumbled the slightly drunk barrel, gazing at Blackbeard with admiration.

"This is destiny at work..." murmured Poison Q, barely able to speak.

Lafitte, the devil sheriff, elegantly walked over with his cane and red lipstick and took the phone bug from Teach's hand.

Apologizing, he gave a sheepish smile to the phone worm and said, "I'm sorry, please forgive our captain for his drunkenness; he didn't mean what he said."

Burgess, a martial arts champion, glanced nervously at the phone worm as a cold sweat formed on his brow, hoping Kaido wouldn't be too upset.

Shiryu and sniper Van Augur observed with detached coolness. They said nothing and made no move to interfere. These two were among the few level-headed members of the crew, well aware that the officers of this pirate gang were united by the lure of fame and riches. Despite their presence here, if true danger arose or if something as serious as angering Kaido happened, these people would scatter without hesitation. No one could prevent it.

It was also a testament to the divide between the Four Emperors and the unease Kaido's very presence could cause.

"Huh?" Blackbeard, suddenly deprived of the phone worm, stood motionless, his hand hanging in the air. Then, it all clicked.

He sat up abruptly from his comfortable couch, the alcohol's effects seemingly vanishing as he exclaimed in shock, "Kaido?!"

Next to him, Lafitte, having been fruitlessly trying to appease Kaido, saw Blackbeard regaining his composure and quickly passed the 'hot potato' of the phone worm to Teach.

Teach caught the phone worm and, with a jump of his eyelids, feigned cheer: "Ah, so it's Kaido, I... I didn't recognize you just now, my mistake~"

He swiftly changed the subject, "What do you want from me? As fellow Four Emperors, we should be able to negotiate, right? Hahaha~~"

"Oh?" Kaido's sneer came through the line. "How about you help me take a fruit from someone?"

Blackbeard hesitated. He knew setting this precedent could lead to endless demands, and yet, having provoked Kaido himself, refusal might incur his wrath. Not feeling confident enough to confront Kaido at his current state, he reluctantly said, "Just this once."

"Twenty times," Kaido demanded.

Twenty times? That was extortion! But in this scenario, Blackbeard was the one being extorted.

After a moment of internal struggle, Blackbeard had no choice but to attempt bargaining, "Kaido, my abilities are unique, exceedingly rare."

"So?" Kaido's indifferent retort hung in the air.

Blackbeard knew he couldn't commit to helping so often. It would reduce him to a mere tool and damage his pride.

"Let's make it two times. I never assist other forces, but I'll make an exception because it's you. That's fair, right? Hahaha..."

Kaido's voice was assertive and chilly as he countered, "Twenty times, and I'll overlook today's incident. Additionally, I'll share information about the strongest fruit with you."

Originally, exchanging the fruit information for ten favors seemed enough, but Blackbeard's resistance prompted Kaido to demand more — double, to be precise. His patience was reserved for his own crew alone.

"The strongest fruit?" The words caught Blackbeard's interest.