Undercurrents in the Underworld

It was the fifth month after the God Valley Incident.

A black ship was moored at Hachinosu's port. It bore no flag or markings, but its hull was made of the same alloy steel plating used on Marine warships, and it was expensive.

Ginny stood on the dock with a telescope in her hand.

"He's here," she said to Lin Yuan beside her. "Du Feld. The King of Loan Sharks."

"Alone?"

"He brought four bodyguards. All veterans of the New World."

Lin Yuan walked toward the dock with his hands in his pockets.

The ship came alongside, and the gangway was lowered. A burly man with a meaty face and more than a dozen gold rings on his fingers walked down. He was Du Feld, the King of Loan Sharks, one of the emperors of the Underworld, who controlled the flow of money across the entire sea.

"Captain Lin Yuan." Du Feld spread his arms, smiling like a businessman. "I've heard so much about you."

Lin Yuan did not offer his hand.

"Mr. Du Feld. Please, come inside."

Du Feld was not embarrassed. He lowered his arms and followed Lin Yuan into the castle.

In the hall, Ginny had already laid out tea and refreshments. Du Feld sat down, and his four bodyguards stood in a row behind him. Lin Yuan sat opposite him, with Ginny beside him, holding a ledger.

"Mr. Du Feld, you didn't come to Hachinosu just to drink tea, did you?"

"Of course not." Du Feld picked up his cup and took a sip. "I'm here to do business."

"What kind of business?"

"Seastone."

Lin Yuan said nothing.

Du Feld set down his cup, pulled a sheet of paper from inside his coat, and spread it on the table.

"These are the figures for the New World's Seastone trade over the past six months. You accounted for seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent was divided among more than a dozen small suppliers." Du Feld tapped the figures on the paper. "You're the biggest, but you don't have an exclusive distribution channel. Buyers have to negotiate with suppliers one by one. It's a hassle."

"So?"

"So I want to sign an exclusive deal with you." Du Feld held up three fingers. "A hundred tons of Seastone a year, at thirty percent above market price. Exclusive supply—you sell only to me. You save yourself the trouble of finding buyers, and I save myself the trouble of finding suppliers. A win for both of us."

Ginny's eyes lit up. A thirty percent premium on a hundred tons meant a deal worth billions.

Lin Yuan did not react.

"No exclusivity," he said.

Du Feld's smile froze for an instant.

"Why?"

"Exclusivity means you call the shots. Today you offer a thirty percent premium, tomorrow it's ten percent, and the day after that you force the price down. With no other buyers, I'd have to do as you say." Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair. "I'm not some rookie who just put to sea, Mr. Du Feld."

Du Feld stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed.

"Hahahaha... You're sharper than I thought, kid."

"A businessman has to be sharp."

"Then what do you want?"

"Priority supply," Lin Yuan said. "When you want goods, you get first priority. But I won't sign an exclusive deal. I have the right to sell to others."

Du Feld fell silent for a moment.

"How much priority supply?"

"Eighty tons a year. I'll keep the other twenty for my own use or sell it to someone else."

"Eighty tons..." Du Feld considered it. "All right. But the price can only be twenty percent above market."

"Twenty-five."

"Deal."

Du Feld held out his hand.

Lin Yuan shook it.

"Here's to a successful partnership."

"Here's to a successful partnership."

Du Feld got up to leave. At the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Lin Yuan.

"Kid, there's something I'm not sure I should say."

"Say it."

"You're becoming more and more like Rocks."

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"How so?"

"You've got guts. You've got a big appetite. You don't take anyone seriously." Du Feld smiled. "But you're smarter than him. He's a madman; you're a businessman."

"I'm not Rocks," Lin Yuan said. "He's a madman; I'm a businessman."

Du Feld nodded, turned, and walked out of the castle.

His four bodyguards followed him, their footsteps fading in the direction of the dock.

Ginny put away the ledger and looked at Lin Yuan.

"You turned down the exclusive deal. Will Du Feld look for someone else?"

"No," Lin Yuan said. "There's no one else in the New World who can supply eighty tons of Seastone a year. He's a smart man. He won't make things difficult for himself."

Ginny asked no more questions.

Three days later, Morgans called.

"Lin Yuan, I have new information. Want to hear it?"

"Go ahead."

"There's trouble within the Rocks Pirates."

