Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

Hearing Blackbeard readily agree, both Shen Qing and Doflamingo knew that everything was still up for debate. If their demands were too harsh, Blackbeard would definitely refuse.

Fortunately, the condition of treating the sick and saving lives is not harsh at all, and Blackbeard should have no reason to refuse.

Doflamingo didn't mince words and said directly, "Mr. Teach, I hope your ship's doctor can help treat Brother Shen's illness." As he spoke, he pointed to where Shen Qing was.

"That's it?" Blackbeard looked at Doflamingo in surprise. He had just prepared himself for a huge loss, but Doflamingo's request was completely unexpected.

Doflamingo nodded and said, "That's right, just this one condition. And as long as your ship's doctor can cure Brother Shen, I can take nothing from this weapons deal. Furthermore, I can promise you that in the future, for any transactions made by your Blackbeard Pirates, whether it's weapons or other supplies, I can give you a 20% discount."

A successful businessman often needs the courage to spend lavishly. Doflamingo went to great lengths to gain Shen Qing's favor, but this initial investment will yield returns a thousandfold compared to the future gains across countless worlds.

"Mr. Doflamingo, is this really true?" Teach's expression was deeply moved upon hearing this. Even with his composure, he was shocked by the generous terms offered by Doflamingo. All supplies would be discounted by 20%, and this wasn't just for one or two transactions, but for all future transactions. The accumulated amount would be enough to drive anyone crazy.

Most importantly, if the Blackbeard Pirates really get involved with Doflamingo, they will inevitably embark on a path of rapid development, and becoming a top-tier Yonko pirate crew will no longer be a dream.

Blackbeard then glanced at Shen Qing. It seemed that this mysterious young man was far more important than he had imagined, otherwise Doflamingo wouldn't have paid such a high price for him.

Not only was Blackbeard curious about Shen Qing's identity, but the rest of the Blackbeard crew, including some of the Donquixote Family's executives, all looked at Shen Qing as if they were witnessing something unbelievable.

Despite being very curious about Shen Qing's identity and secrets, Teach knew that things had to be done step by step. The most important thing at the moment was to cooperate with the Donquixote Family. If he angered Doflamingo because of his curiosity about Shen Qing, it would be a loss.

"Of course it's true. I believe Mr. Teach should know me well. I, Doflamingo, always keep my word. I will never go back on my promises," Doflamingo said proudly.

As a middleman in the underworld, Doflamingo distinguished himself through his reputation, gaining the recognition of various factions and earning the trust of others to conduct business with him. Therefore, if he were a man of integrity, who would dare to do business with him?

"Doc Q, whether the Blackbeard Pirates can get a piece of this fat meat next depends on you. Show me your strength and don't cause me any more trouble." Teach received Doflamingo's confirmation, then turned to look at the sickly man and horse with a serious expression, his tone becoming very solemn.

In the past, he could turn a blind eye to Doc Q's slacking off all day, but on such a major matter concerning the future development of the Blackbeard Pirates, he absolutely could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.

"Captain, I can only guarantee that I will do my best. If he is a person favored by fate, I can naturally cure him. If not, I can only say that he is unlucky." Poison Q said in his usual sinister tone, without the slightest change in his tone. However, his back straightened up unconsciously. He strode up to Shen Qing, and the sick horse also looked at Shen Qing with curious eyes.

"This is troublesome. My ailment is that some flesh-eating worms are lurking in my heart..." Shen Qing smiled gently at Doc Q, and then briefly explained his ailment in a way that Doc Q could understand.

"There's something like this? Interesting, very interesting..." Upon hearing Shen Qing's description, Doc Q's eyes lit up as he looked at Shen Qing, as if he had spotted a top-quality experimental subject. He immediately took out a large pile of medical equipment and began testing Shen Qing.

A moment later, Doc Q put down the instruments in his hand, excitedly took out a scalpel, and began to demonstrate it on Shen Qing's chest, causing Shen Qing to break out in a cold sweat.

