Chapter 34: Overbearing
"It's just a test model. Do you think developing explosives is simple?"
Su Xiao's casual reply clearly couldn't convince Jack.
"The Navy must have dropped a test model on some island. By the way, here's some good news: if the Navy doesn't make a breakthrough in explosives, they have no more than five Apollos in stock."
"Apollo?"
"That's right. I named the special-type bomb Apollo."
"The Navy calls it that too."
Jack draped his bearskin cloak over his shoulders and sat down at the testing table.
"Who do you think made the Apollos in the Navy's hands? Apollo, Hades, and Cronstan are all test models. Apollo is a deflagration type, while Hades is a sustained combustion type. I don't recommend you use Hades—once it spreads, it could burn the entire Dressrosa to ashes. As for Cronstan, forget it. I can't explain its principles and structure to you in a short time."
Su Xiao could indeed manufacture Apollo and Hades. As for Cronstan, he had just come up with that name a few seconds ago, and there was no corresponding explosive for it.
Dealing with a scoundrel like Jack meant never letting him see the full extent of your abilities. Once Jack knew how many types of bombs Su Xiao could make, the rift between them wouldn't be far off.
"Burn an entire island?"
Jack seemed very interested in Hades. His motto was essentially: wherever he goes, nothing grows. Otherwise, he wouldn't be called Jack the Drought.
Clearly, Hades' characteristics matched Jack's style perfectly.
Su Xiao took a glass test tube as thin as a pinky finger from his storage space. Inside was a green solution that gave the illusion of burning.
"This is 10 milliliters of Hades solution. If it's not extinguished in the initial stage of combustion, it can spread to cover at least half a city's area."
Su Xiao took out some Hades solution. Unlike Apollo, Su Xiao had designated 140 milliliters of Hades as one unit. Since he developed it, he alone decided the unit size.
Hades doesn't explode; it only burns. As long as there's combustible material, it rapidly expands its burn range. Rock, steel, and shallow soil are all combustible to Hades.
Su Xiao tossed the 10 milliliters of Hades solution to Jack. Jack looked puzzled, wondering why Su Xiao, whose heart was blacker than coal, had suddenly become so generous.
The reason Su Xiao was so generous was to give Jack a taste of the benefits. If Jack didn't experience how useful Hades was, he wouldn't offer any advantages to buy it.
Take Apollo, for example. Jack hadn't come this time to question Su Xiao about why the Navy had Apollo; he came to beg Su Xiao for Apollos.
Su Xiao didn't think he was good with words, but he was surprised to find that Jack was even worse. Although Jack's glaring gaze was fierce, Su Xiao wasn't someone to mess with either.
"In the near future, I need Apollos—at least fifty."
"Fine. Go find the raw materials for fifty, and bring seventeen Great Grade swords along. Considering you're a big client, fifteen Great Grade swords will do."
Su Xiao yawned, walked to the testing table, and began making alchemical bombs.
"Do you really think we need you to win this war?"
Jack's tone turned hostile. Clearly, this guy had always wanted to use Su Xiao as free labor, even though Su Xiao's strength was considerable.
That was Jack—a powerful but extremely arrogant and reckless great pirate.
"Of course not. But I don't have to stay here either. Red Hair or Whitebeard would be good choices."
"You..."
Jack slammed his hand on the testing table with a bang and stood up.
Su Xiao turned his head to look at Jack, his gaze calm. This was why he chose to join the Don Quixote Family instead of the Beasts Pirates. Without the combat power to face Kaido head-on, joining the Beasts Pirates would only lead to two outcomes: being willingly exploited or sacrificed in some incident.
Amu, standing nearby, slowly walked to the door to block it. Bubu Wang went to the window. In this indoor terrain, if Su Xiao activated Demon Hunting Hour, he could teach Jack a lesson in no time.
Or rather, if it weren't for the promotion/main quest, Su Xiao would dare to kill Jack right now. Emperor Kaido? Let him find Su Xiao first. He had already killed Cracker; killing one more Jack was nothing.
Thump, thump, thump...
Knocking came from the door. Amu looked at Su Xiao with a questioning gaze, asking if he should open it.
"I'll give you a friendly price: five Apollos for one Great Grade sword."
"Hmph."
Jack snorted coldly, stood up, and walked toward the door. Failing to extort made him very unhappy, and he sensed that Su Xiao wasn't bluffing—this guy really dared to fight to the death.
Jack pushed the door and left. Doflamingo walked into the room. The moment he saw Jack, he already guessed the purpose of his visit.
"Joker."
Jack suddenly called out to Doflamingo. Doflamingo paused mid-step, his first thought being that Su Xiao had sold him out.
"You should have channels for famous swords."
"?"
Doflamingo was stunned for a moment, his eyes behind the sunglasses full of surprise. From Jack's tone, it seemed he was preparing for an "equal trade" with Su Xiao.
"I need a few famous swords recently."
Jack stood with his back to Doflamingo, slightly turning his head.
"This... is a bit difficult."
"..."
Jack stepped forward, seeming to realize that Doflamingo wasn't the type to be extorted either, which left him feeling quite frustrated.
"There's an urgent matter with Lord Kaido. I'll temporarily take the fleet and leave Dressrosa."
Jack said this and walked out of the villa without looking back.
Su Xiao watched Jack's retreating figure through the window and smiled. That troublemaker was finally gone.
Indeed, in Su Xiao's view, Jack was a troublemaker. There was something wrong with the people in the Beasts Pirates. When both sides could benefit, they wouldn't cooperate fairly; instead, they would try every means to squeeze the other party, unless the situation was critical.
If everyone in the Beasts Pirates was like this, it was only a matter of time before they made enemies everywhere.
Come to think of it, aside from Doflamingo as an ally, the Beasts Pirates had almost no allies. Doflamingo was very afraid of Kaido, even though they were partners.
Doflamingo knew that Kaido was a "manic patient." If provoked, that suicidal maniac would personally charge into Dressrosa and annihilate the Don Quixote Family.
Doflamingo still vaguely remembered that when artificial Devil Fruits became mass-producible, Kaido sat on the ground and bawled, shouting about building a Devil Fruit ability army together.
But when it came to the cost and sale of Devil Fruits, Kaido immediately changed his face.
Among the Four Emperors, Red Hair had the widest network. He basically didn't seize others' territories, maintaining a policy of not provoking others unless provoked. Therefore, most countries in the New World preferred to live peacefully under Red Hair's protection.
Next was Whitebeard. His territory was the largest, and the civilians within his domain lived and worked in peace thanks to his reputation.
Although Big Mom had a bad temper, she also had a vast network. Long-arm tribes, Three-Eye tribes, and others all leaned toward the Big Mom Pirates.
Only Kaido had Doflamingo as his sole ally. And as Kaido's ally, Doflamingo lived in constant fear.