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After the New Year celebrations, everyone took some time to relax and chill.
It was just a few days—but even a short break was refreshing.
"Hmm..."
Joey sat in his room, scrolling through the messages in the family chat system.
In reality, the timelines of all the family heads were now synchronized.
Before the synchronization, there might have been differences, but ever since the family system awakened, all family heads shared the same timeline.
This meant that everyone experienced New Year's together.
In fact, among the many family heads, New Year was one of the few universally celebrated holidays.
Originally, many family heads didn't celebrate New Year's. But over time, as more people started celebrating it, it gradually became an accepted tradition.
Joey continued skimming through the records while contemplating, hoping to find something useful for himself.
Before long, he sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Ugh… There's really nothing useful here!" he murmured in frustration.
"All the high-end resources, whether rare talents or valuable treasures, are barely available. No one is willing to trade them—it's such a hassle."
Every family head knew what they needed.
No one was foolish enough to trade away their most valuable assets.
As Joey pondered this dilemma, a sudden notification rang out.
[Ding!]
[Detected that all family heads have generally reached Silver Tier 3! Video chat function has been unlocked in the chat system!]
The chat buzzed with excitement over the new feature.
["Whoa! Finally, a new feature unlocked!"]
["Yeah, video chat! This will make things so much easier!"]
There was no doubt that video chat would improve communication significantly.
But while others were busy discussing this update, Joey was deep in thought.
"If video chat is just one new feature, could this mean that even more functions will be unlocked in the future?"
His mind raced with possibilities.
Could the system eventually introduce a demo travel function? Perhaps even dimensional travel with a rule that no one attacks the other or something similar?
He chuckled, shaking his head. "I might be overthinking this... But there's no such thing as absolute fairness."
"Some people start as angels, others as demons. As the head of the Charlotte Family, I was lucky to start with a Devil Fruit. Many others had nothing."
Just then, a ringing sound interrupted his thoughts.
[Riiing—Riiing—]
Joey blinked. "Is this the system's new call notification?"
Checking the caller ID, he smirked and accepted the call.
"Lion King! What brings you here for a casual chat?"
Leaning back on the couch, he looked at the familiar golden-haired woman on the screen.
His smirk deepened.
Almost as if she had anticipated his remark, the Lion King responded coolly: "Charlotte Family Head, you should know that I am not one for idle chatter."
"Oh, come on," Joey said with a relaxed smile. "Between us, let's just call it a friendly chat. Do we really need to be so formal?"
Though he spoke lightly, anyone who knew Joey well could tell he was on high alert.
The Lion King—he had known her for ten years.
A woman who single-handedly defied fate, rising from what should have been a doomed history to become the ruler she was today.
She was terrifying.
After all, if they were to compare strength...The Lion King had already reached Silver Tier 9!
In theory, she possessed the strength to dominate the pirate world.
But Joey wasn't worried. The travel system hadn't been unlocked yet, so no matter how strong she was, she couldn't physically reach him.
So, what was there to be afraid of?
The Lion King frowned slightly. "Charlotte Family Head, I dislike this kind of conversation."
Joey's smile didn't waver. "I don't care much for conversation styles, Lion King. If you're here for a friendly chat, I welcome it."
" But if you're here to lecture me—sorry, you don't have the qualifications. Don't try to impose your authority on me."
There was a brief silence.
Then, the Lion King spoke again, her tone calmer. "I understand. I overstepped. You and I are equals."
She paused for a moment before continuing: "Charlotte Family Head, I want to trade for Devil Fruits. I want the—"
Joey immediately cut her off. "Lion King, you know my rules. I sell Devil Fruits as they are. You can either agree to a trade or decline. I am not going to search for a specific Devil Fruit just for you."
"That's non-negotiable."
He was firm on this.
Devil Fruits were plentiful, but they were scattered across the world. Even he had spent ten years searching for a Sphinx Fruit.
If she expected him to track down something specific just for her, she was dreaming.
The Lion King's frown deepened.
A flicker of anger crossed her face.
After all, she ruled an entire continent as the Lion King.
No one dared speak to her this way. But today, Joey did just that.
"Hah…" She exhaled slowly, suppressing her irritation.
Then, she stated firmly: "Fine. I need at least 40 Devil Fruits."
Joey thought for a moment before responding, "40 Devil Fruits? I can provide them. But what can you offer in return? That's what truly interests me."
For many underground emperors and black-market traders, Devil Fruits were a form of currency. The moment they acquired them, they would immediately sell them off.
But the Charlotte Family was different.
They didn't sell Devil Fruits; they bought and hoarded them.
Every year, they managed to collect at least 30 to 50 unknown Devil Fruits. Right now, Joey had around 60 in his possession.
The Lion King asked calmly, "What do you want?"
Clearly, she wasn't used to negotiating. After all, with her power, she simply took what she wanted by force. She wasn't a weak, indecisive ruler but a king as domineering as a lion.
"Hmm…" Joey pondered before saying, "I want members of the Fairy Race, Succubus Race, and if possible, Dragon Race."
The Lion King immediately rejected, "Fairies and Dragons are out of the question. Succubi, however, I can consider trading."
The Fairy Race was closely related to Elves. But while Elves were children of nature, Fairies were children of magic. They were highly skilled in architecture and magic.
As for the Dragon Race? They weren't true dragons but rather Dragonkin. Joey had only asked for them to test the waters.
Start high, negotiate down.
He wasn't the best businessman, but he knew the basics of bargaining.
Looking at the Lion King, Joey adjusted his offer, "If you want 20 Devil Fruits, then I'll take 10,000 Succubi. Not a single one less. They're a high-tier race, naturally gifted in seduction and magic, but they're not worth more than that."
The Lion King exhaled sharply. She wanted to refuse.
But she needed these Devil Fruits.
Advancing from Silver Level 9 to Gold Level 1 was akin to stepping from mortal to godhood.
You either had a strong enough system to break through naturally, or you needed the power of laws or faith.
Faith had too many weaknesses.
So, the Lion King chose laws.
And the only one who had the embryonic form of a law—the Law Seed—was Joey.
After some thought, she said, "25 Devil Fruits. That's the lowest price I can accept."
Joey flatly refused. "Not happening. However, I'll raise the total price to 50 Devil Fruits. In addition to the 10,000 Succubi, I want 10,000 sets of Magic Knight Armor. If you agree, we have a deal."
The Lion King immediately rejected, "Impossible! 10,000 sets of Magic Knight Armor? That's a core treasure of the Holy Empire. Absolutely not!"
Joey remained calm. "You've already reached this stage. You need to break through. And let me be clear—no one else is selling Law Seeds."
The Lion King fell silent, deep in thought.
Joey was right.
Aside from him, no one was selling Law Seeds—let alone actual Laws.
After a moment, the Lion King relented, "5,000 sets of Magic Knight Armor. But I want 60 Devil Fruits."
Then, she went quiet, waiting for his response.
If the deal didn't go through, that would be the end of it. She wouldn't negotiate further.
Magic Knight Armor was fearsome in offense, defense, and adaptability.
But its true power lay in its inheritance system.
No matter the race of the wearer, the armor would slowly instill them with knowledge and combat experience.
As they gained battle experience, these soldiers would naturally rise to Silver Level 1.
That's right! Silver Level 1 soldiers.
An army clad in these armors was terrifying.
She only had 30,000 sets in total.
And now, she was offering 5,000. That was already pushing her limits.
Joey chuckled. "Well then, deal."
.
.
.