Chapter 166: 166: A 200 Billion Berries Deal
"..."
Before Judge could answer, Ichiji, the eldest son, had already stood up in refusal.
His spiky red hair only made his arrogant attitude more pronounced, as if his injuries did not even exist.
"Get lost. Raid Suit technology is the core technology of Germa. You're dreaming if you think you can have it."
"..."
The entire hall fell silent.
Aether merely glanced at him as though looking at an idiot.
In contrast, Ichiji's recklessness caused the expressions of the other four Vinsmoke Family members to shift drastically.
This fool had passed out too early and had no idea just how terrifying Aether truly was. To him, the former Pirate King and current leader of the Four Emperors was merely a title. He had no understanding that the man before him possessed strength as deep and unfathomable as the ocean itself, enough to inspire fear in anyone.
"Ichiji, sit down! Quickly apologize to..."
Reiju was just about to smooth things over when she was interrupted.
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki swept through the entire hall.
Everyone present felt their shoulders sink, as though they had been thrown naked into a merciless snowstorm. Among them, the three heavily injured brothers were even less capable of resisting and were slammed flat against the ground.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Every glass object shattered beneath the overwhelming pressure of the Haki.
Then came the ceramics.
Then the wooden furnishings.
Even the maids and guards collapsed unconscious under the terrifying force.
The horrifying display caused even the well-traveled Judge's expression to darken.
Aether's Conqueror's Haki was unquestionably the strongest he had ever witnessed, far surpassing that of the other Emperors.
As for Ichiji, the one who had started the trouble, he had already foamed at the mouth and passed out once again, leaving Judge unable to even sacrifice a son to appease the other's anger.
Aether's sharp gaze locked onto Judge as he deliberately focused the Haki upon him, forcing the King of Germa to bend his noble back.
Since reaching Level 98, Aether's peak-level Conqueror's Haki had improved significantly, making him curious about what realm lay beyond perfection.
If fully concentrated on a single target, even a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral would struggle to resist this near-divine pressure.
The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive.
Although Aether never outright threatened them, his actions made the meaning perfectly clear.
Agree, or face the consequences.
The only reason he had not said it directly was to preserve Judge's final shred of dignity.
Judge's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally chose to yield.
As the King of Germa lowered his proud head, everyone from Germa silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Reiju finally escaped the suffocating pressure, sweat dampening her body as her chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath.
The three Vinsmoke brothers were far less fortunate.
Their already battered bodies could barely move, and even after the Conqueror's Haki receded, none of them had the desire to lift a finger.
Judge pulled a blueprint from a capsule and handed it to Aether.
Inside were the detailed designs for the Raid Suits.
Pointing toward the schematics, he began to explain.
"Roger-sama, it isn't that I don't want to help manufacture Raid Suits for you, but the production cost is extraordinarily expensive. Look here, and here. These components all require rare materials."
He tapped several parts of the blueprint.
"You certainly wouldn't be interested in the ordinary battle uniforms worn by Germa soldiers. As for the Raid Suits used by myself and my children, not only is the manufacturing process extremely complicated, but the production cost of each suit reaches as high as 1.5 billion Berries."
The number barely registered in Aether's mind.
As the richest man in the world, would he really care about such an amount?
Judge's submission immediately caused Aether to switch expressions, revealing a bright, easygoing smile.
"Hahaha, money isn't an issue. You know I took Tesoro's Gran Tesoro. Right now, I can probably mobilize around 200 billion Berries."
Aether leaned back casually.
"Judge, this is a major business opportunity. Don't tell me you don't want this order?"
"This..."
Although 200 billion Berries was undeniably tempting, enough that Germa Kingdom's income over ten years might not match it, the money felt dangerously hot to handle.
Judge was genuinely unsettled.
After hearing the price, Aether had agreed without hesitation, making him wonder if something was wrong with the man's head.
After all, 1.5 billion Berries was no insignificant amount.
An average Zoan-type Devil Fruit typically cost around 100 million Berries, while 1.5 billion was enough to purchase a decent Logia-type Devil Fruit, assuming one could even be found on the market.
If 200 billion Berries were truly spent manufacturing Raid Suits, would it not make more sense to simply buy Devil Fruits or powerful weapons?
Was the man before him insane, or merely rich enough to act however he pleased?
Still, those concerns were secondary.
The biggest issue was that he had no desire to manufacture Raid Suits for outsiders.
Raid Suit technology and cloning technology were the twin pillars of Germa.
How could such assets be shared with someone else?
Unfortunately, the current circumstances left him no room to refuse.
Beneath Aether's cheerful smile lurked unmistakable pressure.
If he refused, today might very well become Germa's last day.
Judge made one final attempt to struggle.
Raising his voice slightly, he argued,
"Roger-sama, although I know you're incredibly wealthy, Raid Suit technology only reaches its maximum effectiveness when combined with lineage factors. Without genetic modification, the user can only bring out around sixty to seventy percent of its full potential."
"I don't care about that."
Aether waved his hand dismissively.
"As long as you agree, Judge. My funds will arrive within a month. You just need to make sure production keeps up."
He smiled.
"This is a 200 billion Berries deal, after all."
"..."
What a shameless man.
If he did not care, did others not have the right to care?
Hancock quietly observed everything while sipping tea.
Given the overwhelming difference in strength, the outcome had already been decided from the start.
Still, the cunning side of Aether made him appear even more attractive in her eyes.
Within a minute, under Reiju's worried gaze, Judge finally agreed to the terms.
For the dignified Pirate King to travel all the way to the North Blue just to pressure a junior like him felt thoroughly unreasonable.
Even so, Judge could only force out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, Roger-sama, it is a pleasure doing business with you. Once your funds arrive, I can begin manufacturing the Raid Suits immediately."
He paused briefly.
"However, you should be mentally prepared. Producing Raid Suits is extremely troublesome. We can only manufacture roughly one suit per day."
"Pleasure doing business."
Aether nodded easily.
"I can accept that production speed. Also, to show my sincerity, I'll raise the price to 1.55 billion Berries per suit."
He smiled brightly.
"I definitely won't let you suffer a loss. At a profit of 50 million Berries per suit, that's 1.5 billion Berries a month for you, Judge."
"..."
Judge's cheerful expression froze instantly.
To him, 1.5 billion Berries per month was hardly some enormous fortune.
He had originally planned to ask for 1.7 billion per suit, considering the actual production cost of one Raid Suit was already as high as 1.43 billion Berries.
Even Germa Kingdom's reserve of completed Raid Suits numbered fewer than twenty.
Even so, Judge maintained his smile and continued chatting with Aether.
Raid Suits were also an important strategic link for Aether.
Although they offered limited usefulness at the level of Admirals or Emperors, they still provided meaningful enhancement to fighters around the level of Shichibukai or Emperor Commanders.
For those below the level of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, the improvement could even be transformative.
Imagine the core members of the Aether Pirates all equipped with customized Raid Suits.
Even if the enhancement only reached sixty percent of the original effect, it would still be a considerable boost in strength.