Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Kaido scanned the panicked expressions of the crowd, and the corners of his mouth curled into a sly grin.

Suddenly, he extended his hand and pointed toward Max hiding among the frightened crowd.

"In that case, let's proceed with the transaction first," Kaido said with a grin.

The magicians standing near Max immediately took three large steps back, clearing a wide space around him as though afraid of getting caught in Kaido's plans.

"Hey, hey, hey~!" Max exclaimed, his expression caught between disbelief and embarrassment. He raised his hands defensively. 

"I admit I was the one who nicknamed you 'Big Buffalo,' but don't pick on me at a time like this, little brother Kaido!"

"Oh?" Kaido raised an eyebrow. 

"So, that's how I ended up with that ridiculous nickname! Turns out you were the culprit!" His tone grew more playful. 

"There's no need for further explanation—it's you!" he declared, stepping closer to Max.

Max could only offer a wry smile, knowing better than to argue. Even though he wasn't the absolute weakest magician in the Fairy Tail Guild, he was undoubtedly part of the weaker group. Accepting this truth with a resigned expression, he sighed.

As if walking to his own execution, he declared heroically, 

"Fine! Let me be the first warrior to experience this so-called magic of trading!"

"As a friendly reminder, you're not actually the first person to trade with me," Kaido replied with a faint chuckle. Then, noticing Max's dramatic despair, he added a word of comfort: 

"Actually, going first has its advantages."

He explained further: 

"My trading magic works by directly exchanging based on your magic... But here's the catch: the same type of magic can only be traded with me once. So, if another magician with the same magic as you tries to trade in the future, their reward will be far less than what you're getting now."

"What!?" 

The magicians of Fairy Tail gasped in unison, their shock evident. A ripple of movement spread through the crowd as many began reconsidering whether they should fight Max for the title of "weakest."

But before anyone could act, the transaction between Kaido and Max had already begun.

Max's magic specialized in Sandstorm, which, as the name itself suggests, allows Max to manipulate sand, shaping it in a variety of forms for different purposes—a common yet valuable magic type in this world. However, his proficiency in magic was far from refined. When his magic and abilities were evaluated for the trade, he only garnered 2,000 points in trading value.

Without hesitation, Kaido consulted the system and since he wanted Max, as the first live trade in front, he exchanged Max's points for a devil fruit. 

This guy is also lucky. Kaido wanted to make a great first impression so he picked a special power for Max that suited him.

That's right. The Sand-Sand Fruit.

As the transaction concluded, a peculiar brown cactus fruit materialized in Max's hand. 

"Eat it," Kaido said casually, his tone giving nothing away. 

"Huh? What do you mean?" Max asked, staring at the odd fruit in his grasp. 

"It's a fruit that can grant you power," Kaido replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. 

"Power?" Max echoed, confusion etched on his face. 

He hesitated, unsure of what to make of Kaido's claim. But he trusted him. Kaido wouldn't hand over something harmful—right? Summoning his courage, Max took a tentative bite. 

The taste was revolting, a mix of bitterness and rot. His expression twisted in disgust. "What the hell is this?" he began to protest, but before he could finish, his mind was overwhelmed. 

A flood of knowledge and instinct surged through him—an understanding of the *Sand-Sand Fruit* and its incredible powers. 

Max staggered slightly, gripping his head as the information seared itself into his consciousness. After what felt like an eternity, he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze locked onto Kaido, filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. 

Kaido chuckled, clearly amused. "Well? Feeling anything special?" 

"…Yeah," Max admitted, his voice hesitant. The sheer enormity of what he had gained left him speechless. 

Almost without thinking, Max raised his hand. To his shock, his fingers crumbled into grains of sand, cascading to the floor. His eyes widened as his entire body followed suit, disintegrating into a swirling cloud of golden dust. 

In an instant, Max vanished. 

---

! ! ! 

At the guild hall, President Makarov's sharp eyes narrowed. He turned his attention toward the staircase leading to the second floor—the sacred space reserved exclusively for S-class magicians. It was a place protected under his strict supervision, and no ordinary mage could breach it. 

Yet, moments ago, Max had bypassed him effortlessly. Makarov hadn't even registered the movement. 

"Impossible," Makarov muttered, his expression hardening. The sand lingering in the air told him everything he needed to know. This wasn't just ordinary magic. 

Max stood at the top of the staircase, staring at his hands in stunned disbelief. The way his body dissolved into fine sand, the ease with which he reassembled—it was overwhelming. 

"So this is the power of a Logia Devil Fruit," Max whispered, his voice trembling with awe. 

