Chapter 59: Meeting Of The Dark World’s Magnates
“Stussy, I heard your Red Light District has been pretty quiet lately?”
“It’s Gekko!”
Hearing that greeting laced with malice, Stussy turned to look.
Walking in from the door was a man wearing a purple suit and a bowler hat, appearing impeccably clean and spotless from head to toe. In reality, this man was the most notorious organ merchant in the New World, Gekko.
“When a storm passes, even hawks and lions return to their nests to avoid the wind. With the rise of a new Overlord, it’s only natural that the guests have no mood or time for fun and games. Also, Gekko, without Umit’s maritime transport channels, the goods piled up in your hands can’t be sold. Among everyone here, your trouble is the biggest, right?”
“Moreover, from the current intelligence, this Black Prince is probably someone on the level of Whitebeard or Red-Haired. Gekko, your business will likely need to find new transportation channels.”
Mocking gazes fell on Gekko’s face.
Stussy’s beautiful smile was full of gloating malice.
“My business doesn’t need your concern.”
Gekko’s face was somewhat gloomy, but he didn’t lose his temper over it.
“I’ll look forward to your downfall.”
“I’m afraid you won’t live to see that day, old hag.”
“Crack!”
The handle of the teacup was crushed, the smile vanished completely from Stussy’s face, leaving only bone-chilling killing intent. “Gekko, if you want to die, give me a heads-up in advance. I can help make your wish come true.”
“Alright, Miss Stussy, Mr. Jigra, Nigoshit Island is not a battlefield. If the two of you want to start a war, please choose another place.”
The veteran of the warehousing industry, “Hider” Gibson, interrupted the tense standoff between the two.
Nigoshit Island.
It was a well-known public island, also known as Negotiator’s Island.
This barren island was an ancient gathering point passed down in the Dark World. The magnates of the Dark World would meet here when facing problems a single influence couldn’t solve, engaging in face-to-face exchanges to discuss solutions.
The last time the Dark World’s magnates gathered was when Red-Haired ascended to the Pirate Emperor’s throne.
This time, it was again because a new Overlord had risen in the New World, forcing the Dark World’s magnates to come to this Negotiator’s Island once more.
“Gibson, who’s hosting the meeting this time?”
Stussy changed the subject.
She had no intention of actually clashing with Gekko in front of everyone. As one of the Dark World’s magnates, Gekko’s personal strength wasn’t very strong, but his bodyguards were decent. To take him out would require real effort, but that would expose her secrets.
So,
she gracefully descended the ladder Gibson had provided.
“It’s Hunter.”
The hider with gray mustache and a red long nose answered.
Hunter William.
One of the Dark World’s magnates, President of the Bounty Hunter Guild, controlling nearly one-third of the organized bounty hunters in the New World. Note that they are bounty hunters, not pirate hunters. Though many do hunt pirates for the bounties, that’s just occasional work or a personal hobby.
In reality, bounty hunters act only for the client’s commission. There’s no justice or evil, just pure interest exchange. They hunt pirates for the Navy’s bounties, or turn cannons on the Navy at an employer’s request.
That’s bounty hunters—those who value only ‘money’.
Hunter William.
This seventy-one-year-old man was the overall leader of nearly ten thousand bounty hunters who had joined the guild in the New World. He sat at the head of the long table, leaning back in his chair, the two rows of shining candlelights on the table blurring the old man’s face.
“Gibson, is everyone here?”
Coincidentally, just as Gibson finished answering Stussy’s question, Hunter spoke up.
“Hunter, I’m not one of your bounty hunters.”
Gibson rolled his eyes and sat down on his own, showing no respect to the President of the Bounty Hunter Guild.
“·······Then, dear Gekko, can you tell me who’s still not here?” The white-haired, hunched old man with only a few teeth left grinned and looked cheerfully at the last to arrive, Gekko.
In a foul mood, Gekko didn’t retort like Gibson had.
Among the Dark World’s magnates, there were still differences in strength.
For example, the President of the World Economic News Agency “Big News” Morgans, the veteran of the warehousing industry “Hider” Gibson, Undertaker’s “Big Hand” Dracule Packro, Bounty Hunter Guild’s “Whale Spear” Hunter William, the New World’s largest weapons merchant “Heavenly Yaksha” Doflamingo, and the deceased “Deep Sea Torrent” Umit—these were the top-ranked magnates.
