Chapter 473: The Cash Emperor of the Sea
Chapter 473: The Cash Emperor of the Sea
Sage's fortune was built on stolen goods, which he sold through underground connections like Doflamingo. His closest ties were with the warehousing and transportation industries, which were still involved in his current business dealings.
Every transaction required storage and transportation, and it wasn't as if the goods disappeared after leaving Sage. The middlemen who purchased them needed places to store and transport them further.
However, these industries didn't represent the entire market.
Sage glanced at Umit, who was speaking. He wore a captain's outfit and had a thick, dark beard. Next to him, the trembling Giberson had a long, red nose, likely from years of heavy drinking.
"What? You didn't make money from selling my stolen goods? What do you mean by 'giving money'?" Sage asked.
Sage took another puff of his cigar and then tossed it to the ground.
"Even though you don't owe me money, but since we've met, I'm a pirate, and I'll take what I want. Each of you will give me one billion belli," Sage declared.
"Consider this your buy-out money. And I don't accept checks," Sage added.
"That's not fair!"
Perhaps due to his intoxication, Giberson's courage swelled, and he shouted, "Duke Feld owes you money and has wronged you, so he has to pay one billion. But we, Cataclysm, haven't done anything! Although we haven't directly worked together, we've still had some indirect dealings. Can't you give us some face? One billion is too much!"
One Billion Belli
According to rumors, when Doflamingo ascended to the throne, he demanded a ransom of one hundred million belli from the king of Dressrosa.
These men's net worth had now become ten times that of Dressrosa?
"That makes sense," Sage nodded, then turned to Duke Feld. "I forgot to include your buy-out money. So, you owe me an additional one billion, for a total of two billion belli."
"Fine!"
Duke Feld gritted his teeth. "But I need some time. I'll have to liquidate my assets to pay you."
As long as he could get out of here, there was no way this guy would find him!
Moreover, this guy was too arrogant, passing up such a perfect opportunity to target Linlin. Once Linlin recovered, he wouldn't have to worry!
The reason Big Mom's crew was known for their industry-leading intelligence was that these underground kings, including the mortician Sage had killed, had a close connection to Linlin. Four of them had been her childhood playmates!
They were bound by mutual interests! Linlin wouldn't let Sage get away with this!
"I know what you're thinking," Sage said, giving him a sidelong glance. He took out a small talking cricket from his pocket and made a call.
When the call connected, the cricket transformed into a face filled with determination and coldness. "Lily, come here."
Zhuang! As Sage hung up, a bolt of lightning streaked from the approaching Doomstar and landed beside Sage.
Cliff, who was no longer guarding Charlotte Linlin but instead trying to stop her destruction, looked even more troubled at the sight of the visitor.
One Cataclysm was already enough to instill fear, and now a Thunder Sword Maiden had arrived.
As Lily appeared, Sage threw the talking cricket to Duke Feld and said, "I can't wait that long. Here's the deal: you have until the time before Charlotte Linlin recovers to get me what I want."
"My territory should have some of your people doing business. Whether you steal, rob, or sell your assets at a bargain, I want to see results within the time limit. Otherwise, you'll experience pain."
"Or..."
Sage smiled. "How about this: we know you're the industry leader. Write down your bases, the names of those in charge, and their contact information. We'll deduct a portion of the money for this."
"Money, power, and the channels these guys control... How do we get them?"
"By force, of course."
"It might be difficult to seize their assets, but with some time and effort, we can get a portion of it. It'll be a good start for him to gain a foothold in these industries."
"Sage, one trillion belli is too much! We're not Tezoro, we can't possibly gather that amount in a short time!" Umit exclaimed.
Where would they find one trillion belli for Sage? Assets are one thing, but money is another.
Apart from the World Government, the only one with such wealth on the high seas is the cash king of the ocean, Guild Tezoro.
"Tezoro?"
Sage paused, "That name sounds familiar..."
"Guild Tezoro, the master of the world's largest entertainment city, Galuna Tezoro. He owns numerous industries around the world and is rumored to control 20% of the world's liquid assets. His personal savings alone are said to exceed 500 billion belli, earning him the title of 'Golden Emperor' on the high seas."
A gentle female voice chimed in from the other side.
Sage turned to look, and at a banquet table, he saw several people stuck in candy goo.
A middle-aged man with golden hair like a lion's mane and two upward-pointing black mustaches that resembled sharp spikes.
There were four others with pink, fiery red, sea blue, and emerald green hair—three men and one woman. The speaker was the woman with pink hair.
They looked like a super squad with their five distinct colors.
"Golden Emperor..."
Sage pondered for a moment, then exclaimed, "Oh, I remember now! There is such a kind man. Good, good, I almost forgot about him! It's a relief that he saved so much money for me!"
With all the development, construction, and war preparations, Sage had forgotten about the wealthy individuals on the high seas, far richer than the individual Tenryubito.
Not to mention the industries and liquid assets under their control, the mere 500 billion belli was a huge sum for Sage.
As one of the Four Emperors, if he included his assets, just the factory producing 20% of the world's weapons would make him one of the wealthiest candidates. Combined with his other assets, he would be the richest.
Belli was as worthless as paper to him, but in the world, it could buy many resources.
"Perfect! After I devour Charlotte Linlin, he'll be next. It will accelerate our development!"
Setting aside the idea of controlling industries, that was too far-fetched and not something he could forcefully take. But with 500 billion belli, Sage could elevate his territory to new heights, even including the soon-to-be-devoured Charlotte Linlin's domain.
"Who are you?"
Sage glanced at the pink-haired woman who had spoken, and with a casual wave, a gust of wind blew away the candy goo binding them.
"This..."
The yellow-haired middle-aged man looked at his hands and stood up abruptly, "We're saved! Cataclysm, in this war, let us, Germa 66, aid you!"
"Hmm?"
Sage blinked, "Germa? Vinsmoke?"
He wasn't very familiar with these guys, but Hawkins had been raving about them constantly.
Once, the World Economic News published a manga series about the marine warrior Sora and his battles against the evil legion, Germa 66, attracting a massive fan following.
Hawkins was one of those fans.
Of course, he didn't idolize Sora but the evil legion.
With Hawkins' constant rambling, Sage also recalled this tech-savvy family capable of creating artificial humans.
"Oh,"
Sage laughed with profound meaning, "Good, very good! You'll pay the ransom too!"
(End of Chapter)
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