Katakuri nodded. With that, half the matter was already settled.
Ortoren then turned his gaze to the others. Dragon had already planned to have Ortoren set up a way for him to make money; they'd agreed on this back when they were talking on the Sabaody Archipelago. Given how things stood now, he knew this was Ortoren coming to fulfill that promise.
Otherwise, there'd be no need to drag the Revolutionary Army into this, especially with the World Government involved. With them in the mix, things would only get harder to handle.
So Dragon naturally had no objections. He said right away, "No problem on my end."
Ortoren thought, No problem on your end? You're a huge problem. You think investments don't cost money? You think I'm handing you profit for free?
Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud.
Besides, the Revolutionary Army used to be dirt poor, but didn't they just rob Holy Land? Whatever you swallowed, you're going to have to spit back out to me one way or another.
With Dragon on board, Doflamingo and Moria certainly wouldn't object either. The two of them were following Ortoren's lead—whatever the boss said, went.
As for Spandine, he had even less right to speak. This matter didn't have much to do with him, and he couldn't represent the World Government anyway. He was just here to broaden his horizons.
Tiger, on the other hand, fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help asking, "I support this in principle, but I don't have much spare capital on hand. And... compared to all of you, my influence and status probably aren't enough. So I really don't understand—what role am I supposed to play here?"
He was just the underworld boss of Fish-Man Island. Was he even qualified to get involved in something like this?
What was Ortoren thinking, bringing him in?
"Hahaha, Boss Tiger, don't underestimate yourself! As far as I'm concerned, you're the star piece in this whole plan. Everyone else here makes their living on the surface, but you're the only one who lives off the sea below. The main reason I invited you today is because of your background on Fish-Man Island. I see Fish-Man Island as a treasure trove. But I don't have any personal ties with King Neptune, and I can't exactly invite him all the way here as a guest, can I?" Ortoren laughed.
Then, before Tiger could say anything, Ortoren started explaining the importance of Fish-Man Island to everyone.
Resources on the surface and under the sea basically don't intersect. Why do so many people risk their lives to stir up trouble on Fish-Man Island? In the end, it all comes down to profit.
Fish-Man Island can develop extremely rich undersea resources. Fist-sized pearls and the like are nothing special down there, but on the surface, they're priceless treasures. The problem is, for ordinary people these luxury goods are meaningless—they couldn't afford them anyway.
But the main customers of the entertainment complex would be the top elites of the world. They can afford to enjoy them.
At the start, this entertainment complex needed a strong flagship product. An undersea specialty was exactly the trump card Tesoro had prepared in his plans.
Pearls, coral, undersea gemstones and so on—those are the merchandise. On top of that, if they could hire mermaids to perform on the sea and open mermaid cafés, taverns, restaurants and the like, that would form a very rare industry chain out on the ocean. And what is that? That's a unique selling point.
No other place would have it. Everywhere else it would be illegal. Only in their entertainment complex would it exist in abundance, everything available, all perfectly legal and compliant.
After Ortoren laid all this out, Tiger instantly understood.
"Also, like I said earlier about security—everyone here is a big shot. With people like us backing it, the safety of the entertainment complex is beyond doubt. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to come here and make trouble. And precisely because it's so safe, it's all the more suitable to serve as a channel and bridge between Fish-Man Island and the surface, don't you think? From what I know, Princess Otohime and even King Neptune have been hoping in recent years to make contact with and integrate into surface society, to reduce differences, misunderstandings, discrimination, and so on... Isn't this a great opportunity for that?" Ortoren said, guiding him step by step.
Tiger's expression brightened at those words. That's right!
Well said, Ortoren, well said!
Thinking about it that way, this entertainment complex really was both a cooperative project that could bring ample benefits to Fish-Man Island, and a window through which Fish-Man Island could look out at the surface world.
