Having finalized the deal with Doflamingo, Wilder breathed a sigh of relief. He was in desperate need of money right now. If he couldn't secure more income, his nation might collapse before it even had a chance to develop.
Although the transaction this time was only a paper contract, it had already set the amount for the first deal: eight billion Beli.
A total of four hundred machine guns, at twenty million Beli each.
This was just a test run for Doflamingo. Likewise, for Wilder, it was an opportunity to open up a new channel.
"As long as these machine guns are sold through Doflamingo... the market will never be able to live without them again."
Using Doflamingo as a conduit, Wilder could sell the machine guns his factories produced. Although he was earning Doflamingo's money, and Doflamingo would mark them up to sell to others, earning their money, it might seem like it had little to do with Wilder.
But once the machine guns entered the market, someone would inevitably seek out the source and eventually discover that they came from him, from Wilder.
"Although the contract stipulates that I can only sell to Doflamingo, I don't see how I'm losing out. At least for the short term, I can only rely on this connection. And, as long as I have dealings with him, he'll have to watch as I enter the underworld trade's industrial chain."
This was an opportunity. From the very beginning, Wilder hadn't come with a simple motive. Making money by selling machine guns to Doflamingo was certainly important, but what was more important was that all of this was laying the foundation for the future.
Wilder would be delighted to see the day Doflamingo's empire crumbled. At that time, it was easy to imagine what the various underworld and legitimate powers would do once they lost Doflamingo as their provider of powerful arms.
They would come looking for Wilder. And that would be Wilder's chance to take over Doflamingo's industry and channels! He would replace Doflamingo and become the new underworld broker.
Without a doubt, the current transaction was the first step. Wilder would use this deal to slowly infiltrate the underworld industry, and when that day came, he could strike in an instant.
"Nyehehehe!" Wilder couldn't help but laugh out loud at the thought. "But I can't be careless. I have to be mentally prepared for the possibility that Doflamingo might not collapse."
Wilder's smile faded. He was currently on a deserted island not far from Punk Hazard.
On his way back, he had been attacked by a Sea King. The small boat had a hole knocked in it and was taking on water. He could only rest on the island for now and wait for a rescue ship to arrive.
Although going out to sea was currently risky due to Big Mom's forces monitoring the area, a small, single-person boat was still manageable. After all, Big Mom was one thing, but the waters around the Kingdom of Morass were now under Marine surveillance. At most, Big Mom could only set up monitoring on the periphery.
"It seems that for the short term—no, I should say, until I make a decisive move, Big Mom will continue to deploy forces to surround and monitor my Kingdom of Morass. How troublesome." Wilder pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling the weight of the situation.
He had deliberately not thought about it before because no business had come his way. But now that he had signed the contract with Doflamingo, this problem had to be solved.
Otherwise, delivering goods and receiving payment would be inconvenient, with Big Mom holding them by the throat.
"There's also foreign trade. If I can't resolve the threat from Big Mom, I'm afraid no one will dare to trade with the Kingdom of Morass. It will be difficult to develop under those circumstances."
Wilder lay on his back on a slope of the deserted island, lost in thought.
Although Doflamingo had agreed to the deal, he was no fool and had no desire to offend Big Mom or start a conflict with her. Therefore, he had demanded that Wilder solve the primary problem of clearing the way for payment and delivery before the transaction could begin.
This meant that Wilder had to guarantee the safe delivery of the goods to Dressrosa. As a principle of home delivery service, Wilder had also made his own request: a small service fee. Doflamingo had readily agreed.
Suddenly, a ship appeared on the horizon.
Wilder sat up, his eyelids lifting slightly to look.
"A pirate ship?"
The ship drew closer, and Wilder could now confirm that it was not the ship he was waiting for, nor was it, by some coincidence, a ship from the Big Mom Pirates. This area of the sea was not within Big Mom's surveillance range, so it wouldn't be a ship under her command either.
It was just a pirate ship, the kind you could see anywhere in the New World.
The only thing special about it was that this ship was quite large, almost comparable to his own black-and-red warship. The other thing was that it was a wreck.
Yes, a dilapidated pirate ship.
