— — — — — — —
Amande had left after hearing these words.
Joey lightly tapped his fingers on the coffee table, murmuring, "Sigh... every single one of them is a problem. I'll just have to take my time guiding them and helping them grow."
"Perospero is sharp and cautious, making him the best fit to handle business affairs.
"But the problem is..."
"He's ruthless—always going for the kill and never thinking about long-term sustainability. That's something he needs to change gradually."
Control and cruelty—A true businessman needs to master both perfectly.
Otherwise, if you wipe everything out too quickly without enough power to sustain it, you'll soon find there's nothing left to control."
"As for Katakuri... his personality is damn near perfect—calm, wise, strong, and kind."
"But that's the issue."
"He needs to loosen up."
"If he keeps pushing himself to be perfect, it'll break him one day."
"And Amande?"
"Her situation is even worse."
"She puts on this strong and cold persona, but deep down?
"She has zero confidence in herself."
"That's something she needs to build up, little by little."
Sigh...
Joey let out another deep sigh, shaking his head. "Well, there's no rush. Everything takes time to develop."
[Ding!]
Just then, a notification popped up.
[*** Clan Chief:Charlotte Clan Chief, your deal sounds fine! I can process it through the family system, but… two Devil Fruits seem a bit too little, don't you think?]
"Huh!"
Joey smirked. "Finally took the bait."
[Charlotte Clan Chief:No way I'm giving more. The system's cost for transferring Devil Fruits is already high enough. And while the bloodline you're offering looks strong, the achievement points it requires are way too much. This quantity is the only fair deal.]
[*** Clan Chief:Alright, alright! Consider it a token of friendship. Two Devil Fruits it is.]
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Deal.]
The moment the transaction was confirmed, Joey's two Devil Fruits disappeared.
In exchange, a small vial of experimental potion appeared before him.
Joey picked it up, inspecting the liquid inside. "So, this is the bloodline best suited for Katakuri.
That stubborn bastard always fights the same way.
This should be perfect for him."
He stored the vial inside his family emblem.
Just as he was about to pick up a book to study—
[Ding!]
[Ding!]
More notifications popped up in quick succession.
Joey's grin widened.
"Haha… Looks like they say good fortune comes in together. Seems like trade deals do too."
With that, he opened his private chat panel.
[Elven Clan Chief:Charlotte Clan Chief! I can accept the deal of 40 Law Prototypes that you name Devil Fruits in exchange for 10,000 elves.]
"Hmm?"
Joey frowned at the outrageous offer and quickly replied.
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Elven Clan Chief, that's daylight robbery! I won't deny that elves have great potential, but you really think 10,000 elves are worth 40 Devil Fruits? Don't make me laugh.]
Inside a luxurious, emerald-green palace, the Elven Queen furrowed her brows.
She knew it was a ridiculous demand.
But the Devil Fruits… they're the key.
"As long as I have enough of them, I can quickly train strong warriors and solidify my control over this world."
"This guy won't budge unless he sees real value in the deal.
Looks like I'll have to throw in something extra."
[Elven Clan Chief:50 Devil Fruits. In return, I'll include the [Meditation Technique], a method for strengthening the mind. It can be enhanced using achievement points.]
That caught Joey's interest.
He had to admit—If the Elven Clan Chief wasn't in such a desperate hurry,
Just the [Meditation Technique] alone would normally be worth 50 Devil Fruits.
Still…
He couldn't just agree so easily.
He needed to be cautious.
[Charlotte Clan Chief:55 Devil Fruits. You also throw in a bottle of Spring Water and a Life Tree Seed.]
[Elven Clan Chief:Absolutely not! That's way too much! For a deal like that, the minimum would be 90 Devil Fruits!]
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Then forget it. You're not the only Elven Clan Chief in the multiverse. If I want to buy something, I can get it elsewhere. 60 Devil Fruits—take it or leave it.]
Joey's smirk deepened.
"I see…"
He narrowed his eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, the Elven Clan Chief must be dealing with an invasion or an urgent breakthrough. Otherwise, there's no way she'd be this desperate."
His guess was spot on.
The Elven Clan's great elder was on the verge of death. If he didn't comprehend the Law Prototypes soon, he'd be dead for sure. Devil Fruits had traces of Laws, making it ideal for the current situation.
On top of that, there were enemies at their gates and ambitions to conquer more territory.
All of it required immediate action.
Joey still had 202 Devil Fruits in total.
Of course, that was after setting aside his personal reserve of the most valuable ones.
After spending 2 on the bloodline purchase, he now had 200 left—more than enough.
The chat fell silent for a while.
Then, the Elven Clan Chief finally responded.
[Elven Clan Chief:10,000 elves, one Life Tree Seed, one bottle of Spring Water, and [Meditation Technique]—but I need at least 70 Law Prototypes. Any less, and the deal's off.]
Joey knew that was her absolute limit.
"Hahahaha!"
He almost wanted to burst out laughing.
This was an absolute steal!
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Deal!]
[Elven Clan Chief:Deal!]
