Umbrella Corporation

Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 23.

Before the iron-barred display window of a Human Trafficking Shop, Gild Tesoro was still singing. He hoped to bring more joy to his beloved.

Bang!

The door of the Human Trafficking Shop was pushed open from within. A middle-aged man in a black suit with a full beard walked out.

"Hey, kid! You've been singing all night. It's almost midnight now—I need to close up and sleep."

"If you really like Stella, then pay up and buy her!

"Spending 38 million Belly to buy a princess from a non-World Government member nation is a bargain no matter how you look at it!" the middle-aged man said with a yawn.

In truth, the middle-aged man was also eager to sell Stella!

Though she was a princess from a non-World Government member nation and skilled in many arts, she was ultimately just a somewhat prettier woman. For the same price, he could easily buy four or five beauties of similar looks.

Recently, he had even been considering lowering the price. Stella had been eating and drinking for free at his place for over a year.

If he waited a few more years and her looks faded, he might not even be able to sell her...

"Boss, please wait a little longer. I'll have the money soon..." Gild Tesoro said earnestly.

"If you're truly determined to buy her, I can knock off one million Belly.

"I'm only giving you this price because you've come here every day for over a year."

As the two spoke, a figure shrouded in Black Mist descended from the sky and landed in the street, startling the owner.

When the Black Mist dispersed, it revealed a silver-haired youth. Gild Tesoro immediately cried out in delight:

"Boss Sephiroth!"

"I brought the money."

Sephiroth canceled his vampire form. He chuckled and patted the suitcase in his hand.

"Boss, the money's here. I'm redeeming Stella right now."

Beaming with joy, Gild Tesoro grabbed the middle-aged man's shoulders and shook him vigorously.

My one million Belly!... The Human Trafficking Shop owner lamented inwardly. Why had he gone soft-hearted and lowered the price?

Still, the owner did not go back on his word. He immediately led Sephiroth and Gild Tesoro into the Human Trafficking Shop, quickly processed Stella's purchase papers, and exchanged money for goods.

When Stella was released from the display window and the Explosive Collar around her neck was removed, she instantly threw herself into Gild Tesoro's arms and began crying loudly, forcing him to hurriedly comfort her.

Seeing that the two showed no signs of stopping, Sephiroth, who had been fed a mouthful of lovey-dovey nonsense, coughed lightly.

"Cough! You two, that's enough! There are still people here!"

"Ah! I'm very sorry!"

Gild Tesoro scratched his head awkwardly and smiled sheepishly. Stella, beside him, blushed slightly and clung tightly to his arm.

"Let's go. Take me to your home.

"There are some things I want to discuss with you."

Sephiroth waved a hand and left the Human Trafficking Shop first. The two hurried after him.

"Boss, if I work for you from now on, what exactly do I need to do?"

Sephiroth snapped his fingers lightly, wearing an expression of utter obviousness.

"Of course, we'll do business and earn money!"

"What kind of business, specifically?" Gild Tesoro asked cautiously.

"Arms dealing, medicine, Heavy Industry, Entertainment Industry. Later on, I also want to get involved in intelligence..."

"Looks like our company is quite a major enterprise!"

"That's right. From now on, I'll be the Chairman, and you'll be the Vice Chairman."

At those words, Gild Tesoro's eye twitched slightly. He asked tentatively:

"Boss, if I may ask, how many people does our company currently have, and what is it called?"

"Counting you and me, two people... As for the company's name..."

Sephiroth rubbed his chin lightly, hesitated for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Let's call it Umbrella Corporation!

"Just wait and see! Our company's name will sooner or later resound throughout the entire world!

"Hmm!... As for the company logo and flag, use white as the background, with an umbrella made up of silver-gray and red on it."

Hearing this, Gild Tesoro could not help but press a hand to his forehead and sigh softly for no apparent reason.

He had an inexplicable feeling of unease, but now that he had boarded this pirate ship, he could only see it through to the bitter end and find out how things turned out.

Seeing this, Stella, who was holding his arm, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"By the way, Miss Stella...

"There's a question I'm not sure whether I should ask..." Sephiroth hesitated before testing the waters.

Stella blinked and smiled.

"Hmm? Mr. Sephiroth, go ahead. If I can answer it, I will."

"I heard the owner say that you're a princess...

"Then how did you end up locked in a Human Trafficking Shop?"

"This... is a long story...

"Over a year ago, the Salto Kingdom where I lived was attacked by pirates...

"Our country's army was simply no match for that powerful pirate crew. They even occupied our country and ran rampant there.

"That was when I was captured and sold as a slave..."

"Why didn't your country call for continued Marine support?"

"Because our country is too poor to pay the Celestial Tribute, so we weren't qualified to become a World Government member nation...

"Therefore, the Marines would never come to rescue us.

"But there was nothing we could do about it...

"After all, our island is far from the other islands. It cannot be reached with a Log Pose and can only be found using an Eternal Pose...

"Our country's land is barren, and we have no particularly valuable specialties. We have very little contact with the outside world, so the country has never been able to develop..."

"I see!"

Sephiroth nodded in realization, understanding why a princess like her had become a slave.

The World Government had always taken the attitude of exploiting non-member nations whenever possible and abandoning them when they could not be exploited.

That Salto Kingdom was probably a godforsakenly poor place. Otherwise, it would likely have been squeezed dry long ago...

"What was the name of the pirate crew that attacked your country?"

"Pirate Admiral Paul Frode and his Lions Grand Fleet.

"That man is a great pirate with a bounty of 365 million Belly..."

"Huh!? That name... Why does it sound so familiar... A bounty of over 300 million..."

Sephiroth rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before suddenly realizing.

"Oh! Right, that guy... seems to have been thrown into Impel Down by Garp..."

"Really?"

"That's right... That guy encountered Vice Admiral Garp at sea. Rather than fleeing, he chose to fight him head-on, but he was defeated."

At those words, Stella burst into tears of joy. For over a year, this matter had weighed heavily on her heart.

Now that she had suddenly received such wonderful news, she simply could not control her emotions...