With his heart pounding in excitement, Rogers arrived at the door of Room 307. It took effort to calm down his "little Rogers," but he managed, and once again pressed his ear against the door—no, not eavesdropping, just "listening for movement." Sure enough, this time he really did hear voices inside.
Relieved that he wouldn't be barging in on anything indecent, Rogers still felt a flicker of confusion. Room 307 was supposed to be a single, so why were there two people talking? With that thought, he leaned in even closer, listening carefully.
Inside, someone was indeed speaking—but not with another person in the room. A man in a black suit sat at a table, speaking into the receiver of a Den Den Mushi. A black fedora rested on his head, giving him a refined, gentlemanly appearance. On the table before him lay not only the Den Den Mushi, but also a box.
"So what you said earlier about a Devil Fruit deal—is it true?" A steady voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Of course! I wouldn't dare lie to you," the man in black said respectfully.
"We don't know how you managed to contact us, but since you've brought the trade to us, naturally we won't refuse. We aren't pirates, after all." The voice on the other end continued evenly.
"Naturally, naturally. But this Devil Fruit is no ordinary one…" The black-suited man spoke with extreme caution.
"I don't believe a mere bounty hunter like you could bring out anything special. Stumbling across a Devil Fruit at all is already luck enough, isn't it?" The Den Den Mushi's face showed disdain.
"You jest." The man forced a smile, though inwardly he sneered: This is already the second Devil Fruit I've come across.
"So, what's so special about it? Don't tell me you actually know what ability it grants?"
"Of course I don't. I've never seen the official catalog. But I've learned enough to judge what type it is." Despite his humble tone, a gleam flashed in the man's eyes.
"Oh? Let's hear it then." The Den Den Mushi's eyes squinted, its voice tinged with interest.
"Devil Fruits can be roughly divided into three categories: Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan. Logia fruits are shaped something like pineapples, Paramecia like apples, and Zoan more like bananas." The man's confidence was evident—he had clearly studied this subject deeply.
"That's mostly correct. So? What are you getting at? What type is your fruit?" The interest in the voice on the other side grew stronger. Originally, he had assumed it would be an ordinary fruit, but this was sounding far from ordinary.
"Logia! My Devil Fruit…" The black-suited man slapped the box on the table dramatically. "It's a Logia!"
"Well, that's quite the surprise! Hahahaha!" Laughter echoed from the Den Den Mushi, the speaker's enthusiasm obvious.
"I don't know exactly what it does, but a Logia will fetch a fine price, won't it? Am I right, respected officers of the World Government?" A sinister grin tugged at the man's lips as his hand caressed the box, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Out in the hallway, Rogers's jaw nearly hit the floor. Whatever "excitement" the lady in the last room had stirred up was gone in an instant. A Logia fruit?! Damn it! Did I really just stumble upon a Logia Devil Fruit?! His heart screamed as his eyes lit up like fire.
"Logias do indeed command a fine price. Send us a picture—we'll confirm exactly what kind it is." The voice from the Den Den Mushi turned serious again, though a trace of glee still colored it. Securing a Logia for the Government would earn him immense credit.
"That can be arranged. But the price had better be fair." The black-suited man's smile broadened.
"What are you implying? We represent the Government, not pirates. Naturally, we'll be fair and just!" The voice snapped back coldly.
"Y-Yes, of course! The Government's word is as good as gold." A bead of sweat rolled down the man's forehead. Dealing with these people was far trickier than with pirates. He quickly added, "I'll send the photo immediately!"
With that, he opened the box and lifted the Den Den Mushi, aiming its eyes toward the fruit inside.
At that very moment, Rogers—who had been listening intently from outside—couldn't contain himself any longer. This was his one chance to see a Logia up close! Forget knocking—he shoved the door open and walked in, speaking with professional formality:
"Honored guest, your meal has arrived. Where would you like me to place it?"
Normally, such words would be accompanied by attentive eye contact with the guest. But Rogers's gaze swept the room only briefly before locking onto the box on the table. The instant he saw what lay inside, his eyes bulged and his face froze in shock.
"You! Who allowed you in here?!" The man in black slammed the box shut, his voice turning cold as ice. He might have been meek with the Government, but to Rogers he showed nothing but menace—after all, to him, Rogers was just a lowly waiter.
"My apologies! I'm the ship's server. I've brought your meal. Where would you like me to set it?" Rogers bowed his head, sweat beading on his forehead—not out of fear of the man, but because of what he had just seen. His hands trembled as he balanced the tray. Because unless his eyes deceived him… that was—!
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T/N:
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