With the trade complete, Joey watched as a series of glowing cards materialized in his hand.
He wasted no time signing the slave contracts before setting them down on the table.
His gaze then shifted to the seed encased in a crystal-green vial.
A Life Tree Seed.
The foundation of the Elven Clan.
With this and the 10,000 elves, he could eventually grow a mother tree capable of producing his own elves.
No more need to buy them from others.
And then there was the small, fist-sized fountain—A Moonlight Mountain Spring Water.
It could restore magic power, heal injuries, and refresh the mind—an all-purpose elven elixir.
Thanks to the family system, as long as he had the first sample, he could now create more in the future.
Satisfied, he set them aside.
But he wasn't done yet.
There was still another deal to take care of.
He opened the chat again.
[(Totsuki) S-Chef Leader:Charlotte Clan Chief, I can offer you five top-tier chefs in exchange for 20 Devil Fruits.]
Top-tier chefs. Not just ordinary cooks.
These were chefs with the potential to ascend to divine levels.
When they mastered their craft—The food they created wouldn't just be delicious—it would be transcending.
Joey knew this price was fair.
Training a chef to reach that state was no easy feat.
But for him?
It was worth the investment.
After thinking for a moment, he replied.
[Charlotte Clan Chief:I accept. But I get to choose the chefs myself.]
[S-Chef Leader:Agreed.]
Soon, Joey received a list of available candidates.
After all, he couldn't demand chefs they didn't have—that wouldn't be fair and there were people who this Director of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy would never trade.
"Damn! I really wanted Erina."
Then without hesitation, he made his selection.
[Charlotte Clan Chief: Kobayashi Rindō, Kinokuni Nene, Tadokoro Megumi, Kikuchi Sonoka, and Inui Hinako.]
[S-Chef Leader:Done!]
He wasn't surprised.
These five all had incredible potential as future God-tier chefs.
But as long as they weren't the first seat, the S-Chef Leader was willing to part with them.
Once the deal was sealed, a flash of light signaled the arrival of five new figures.
At the same time, 20 Devil Fruits vanished from Joey's inventory.
He remained calm, silently observing the five chefs.
Without hesitation, they bowed in unison.
"Master!"
Joey nodded. "Wait here for now. I have one more trade to finish."
"Yes!"
The five obediently stood by, quietly watching their future master.
At this moment, Joey looked like a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with flowing pink hair, flawless hands, and an elegant aura.
Dressed in luxurious robes, he radiated the charm of a noble gentleman—yet beneath it all, there was an unmistakable air of dominance.
— — —
[Ding!]
Another message popped up—his private chat window started flashing as someone grew impatient.
[Saiyan Clan Chief:Charlotte Clan Chief! No more nonsense. 50 Devil Fruits—I'll trade you the training method for "Ki."]
"Oh?"
Joey raised an intrigued eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips.
Was today his lucky day or something?
First, he secured the Meditation Technique, and now someone was offering Ki training method!
But...
[Charlotte Clan Chief:50 is too much. I want to add 10,000 Saiyans in exchange. If you agree, we have a deal.]
"This..."
The Saiyan Clan Chief hesitated.
To be honest, Joey was just testing the waters.
Getting Ki method alone was already an amazing opportunity.
[Saiyan Clan Chief:No way! Absolutely not! I will never trade Saiyans! Give up on that idea!]
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Well, that's a shame. Looks like this trade is over then.]
And just like that—The deal was off.
Joey chuckled to himself.
What, did they expect me to beg? If they didn't want to trade, then so be it.
Besides, he held the advantage.
He had the Devil Fruits in his possession, and in the end, they were the ones coming to him—not the other way around.
To be fair, the Saiyan Clan Chief understood something very clearly—Saiyans had unmatched potential.
Everyone wanted to buy them.
He had received countless offers, way too many to count.
Because deep down, he knew—Super Saiyans existed, but he didn't know how to achieve it.
The problem was that many people wanted to buy Saiyans and seemed to know how to get a Super Saiyan, while he, the leader of the Saiyans, was the only one who didn't or what?
That was awkward.
— — —
Joey leaned back on his sofa, stretching lazily.
"Looks like today's trades are done."
[Ding!]
Just as he was about to relax, a new notification popped up.
[Tohsaka Clan Chief:Charlotte Clan Chief, I've gathered the Holy Grails you requested. 50 Devil Fruits—no negotiating!]
Joey's eyes lit up as he read the message.
[Charlotte Clan Chief:50 Devil Fruits for one Holy Grail? No problem.]
[Tohsaka Clan Chief:Trade initiated!]
[Charlotte Clan Chief:Trade initiated!]
With a faint ripple in space, two Holy Grail appeared before Joey.
His smirk deepened.
Sure, he had just lost 100 Devil Fruits in a single trade...
Today alone—He had spent a total of 192 Devil Fruits.
Now, he only had 10 left.
But so what?
It was more than worth it.
He had secured everything he needed.
One moment, he was rich. The next, he was broke.
But in return—his gains were immense.
.
.
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80 advanced chapters are available at: patreon.com/_Coreal