"Doc Q, be serious. Tell me, can you cure this young man's illness?" Blackbeard interrupted Doc Q, who was drifting into a state of near madness. He couldn't let Doc Q continue his reckless behavior; otherwise, if Doc Q accidentally killed Doflamingo's distinguished guest, the deal between the Blackbeard Pirates and the Donquixote Family would be ruined.

Upon hearing Teach's words, Doc Q reluctantly put down his scalpel and said with an embarrassed smile, "I'm sorry, Captain, it's just a habit, I forgot that this isn't my experimental subject."

Shen Qing was speechless upon hearing this. It turned out that he, a living, breathing person, was just an experimental subject in the eyes of a mad doctor like Doc Q.

"Tell me, can you cure him?" Teach asked solemnly. Doc Q's answer was crucial to the deal between the two parties, so he couldn't afford to be careless.

"Don't worry, Captain, there's no illness I can't cure. In terms of medical skills, I'm the best in the world. There are two options to choose from: one is simple and quick, the other is troublesome and time-consuming." Doc Q regained his listless demeanor, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

"How do you explain it simply?" Shen Qing asked impatiently. As a patient, he naturally preferred a simple and time-efficient treatment plan, since his time in the One Piece world was limited.

"It's simple. Just dig out the heart, soak it in the medicinal solution to kill the worms inside, and then put the heart back in. With my medical skills, it should only take two hours at most. However, the success rate isn't very guaranteed; there's only a 50% chance." Poison Q's calm words sent a chill down Shen Qing's spine. He immediately crossed out the simple treatment plan in his mind. A 50% mortality rate was a gamble he couldn't afford. Shen Qing even began to wonder if he had made the wrong choice in seeking treatment from Poison Q.

Shen Qing immediately composed herself and cautiously asked again, "So how do you treat patients with such time-consuming methods?"

When Poison Q saw Shen Qing asking about the time-consuming plan, his face showed a hint of disappointment. He felt that he had lost an excellent experimental subject, and his tone became listless. "The time-consuming plan is to use my Disease-Disease Fruit ability to imitate the scent that the Gu worms like and lure them out. However, I have never encountered this kind of Gu worm before, so I need to keep trying. It will probably take several days to lure out the Gu worms."

"I'll choose this option." Shen Qing made his choice immediately. It's okay if it's a little slower; he didn't want to be disemboweled by Doc Q.

Just after Shen Qing made his choice, Doc Q received a signal from Teach, and the group, along with their horse, entered a secluded palace for treatment under the guidance of the palace guards. Only the old swordsman accompanied Shen Qing throughout the process to prevent Doc Q from using any tricks.

Doflamingo, along with Trebol, began discussions with Teach regarding the arms deal, aiming to reach a mutually satisfactory outcome.

Inside the palace, Shen Qing lay on the bed with his upper body bare. Poison Q extended a finger and pointed it at Shen Qing's chest, saying, "Shedding disease."

The next moment, Shen Qing felt an itchy sensation on his chest, followed by a piece of skin the size of a child's palm peeling off his chest. Poison Q then took it in his hand and smelled it carefully, which made Shen Qing feel a chill.

"What are you doing?" The old swordsman observed Poison Q's actions from the side and asked in a deep voice.

"That worm was lurking in his heart. I used my Devil Fruit ability to make him shed a piece of skin close to his heart so I could get the worm's scent and use it to lure him in." Doctors usually don't like being disturbed, but Shen Qing's treatment was related to the deal between the Donquixote Family and the Blackbeard Pirates, so Doc Q had to patiently explain to avoid any misunderstanding.

Upon hearing this, the old swordsman nodded, stepped back to watch from the side, and no longer disturbed Poison Q's treatment.

Shen Qing lay on the bed, feeling like a piece of meat on a chopping board, while Doc Q was the chef with the cleaver, completely at his mercy.