The knowledge that had flooded his mind couldn't compare to the reality of wielding such abilities. 

And he hadn't intended to break any rules—he'd only wanted to test his newfound abilities. Yet here he was, standing on the second floor of the guild hall! 

For years, the Fairy Tail Guild had fostered an unspoken rivalry among its members to see who could reach the second floor first. 

Today, that long-held dream had come true! 

"Wahahahaha!" 

Max erupted into laughter. He stretched his arm out and pointed down at his companions, the ones who usually teased him, with an arrogant smirk. 

"Did you see that?!" he boomed. 

"I've made it to the second floor, while you're all stuck down there looking up at my dashing figure!" 

"Wahahahahaha!!!" 

"Damn it!!!" 

"We've been outdone by this guy!" 

The Fairy Tail magicians below erupted in frustration. 

As the saying goes... 

'"I'm not afraid of my brother going hungry; I'm afraid of my brother driving a supercar!"' 

They all worked hard day after day—completing commissions, acquiring resources, practicing magic, and striving to grow stronger together. 

But now... 

Max had leapt ahead of them, bypassing even the guild master, and reached the second floor first. 

Jealousy burned in their eyes. 

In an instant, dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto Kaido. 

They knew full well... 

Max had achieved such incredible power through Kaido's trading magic. 

At that moment, they abandoned any reservations about the rule of "the weakest trades first" and swarmed Kaido, shouting: 

"Brother Kaido! I want to trade! Quickly! I'll bring that smug bastard back down to earth!" 

"Pick me! My magic is stronger than his—I'll definitely catch up to him!" 

"Kaido! Don't forget how I looked after you when you were injured. Trade with me first!" 

"..." 

"..." 

The magicians were like a frenzied mob, all clamoring to trade with Kaido. 

Kaido, however, merely smiled, welcoming the chaos. 

He didn't refuse anyone. 

One transaction after another commenced. 

In mere minutes, almost everyone had completed their trades. 

Among them, a few unlucky ones—who happened to share the same type of magic as others—could only gain minimal power due to the limitations of Kaido's trading magic. 

Nevertheless, the majority were thrilled with the newfound abilities they had acquired. 

"Watch out! Armament Haki!" 

"Take this! Iron Body!" 

"Behold my spiritual power!" 

"Hadō #4. Pale Lightning!" 

"Go! Mankey! Wreck them!" 

"..."

"..."

The surge of traders instantly transformed the Fairy Tail Guild hall into a whirlwind of activity. 

It was as though time had rewound to half an hour earlier, with magicians battling it out to showcase their newly acquired powers, techniques, and magical companions. 

And so... 

In the lively and bustling environment of the Fairy Tail Guild, most of the magicians had completed their trades with Kaido. 

Only a handful remained—core members of the guild, such as Gray and Elfman. 

Their abilities rivaled those of Natsu, a user of dragon-slayer magic, placing them just below the S-class magicians in strength. 

Although they were tempted by the incredible powers others had gained through trading, they hesitated. 

The guild's president had voiced concerns about Kaido's ability to handle powerful magic, and they didn't want to risk causing him harm. 

Kaido, aware of their reservations, couldn't help but grumble internally about the president's overprotectiveness. But, recognizing the value of building goodwill with the guild, he simply smiled and refrained from pressing them. 

With the trades among the lesser magicians complete, Kaido had amassed a significant number of points. 

He had traded with more than fifty magicians that day. 

Barring a few unfortunate individuals whose spells overlapped with others, most contributed an average of 2,500 points each. 

In total, Kaido had accumulated nearly 130,000 points in a short span of time! 

The six months of waiting had finally paid off!

After all, the magicians who had traded with him today were merely those idling around the guild with no commissions to occupy their time. 

Many other Fairy Tail members were out completing tasks and commissions. 

Based on Kaido's calculations, there were at least twice as many members outside the guild as those present today. 

This meant there were still over 200,000 points waiting to be harvested from the absent magicians! 

Even accounting for repeated spells, the potential was staggering. 

And that wasn't even considering the guild's more powerful magicians, who hadn't yet traded with him. 

While their magic might not rival the extraordinary power of Natsu's dragon-slaying magic, their deep understanding of their craft could yield Kaido over 10,000 points per trade. 

These individuals were Kaido's most valuable prospects. 

Especially President Makarov himself. 

Kaido firmly believed that if the president ever decided to trade his magic and perception, it would result in an unimaginably vast fortune of points. 

