Enel had no real concept of this kind of price.
After all, from beginning to end, he had never bought anything before…
At least, not with money.
For him, if he lacked something, he simply took it by force.
Before Michael appeared, he had never once met an opponent on Skypiea who could fight him on equal ground.
But little Hancock at his side showed an expression of shock.
As the crown princess of Amazon Lily, the future Empress, understanding the general market value of goods was essential.
After all, this was a matter tied to the livelihood of her people.
Even the most ordinary Devil Fruit could fetch at least 100 million Belly.
This was a consensus across the entire One Piece world.
It was also why, at auctions, the starting price for most Devil Fruits began at 100 million Belly.
Yet here, with only 1 million Belly, one could actually buy a common Zoan-type Devil Fruit?
And judging from the shopkeeper's expression…
If Michael really wanted to, he could probably haggle it down even further.
But Michael clearly couldn't be bothered with such talk. He simply pulled 1 million Belly from little Hancock's backpack and tossed it onto the counter.
Both the shopkeeper and Michael broke into wide smiles as they pocketed what they wanted, each convinced that the other was the fool in this transaction.
Enel tilted his head at the scene before him. He couldn't comprehend it at all.
This… what was there to be so happy about?
"Alright, Enel, keep leading the way!"
"Today really is a great day! What a profit!"
Under Enel's guidance, Michael went on to purchase six Devil Fruits from four different shops, all at about the same price.
Now, he had seven Fruits in total: six Zoan-types and one Paramecia-type.
"I have to say, there really are too many Zoans…" Michael sighed after counting them. "The only drawback is that they're all just ordinary Zoan Fruits."
"At that price, you should be laughing with joy." Little Hancock complained while looking at the Devil Fruits stuffed into her pack. "Ten million Belly for seven Devil Fruits… If you did that in the Blue Sea, people would one hundred percent beat you half to death out of jealousy!"
"Ahem, of course I know that."
Michael chuckled, then walked into the final shop.
This shopkeeper was wrapped up tightly from head to toe, only three thick tufts of beard on his chin visible.
"Shopkeeper, I want to buy some strange, rare things… like unusually shaped fruits, for example."
"…Don't try to play dumb with me. I know what Devil Fruits are."
The deep voice of the shopkeeper made Michael freeze for a moment.
His heart skipped a beat.
Well now—he had actually run into someone who knew their stuff.
But before he could even open his mouth, the shopkeeper continued:
"Not only that, I also know you're Marines from the Blue Sea…"
Michael's face instantly hardened, his usual sly look vanishing completely.
That this man knew of Devil Fruits wasn't surprising in itself.
But to know of the Marines? That was a different matter.
After all, even within the world of One Piece, Skypiea was a place where very few had ever set foot. It was often called "the unknown land," or even "the place that doesn't exist," for good reason.
Even in Marine historical records, there was no account of anyone ever coming here.
Michael didn't know how this shopkeeper had learned of the Marines' existence.
But one thing was certain—this man had definitely encountered people from the Blue Sea before.
Michael cast a subtle glance at the little girls. At once, the Hancock sisters caught on, turned around, and shut the shop door.
Michael leaned against the counter, his wings spreading to block sight between him and the shopkeeper.
"Bring out your goods."
He didn't say much more, simply hoping that this knowledgeable man had better stock on hand.
The shopkeeper paused, then reached under the counter and lifted out two small boxes.
When he opened them, two Devil Fruits lay quietly inside.
Michael studied them carefully, his eyes gradually widening.
He had already read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. With his memory, it might as well have been etched into his mind.
If he wasn't mistaken, these two were the Paramecia-type Strong-Strong Fruit and Speed-Speed Fruit.
The Strong-Strong Fruit—the very one that, in the original story, Burgess of the Blackbeard Pirates would later acquire.
And the Speed-Speed Fruit—one that never appeared in the original, but was listed in the Encyclopedia nonetheless.
As their names suggested, one embodied ultimate "strength," the other ultimate "speed."
Among the many bizarre and unusual Paramecia Fruits, these were considered quite top tier.
After all, boosts in strength and speed were the most direct and obvious in battle.
For Sandasonia and Marigold, who were both obsessed with physical ability and combat skills…
These would be excellent choices.
He had already decided they wouldn't be eating the Snake-Snake Fruits.
And if there weren't suitable replacements, he'd rather they didn't eat Devil Fruits at all.
"These two… how much?"
Michael gave the shopkeeper a look, hoping he wouldn't open his mouth with some outrageous demand.
After all, even the SWORD Secret Special Force didn't carry too much money around.
"If you want them… no money. I only need you to do me a favor."
Hearing this, Michael's expression didn't brighten in the slightest. Instead, his brows knit tightly.
This…
Wasn't ideal.
A favor was far less convenient than a fixed price.
But then he thought of how he had basically brought the entire SWORD Secret Special Force with him—himself and Issho, plus Crocodile and Hawk Eyes…
Honestly, was there anything they couldn't handle?
At least here in Skypiea, probably not.
"Help, huh… no problem." Michael nodded, his gaze fixed sharply on the shopkeeper. "But when making a deal, it's best you show your true face, don't you think?"
"My apologies, that was careless of me. My identity is rather special here…" The shopkeeper nodded, then pulled down the hood covering his face.
"My name is Gan Fall."
"On Skypiea, they call me 'God.'"
Michael raised a brow.
To be honest…
He wasn't particularly surprised.
Among the people of Skypiea, the one with the most knowledge of the outside world was bound to be this so-called "God."
After all, back in the day, he had dealings with the Roger Pirates themselves…
No wonder he knew about the Marines.
"Alright then, God of Skypiea, what exactly do you want our help with?"
"It's simple."
Gan Fall nodded.
"I want the Shandians and the Skypieans… to live together in peace."
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