On the high seas, there were countless pirate crews of all sizes, too many to count, and not all of them were well-known.
Like this one now. Wilder didn't know which pirate crew it belonged to, whether they were strong or weak.
And... it seemed they were heading this way.
Wilder narrowed his eyes. "To have such a large ship in the New World, they're clearly not some weaklings. What could they have possibly encountered?"
Regardless, Wilder didn't want any extra trouble right now. He stood up and, while the distance between them was still great and they couldn't see each other, he hid.
The deserted island wasn't large. The only place to hide was a large tree in the center of the island. Wilder went straight to the tree and, with a leap, concealed himself within the dense canopy of its branches and leaves.
A short while later, the ship gradually approached the island. Through the gaps in the leaves, Wilder finally got a clear look at the situation on board.
There were about fifty people on the wide deck, and every one of them looked exhausted. Some had tattered clothes, and their hands, feet, or other parts of their bodies were covered in dried blood.
Wilder picked a fruit from a nearby branch and began to eat it, watching with interest as the people from the ship disembarked one by one.
He had no idea what kind of tree this was, but it was covered in nameless fruits. Wilder took a bite and found it sweet and delicious. It certainly wasn't a Devil Fruit.
"That guy must be the leader," Wilder's gaze fell on one of the men.
He was tall and large, his arms bulging with explosive muscles. His hands were unusually thick and broad; one palm could probably cover a three-year-old child's entire head.
And his hands were covered in thick, hard calluses, a clear sign of someone who used them often.
He had a full beard, and his eyes were sharp. Although his face, like the others, was etched with fatigue, there was a clear difference between him and the rest—a kind of inexplicable presence.
"This guy is no simpleton," Wilder concluded.
Before long, everyone had disembarked. The bearded man scanned the island's environment, his voice slightly hoarse, as if he hadn't had a drink in a long time. "Let's rest here. Vik, you go get some seawater."
"Yes, sir," a small, thin subordinate beside him nodded. He turned and, holding a bucket taller than himself, went to fetch water.
Seeing this, Wilder knew what they were up to. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he saw them start a fire, and the subordinate named Vik was constantly going back and forth with the bucket, fetching seawater.
"Making distilled water? It seems they've reached their limit."
The crew sat down wearily around the bonfire. Just then, one of the subordinates looked up at the tree where Wilder was hiding. He seemed to disbelieve his eyes, rubbed them, and looked again. His face immediately lit up with joy.
"Boss, that tree over there has a lot of fruit on it!" he exclaimed, pointing at the tree excitedly.
"Hmm?" Hearing this, the bearded man, who had been sitting with his head down, his eyes lit up. He looked up, and sure enough, the tree was covered in dense clusters of nameless fruit.
The others also stared at the fruit on the tree, licking their dry lips, their eyes seeming to glow.
"Dammit," Wilder saw the situation and knew things were about to go south.
"Hahaha! Excellent!" As expected, the next second, the bearded man stood up with a loud laugh and walked towards the tree where Wilder was hiding. The others followed excitedly, rubbing their hands together.
The canopy was large and very dense. Even when the group arrived at the base of the tree, they didn't spot Wilder hiding within. This made Wilder himself secretly pause his original plan of action. His intention was not to cause trouble, but if it was truly unavoidable, then he had no choice.
"Beri-beri-beri..."
"Beri-beri-beri..."
The ringing of a Den Den Mushi shattered Wilder's intentions. His expression changed. At the same time, the faces of the people below also changed drastically. They almost instantly assumed a defensive posture. Killing intent filled the bearded man's eyes as he looked up at Wilder's hiding place. "Who's there?"
"Really... how frustrating." There was no helping it. At this point, Wilder could no longer hide. He leaped out, landing on top of the canopy and looking down at the group below.
The Den Den Mushi was still ringing. Wilder looked at the group, gave them a friendly smile, and then answered the call in front of them all.
"Katcha!"
"Moshi moshi."
"Hellooo, Wilder-kun," a rather flippant voice came from the other end. Wilder's face was expressionless. "What is it?"
He knew it was Kizaru, but with a group of obvious pirates right here, it wasn't convenient for him to mention Kizaru's name, so he asked directly.