Unfortunately, due to concerns about Kaido's well-being, it seemed unlikely that the guild's strongest magicians—Makarov included—would make trades with him anytime soon. 

Unless Kaido could prove that his ability to withstand powerful magic far exceeded their expectations. 

"They'll only trade with me once they realize I'm much stronger than they think," Kaido mused to himself. 

"It looks like I'll need to take on more commissions and show them what I'm capable of." 

Kaido's gaze shifted toward Natsu and Gray, who were locked in one of their usual brawls. A glint appeared in his eyes as he made up his mind. 

At that moment... 

A child's voice echoed from the bar. 

"Hasn't my dad come back yet?" 

A young boy in a blue short-sleeved shirt stood by the bar, looking up at the guild master, who was sipping beer with an air of calm authority. 

The boy's face was filled with worry as he asked, "President, do you know where my dad is?" 

President Makarov opened one eye lazily, glanced at the boy, and replied gruffly, "You're being too noisy, Romeo." 

"If you're the son of a wizard, you should trust in your father's strength and wait patiently for his return." 

"But..." 

The boy, Romeo, looked troubled. 

"My dad said he'd be back in three days. It's been a week now, and he's still not back!" 

It became clear that Romeo was the son of one of the guild's wizards, who had gone on a commission and hadn't returned on schedule. 

Worried for his father's safety, Romeo had come to the guild, hoping they would send someone to check on him. 

But Makarov dismissed the request without hesitation, scolding Romeo sharply. 

"In Fairy Tail, there's no room for magicians who can't handle their own challenges!" 

"If your father chose this path, he must see it through himself. Asking for help would be an insult to his abilities and a disrespect to his status as a magician!" 

This philosophy was central to Fairy Tail's culture and had forged generations of magicians strong enough to protect others. 

However, while such a strict principle might cultivate powerful wizards, it was undeniably harsh for a young boy simply worried about his father. 

Romeo's expression crumpled, but he said nothing more, leaving the guild hall with heavy steps. 

Kaido observed the scene from the sidelines. And he couldn't help but admire the guild's unyielding spirit, which had shaped its reputation as one of the strongest in the land. 

In the end, Romeo, unable to get any help from the president, lashed out in frustration. 

He punched the president squarely, sending him toppling off the bar. 

Then, with tears streaming down his face, Romeo ran out of the guild. 

At that moment... 

A figure with cherry-red hair followed Romeo's footsteps, heading toward the guild's exit. 

President Makarov, now sporting a swollen, reddened nose, climbed back onto the bar with a sigh. 

He squinted slightly, watching as Natsu left the guild, but said nothing. 

Deep down, he knew what Natsu intended. 

Natsu was going after Romeo, ready to rescue his father, Macao. 

While this could be seen as a sign of distrust in Macao's abilities, it was also a path Natsu had chosen for himself. 

And Makarov had no intention of stopping him. Instead, he simply resumed drinking his beer. 

The other guild members, observing this unfold, exchanged quiet smiles. 

None of them said a word. 

This was the way of Fairy Tail. 

Much like a pirate's code or a ninja's path in the world of Naruto, each member of Fairy Tail held steadfastly to their own "way of magic." 

Interfering with someone else's path was against their unspoken principles. 

So, even though many were concerned for Macao, they placed their faith in his ability to overcome whatever challenges lay ahead. 

Only by triumphing through his own strength could Macao truly embody the spirit of a Fairy Tail mage. 

But... 

What they didn't expect was... 

"Interesting." 

A deep voice suddenly broke the silence. 

Kaido, who rarely left the guild, stood up abruptly and began walking in the same direction Natsu had gone—after Romeo. 

The guild members looked on in stunned silence. 

None of them had anticipated this move from Kaido. 

For someone so seemingly detached, this act of kindness came as a complete surprise. 

However... 

Kaido's thoughts at the time were far from sentimental. 

"Macao is one of the guild's core members, and he's pretty strong," Kaido mused to himself. 

"If I can handle a situation that even Macao struggles with, it'll prove how much I've grown in power." 

"This way, the stronger members of the guild will feel more confident about making trades with me!" 

With this self-serving logic in mind, Kaido quickly caught up with Natsu and Romeo. 

When he found them, Natsu was in the middle of comforting the tearful boy. 

The moment Natsu noticed Kaido, he froze in surprise. 

But then, a wide grin spread across his face as he locked eyes with Kaido, who was also smiling faintly. 

The two exchanged a knowing look. 

It was a wordless understanding—one that needed no explanation.

—

[Note: Sand-Sand Fruit is not as OP as you think it is in Fairy Tail.]