On the island, Mihawk was left dumbfounded when Ortoren mentioned needing two hundred billion to secure him a position as one of the Shichibukai.
After a long pause, Mihawk pulled a crumpled invitation from his pocket and held it up. "You mean this? The Shichibukai?"
Ortoren took the wrinkled paper, opened it, and after a quick glance cursed under his breath.
"Are these things everywhere now? What the hell, they're all over the place!"
He handed it back to Mihawk. "That's the one. Interested?"
"It doesn't say anything here about paying two hundred billion Belly." Mihawk's sharp gaze locked on Ortoren.
"It doesn't spell it out, but it's the unspoken rule. That's just how the World Government works," Ortoren replied casually.
"Corruption and bribery?" Mihawk frowned, his tone laced with skepticism.
"You could put it that way." Ortoren thought for a moment, then nodded.
Mihawk chuckled. "Your World Government is quite something..."
After a brief pause, he asked, "And if I don't pay?"
"Then I'd make sure you don't become a Shichibukai," Ortoren admitted without hesitation.
"Then I'm not interested. It's not something I particularly need anyway." Mihawk didn't even think twice, tossing the invitation straight to the ground.
Sure, he looked like a noble with his attire and lived in a castle, but the truth was he was flat broke. Two hundred billion? He couldn't even scrape together two billion.
And even if he could, there was no way he'd hand it over to that bastard Ortoren.
"You could always reconsider..." Ortoren said helplessly.
"No money. I've only got two hundred thousand Belly to my name," Mihawk stated flatly.
"Becoming a Shichibukai makes you part of the World Government—an ally of the Marines, our brother organization. We've got plenty of swordsmen in the Marines. You could challenge them anytime without worrying about being hunted down..." Ortoren tried to tempt him.
Mihawk couldn't care less about being hunted or not—it didn't matter to him. But the thought of being able to challenge Marine swordsmen freely... that did stir his interest.
Still, having to pay Ortoren for that privilege? Not worth it.
After a moment of hesitation, Mihawk shook his head. "Forget it. I'm not interested for now. If I change my mind later, I'll consider it."
Seeing Mihawk's refusal, Ortoren sighed and waved his hand. "If you change your mind, just contact me anytime..."
With that, he turned to leave.
But after only two steps, Mihawk called out, "Wait."
A grin tugged at Ortoren's lips. You say no, but your body betrays you, he thought. Turning back with a smirk, he teased, "What? Changed your mind already? I told you, two hundred billion isn't a loss, it's a—"
Before he could finish, Mihawk pulled out a Den Den Mushi. "We haven't synced frequencies yet. How am I supposed to contact you?"
Ortoren froze, his expression slightly awkward. He pulled out his own Den Den Mushi, exchanged signals with Mihawk's, and without another word, turned and walked away.
Mihawk pocketed his Den Den Mushi as well, not bothering to stop him, and headed off in the opposite direction.
...
A short while later, Ortoren returned to the restaurant entrance. Seeing Vergo giving him a curious look, he waved it off. "Ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in years. Just went to say hello. Let's go."
Vergo didn't ask further and followed Ortoren inside.
Meanwhile, upstairs on the second floor, Moria finally let out a breath of relief. The guy had finally arrived.
He straightened up, adjusting his posture, and put on an air of solemn composure as he sat at the table.
Before long, Ortoren and Vergo came up the stairs. The moment Ortoren saw Moria, his face lit up with a warm smile. He stepped forward and greeted him enthusiastically. "Moria-san, I've long heard of you. An honor."
Moria had felt nervous at first. He didn't even know why he was putting on airs like this—it was pure impulse. Maybe it was because of his humiliating defeat before, leaving him bitter and unsatisfied. Now, with the World Government coming to his door, he couldn't resist posturing.
Maybe, in his own way, he was trying to erase the shame and frustration of losing to Kaidou.
People are strange that way. Even when you know something is foolish, a stubborn streak pushes you into doing it anyway.
When the Marines informed him that Ortoren would come in person, he had been worried. Ortoren's reputation preceded him, and he had even crossed swords with Kaidou himself. As someone who had personally faced Kaidou, Moria knew all too well just how strong Kaidou was.