"How cold of you, Wilder-kun. Not even a simple greeting."
The voice from a Den Den Mushi was never quiet. The group below stared nervously at Wilder, and they also clearly heard the words coming from the snail.
The bearded man felt the voice was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He just stared at Wilder warily. He didn't dare to make a rash move because the man before him gave him a very dangerous feeling. And from his previous actions, he felt that the other party didn't seem to be looking for trouble. Therefore, if things could be settled peacefully for everyone, that would be for the best. Making a move meant there was no turning back, no room for negotiation.
Kizaru continued, "I'm calling to ask you a small favor, Wilder-kun."
Wilder?
The bearded man frowned. He hadn't noticed the name before, but hearing it again now, it sounded familiar.
"What is it?" Wilder's gaze never left the group below, especially the bearded man. He spoke calmly into the snail.
Kizaru: "Maa, well, it's like this. Two days ago, the Marines encountered a pirate ship and captured everyone on board. But they escaped during transport. According to our informants, they are likely heading towards this sea area. So, with your network of informants, Wilder-kun, you could be of great help to the Marines. The Marines need you to keep an eye out. Of course, if necessary, please participate in the capture operation."
As soon as these words were spoken, the group below naturally heard them. Their faces changed drastically. The way the bearded man looked at Wilder also changed, his killing intent now completely unconcealed.
However, they didn't move for the moment. They knew that if they made a move, the person on the other end of the line would likely notice something. So, the best course of action was for everyone to remain calm for now. When the call ended, then...
Wilder also noticed the reaction of the bearded man and his crew. A thought stirred in his mind. It can't be such a coincidence, can it?
He glanced at the spot where the group had landed, taking in some of the features of their ship. Then, he said with a normal expression, "What are the specific features of that pirate crew?"
Kizaru: "Ooooh, I almost forgot. The pirate crew, hmmm... let me see."
The sound of rustling papers could be heard from the other end. Wilder was inwardly exasperated but waited patiently.
The bearded man and his crew grew even more nervous upon hearing this. They also hoped that the Marine on the other end wasn't talking about them. But could it really be such a coincidence?
In his heart, the bearded man was already certain. The pirate crew the other person was talking about was them.
"Naa, it's a pirate crew called the Nok-Arthur Pirates. Their flag is a gray background with a red, two-handed skull."
Wilder glanced at the pirate ship docked on the coast, his eyes falling on the skull flag fluttering in the wind.
Hmm... gray background, red, two-handed skull.
Confirmed.
Kizaru's voice continued, "The captain, Nok-Arthur, had a former bounty of 320 million Beli. Two months ago, he ate the Seiki Seiki no Mi , and in the incident two days ago, he killed a Marine Vice Admiral. His bounty is now 500 million Beli. He's known as 'Bloody Hands' Nok-Arthur. He's a terrifying monster. If you see him, Wilder-kun, you must inform me. That guy is no joke."
The bearded man...
Wilder looked at the bearded man below. Hmm... also confirmed.
And the Seiki Seiki no Mi . It sounded a bit familiar.
Wilder suddenly remembered. Wasn't the Seiki Seiki no Mi the one eaten by that former Marine Rear Admiral, Torbolde, whom he had killed in Impel Down?
Kizaru was about to continue, but Wilder cut him off. "Mmm, I understand."
Staring at the bearded man, who was now smirking coldly, Wilder said calmly into the Den Den Mushi, "What if I told you that I'm standing in front of Nok-Arthur right now?"
"Gurgle!"
A wall of swamp appeared in front of Wilder. Then, two red handprints shot up from below, striking the swamp wall.
Wilder stood motionless on top of the canopy, waiting for a response from the other end.
The faces of the people below, however, had changed. The bearded man's pupils contracted. He finally remembered who Wilder was!
"It's you!" his voice was incredibly grave.
Just then, Kizaru's voice finally came through the Den Den Mushi. "It seems what you're saying is true, Wilder-kun. Well then... location?"
Wilder smiled, as if they were partners who had worked together in perfect sync for years. "On the deserted island next to Punk Hazard."
"Wait for me," were the only two words from the other end before the call was disconnected.