"You should understand that without the backing of the world's most profitable industries, the World Government's finances would be in serious trouble."
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro's expression was grim as he spoke, unusually direct.
Yes!
Despite the seemingly noble image of the World Government, the meager Heavenly Tribute isn't even enough to support the extravagant, wasteful Celestial Dragons.
Let alone paying government officials, the Navy's military budget, research funding, and a plethora of miscellaneous expenses...
That's why, in every high-profit industry, the shadow of the World Government can be found.
Entertainment and gambling, funerals, special services, transportation, media control, lending, storage, arms, intermediaries...
As a behemoth that has ruled the world for 800 years, the World Government has long been coveting the profits from these industries.
They've already infiltrated them deeply to extract benefits.
In fact, many underworld bosses are backed by none other than the World Government.
When Orin first dipped his toes into the underworld, the World Government had already received pleas for help from these so-called representatives.
But compared to those businesses, becoming hostile toward Orin clearly wasn't in their best interest.
So they chose to turn a blind eye.
And that very choice made those representatives believe the World Government had abandoned them. As a result, they threw themselves under Orin's banner without hesitation.
After Orin made his public declarations, many underworld figures chose to submit.
But what the Elders didn't expect was that Orin was so greedy...
He actually wanted to control the entire underworld.
"You're overthinking it, Nusjuro."
Saint Topman Warcury sat on the sofa and spoke in a low voice:
"Orin isn't a fool. He doesn't think he can devour the entire pie, not even our World Government can do that. To monopolize all the global businesses? He'd become the world's enemy in an instant!"
The power of capital is immense, even in a world where personal strength varies drastically.
Touch the world's profits, and even if you can't be killed, you'll never be accepted.
"What Orin wants is moderation, not ownership. If we let him have that kind of authority, it's not enough to turn him into another enemy. Our interests might be affected, but not drastically. Sacrificing a small portion for Orin is still acceptable."
This logic held up well.
After some thought, the other Elders nodded.
"Call Orin again. I'm sure he'll respect the World Government's position."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
After all, as the de facto rulers of the member nations, they hoped to resolve matters peacefully as long as there was room for negotiation.
If they couldn't deal with the person causing problems, they'd have to solve the problem itself.
The issue of the World Government's share of underworld profits required further detailed discussion.
And Orin had already anticipated this.
What he intended was to establish rules and collect payments.
He wasn't trying to pocket everything—he wasn't that dumb to push others into rebellion.
But if he did want to monopolize the business and the benefits...
Just how much Belly could he earn?
Trillions? Ten trillion? A hundred trillion?
According to intelligence from Morgans, Orin had a rough estimate of the underworld market's total size.
Even if he took only ten percent of the profits, it would be enough for him to live not just one lifetime, but ten thousand.
At that point, the title of "the richest man in the world" would be more than deserved.
Orin was quite satisfied with that.
At that moment, the World Government placed a timely call.
Orin extended his hand, and a Den Den Mushi appeared in his palm—the one used to contact the Elders.
"Elders-sama." Orin smiled warmly.
But the Elders had no intention of playing games with Orin and got straight to the point:
"Orin, let's skip the small talk. Our time is precious.
We're calling to ask about your views on the distribution of underworld profits."
There was no need for pretense.
Everyone here was at the top of the world. They didn't need to dance around the topic.
"Looks like you've caught wind of something."
Orin wasn't surprised. With that much money at stake, even the Elders getting directly involved was to be expected.
"Rest assured, everyone... I can give you the inside scoop. The lion's share of profits will remain with whoever they originally belonged to, as long as the market isn't disturbed and the rules aren't broken. I'll only take a small commission."
Those words put the minds of the world's highest authorities at ease.
But they still pressed on:
"How much is that small portion?"
"Five percent of net profit. Not too much, right?"
"..."
The five of them exchanged glances and fell silent.
It didn't sound like much at first.
But it depended on the base number.
Just five percent from the World Government's share alone would mean a reduction of at least hundreds of billions of Belly each year.
After thinking it over, they still nodded.
Yes, it was a lot.
But not enough to damage the foundations.
And with Orin managing things in a more orderly manner, the chaos of the underworld might be reduced, possibly expanding the total volume of business.
If the pie got bigger, giving away a slice wasn't so bad...
"Alright. But we want to ensure the total share remains safe."
...
"Naturally. After all, who would dare steal business from the World Government in this sea?"
Orin replied cheerfully, not noticing the dark expressions on the Elders' faces.
Who would dare steal their profits?
Wasn't he the one doing exactly that?
The conversation remained civil and friendly, since both sides had made concessions to safeguard their interests.
But the Elders were far from kind souls.
Their fangs only stayed hidden when facing the uncontrollable. Against their own people...
"Beru beru beru beru..."
Soon, another call went out from the Room of Power.
"Click."
"This is Marine Headquarters. I'm Fleet Admiral Kong."
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, as the Den Den Mushi spoke, the Navy officers analyzing the Totto Land War all fell silent.
Seeing the caller ID, Kong stood up immediately and stepped outside to take the call.
"Elders-sama..."
Once the line connected, the Elders dropped all politeness. Their tone turned cold as they issued an order:
"Kong, we're calling to inform you of one thing."
"Yes, please go ahead."
"Due to special circumstances, next year's naval military budget will be cut. Roughly several hundred billion. Prepare accordingly."
"This... Understood!!"
Kong's face darkened. Though he felt humiliated by the Elders' command, he had no choice but to obey.
Returning to the meeting room, he immediately saw Garp sneakily eating senbei again.
He snatched the snack away and roared:
"Eat, eat, eat—that's all you ever do!! Garp, your salary is halved next month!!!"
"Eh!?!?"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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