It left him uneasy, but he had already put up the front, and backing down wasn't an option. Yet, seeing Ortoren greet him so warmly, showing him face, he finally relaxed.
And damn, it felt good!
Some people, once you give them an inch, they'll try to take the whole mile. Moria was exactly that kind of person.
The moment he saw Ortoren's friendly attitude, he only leaned further into his act. With a haughty nod and an indifferent tone, he said, "Long admired you, Vice Admiral Benn..."
His attitude was dismissive to the extreme.
Vergo shot Moria a strange look, unable to fathom how he dared to act like this.
What baffled Vergo even more was that Ortoren showed no sign of being offended. Smiling cheerfully, he sat across from Moria, pulled out a document, and said, "This is the official appointment letter for the Shichibukai. Once you sign your name here, Mr. Moria, you'll be part of the World Government family. Rest assured, we're a very close-knit group. The Marines warmly welcome a pirate of your strength and reputation into the Shichibukai, to join us in contributing to peace across the seas!"
Moria listened, but something about the phrasing rubbed him wrong. A great pirate? Contributing to peace? Did that logic even make sense?
Still, he didn't press on the details. Putting on airs, he lifted his teacup, took a slow sip, and finally said, "If I join the Shichibukai, the World Government will pardon all my past crimes and grant me legal rights to plunder, along with other privileges. Correct?"
"Correct, correct! From now on, when you go raiding, you'll only need to hand over a share of the spoils to the World Government. Then all those raids will be perfectly legal. Of course, as part of the World Government family, our suggestion is that you target non-Member Nations or similar powers. That way, everyone saves face. After all, they have no human rights and no legal protection..." Ortoren explained warmly, his tone almost gentle.
Moria felt as though a spring breeze had swept over him. His impression of the Marines was improving by the second. Maybe they weren't so bad after all. For Ortoren's sake, joining the Shichibukai might actually be worthwhile.
Perhaps... he could even use the power of the Marines and the World Government to deal with Kaidou and settle his grudge once and for all.
With that thought, his stance softened, and the conversation flowed more smoothly. Both men even shared a few laughs, the atmosphere turning surprisingly harmonious.
Once the details were settled and Moria felt he had postured enough, he took the pen and signed his name on the document.
Seeing his signature, Ortoren smiled, collected the papers, and extended his hand.
"Congratulations, esteemed Mr. Moria. From this moment forward, you are officially recognized by the World Government as a member of the Shichibukai. Now, to ensure our World Government family can better serve you, please pay the Shichibukai guarantee fee of two hundred billion Belly..."
Moria was just about to shake Ortoren's hand when he froze, stunned. "What? Two hundred billion?"
"The Shichibukai guarantee fee. Two hundred billion. Payable to us, the G-5 Marines. Would you prefer to settle it now, or write an IOU?" Ortoren asked with a warm smile, his tone still polite.
"I've never heard anything about paying money!!!" Moria roared, leaping to his feet and slamming his palm on the table.
Ortoren's expression instantly darkened. "You fucking ungrateful bastard, huh?"
Moria blinked in disbelief. Wasn't it Ortoren who had changed his tone so suddenly?
"I'm done being a Shichibukai!" Moria snapped, refusing to back down.
"You've already signed! You think you can just walk away? Who the hell do you think you are? You dare mock the Marines and the World Government? Vergo, close the door! Today I'll show him that in the New World, even pirates have to play fair. No one gets away owing Benn Ortoren money!"
With a thunderous slam of his hand on the table, Ortoren sprang to his feet and barked the order.
Before Moria could even react, Ortoren lunged forward, seizing him by the collar. He yanked him down hard, slamming his head against the table, then grabbed an ashtray and cracked it against the back of his skull.
Moria was stunned—not so much from pain, though the blow was humiliating, but because he simply couldn't process it. Just a moment ago, Ortoren had been all polite and courteous. How had it turned into this so suddenly?
As the thought crossed his mind, a sharp buzzing filled his skull.
"Admiral Sengoku sends his regards, you idiot!" Ortoren sneered.