Chapter 77: Devil Fruit Transaction
It had only been a short while since their last meeting, but Ian looked significantly more worn out. His already receding hairline had crept even farther back.
Zhou Ning couldn't help but be surprised. What's going on? Is the pressure on the Sunwatchers that intense? Even someone as tough as Ian couldn't hold up?
"Come on in," Ian said, recognizing Zhou Ning. His usually stern face softened into a rare smile.
He reached out to help Zhou Ning carry his suitcase into the room. But in an awkward twist, Ian tripped the moment he turned around, stumbling over nothing and planting his face firmly on the ground.
Zhou Ning was startled at first, then couldn't help but laugh. He rushed over and helped Ian up. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Ian replied calmly, wiping the twin streams of blood from his nostrils, his rugged face stoic.
Once inside the room, the two of them sat down. Zhou Ning opened the suitcase on the table. "Fourteen rifles, seventeen pistols—count them. Plus two hundred rounds of ammunition. That brings the total to seven hundred and seven Vecktas. I'll waive the change for you."
Ian counted silently, then nodded slightly. "The count checks out."
He pulled a wad of cash and a card from his coat and pushed them across the table. "Here's seven hundred Vecktas in cash. The card contains a one-thousand Vecktas bounty—you can withdraw it from any state-owned bank."
He smiled faintly and added, "If I were you, I'd consider investing your money in National Arms Corp and the gas mines. You could see steady returns. Oh, forgot to mention—besides being a Sunwatcher, I dabble in amateur investing."
"Stocks?" Zhou Ning blinked, then chuckled. Stocks did exist in Apocalypse, but they were mostly government bonds, foreign debt, mining, or canal stocks. There was even a forum section for stock trading where people constantly boasted about gains or wailed over losses. Zhou Ning wasn't particularly interested. He quietly finished counting the cash and stored it securely.
Money only feels real when it's in your own pocket!
Seventeen hundred Vecktas! His wallet had never been this full.
Knock knock knock—after a while, Zhou Ning lightly tapped the edge of the long table and smiled. "Ian, would you be able to connect me with someone in charge? Sherlock would be fine. I've got a big deal I'd like to discuss."
"What kind of deal?" Ian asked instinctively, blinking in surprise. Then he nodded. "Sure, but you'll have to wait—give me about thirty minutes."
"Alright," Zhou Ning nodded, shifting into a more comfortable, cross-legged sitting position as he watched Ian hurry out the door.
"Even though I don't know what a stock is, I advise you not to follow his investment advice. He seems to have come into contact with something unclean. Misfortune is clinging to him now." Suddenly, a cool female voice echoed in Zhou Ning's mind.
"Who's there?" Zhou Ning was startled. He glanced around the empty room but quickly realized that unlike the control panel's system prompts, this voice was forming directly inside his head—eerily so.
The voice continued: "I'm inside your ring. Don't worry—I'm just a lingering soul. I can't do anything to harm you."
Zhou Ning let out an "Oh," finally understanding. This must be the effect of the purple talent Grandpa-in-a-Ring. He'd originally thought it might summon someone like Roger, but on second thought, the talent description clearly stated: A native powerhouse's soul resides in your ring. This woman must be that "native powerhouse."
Curious, he asked, "How long have you been awake?"
"About two days," the cool voice replied. "You can ignore me. I won't interfere with anything."
Shady old lady, Zhou Ning thought, a little speechless but not particularly bothered. After some brief conversation, he learned that the soul in his ring was named Molly. In life, she had been a devout follower of the Sun Goddess, a powerful weather mage and priestess, with some alchemy and enchantment skills to boot. She couldn't remember much more for now.
Zhou Ning was genuinely curious about her past, but there wasn't time to ask more—Ian had just returned, pushing the door open with none other than Kien West.
Zhou Ning hadn't expected Ian to bring Kien himself. He stood and tipped his hat respectfully. "Mr. Kien. I didn't expect you to come."
