"I, an old man Warrior God of Science and Defense, Saint Saturn! Continuing to hurt each other like this is pointless for anyone. How about we each take a step back?"
Saturn remained arrogant, but surprisingly, he spoke of negotiation, which was quite unusual. In their eyes, people from the lower realms were nothing but ants and insects.
But Vic is an exceptionally difficult bug to kill, and it bites you every now and then. Although it won't cause serious injury and you'll recover quickly, it will consume a lot of your energy and blood if it bites you too often, so you'll need to consume a lot of supplements.
They were also somewhat pained. With Vic's killing spree, how many people would dare to work for the World Government? Now, those remaining were basically forced into service by the Affiliated Nation. In addition, given the turbulent times in the New World, they were unwilling to get entangled with Vic any longer.
"It's not good for you, is it? It's great for us. With them as sparring partners, we've improved a lot! We don't want to lose such a good whetstone so easily!"
Although Vic had guessed that the Five Elders would most likely compromise with him in the end, he did not expect that the phone call would only arrive after two years of stalemate. This showed that the Five Elders really hated him to the bone. Despite suffering such great losses and sending so many experts, they still wanted to kill him.
However, Vic's retaliations always targeted only those outposts, which pained the Five Elders but didn't drive them mad. But even if the two sides really reconciled, he would still make the other side bleed a little.
"We can make some sacrifices. You should be quite familiar with the Shichibukai system. This system is about to be implemented, and I can arrange for you to become one of them, enjoying the legal right to plunder."
Saturn, on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, fell silent after hearing Vic's words. Indeed, only they had suffered losses, while the opposing pirate crew was growing stronger and stronger. However, Kaido was about to become the third Emperor of the Sea, and the situation in the New World was about to change again. They also needed to introduce the Shichibukai to keep them in check.
However, they were also afraid that Vic would cause trouble and kill Shichibukai they had chosen. After all, Vic had killed several people he didn't like when Vic went to the trials before, and they had all seen it but hadn't said anything. With Vic's current strength, he could easily do it.
So they discussed it and decided that since they couldn't intensify their efforts to suppress Vic's group, they would have no choice but to let them go, just like Whitebeard and his crew did.
However, leaving it unchecked could still lead to retaliation. After all, everyone has a temper, and Vic has been hunted down by them for two years. Who knows how much resentment he must be holding in? So, after thinking it over, they still felt it was better to make Vic Shichibukai and put him on their side.
Furthermore, the Shichibukai are under the command of the World Government, and their troublesome enemies have instantly become objects of their manipulation. Who knows, they might even find an opportunity to set a trap to eliminate Vic in the future, which is why this phone call happened today.
"Oh? But in your previous news reports, I was portrayed as a demon who killed Celestial Dragons and so many civilians. You dare to recruit someone like me into your camp? Aren't you afraid of causing public outrage? Even if you don't care about the feelings of the Affiliated Nation, can the other Celestial Dragons accept this? After all, I really did kill a Celestial Dragons!"
Vic had a playful side to his plan. When he was arranging things for Mantis's fellow countrymen, he had already planned to become Shichibukai, so that he could have his own territory and wouldn't be hunted down by the Holy Knights.
That's one of the reasons why they stopped killing Celestial Dragons. They always sought revenge so they could make demands later. They never expected that Saturn would bring it up now.
"These are minor matters. As long as you agree, we will immediately have Morgans issue a press release clarifying what you did before."
After more than two years of continuous investigation, it has been determined that someone else killed the Celestial Dragons and a large number of civilians. Someone will come forward and admit to it, and then our World Government and your matter will be a misunderstanding.
"Although you can't return to the Navy, becoming Shichibukai is something many people would like to see. Will you agree?"
The Five Elders had clearly considered the impact when they discussed the matter. A single news story could lead those unaware of the inside story astray, potentially legalizing piracy. They were already under pressure, so if they didn't resolve Vic's reputation issue, the pressure would only increase.
"Your World Government really knows how to play the game! You're so skilled at it, turning white into black and black into white. Too bad I have no interest in the Shichibukai. Tell me your other conditions!"
Vic is a master of the art of negotiation; you can't let others know your needs, otherwise they'll use that to manipulate you. But Vic knows what the Five Elders care about, so Vic's in control of this negotiation.
"Do you still want to go back to the Navy? That's impossible. The fact that you killed Celestial Dragons is undeniable. You're destined to be a pirate for the rest of your life. Whether you choose the legal path or the illegal one is up to you. As for other conditions? Do you want money? Technological products? Devil Fruit? Or something else?"
With Vic's current strength, the Shichibukai isn't really appealing. He could easily establish his own territory in the New World like Red-Hair, which is far better than the legitimate right to plunder Shichibukai, and he wouldn't have to worry about the World Government. So, in Saturn's eyes, Vic truly doesn't care about the title.
"My crew has almost all the Devil Fruit, and I don't want to eat the ones I don't have. As for technology, it's not essential. Money is good though; you can buy anything you need with money. Money is the most practical thing. Look, we're still using a warship. How about you give me some compensation? I want to get a new pirate ship."
Vic is certainly not short of money, but he is a man destined for great things, and no amount of money is ever enough. He has been investing in Ban's intelligence network, and in the past two years, he has also robbed some pirate crews to obtain some money. He has also gathered the metals he needs from Ban. However, he has not been able to build a ship because he has been constantly being hunted down. But for the future, there is never too much money.
How much money do you want?
"You've put a 2 billion Beli bounty on me, haven't you? I'm sure you've already prepared that money. Why don't you just give it to me directly? I don't want to bother you anymore."
"You call 2 billion Beli a pittance? That's a year's Heavenly Tribute for an average Affiliated Nation! You can have that money, but you must keep your promise not to attack the World Government's strongholds again, nor can you attack the Shichibukai."
"We'll be colleagues from now on, why would I lay a hand on them? Also, send the money to me as soon as possible, don't let those eight guys bring it. They've been working hard for two years, they should go back to Mary Geoise to rest. If they don't go back soon, they'll really become pirates. That's all, Saint Saturn! You'll soon find out my location."