Chapter 120: The Devil's Bargain (Part II)

Mignon Island was undoubtedly a place of sorrow for Donquixote Doflamingo, and what made it even more disheartening was that Vice Admiral Tsuru was relentlessly pursuing him all the way.

At the same time, for Qiu Bai, who was secretly carrying out activities under the radar of the BOSS, this journey was hardly a joyful one... In truth, he bore a considerable amount of psychological pressure; one wrong move could easily result in him being torn apart and fed to the fish.

Nevertheless, even when facing such dangers, Qiu Bai’s nature—seeking thrills whether in trouble or at ease—remained unchanged.

After the Donquixote crew managed to shake off Vice Admiral Tsuru, night had fallen, deep and silent. It was then that Qiu Bai made a call that, under any other circumstances, should not have been made at this hour.

“Was this really your doing? What was your purpose in hiding it from Doflamingo and saving me?” On the other end of the line, Rosinante seemed to have long suspected the identity of the person behind the number. Considering past events and his impression of Qiu Bai, it was not difficult for him to deduce that Qiu Bai was responsible.

Not to mention, when they first met, Qiu Bai had even offered a nearly prophetic warning.

However, Rosinante was still unclear about Qiu Bai’s motives. Surely, he couldn’t truly be working for the World Government, could he?

That would be laughable. Even if Qiu Bai was indeed affiliated with the World Government, it would make no sense for him to risk exposure to aid Rosinante, a Navy spy. After all, the World Government’s intelligence agencies are known to eliminate their own operatives without hesitation, let alone extend help to a Navy officer, who is merely a layer removed from them.

“This gentleman...” Qiu Bai joked, “it’s a good sign that you speak with such conviction, but perhaps you should express a bit of gratitude?”

Even if there were other motives at play, a life saved deserves recognition.

“Just kidding. Are there others nearby? Please hand over the Den Den Mushi to them,” Qiu Bai continued. Since Rosinante was full of energy, what came next was no longer his concern.

From now on, it was Rosinante’s matter.

“What nonsense are you talking about? What do you want? Answer me.”

“Don’t get agitated. Do as I say, and you’ll understand soon enough.” Qiu Bai sensed a brief silence on the other end, faint murmurs followed, and then the Den Den Mushi changed hands to Rosinante.

“Is this Rosinante?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Okay, time is tight, so I’ll be brief. The reason your comrade was saved is due to Ain’s ability. By now, you should have guessed that much. But as you may know, her power isn’t healing—it’s regression. So once her ability ceases, no one can guarantee your comrade will survive beyond five minutes.”

Rosinante’s voice grew slightly agitated upon hearing this.

“There’s only one way to save him. Before the ability fades, you must find a highly skilled surgeon. You probably can’t do it yourself now. In the North Blue, someone like the world-renowned Dr. Hogback would be necessary.”

Qiu Bai continued, explaining that even if Rosinante could use the Surgery Fruit’s power to operate, it still required advanced medical skills and vast knowledge to be effective—something Rosinante lacked.

“We’ll find that doctor immediately!” Rosinante responded quickly, catching the key point in Qiu Bai’s words.

“Hold on, young man, don’t be so hasty. I haven’t finished yet,” Qiu Bai said, or rather, the crucial part was yet to come. “Because the way the ability is activated is unnatural, maintaining it puts a huge strain on Ain. Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for her. But here’s the thing... I’m under no obligation to do this.”

Qiu Bai was just Qiu Bai; he wasn’t Lei Bai or Qiu Feng. Self-serving harm at the expense of others was simply not in his nature.

“So... we need to make a deal. Preferably one your comrades won’t overhear.”

Qiu Bai’s words were crystal clear. Rosinante understood that Qiu Bai had already made his offer, and now he sought a return...

Regardless of whether the deal was fair or unfair, it was bound to be struck. The outcome was one of two: either the deal was made, or Rosinante perished. What choice would Rosinante make?

As for whether the deal would be honored... honestly, everyone involved respected the spirit of contracts and integrity; such base betrayals should not occur. After all, it’s unthinkable to agree on a price and then refuse to pay. But if some shameless trickery did happen...

To be frank, deceiving someone like Qiu Bai takes more courage than deceiving someone like Doflamingo. The latter’s retaliation is brutal and predictable; the former’s reactions are utterly unpredictable. No one can say what he might do.

He might simply smile wryly and declare it unfortunate, letting it slide. Or, if the deceiver lurked within the New World, he might actually blow the New World apart... Qiu Bai carried infinite potential, though hardly anyone but himself hoped for such possibilities.

A creak sounded as Qiu Bai opened his door from the inside, spotting Peepo lying at the threshold like a small white creature. Tilting his head, Peepo pressed one ear to the ground, listening intently.

During Qiu Bai’s call, Peepo had served as an active phased-array radar with his beast-like environmental awareness, guarding against any careless intruder sneaking up to Qiu Bai’s door in the dead of night.

So, if no one was using a black Den Den Mushi nearby, Qiu Bai’s call would remain undisclosed... At a time when the family had suffered a comprehensive defeat, hardly anyone had such leisure, right?

Moreover, Den Den Mushi surveillance devices were Navy black technology, hardly ever in the hands of pirates—at least none were seen within the family.

On such premises, Qiu Bai boldly and decisively pried at some unknown corner of the wall, based solely on foresight and strategy, becoming the biggest “winner” of this trip.

This was the true essence of a covert operation... though in the pirate era, it could hardly be called theft—at most, it was pilfering.

“How did it go?” Peepo immediately stood up when Qiu Bai emerged, relieved to no longer have to play the dog’s role. To mask the shame of having acted like a canine, he asked seriously.

“Um... aside from the phrase ‘pleasant cooperation,’ what other answer would there be?”

Well, what was there to brag about? The success of this matter wasn’t really due to Qiu Bai anyway.