"Just happened to be nearby," Kien said with a slight smile, sitting across from Zhou Ning and studying him with interest. "I hear you've got a big deal to discuss?"
"That's right," Zhou Ning smiled and nodded. He opened the case and pulled out a Devil Fruit, setting it carefully on the table. Then he added:
"This is called a Devil Fruit. It's incredibly rare. Eating it grants the user powerful, unique abilities. More importantly, it doesn't conflict with any profession—not even superpowered individuals. I wonder if that interests you?"
"Devil Fruit?" Kien's eyes flickered as he reached for the fruit, running his fingers over its swirling pattern. He looked intrigued. "Is it like a superpower serum—does it have a chance to fail? Any side effects?"
"Success rate is 100%. But a person can only eat one in their lifetime. As for side effects… does 'can't swim' count?"
"100% success rate?" Now Kien was truly tempted. He completely ignored the swimming issue. Superpower serums were outrageously expensive and even the most potent ones had less than a 50% success rate. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "How much for this one?"
Zhou Ning felt a flash of excitement—he had a bite. After some quick mental calculations, he said:
"I originally planned to sell it for 1000 Vecktas, but considering our good working relationship, I'll give it to you for 800."
Kien nodded. The West family had ties to alchemy industries. A single dose of high-grade serum cost about 250 Vecktas, not to mention the failure risk. If this fruit worked as claimed, 800 Vecktas was actually a bargain. "700," he countered, "and I want to test the effect first."
Zhou Ning weighed it in his mind. Once he got proficient, producing a Devil Fruit would cost under 200 Vecktas. That still left plenty of profit. And the Sunwatchers weren't in direct conflict with him. This deal was worth making. He put on a pained expression and acted the part:
"Alright, I'll agree."
Kien counted out 700 Vecktas and pushed it across the table. Then he picked up the Devil Fruit, sniffed it, and wrinkled his nose. "How do you eat this thing? Just bite into it?"
"Yes. You have to eat the whole thing, or it won't work," Zhou Ning replied seriously. He'd heard Devil Fruits supposedly tasted worse than feces. He didn't know who had made that comparison—or how—but he was morbidly curious.
"Alright," Kien nodded. Without hesitation, he passed the fruit to Ian. "This is for you—in recognition of your long-standing service to the Sunwatchers."
"Sir!" Ian stood straight as a rod, overwhelmed by the honor. He took the fruit with both hands and, without a moment's hesitation, took a big bite. A moment later, his expression grew grim. His hands trembled as he held the rest of the fruit.
Closing his eyes, he steeled himself and shoved bite after bite into his mouth. After a long moment, he exhaled heavily, his expression unchanged throughout.
Zhou Ning: …
Respect. The man's tough as nails.
"Well?" Kien West asked Ian.
"I feel… something," Ian said, eyes closed. After a moment, his body began to swell. His head transformed into a bull's head, with curved horns sprouting from either side.
Even Kien West, usually the picture of composure, couldn't help staring in shock. "That's…"
Zhou Ning was startled, too. Seeing a minotaur in real life was very different from watching it in an anime. Ian now stood about 2.5 meters tall, rippling with muscles—an intimidating sight.
"This should be the Bull-Bull Fruit—Wild Bull form. A fairly powerful ability. Don't worry, he can revert to human form at will." Zhou Ning smiled and raised his voice, "Ian, test out how much your stats improved."
Beneath the West Lin General Store was a small training area. After some testing, Ian returned to his human form, face lit with excitement.
"In Wild Bull form, my strength increases by about 50%. Agility's only slightly better, but my toughness and stamina see a significant boost. I can also tell that I haven't hit my physical limit yet. The only downside is the transformation drains stamina pretty fast."
Kien West nodded thoughtfully. The data confirmed just how potent the Devil Fruit was. He asked, "The results are impressive. On behalf of the Sunwatchers, I'd like to place a bulk order. My question is—what's the production capacity for Devil Fruits?"