And for Ortoren, this was just the beginning of their collaboration. He had no real ties to Fish-Man Island beyond this one cooperation with Tiger. But Tiger wasn't the king of Fish-Man Island; there were many things he had no authority to decide. If Ortoren wanted to secure undersea resources, he would ultimately have to connect with someone like Neptune.
Fish-Man Island truly held immense value beneath the sea. Forget about the undersea treasures mentioned earlier—just the mineral resources down there, once developed, would bring in an endless stream of gold!
If Ortoren were to approach Neptune directly about these matters, the negotiations would certainly fail. The gap between them was too wide, and trust was lacking. But if this entertainment complex could act as a bridge, allowing both sides to gradually get familiar with each other and build trust, then the next steps would fall into place naturally.
This was exactly why Ortoren wanted to bring Tiger and Fish-Man Island into the fold. First, using Fish-Man Island as a foundation would provide the entertainment complex with a unique feature. Second, it would create the necessary trust for the future development of Fish-Man Island's potential.
"It all makes sense now! If that's the case, I'll definitely give my full support!" Tiger immediately agreed after understanding the plan.
"Hahaha, excellent! As long as we're aligned on the vision, the rest will be handled by my team. They'll go over everything with you in detail. Once everyone is satisfied with the plan and distribution, I'll personally negotiate with the World Government to push for swift implementation!" Ortoren said with satisfaction.
This was a massive and complex undertaking, involving numerous competing interests. It wasn't something they could settle with just a few words. Much more needed to be discussed later, but Ortoren wouldn't need to handle those details himself.
His role was to solidify the agreement with these leaders. The rest would be taken care of by others, freeing him from having to manage everything himself.
The others understood that this wouldn't be a quick process. Once consensus was reached, they'd proceed step by step. No one pressed further on the matter.
After wrapping that up, Ortoren continued, "Next, I need to discuss some personal matters with you all. First, regarding Tiger's situation—like I mentioned earlier over the Den Den Mushi—about our request to the Marines regarding Holy Land... We need them to find a member of the Shichibukai with ties to Fish-Man Island..."
"I've already brought the right candidate—my younger brother, Jinbe," Tiger immediately said.
It was clear, however, that Jinbe hadn't come into the meeting and was likely waiting outside.
"Very well. Since you've chosen him, Tiger, I have no objections. It's settled then. Mr. Jinbe will be a Shichibukai from now on. Before you leave, I'll sign and hand over the appointment letter to you." Ortoren agreed without hesitation.
Tiger had prepared a lot of introductions and even lined up alternate candidates in case Ortoren didn't approve of Jinbe. He hadn't expected such a decisive response. Ortoren made the decision without a single question or glance—everything was settled right then and there.
Being a Shichibukai almost seemed as common as buying cabbage at a market!
But it was precisely Ortoren's effortless attitude that brought an invisible weight into the room. This pressure seemed to stem from Ortoren's overwhelming power.
Truly worthy of a Fleet Admiral! Truly worthy of a New World overlord! One sentence, and a Shichibukai is decided!
After sensing the atmosphere, Dragon couldn't help but glance at his fellow Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo and Moria... It felt like their status was no big deal either.
Doflamingo noticed Dragon's odd look but didn't care at all.
What's there to see? Shichibukai? It's just a label. And now? The least important one.
If we're talking credentials, I'm the King of Dressrosa, a member of the World Government's affiliated nations. I'm the future head of the New World Coast Guard, a future Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters. Shichibukai? That's just a disguise to hide these prestigious titles. What's there to be proud of, you revolutionary leader?
As for Moria, he also caught Dragon's strange glance but didn't care either. What's a Shichibukai? I'm going to inherit Ochoku's headquarters, manage the New World's economic and trade hub, and control a massive workforce. In two years, I'll be a world-renowned billionaire. What's there to be proud of, you penniless fool, Dragon?
Just you wait. When I'm rich, I'll put a bounty on your dog's head—along with Kaidou's—worth hundreds of billions of Belly!
...
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