Gibson had the confidence to disregard Hunter.
But Gekko, who ranked at the bottom among the magnates, had no intention of provoking the “Whale Spear” who looked like he was about to die.
Gekko stood by the table, his gaze sweeping over the different faces on both sides of the long table, then answered: “Mr. Hunter, everyone is here.”
“Big News” Morgans, “Hider” Gibson, “Big Hand” Dracule Packro, “Whale Spear” Hunter William, “Heavenly Yaksha” Donquixote Doflamingo, “God of Fortune” Lu Field, “Queen of the Red Light District” Stussy, “Poison Master” Walter, “Human Snake” Bessy, “Gladiator Champion” Tom King, “Big Wheel” Mapushi, “Organ Merchant” Gekko, and others—the seventeen magnates of the New World were seated here.
The door slammed shut.
Under the pale light,
the meeting began.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is just one: the Fifth Overlord of the New World.”
The Hunter William, who looked like he could keel over at any moment, got straight to the point, directly stating the reason they had all gathered.
“Umit angered this Overlord and paid with his life for it. Even BIG·MOM herself couldn’t do anything to the Black Prince, and after the war, her attempt at marrying him was rejected. Now, this Black Prince has taken full control of Umit’s maritime transport network.”
“We······ have no choice but to consider how to face His Highness the Black Prince.”
Yes,
Whether they liked it or not, they would all have to make contact with Prince Elus.
Though the Dark World was full of magnates who didn’t yield to each other and remained a scattered mess, their interests were tightly linked. Unfortunately, Umit’s maritime transport network was the bond connecting many magnates.
Whether Gekko’s organ trade, Gibson’s warehousing business, Dracule’s human trafficking, Doflamingo’s weapons trade, or even Stussy’s Red Light District, which often relied on Umit’s maritime transport network to replenish pretty and cute technical experts—no one on this sea could escape the influence of maritime transport.
So, after Prince Elus replaced Umit and took control of the massive maritime transport network in the New World,
the Dark World’s magnates were in a bind.
As Prince Elus purged and reorganized this vast maritime transport network, the Dark World’s magnates’ businesses plummeted, their dismal revenues making them unable to sit still any longer, leading to today’s meeting.
“Umit was such a waste.”
The loan sharking king, “God of Fortune” Lu Field, cursed Umit’s incompetence while biting a cigar.
“Cursing a dead man won’t solve our problems.”
Stussy said coldly.
“Fufufufufu! This matter······is there really any other choice?” Doflamingo, draped in a pink feather coat, laughed cheerfully. “From the moment the Black Prince fought BIG·MOM to a draw, it’s either bow your head and be at his mercy, or start from scratch and build your own maritime transport channels.”
“From the beginning, don’t we only have these two choices? Is there any need to discuss it further?”
Joker’s laughter echoed in everyone’s ears.
No one refuted Doflamingo; the room fell into a long silence.
Because,
he had stated an undeniable fact.
Either bow to the Black Prince or start from scratch.
Only these two choices.
Bowing to the Black Prince wasn’t a big deal; the Dark World’s magnates lacked the Four Emperors’ pride. As long as there was money to be made, they didn’t care who they bowed to. What they worried about was whether Prince Elus would accept their submission.
Just as Whitebeard wouldn’t allow slaves or drugs on his territory, preventing some Dark World magnates from joining him— if they dared show up in Whitebeard Pirates’ territory, they’d face the captains’ sanctions.
What Stussy had mocked Gekko about earlier applied to more than half of those present.
From the intelligence gathered so far, the Black Prince was like Whitebeard or Red-Haired, filling most of the magnates here with worry.
As for abandoning Umit’s established maritime transport network and building their own from scratch······ that wasn’t something you could do just by talking.
“I will send a grand gift to His Highness the Black Prince.”
Stussy was the first to state her position.
Even the Whitebeard Pirates wouldn’t ban the girls from the Red Light District from earning hard money. Unlike slaves or drugs, skilled girls making money was something even Whitebeard wouldn’t prohibit—after all, you couldn’t ban it anyway; bloodthirsty young pirates always needed a place to vent.
As long as it didn’t get too out of hand, no one would be foolish enough to shut down or sanction the Red Light District.
