Kairodo was sent flying once more. Bege's figure flashed around Kairodo, delivering a series of lightning-fast slashes that left afterimages in their wake.
Kairodo crashed to the ground, his entire body covered in a dense network of cuts. Each slash had torn through his scales, sliced flesh, and even chipped bone. He was drenched in blood, a gruesome sight.
The blood flowing from his body dyed the ground crimson. Yet, even after taking such a beating, Kairodo was still alive.
He was coughing up blood, struggling to get up.
"My slashes all avoided vital areas, but even so, an ordinary person would be unable to move by now. Devil Fruit users of the Zoan type really do have incredible endurance," Bege remarked. He walked over to Kairodo and looked down at him.
"Your pirate career ends here," Bege said coldly.
"No!" Kairodo roared in despair.
Bege kicked Kairodo in the head, knocking him unconscious instantly.
In the Marines' bounty system, capturing pirates alive yielded a higher reward than killing them, especially for Devil Fruit users. The difference in bounty between a live capture and a dead one was significant.
In the world of One Piece, when a Devil Fruit user died, their Devil Fruit ability would disappear and reappear somewhere in the world. To prevent pirates and other ill-intentioned individuals from obtaining Devil Fruits, the Marines and the World Government tried their best not to kill Devil Fruit users. Instead, they opted for permanent imprisonment, ensuring that Devil Fruits wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.
This was the very purpose of Impel Down.
Bege looked at the other battlefields. The other fights were mostly over. The entire Ferocious Crocodile Pirate crew had either been killed or incapacitated. This battle had ended in a crushing victory for Bege's side.
"This Supernova was a bit weak," Bege said to Modi and the others.
"Their First Mate's fruit was pretty strong, but his swordsmanship was lacking," Modi agreed, nodding.
The nearby Marine Captain overheard Bege's conversation, and his mouth twitched involuntarily. Just moments ago, his elite Marine unit had nearly been wiped out by the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates.
The Marine Captain, ignoring his injuries, walked over, filled with awe. "Thank you all for your assistance in eliminating the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates. If not for your timely intervention, we would likely have perished here. On behalf of my surviving Marine brothers, I express our sincere gratitude."
The Marine Captain bowed deeply to Bege.
Bege waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. You were lucky. We happened to be chasing the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates and stumbled upon this. We couldn't just stand by and watch you die."
"Some of you, go to the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' ship and gather the spoils. The rest of you, gather the pirates with bounties. We're going to the Marine branch to collect our reward," Bege ordered Hank and the others.
Hank and the others immediately followed his instructions.
The Marine Captain wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
Seeing that Bege wasn't paying attention to him, he gathered the remaining Marines. He took out a Den Den Mushi and began speaking to someone.
After the call ended, the Marine Captain quickly approached Bege.
"Sir, what can I do for you?" Bege asked calmly, sitting on a rock and wiping his longsword.
"Mister Masked Hunter, I just reported to the West Blue Marine base. Commodore Neun has already set out and will arrive here as soon as possible. Sir, since you hunted the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates for the bounty, please wait for Commodore Neun. He will personally deliver the reward when he arrives," the Marine Captain said hurriedly, looking at Bege with some trepidation.
"Then we'll wait for Commodore Neun," Bege replied with a slight nod, not refusing.
"Thank you, Mister Masked Hunter," the Marine Captain said, quickly thanking him before walking away.
"A Marine Commodore coming personally… I doubt it's just to deliver the bounty," Modi said softly.
"He's probably just trying to figure out my identity or something. It doesn't matter. A Commodore can't threaten us," Bege said nonchalantly, standing up and sheathing his longsword.
"Come on, let's see how much treasure Kairodo collected for us."
Bege boarded the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' ship and his eyes lit up. The deck was piled high with several chests of jewels, gold, and a large amount of Berries.
"Godfather, we've struck it rich! I just did a rough estimate, and the treasure here is worth at least 300 million Berries," Hank said excitedly.
Bege's eyes gleamed. "The Ferocious Crocodile Pirates loved to plunder villages and towns. It's no surprise they accumulated so much wealth. Too bad for them, they won't get to enjoy it. Fate has decreed that this fortune belongs to me. Hehehehe~~"
"And that's not even the most valuable thing. Look what I found." Hank held a small box, presenting it to Bege like a treasure.
"Could it be a Devil Fruit?" Bege guessed eagerly.
"Godfather, you're spot on! That's right, there's a Devil Fruit inside," Hank said, opening the small box. Inside lay a Devil Fruit shaped like a banana.
"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit," Bege said, picking up the fruit and examining it carefully. Without a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, he couldn't know its specific details. He placed it back in the box, then opened a castle gate on his chest and sent the box inside.
But no matter what kind of Devil Fruit it was, it was worth over 100 million Berries on the market.
Of course, Bege wouldn't sell this Devil Fruit. He had so many disciples; naturally, he would prioritize nurturing his own.
An unknown Devil Fruit might just cultivate an extraordinary powerhouse.
Soon, the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' treasure was tallied. Including the Devil Fruit, it was worth nearly 600 million Berries. And if they added the bounties on the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates, Bege's total haul would reach eight or nine hundred million Berries. This was a truly massive windfall.
That night, Bege and his crew held a lively celebratory banquet.
After the banquet, in the cabin of the Ferocious Crocodile Pirates' ship, Bege and his crew gathered around a round table.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Devil Fruit in front of Bege.
Bege planned to give away this Devil Fruit. He looked at everyone and said, "This is the most valuable spoil we acquired today, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. You've followed me for over two months, battling seventeen pirate crews. Each of you has achieved great feats. Today, I intend to give it to one of you."
The others' gazes became fervent, except for Modi and Hank, who remained calm. Hank was already a Devil Fruit user, so he didn't need one. And Modi cultivated swordsmanship; he didn't want a Devil Fruit for the time being.
"Let me be clear, this is an unknown Devil Fruit. It might be a powerful one, or it might be a very weak one. While it's true that there are no useless Devil Fruits, only useless users, I must make it clear that the strength of a Devil Fruit greatly affects the user's power. The stronger the Devil Fruit, the greater the boost it provides.
This is most evident in Zoan-type Devil Fruits.
Zoan-type Devil Fruits have three branches. The first is Mythical Zoan, which are based on mythical or legendary animals or figures. Besides possessing the characteristics of Zoan-types, they also have special abilities and are even rarer and stronger than Logia-types. Their fruit shapes are varied and not limited to the banana shape. The second is Ancient Zoan, which contain the powers of ancient beasts. These are also extremely rare and powerful. The third is the standard Zoan, containing the powers of ordinary animals. The differences between these Devil Fruits are vast, and their potential varies greatly. So, you must be particularly cautious.
And this Zoan-type Devil Fruit before you, I can be almost certain, is a standard Zoan-type Devil Fruit."