After outsourcing the debt collection matter regarding the Shichibukai to the Big Mom Pirates, Ortoren turned to Tesoro and asked, "You've gone through all the materials I gave you earlier, right? Got any solid suggestions? With all of G-5's top brass gathered here, it's time for you to show everyone your ability and prove that my judgment was correct."
When Ortoren traveled all the way to the Sabaody Archipelago to bring back someone he claimed would take charge of G-5's logistics and economy, Momonga and Issho hadn't voiced any objections, but deep down, they were skeptical.
Now that everyone was present, if Tesoro could deliver a good answer, it would serve as proof of his worth.
Hearing this, Tesoro felt a bit tense, but quickly nodded. "Benn-sama, please wait a moment. I've prepared a proposal—I'll go get it."
Ortoren gestured for him to hurry. Once Tesoro left the office, Momonga finally spoke. "That kid looks... kind of unreliable. Can he really pull this off?"
Issho took a sip of tea and chuckled. "Don't judge by appearances. We should trust Ortoren's judgment. As long as he's more capable than us, that's enough."
Momonga stroked his chin thoughtfully, then nodded. "True enough. As long as he's more capable than us clueless idiots, that'll do."
Gion, still new and unfamiliar with G-5's way of operating, remained silent, sitting patiently on the sofa.
Tesoro didn't keep them waiting long. A few minutes later, he returned with several documents in his arms. He respectfully handed out copies to the senior officers present. Ortoren and the others took them and began flipping through the pages.
Clearing his throat, Tesoro began, "In the materials you gave me, Benn-sama, I saw some of Momonga-sama's ideas and proposals. I think the method of collecting protection fees from merchant fleets is something worth developing further. The problem is, the current approach is too rough, and the justification isn't convincing. It hurts the Marines' image. What we need is a more moderate method—one that merchant fleets would be willing to accept..."
At the mention of his idea, Momonga's interest was piqued. "Go on, explain."
Tesoro took a deep breath before speaking with resolve. "Here's the thing. I've studied many works on commerce in the New World. Our New World is a very unique trade zone. Everyone knows how dangerous it is—not only are there countless pirates and villains entrenched here, with endless fighting and chaos, but the climate itself is wildly unstable, making sailing extremely hazardous. It's nothing like the other seas. Yet even so, why do merchant caravans from every other sea still pour in, braving these dangers to enter the New World?"
"Why?" Momonga asked seriously.
Tesoro answered firmly, "Because business in the New World is almost always highly profitable. Generally speaking, the people who live here have no real concept of saving. After all, who knows which will come first—tomorrow or disaster? You could spend ten years scraping together savings, only for it all to end up in a pirate's hands. That's why, in the New World, people spend whatever money they have instead of saving. On top of that, the constant conflicts and extreme climate make resources extremely scarce. From a pricing perspective, goods in the New World cost about five to six times more than in the Four Seas. And that's just the basics. For higher-end goods, the markup can reach ten or even twenty times..."
The moment Tesoro laid out this theory, the looks in Momonga and Issho's eyes changed. Their initial dismissal vanished. This was something these straightforward fighters had never even thought about!
"And those exorbitant prices are also one of the reasons people avoid saving," Tesoro continued. "With costs that high, just surviving is hard enough. Saving requires living in comfort, and very few here can afford that. So a vicious cycle forms..."
No one interrupted him, so he continued.
"From this perspective, it's easy to see why merchant fleets keep charging into the New World despite the risk of being plundered by pirates or swallowed by extreme weather. The profit margins are just too high. Normally, a fleet of five ships sails in, and the deeper they push into the New World, the greater the returns. In the end, as long as even one ship makes it back, the caravan master walks away with guaranteed profits!"
Tesoro's voice grew heavier. "Guaranteed profit may sound ordinary, but for merchants, that's the one thing worth pursuing above all else. In other seas, such deals are rare. But these four words—guaranteed profit—mean that as long as they keep going, the money will never stop. It sounds plain, but the implications are terrifying."
Ortoren nodded. He couldn't help but agree. Guaranteed profit. The phrase might sound mundane, but in commerce it was a lethal weapon. Anyone who truly understood the business would go mad for it.
"And in the New World, this 'guaranteed profit' is just the baseline. Yes, the New World is chaotic and dangerous, but the data shows merchant fleets still reap staggering rewards. Take the five-ship example—most fleets actually make it back with two or three ships, and with good luck, sometimes all of them return. What does that mean? It means that in most cases, merchant guilds can earn at least three to four times what they would in other seas. And if their goods are rare? Then the profit margins become monstrous—ten times, twenty times, even higher!" Tesoro said with conviction.
Momonga and Issho exchanged a look, both visibly shaken.
With no one else speaking, Tesoro pressed on.
"These aren't just profits—they're windfall profits. That's the real reason why, no matter how chaotic the New World is, caravans still come in droves. And if we start from that fundamental point, there's something to consider. If we can provide merchants with stable, secure sales channels and safe zones in the New World, would they be willing to share a cut with us? If so, how much would they be willing to give? If we figure that out, it could greatly ease G-5's financial strain."
He looked to Ortoren, and perhaps the confidence from his earlier explanations gave him courage. This time, he was smiling brightly.
"We also have a natural advantage. If we can leverage it, I'm certain most merchant guilds and traders will flock to us—lining up to hand us money."
Ortoren smirked. "Quit stalling and say it."
Tesoro scratched his head, a little embarrassed, then continued.
"Totto Land. Because of Benn-sama's connections, we can maintain a tacit understanding with the Big Mom Pirates. And according to extensive data, in the past five to ten years, Totto Land—the so-called pirate nation—has been steadily becoming the commercial hub of the New World. It's loved by merchant guilds everywhere. Out of ten merchant ships entering the New World, seven or eight are headed there. And as for why... well, I don't need to explain, do I?"
Of course he didn't. None of them were versed in economics, but they understood the environment.
Totto Land was the most stable, militarily powerful, and expansive "nation" in the New World. Never mind that it wasn't recognized by the World Government, or that it was ruled by pirates.
To merchants, what did that matter? As long as the market was stable, the population large enough, and the purchasing power there, they would sell. Even if Totto Land were a kingdom built by demons from hell itself, they'd still do business.
"So, if we establish a merchants' guild and announce that caravans willing to join—and pay hefty membership fees monthly, quarterly, or annually—will gain safe and open trade routes in both Totto Land and our territories, I believe many merchants would jump at the chance. That's the first way to make money," Tesoro explained.
"And the second?" Ortoren asked.
"The second is for us to act as the middlemen. We buy up goods in bulk from these merchants and, using our stable ties with the Big Mom Pirates, sell them directly into Totto Land—pocketing the price difference," Tesoro said without hesitation.
And before Ortoren could ask again, he continued.
"The third option is to establish a dedicated commercial division—a caravan organization under us. From procurement to sales, we control the entire chain. We source goods in the Four Seas and sell them here in the New World. This model is by far the most profitable. The only question is... would the Marines even allow such commercial activity?"
"Of course not..." Ortoren shook his head. Then he grinned. "But we're G-5!"
What Marine Headquarters can do, G-5 can do. What Marine Headquarters can't do, G-5 can still do—bend the rules, secure an admiral's approval, act first and explain later. That's how we operate!