Plus, Stussy’s true identity was a CP0 agent. Without precise orders from her superior, she had no interest in going against the prince of a World Government member nation—too much trouble!
“Maritime transport and warehousing are two inseparable sides of the same coin. This old man wants to witness the peerless style of the New World’s Fifth Overlord too! Stussy, how about we go greet our Black Prince together then?” Gibson said.
“Sure!”
Stussy smiled sweetly.
“Count me in.”
“Gladiator Champion” Tom King joined in.
His gladiator arenas spanned most of the New World, including a share in Dressrosa’s Bullfighting Arena.
“Hmph, a bunch of gutless wastes.”
“Big Hand” Dracule Packro snorted coldly. On the surface, he was the owner of the Undertaker’s, but his main business was slaves and organ trade— the kind no one wanted to associate with. Bowing to Prince Elus might not even be allowed.
“Walter, Bessy, Gekko, how about we form a new fleet together?”
He extended the invitation to the three.
He got the expected response.
After all, they were in truly despicable businesses.
At this point,
the Dark World’s magnates split into clear factions.
Well, these magnates had never been united anyway. The Dark World’s collective strength, aside from lacking top-tier martial power, wasn’t weaker than any Pirate Emperor’s influence. Unfortunately, they were always a scattered mess.
This time, the split was just more pronounced—not a big deal.
In fact,
Besides the submission faction and the start-from-scratch faction, there were neutrals like Morgans, Hunter, and Doflamingo. They neither planned to bow to Prince Elus nor join Dracule’s effort to build new maritime transport channels.
Either their interests weren’t restricted by the maritime transport network, like Morgans, who relied on news birds for intelligence and newspaper sales; or they had strong backing, like Doflamingo, whose ties to Beasts and Heavenly Yaksha were known to many.
In short, for different reasons,
the Dark World’s magnates finally made their choices clear.
The meeting lasted a short time.
After everyone stated their positions face-to-face, it ended. After all, could you expect a scattered mess to negotiate anything substantial? Impossible—this meeting was just a formality from the start.
Just like when Red-Haired rose,
that Dark World magnates’ meeting had also ended without any meaningful results, just like today.
On the passage leaving the meeting hall,
Stussy, escorted by bodyguards toward the port, held a Den Den Mushi, smiling as she picked up the receiver:
“Prince Elus, hello!”
“How did it go?”
“My prince, aren’t you a bit too cold? Can’t you show some concern for me?”
“Sure! Stussy sister, I don’t mind young bull grazing old grass. How about we set a time and place to meet? As a Zoan ability user, I guarantee I won’t disappoint you, sister!”
“Giggle!”
Stussy’s smile didn’t change. As a CP0 agent, she wasn’t so easily teased, but being called sister by the twenty-year-old Prince Elus still pleased her somewhat. “Alright, my prince, no more joking. After you fought BIG·MOM to a draw, no one in the Dark World dares oppose you directly anymore.”
“Dracule, Walter, Bessy, Gekko plan to build their own maritime transport system. Morgans, Hunter, Doflamingo, Mapushi won’t bow to Your Highness but also won’t interfere with Dracule’s actions······”
Stussy reported everything here in detail to Prince Elus, far away in the Eckmond Kingdom.
In fact,
Shortly after Prince Elus fought BIG·MOM to a draw, Stussy had contacted him. As one of the Dark World’s magnates, she expressed willingness to serve under him.
Though he knew CP0 agent Stussy’s submission had ulterior motives—perhaps to inflame tensions between him and BIG·MOM, since the Dark World’s magnates had pledged loyalty to her—
Now Stussy jumping ship to Prince Elus was blatantly poaching from BIG·MOM’s wall.
But Prince Elus gladly accepted the defector.
The reason was simple:
Prince Elus didn’t think BIG·MOM would start another war with no guarantee of victory over these Dark World vermin. Plus, using Stussy might let him probe CP0 intelligence. He was very interested in this World Government-affiliated secret top intelligence agency, hailed as the “Celestial Dragons’ strongest shield.”
“Dracule, Walter······ a bunch of small fry. They won’t last long.” Prince Elus chuckled lightly. “Stussy, as long as they don’t go all-out desperate, just let them struggle. You just watch them.”
“Got it!”
Stussy agreed.
