One Piece: The True Codex

"Who?" William asked.

"The son of the president of the Flash Gold Guild," Tony replied, trembling as he flicked the ash from his cigarette. "Sherlock."

William smiled and asked, "He's the one who handles your smuggled goods?"

Tony's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at William, who was smiling pleasantly, and replied with a strained voice, "I usually only do small deals with him, but if we want to transport alcohol into the Navia Kingdom, we'll need a 'bridge.'"

Tony's gaze darted quickly over William and his companions. "Even if you guys are great fighters and can handle threats at sea, it won't matter without proper channels. Sherlock usually doesn't get involved in the Flash Gold Guild's business. His father doesn't approve of his way of doing things, so he's been looking to start something on his own. While he can't directly interfere with the guild's operations, his status still allows him to open many doors—after all, his father wouldn't completely cut ties with him. So, establishing and maintaining the sales network is something he can handle."

As Tony spoke, William nodded along. He had already suspected that Tony had a partner who helped him fence stolen goods; he was just waiting for Tony to reveal it.

William had no significant connections or local network here. While Tony had influence locally, it didn't extend beyond the area, let alone into another country. The Navia Kingdom, though not far, was still an independent nation.

William's reason for recruiting Tony was to establish a foothold for producing and brewing alcohol locally in Momiji Village, with Tony, the local boss, smoothing out the production process. However, the crucial sales aspect was beyond the capabilities of either of them.

As Marx once described, the perilous leap from commodities to currency required a key player to make it happen.

William had been testing Tony. If Tony, under his pressure and persuasion, revealed this hidden relationship, it would mean William's tactics had succeeded.

Conversely, if Tony had chosen to keep quiet and tried to bluff his way through, it would likely mean he was planning to seek revenge later with this Sherlock's help.

William always liked to have a backup plan. If Tony had really thought he could deceive him and refused to mention Sherlock, then William would have had no choice but to follow Aramis's suggestion.

William instructed Edmond to escort Tony and his men back to Momiji Village. Since Edmond was a local there, Tony wouldn't dare seek revenge.

After they left, William turned to Gin and said, "The day after tomorrow, take Vallon out to sea and retrieve Danton's treasure. You might not be able to bring everything back, so prioritize items that are easy to sell—cash is best."

Vallon responded with a simple "Mm," while Gin gave a steady nod.

Aramis, upon hearing about going out to sea, immediately lit up with excitement. Having been cooped up in Shimotsuki Village for a year, he was itching for action. "I want to go too!"

"You stay here!" William glared at him.

Gin was mature, reliable, and loyal, while Vallon was honest and straightforward. William didn't doubt Aramis's loyalty, but his impulsive and talkative nature made him prone to trouble. Life at sea was unpredictable, filled with all sorts of strange people and events. Even if you avoided causing trouble, trouble might find you. To ensure stability and avoid unnecessary incidents, William decided not to send Aramis.

As they walked back to their residence, Gin asked in a low voice, "How much should we take?"

"Take as much as you can carry," William replied, rubbing his temples with some irritation. In his previous life, he had been a heavy smoker. While his current body had no physical addiction, he still felt a psychological craving. Seeing Tony smoke earlier had made him itch for a cigarette, but since he was still training, he resisted the urge. After all, no one understood better than a long-time smoker how harmful it was to one's health.

"Do we really need that much money?" Aramis asked.

"In the future, I plan to build a distillery in Momiji Village. I need to control production and not rely entirely on others," William explained slowly. "And that Sherlock, the son of the guild president, isn't like Tony, a small-time local thug. His base of operations is outside our sphere of influence. We can't intimidate him, so if we want to negotiate a partnership, we'll need real money to invest."

"Such a hassle." Vallon rarely complained, but this time he did.

"Hassle or not, it has to be done. You can't build a skyscraper without a foundation. If you don't go through the tedious steps of washing and chopping vegetables, do you think you can just throw everything into the pot and end up with a delicious dish? Or do you think it will magically turn into a perfect meal?" William asked, casting a sidelong glance at Aramis.

Aramis scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed. "I only skipped washing and chopping the vegetables that one time. Do you have to keep bringing it up?"

"You idiot! You threw an entire head of cabbage into the pot and nearly broke it!" William snapped, smacking Aramis on the back of the head.

Aramis shrank his neck and laughed sheepishly. In truth, he had done it on purpose. Since then, no one had dared let him cook again.

Returning to the previous topic, William continued, "The trade network we're building for smuggling alcohol will serve as a valuable asset when we eventually form our pirate crew. It can help us fence stolen goods and secure supplies for what we lack. Meanwhile, our pirate crew, once it grows stronger, can provide protection for the trade network. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

What William didn't mention was that the trade network would also serve as his foothold on land. While the sea was vast, the importance of the land was no less significant for both pirates and the Marines. Ships needed to dock for supplies, and they couldn't survive without the resources provided by the land.

For pirates, who were inherently at a disadvantage against the World Government and the Marines, they needed to adopt a guerrilla warfare mindset. To avoid being cornered and annihilated, and to even have a chance at growing stronger, they needed a broad base of support.

People were the source of recruits, intelligence, and supplies, all essential for sustained operations.

Some pirate crews, like the Ottoman Pirates, would even leave supplies wrapped in pirate flags on docks for the civilians they protected. William, of course, understood the value of such tactics.

These points, however, were somewhat disheartening and might dampen morale, so William chose not to share them with Gin and the others.

After sending Manny and Angie to the doctor, Tony dismissed his subordinates, who kept pestering him about what had happened.

He returned to his desk, opened a small, delicate box from a drawer, and revealed a Transponder Snail nibbling on a lettuce leaf inside.

Cruelly snatching the lettuce away from the snail, Tony hesitated for a moment before dialing a number.

The snail chirped a few times before the call was finally answered. A young man's voice came through the snail's mouth: "Hello?"

"Sherlock?"

"Tony? What's up?"

"I have a friend..." Tony's face twitched as he said this. "He has a big business deal and wants to talk to you."

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