"Did you really brew this wine?"
That day, Zesi brought Kate some wine he had brewed during this time.
After taking a sip of the wine Zesi brought, Kate's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
In all his years of doing business, Kate had traveled far and wide and visited many places.
But he had never tasted such delicious wine.
Especially in recent years, as the Brunei Family's business had grown.
When he visited various countries, he was occasionally received by government officials and even kings.
Because the Brunei Family purchased vast quantities of goods from them, his business alone accounted for more than half the income of some countries.
Yet even the wine those kings and officials served him fell far short of what he was drinking now.
When Kate learned that Zesi had brewed this wine, his eyes immediately shone.
As a merchant, Kate understood perfectly well what sort of business opportunity lay within it.
Thanks to their connection with the Big Mom Pirates, the Brunei Family did business on a vast scale.
But the Brunei Family's business dealt entirely in raw materials that required no technical expertise.
Even processing them into desserts involved no secrets.
Simply put, the Brunei Family's business was not irreplaceable.
Anyone who took over as Totto Land's supplier could replicate the Brunei Family's rise in full.
Moreover, their profit margins were not high.
In a manner of speaking, the Brunei Family earned little more than money for their hard labor.
But the wine Zesi brought out was different. It was an exclusive business.
If they kept their techniques well protected, combined with Zesi's strength and the Brunei Family's distribution channels.
This wine would become the Brunei Family's true foundation.
So after receiving a definite answer from Zesi, Kate immediately arranged for people to build a winery, recruit workers, and purchase raw materials in various places.
Zesi had also worked at a winery in his previous life, so he was very familiar with setting one up.
With him personally directing the work, a huge winery was soon built, and a few days later, it began producing wine.
The Brunei Family had shops in many cities throughout the New World.
These branches had originally been established so he could gather dessert ingredients throughout the New World to meet the Big Mom Pirates' needs.
Now, through these shops, the Brunei Family quickly distributed their newly produced Brunei Fine Wine across the New World.
Before long, wines called Brunei Blazing Blood and Brunei Tipsy appeared on the seas.
As soon as they hit the market, they immediately attracted a huge following of drinkers.
"Good wine, truly good wine! I never imagined the New World would have wine this good. It really does live up to its name!" said a pirate who had just arrived in the New World.
"Wahahaha! Now this is wine worthy of me!" said a pirate who had ruled an island for years.
"Brunei Fine Wine, Blazing Blood? Wine produced by that Brunei Family? Don't they sell sweets? A dessert family that rose on the coattails of the Big Mom Pirates knows how to brew wine? What good wine could they possibly make? Hm? How is this possible? This is more fragrant and mellower than the wine I've had in the royal palace! Quick, buy me a batch. I want to present it to the king!" A minister of a certain kingdom who had initially been dismissive looked astonished after tasting the wine.
"What fine wine could the Brunei Family, a family that started out selling flour, possibly brew? How ridiculous!
"What? Brunei Fine Wine has sold out? What? It's even better than our finest Albas Wine? How is that possible? They're nothing but a flour-selling family. How could their wine surpass that of our family, which has been brewing wine for a hundred years?" a top wine merchant said to his subordinates in shock and anger.
"Wine sent by the Brunei Family? When did they start brewing wine? Hmm, I never imagined the Brunei Family could produce such fine wine. Even the finest wines we've plundered can't compare to it at all. Place an order with the Brunei Family immediately. I want a hundred thousand bottles of Brunei Blazing Blood, and, hmm, ten thousand bottles of Brunei Tipsy too." -The Big Mom Pirates.
The wines sold by the Brunei Family were collectively known as Brunei Fine Wine.
Brunei Fine Wine came in two varieties. One was a high-proof wine, intensely fiery, called Blazing Blood.
The other had a lower alcohol content and was milder to drink and suitable for ladies. It was called Tipsy.
"Gurararara! Isn't this the wine that brat Zesi brewed? So that's it. Wenlai Zesi, he's from the Brunei Family. Looks like my wine supply is settled from now on." Among the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard spoke as he drank the fine wine they had happened to plunder.
For a time, the Brunei Family's wine became the most sought-after wine in the New World.
Pirates, nobles, merchants, and even the Marines began buying the Brunei Family's fine wine.
But the Brunei Family's winery was not very large.
And it had only just begun operating, so production was not high.
Before long, demand outstripped supply.
As a result, the Brunei Family had no choice but to raise the price of Brunei Fine Wine while increasing production.
But even then, demand for Brunei Fine Wine still outstripped supply.
Because the harder something was to obtain, the more people wanted it.
As a result, the price of Brunei Fine Wine on the black market was driven up several times over.
Countless wealthy merchants waved their Beli around, seeking to buy Brunei Fine Wine.
The booming sales of Brunei Fine Wine brought the Brunei Family vast wealth.
But it also caused the Brunei Family to offend many people.
Because it encroached on many people's interests.