One Piece: The True Codex

Nezumi instinctively reached out to touch the cash inside the suitcase, but when he noticed the blood still on his hands, he quickly pulled back.

Tony, on the other hand, let out a dramatic sigh. When Nezumi looked at him, Tony put on a face full of hesitation, as if he had something to say but couldn't bring himself to say it.

"What's wrong?" Nezumi asked curiously.

"Nothing," Tony replied, but his expression clearly screamed, "There's something."

As if suddenly remembering, Tony smacked his forehead and pulled out a few colorful, palm-sized slips of paper from his pocket. Carefully, he handed one to Nezumi. "Major, take this."

"What is it?"

"A lottery ticket!" Tony chuckled. "The Four Seas Trading Company held a raffle, and you've won first prize: five million Belly."

Nezumi glanced at the slip in his hand. Sure enough, amidst its gaudy design, the words "First Prize" were printed in bold. Below that, in slightly smaller text, it read: "Prize: 5,000,000 Belly."

"This was your idea?" Nezumi asked, looking at Tony.

"It was our captain's idea," Tony replied, mimicking William's tone from when he had explained it. "The captain said, 'You're our friend, and as friends, we should do our best to ease each other's worries. While this money is just a normal exchange between friends, there are always ignorant people who won't understand such pure friendship. To prevent anyone from slandering you, we came up with this approach.'"

Nezumi didn't know what to say. William's generosity was so thoughtful and considerate, even worrying about him being caught in a compromising situation. What more could he ask for?

"Your captain is truly a good man!" Nezumi exclaimed sincerely.

Tony smiled silently, his fingers seemingly idly rubbing the remaining lottery tickets, producing a faint rustling sound.

Sure enough, Nezumi's attention was drawn to the sound. He looked over and asked curiously, "Are those also lottery tickets?"

"Oh!" Tony feigned realization and showed Nezumi the tickets one by one. "This is the third prize, one million Belly. This is the second prize, two million Belly..."

Finally, Tony slowly pulled out the last ticket. "And this is the grand prize... twenty million Belly!"

Nezumi stared at Tony, who stared back at him. Nezumi wasn't entirely foolish. Connecting Tony's earlier expressions with the massive prize amount on the ticket, he tentatively asked, "This twenty million Belly... was it prepared for my success on this trip?"

Tony exaggeratedly slapped his thigh. "Exactly!"

His face was full of pain, as if he himself had lost the money. "Our captain had specially prepared twenty million Belly for you. As long as Captain Roy agreed, this money was meant as your reward. But alas..."

"That petty, narrow-minded bastard Roy! He just can't stand to see others doing well!" Nezumi clenched his teeth in frustration. The thought of losing a twenty-million-Belly reward made his heart ache. Coupled with the throbbing pain in his nose, his resentment toward Roy deepened even further.

A little earlier, when Tony had hung up the phone...

In a private meeting room within Dampier's underground bar in Kalmar City, the "good man" William Morgan Stolt also set down his Den Den Mushi.

"Money is just paper printed by others. It only has value when it can be exchanged for something truly useful," Dampier repeated William's earlier words, clapping in admiration. "That's quite the grand perspective!"

"It's easy to say," William replied, standing up from the sofa. He clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing the room absentmindedly. "The problem is, there are too many useful things I want to exchange for, and not enough money."

William wasn't lying—he was indeed short on funds.

There was no doubt that his income was substantial. On one hand, the Four Seas Trading Company was a massive money-making machine. Whether it was the liquor market, the gift market, or the health products market, these were all highly lucrative industries. Coupled with the backing of the Morgan Pirates, who engaged in aggressive competition, the company's growth was extraordinarily rapid.

Additionally, the villages and towns under William's protection, though only paying a modest security tax, had essentially become his exclusive markets. These areas were dumping grounds for his products, and without his permission, foreign goods couldn't even dock at the ports. Sherlock was already spearheading efforts to expand into industries beyond liquor.

Moreover, William had invested in Dampier's arms company, which had developed new weapons that outclassed traditional firearms in every way.

Finally, there was the loot from pirate raids. The combined income from all these sources made William's financial empire terrifying. But at the same time, his expenses were equally staggering.

The profits from the arms company were entirely reinvested into its research division at William's insistence, pushing for the development of new weapons. He had even demanded research into chemical weapons, which meant the profits from revolvers and bolt-action rifles alone weren't enough to cover costs. Product promotion also required funding, necessitating additional investment. Fortunately, Dampier himself was a tech enthusiast and had agreed to contribute funds as well.

On the pirate side, the Morgan Pirates had four ships and over three hundred crew members. Their daily expenses for food, supplies, and other necessities were no small sum. On top of that, there were salaries to pay and compensation for casualties.

In Maple Village, William was planning to build a shipyard and even develop new ship designs based on his memories. This alone would cost a fortune.

Lastly, if Arcadio agreed to his proposal and allowed his armed groups to operate under the guise of the kingdom's military, William would have to fund the construction of military bases in Kalmar City and purchase a luxurious estate in the noble district to appease Arcadio and his associates.

With the establishment of these military bases, two long-planned institutions would also need to be built. William valued these institutions highly and wouldn't skimp on their construction, meaning yet another significant expense.

Other miscellaneous public relations costs, by comparison, were mere pocket change.

William needed more funds, especially with the imminent formation of a new army under his command. This demand was becoming increasingly urgent.

Unlike the Morgan Pirates, which sustained themselves through plundering, this new army wouldn't rely on such methods for maintenance, leaving it without a source of income.

"The other pirate factions within the Navia Kingdom have been effectively neutralized after about a year of our campaigns," William said, organizing his thoughts as he spoke. "De facto monopoly has been achieved, so I'm ready to move on to the next phase: charging fees."

"For passing ships?" Dampier, ever the sharp mind, immediately understood.

"In the waters of the Navia Kingdom, any merchant ship docking at ports or sailing along trade routes must fly the Morgan Pirates' flag and pay fees per trip," William explained. "Ships that fail to do so will be sunk."

This approach was inspired by William's knowledge of Zheng Zhilong from his previous life.

Historical records noted: "No ship could sail without Zheng's flag. Each ship paid three thousand gold coins annually, amassing millions in revenue. With these funds, Zheng built a fortress at Anping Town."

In essence, it was a system of maritime protection fees enforced through superior military power.

Dampier raised a concern. "If you do this, the Morgan Pirates will find it much harder to avoid attention from the government and the Marines. As the captain, staying off the wanted list like you have so far will become nearly impossible."

"By then, I'll already be a noble of the Navia Kingdom," William replied with a faint smile. "The captain of the pirates will be someone else."

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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