The Deal

Vidal and Borsalino returned to the cabin, but the former was still in a bad mood, his heart heavy with pressure.

Whether the latter was genuinely confident in his studies or completely indifferent to exams, he remained as nonchalant as ever.

"From 6 p. m. to 6 a. m., minus sleep time, that's only five or six hours of memorization time a day. That's outrageous!" Vidal sighed as he sat down on the sofa.

"Time is a bit tight," Borsalino said with a smile, wiping his sunglasses with a small cloth.

Vidal asked in bewilderment, "Why do you look so relaxed and confident?"

"I'm not particularly confident, but I don't think being banned from the free-for-all is a bad thing, so naturally I don't care about passing the exam," Borsalino said with a smirk.

I see. Vidal was speechless, stumped by this absurd logic. It does seem to make sense.

"So as long as I don't rank in the bottom ten, isn't that enough?" Borsalino casually put his sunglasses into his pocket.

Meanwhile, Zephyr arrived at the conference room on the highest level of the naval fortress. By this time, all the Vice Admirals had already dispersed, and only Fleet Admiral Sora and Admiral Sengoku remained.

"You've all witnessed the battle. I won't go into detail about the trainees' skill levels; I'll handle the rest, and you don't need to interfere."

"So I came here to show you this thing called 'Green Bean'." Zephyr sat down opposite Sengoku without any ceremony and placed two Green Beans on the conference table.

"What is this?" Sengoku gently picked up one and asked. They hadn't seen Vidal feeding Sakazuki the 'Green Bean'.

Zephyr explained the effects of the 'Green Bean', in fact, he had already eaten one before he came.

Soon, before he could finish speaking, Kong and Sengoku's expressions turned serious.

They understood what Zephyr meant: even if this stuff could only be provided in small quantities, it could play a crucial role in many situations.

Moreover, after hearing that Vidal had already started selling it within the Special Training Camp, the two realized that this matter had great potential!

"According to you, this 'Green Bean' requires energy called Photosynthetic Energy, and Borsalino can quickly replenish Vidal's Photosynthetic Energy."

Kong examined the 'Green Bean,' he said, 'So this thing that can replenish stamina and heal injuries can be mass-produced, right?'

"That's right!" Zephyr nodded emphatically. " At Rear Admiral rank or above should be no problem."

"Then what are we waiting for? Call Vidal over immediately and have a talk," Sengoku said right away.

"But this 'Green Bean,' Vidal is currently selling it for 100,000 Beli each, and it's likely just a friendly price, since it's being sold inside the Special Training Camp," Zephyr said, then revealed Vidal's love of money.

Sora and Sengoku fell silent. One hundred thousand pills might not seem like much, but the sheer volume was staggering. There were at least a hundred Commodores, Rear Admirals, and vice Vice Admirals in the entire Marine Headquarters.

Not to mention that some of them are Giant Tribe, and since these things can also be used for training, shouldn't we allocate some to the elite marines at headquarters and to the various G-system branches?

This calculation adds considerable pressure to the navy's budget, and this matter definitely needs to be discussed with the government.

The thought of this gave Fleet Admiral Kong a headache, not to mention that Zephyr had mentioned that 100,000 per pill might just be a friendly price, so what was the actual price?

Two hundred thousand per piece, or three hundred thousand per piece?!

Regardless of the circumstances, none of the three mentioned forcing Vidal; anyone with a brain would know that would be the most foolish thing to do.

At most, we can discuss the price with them, but it probably won't be less than 100,000 per piece.

"I'll talk to this Vidal first," Kong said. Sengoku nodded in agreement. "That's the only way."

"What about Borsalino?" Zephyr suddenly asked.

Sora and Sengoku were taken aback. Right, mass-producing 'Green Beans' also requires Borsalino's support. Should they discuss the production costs with him?

"Well, let's call them both over then," Kong sighed. Why does he have to be so materialistic? How vulgar!

The three big shots didn't need to go themselves to summon someone; the navy officers waiting outside would handle the notification.

A dozen minutes later, Vidal and Borsalino arrived side by side, stepping into the conference room that was only accessible to the top brass for the first time.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, Teacher Zephyr, Admiral Sengoku," Vidal greeted softly first, while Borsalino beside him shook his head and looked around.

"Yes, please sit down."

Kong revealed a kind smile. He was seventy-six years old this year, a true old man, and he was extremely pleased with these young naval personnel with boundless potential.

He quickly revealed the details about the 'Green Beans,' Vidal understood immediately. He knew that the Navy would not overlook the value of the 'Green Beans.'

Borsalino was also happy to hear that he would receive an extra bonus. Although he wasn't particularly greedy, a raise and increased income were always a good thing.

He came to work in the navy so that he could live a stable and decent life.

"As for the price, no need to pay more, 100,000 per piece will do. After all, I am a navy officer who dreams of becoming Fleet Admiral, and I will definitely take care of my own people," Vidal said.

As expected, this greatly pleased Sora, Sengoku, Zephyr. It seemed that this kid wasn't too greedy and was a good prospect.

However, Vidal continued, "But you can't stop me from selling to others; of course, I guarantee the price will be far higher than 100,000 per piece."

"It would also be best if you didn't give the 'Green Beans' I sold to you to the government. If they want them, let them come to me to buy them, thank you."

He didn't use a forceful stance of prohibition here, after all, he wasn't powerful enough to command them.

"Hahaha, kid, are you really planning to become a businessman?" Fleet Admiral Kong laughed loudly.

"Yes, I'm very interested in doing business. I'll ask Fleet Admiral, Admiral Sengoku, and Teacher Zephyr to take good care of me in the future," Vidal replied with a shrug.

"However, could I ask Fleet Admiral Kong for a small favor?"

"Tell me about it." Kong noncommittal.

"I'd like Bullet to join the next Special Training Camp, and then work under Vice Admiral Garp after graduation, is that alright?"

The three bigwigs were surprised that Vidal would bring up his adopted son; they just felt that he truly considered Bullet as family.

"Well, the Navy Academy is currently under Zephyr's control. You'll have to ask him. I have no objections," said Fleet Admiral Kong.

While this sounds polite, it's pretty much true. Zephyr and he both held the rank of Admiral, so strictly speaking, they weren't superior or subordinate; they just had different positions.

So even if Zephyr agrees, it won't make a difference if Zephyr really disagrees.

"Sure!" Zephyr readily agreed, but quickly added, "However, if I find he's not qualified enough and can't keep up with the Special Training Camp, don't blame me if I might kick him out."

"Okay!" Vidal immediately agreed. He was joking, though; was this even a condition for Bullet?

"Also, you have to provide the next Special Training Camp with three 'Green Beans' per week for free." Zephyr was trying to benefit his students whom he hadn't even met yet.

"Alright then," Vidal said, a pained expression on his face.

In this way, Bullet is essentially training with both Zephyr and Garp. Has Vidal mistreated his son?