"What a pleasant afternoon."
Sivedia took a sip of red tea and sighed in a melodramatic tone.
The Cia Kingdom was just a small country in the East Blue.
And he was merely a minor noble within the Cia Kingdom, with a territory consisting of only a small village.
Back then, to maintain his dignified lifestyle, he had no choice but to set sail for trade. However, he encountered pirates and nearly died on Golden Lion Shiki's Floating Islands.
"Damn it, forget about it already!"
Sivedia set down his teacup and looked up at the blue sky and white clouds with a sigh.
That experience would have been something any noble could boast about—after all, he had survived an encounter with the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki.
But after escaping Shiki, he ended up facing another demon.
To this day, Sivedia still couldn't understand how that mysterious fellow from back then had become the world's recognized fifth Emperor of the Sea in just a few short years.
What was worse, he owed money to this newly crowned Emperor.
"He probably doesn't know where I am… Yes, that must be it."
Since returning from that voyage, Sivedia had never set sail again, preferring a slightly more frugal life rather than risking it.
Reddy had never come to collect the 100 million Berries bounty he had promised back then. At first, Sivedia had worked hard to save up the money, but as time passed, he had spent most of it to maintain his noble lifestyle.
Now, scraping together another 100 million Berries wasn't so easy.
So, clinging to the hope that Reddy might not find a minor noble like him in such a small kingdom, Sivedia hid in his territory and lived day by day.
"Am I not supposed to know where you are?"
Sivedia watched as a door suddenly opened in the air before him, and Reddy stepped out. Instantly, his entire body went numb.
Reddy glanced around and nodded in approval. "The scenery here is nice, very rustic."
"Lord Reddy…"
Sivedia stammered, trying to explain. "I prepared the money three years ago, but I could never find you."
Reddy shrugged. "Well, now I'm here. Give me the money, and we'll be even."
"Of course, of course."
Sweat beaded on Sivedia's forehead as he forced an awkward smile, his mind racing to come up with a reasonable excuse.
"So… you don't have the money to pay me back now?"
Reddy couldn't help but laugh.
He hadn't interacted much with the nobles of this world, but based on what he had seen and heard, he could guess that minor nobles like Sivedia had small territories and limited income.
A hundred million Berries was a huge sum for a minor noble like him.
With Sivedia's tiny territory, maintaining a dignified noble lifestyle was impossible.
That hundred million Berries might have been gathered back then, but by now, it was surely gone.
"Please give me some more time!"
Sivedia's face turned pale as he dropped to his knees, begging Reddy for more time to gather the money.
Reddy smirked. "Does your territory even earn ten million Berries a year?"
"A little more than that."
Sivedia forced a smile, nervously watching Reddy.
If one was ruthless and greedy enough, even a rock could be squeezed for oil.
Reddy chuckled and asked, "So you plan to take ten years to pay off your debt to me?"
Sivedia's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shook his head.
He'd rather owe money to a high-ranking noble than delay repayment to an Emperor of the Sea.
"Can you even borrow money now?"
Reddy glanced at Sivedia's decent but unremarkable attire and shook his head.
The first time he had met Sivedia, even after surviving a shipwreck, the noble had been dressed far more elegantly than now.
Sivedia gave a dry laugh.
As a noble, borrowing money wasn't difficult, but it came at a steep price.
If he ran into someone particularly greedy, they'd likely demand his territory as collateral.
Sivedia had refused before, but now he had no choice.
Reddy waved his hand. "No need to go through all that trouble. Just exchange that hundred million Berries for food supplies instead."
"Huh?"
Sivedia was stunned.
This condition wasn't harsh—it was far too lenient!
Though the Cia Kingdom was small, its land was fertile, and agriculture thrived. Otherwise, with just a village as his territory, he wouldn't have been able to earn over ten million Berries a year.
At the current food prices in the Cia Kingdom, a hundred million Berries would be enough to buy up all the surplus grain in his small territory, with plenty left over to trade for favors and connections.
"May I ask… why?"
Sivedia wasn't so dazzled by this sudden windfall that he lost his caution. He tentatively probed for more information.
"Right now, I'm seen as easy prey by many."
Reddy's negotiations with the Marines hadn't been made public, but well-connected merchants knew the Marines would pay to retrieve their captured soldiers.
Even if they didn't know exactly how many prisoners he had taken, these merchants were willing to bet heavily on this outcome.
After all, Loguetown couldn't sustain itself and needed to import large amounts of food.
Beyond that, the massive construction site outside Loguetown was proof that building materials would be in high demand for a long time.
Food and construction materials.
Currently, many merchants in Loguetown were waiting for Reddy to announce the scale of his orders.
Reddy wasn't stupid.
In this situation, one should never underestimate the greed of merchants.
Even if he was called an Emperor of the Sea, business was business.
These merchants wouldn't bring the goods to the island—they'd only bring samples at most.
Only after negotiations were settled would they transport the supplies over.
From what Reddy knew, one of the underground world's big shots, the Underworld Broker Umit, was also sharpening his knives, ready to fleece him like a fat sheep.
"I am your most loyal business partner!"
Sivedia's heart raced as he immediately adopted a posture of unwavering loyalty.
He saw an opportunity to rise to greatness.
"Not just food!"
"Whatever you need, I can provide it!"
"After all, I am a noble!"
Sivedia enthusiastically listed his advantages.
Even as a minor noble, he was still a noble.
With this status, gathering the supplies Reddy needed would be effortless.
"Then I'll leave it to you?"
Seeing Sivedia so eager, Reddy patted his shoulder encouragingly. "It's risky for you, so I'll assign some bodyguards to ensure your safety."
Sivedia was overjoyed.
If he could cling to this powerful figure… oh ho, he was set for life!
Reddy snapped his fingers.
Two more figures stepped out from the door.
Sivedia's smile froze as he stared in shock at the two identical faces before him.
Damn it, they were even familiar faces!
Bill stepped forward with reverence, his clone following behind him as they took their places behind Reddy.
"His strength is roughly equivalent to a Marine Vice Admiral."
Reddy pointed at Bill's clone and gave a brief introduction, then gestured at Bill with a smile. "You're familiar with Bill. He'll serve as your head bodyguard."
Bill's strength wasn't on par with his clone, but his loyalty made up for it.
Currently, whether it was Punk Hazard, Satellite Island, Loguetown, or Dressrosa, Bill's position was somewhat awkward.
Now was the perfect time to use him as a liaison between Reddy and Sivedia.
It was also a warning, ensuring Sivedia didn't get too carried away and lose his senses.
"Thank you."
Sivedia's smile was strained.
Ignoring his discomfort, Reddy continued, "Ship a batch of seeds to Loguetown as soon as possible. There's also a group of bodyguards waiting for you to take command."