Lin Yuan's fingers paused.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Whitebeard wants to go independent." Morgans lowered his voice. "He's looking for a crew of his own. He recently took in a kid named Marco, who ate the Phoenix Fruit. He's taken in a few others too. Looks like he's putting together his own fleet."

"What about Golden Lion?"

"Golden Lion doesn't accept Rocks's authority either. He wants to strike out on his own, but he hasn't said so outright yet. He's expanding his territory, and it's overlapped with Rocks's turf several times. The two of them have argued and nearly come to blows."

"And Big Mom?"

"Big Mom's expanding her territory too. She's had several children recently, and she used the Soul-Soul Fruit's power on them to put together some kind of 'Homies' army." Morgans paused. "Her forces have clashed with Rocks's too, but she's a woman, so Rocks is more courteous to her than he is to Golden Lion."

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment.

"Does Rocks know?"

"Of course he does. But he can't keep them under control," Morgans said. "Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom—he can't control any of the three. It's already a miracle that Rocks got them aboard his ship. But making them obey him for the rest of their lives? Impossible."

"What do you suggest?"

"Keep your distance," Morgans said. "The Rocks Pirates will fall apart sooner or later. When they do, it won't be quiet. You've only just found your footing. Don't get caught up in it."

"Got it."

Lin Yuan hung up.

Ginny poked her head out of the Intelligence Room.

"Rocks is about to fall apart?"

"Soon."

"Then what do we do?"

"Wait," Lin Yuan said. "When it falls apart, we'll go pick up the scraps."

Ginny glanced at him but said nothing.

Another three days passed.

A massive pirate ship docked at Hachinosu's port. Its sails bore a skull-and-sweets emblem—Charlotte Linlin's ship.

Ginny ran into the castle, her expression troubled.

"Lin Yuan, Big Mom sent someone."

"Who?"

"An officer. His name is... Perospero."

Lin Yuan stood up.

"Ask him in."

Perospero walked down the gangway. He was tall and thin, with long blond hair and a Candy Cane in his hand. His tongue was long. He stuck it out like a snake and licked the corner of his mouth.

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain Lin Yuan." Perospero gave a slight bow. "Mama sent me to deliver a letter."

He pulled a pink envelope from inside his coat and handed it to Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan opened it. Inside was a gold-embossed invitation. It read:

"Mamamama... Kid, come to Whole Cake Island for tea, and let's discuss a partnership. —Charlotte Linlin"

After reading it, Lin Yuan handed the invitation to Ginny.

"Big Mom invited me to tea."

Ginny took the invitation, and her expression changed.

"You can't go."

"Why not?"

"That's Big Mom's territory. If you go, you won't come back out."

Perospero smiled.

"Mama said it's just tea. She won't make things difficult for Captain Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan glanced at Perospero.

"Go back and tell Big Mom. Tea is fine, but not on Whole Cake Island."

Perospero's smile froze for a moment.

"Then where?"

"Hachinosu," Lin Yuan said. "If she wants to discuss a partnership, she can come here."

Ginny's knees went weak.

Perospero's tongue drew back into his mouth, and his eyes narrowed.

"Captain Lin Yuan, do you know what you're saying? Mama is the strongest woman in the New World. You want her to come to your territory?"

"I know," Lin Yuan said. "I'm a businessman. A businessman plays on his home turf."

Perospero stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Interesting. I'll pass that along."

He turned, walked down the steps, and boarded the ship.

The ship slowly sailed out of the harbor.

Ginny stood beside Lin Yuan and took a deep breath.

"You're crazy. You really are crazy."

"I'm not crazy."

"If Big Mom comes, how are we supposed to host her? How much does she eat in one meal? What if she's not satisfied and smashes up the island?"

"Then let her smash it," Lin Yuan said. "If she does, I'll go to Whole Cake Island and smash hers up in return."

Ginny looked at him, not knowing what to say.

Lin Yuan turned and walked into the castle.

"Ginny."

"Yes?"

"Make preparations. If Big Mom really comes, we need something presentable to serve her."

"Like what?"

"Desserts," Lin Yuan said. "Big Mom loves desserts most. Find the best chef on the island and have them make the best cake."

Ginny stared for a moment, then laughed.

"You really are... a businessman."

"I told you. I'm a businessman."

Far away, on the sea, Big Mom's ship had already disappeared beyond the horizon.

Peace returned to Hachinosu's port.

(End of chapter 47)