“Then…
no need for that much.
Just 20 million Berry will do.
I don’t have much use for that much money.” Richard smiled.
The truth was, he was easy to get along with…
as long as you treated him sincerely, he would repay that sincerity in kind.
Twenty million Berry was the baseline.
After all, developing the Black Rose Castle required money; without funds, building an internal market would be impossible.
The market economy on their island of Kuraigana had, after years of development, entered the era of currency circulation.
But the population was small, with only about three thousand villagers engaged in consumption and production.
Everything was still quite delicate.
As the lord, Richard needed sufficient funds and wealth to maintain overall control.
“Alright…
I’m sorry you had to go through this, Richard.” Zephyr’s eyes were full of apology.
It truly was somewhat unfair to him.
But for Marine Headquarters to suddenly implement such a policy was laughable.
Changing orders on a whim would only erode trust.
“It’s nothing…
don’t dwell on it.
I’ll go sell my goods first.” “Then we’ll meet at the tavern later…
the usual place,” Zephyr smiled.
Richard nodded.
He entrusted Borsalino to watch over the ship, then led Liam and the others toward Area 40, which had sightseeing spots and specialty shops…
though “specialties” were really just markets for small goods.
Richard enjoyed doing this sort of thing.
Of course, with his status, even when he worked, he only had to talk business…
the heavy lifting was left to Liam and the others.
Walking along the street, passing merchants and residents alike cast curious glances at Mihawk.
Swordsmen like him weren’t commonly seen.
“He’s carrying a precious black blade,” A passerby whispered.
Any expert could tell at a glance how valuable the blade on Mihawk’s back was.
“That sword is probably worth over 80 million Berry.” “No, no,” A silver-haired middle-aged man in the distance said, rubbing his chin.
“The craftsmanship is exquisite…
a black blade with a heavy blossom cross-shaped pattern.
If it has legendary value, the final price could be around 200 million Berry.” The murmuring chatter grated on Mihawk’s nerves, and it made him irritable about visiting such a big place like the Sabaody Archipelago for the first time.
Finally, unable to bear the irritation any longer, he strode quickly to Richard’s side and said with some frustration: “Brother!
Why do you put up with their behavior?
Isn’t that a breach of trust?!” Richard thought for a moment, then smiled.
“Ah…
I already let that go.
You’re still hung up on it?” “Yes!” Mihawk said indignantly.
“They broke their promise…
so we shouldn’t have handed over the pirates either!
If they issue bounties but won’t pay up, who’s going to bother capturing higher-bounty pirates in the future?!” Richard considered this.
Hmm…
this policy was probably meant to cut costs.
But the Marine higher-ups probably couldn’t foresee that the Great Pirate Era would soon descend upon them.
When that time came, regardless of size, hundreds of pirates would set sail for the sea every single day.
Within a year, the number of pirates would surge by tens of thousands, or even more.
If they could foresee the future, they absolutely wouldn’t make such a choice now.
In fact, they’d be begging me to capture more pirates and strike some kind of deal with them.
“Mihawk.” Richard suddenly smiled.
“There’s no need to trouble yourself over such things.
Logically speaking, they’ll lose a huge amount of public trust by doing this.
In the end, they’ll only be tying their own hands.
All we’re losing is some reserve money…
it’s nothing.” After all, currency was also established by the World Government.
No matter how many Berry one had, if the World Government were to collapse one day, it would all become worthless paper.
“And in terms of gains…
we not only received 20 million Berry, but also made a Marine Vice Admiral and an Admiral feel indebted.
Guilt equals favor.
They’ll naturally help us in the future.” “Is that so…” Hearing this, Mihawk’s anger subsided by half.
He thought about how his brother, despite having left the Shikkearu Kingdom only a handful of times, had already made so many admiring friends across the seas…
Indeed…
that was the truth.
Brother truly was the strongest man in the sea.
Watching Richard’s back, Mihawk felt that there was still so much more he needed to learn.
…
In the market, various merchant guilds had their own prices for acquiring seasonal goods.
The fruits and grains Richard brought were in-season products, and he could have sold them himself.
But he didn’t have the time, so doing business with the guilds was more convenient.
Because he was a regular customer, Richard sold everything for 210,000 Berry.
Then he instructed Liam to spend 100,000 Berry on firewood, charcoal, meat, and breeding pigs.
After arranging everything, he took Mihawk toward Grove 13.
“Brother…
isn’t Grove 13 a lawless zone?” Mihawk asked.
“Yes, it is,” Richard smiled.
“Then…
will we get attacked if we go there?” Richard shook his head.
Though fourteen-year-old Mihawk was maturing, his thoughts still didn’t quite match his physique.
“No.
As long as I’m here, they won’t dare attack.”