"Chris is cultivating right now. Tell us first, and I'll report it to him myself afterward."
Robin nodded gently and said, choosing each word with care, "We've just finished an internal discussion at the branch."
"Everything here is running smoothly now."
"So it's time to expand the branch's operations."
"We've decided to use Alabasta Kingdom as our base."
"From there, we'll move into the medical field and the arms trade across the surrounding seas."
"Besides that, we plan to revive Baroque Works' main business—casino-centered entertainment."
"Expanding into these areas could bring the Chris Pirates enormous profits!"
Belo Betty flicked ash from her cigarette and asked, "Those businesses could certainly bring in a fortune."
"But you can't be the only ones who thought of them, can you?"
"Has no one tried this before?"
Robin shook her head. "Before us, anyone dealing in medicine or arms around here operated on a tiny scale."
"They lacked the resources and strength to build anything bigger."
"Now the branch has plenty of fighting power. We don't need to worry about anyone standing in our way."
"We made our decision only after a thorough investigation."
Reiju's eyes shifted slightly, and she gave a soft laugh. "Robin, do you have a plan for expanding into these businesses?"
"I had some experience with them at Germa 66."
"They look simple, but putting them into practice is extremely complicated."
"We've never entered the Underworld trade before. Breaking into these businesses won't be easy!"
Every industry in this world had its own complexities.
That was especially true of the Underworld, which operated outside the law and dealt entirely in illegal business.
Because of that, its rules for newcomers were especially harsh.
Without an established insider to show the way, getting started was nearly impossible.
After all, no one would risk