Agreeing with this, Bill said, "Alright," and turned to Fia. "The total in your report is 100 million Beli, and I see you haven't listed any perishable goods. Also, the quantities here are much higher than we discussed. One hundred twenty tons of hardtack, one hundred tons of dried fruit, twenty tons of spices… I get why you bought these seeds, but why did you propose buying so much?"
As if she had already anticipated the question, Fia answered without hesitation, "Food prices here are lower than on Water 7 or in Enies Lobby. There may be similar prices on some islands in the Grand Line, but in our situation, I thought we needed to save every Beli we can. The amount I've ordered reflects that goal. Honestly, we're lucky the local supplier even has these quantities on hand, but we need to let him know by the end of the day. Delivery will take about a week."
Reflecting on her words, Bill agreed with her reasoning. Sea monster meat would always be their main source of protein, but feeding over 2,500 people for several months was never going to be cheap.
After this, Bill listened to Sasha's report, where she informed him that she had already sent the ships with the sheep to pasture on the other side of the island. Five hundred sheep was a lot, but it still wasn't enough to take over a large island.
When she finished, Bill praised her work and addressed the whole group:
"There's an old saying I know: 'A snake in the room isn't scary if the light is on.' We know Nelson Royal is a snake, even if we don't fully know him. We know he's arrogant and lost half a squadron of frigates. It doesn't matter if he's a noble or not. If he's in the Marine Base and under my command, he is required to follow the rules of the Marine Base.
After saying this, he turned to Ricky and Sasha and continued:
"One important point that both of you mentioned is that he might try to use his status to manipulate others. That's something I won't ignore.
When he said this, all four of them already understood his decision, but he voiced it anyway:
"We're going to take Nelson Royal under our command. He'll be stationed on whichever ships I'm personally on. However, as commanding lieutenants, you're also responsible for keeping an eye on him whenever I'm not around.
Seeing all four of them nod in agreement, Bill continued and gave out orders.
"Rans, take the engineering team and head to the galleon. Check for damage, estimate repair costs, and work with the engineers to decide how best to restore the ship.
Then, leaning back in his chair, Bill added:
"Don't limit yourselves to living quarters projects. Remember, after everything's done, the galleon will become our largest cargo ship.
"Ricky, go to the shipyard and sell the ships for the agreed price. Tell the manager the ships will be delivered in two days.
"While Sasha and I turn in the Trump Pirates, Fia will go to the merchant and place the order. You can tell him he'll be paid by the end of the day.
Standing up, Bill asked if anyone had questions, and after wrapping up the meeting, he left the office. He called for Borodo and explained the plan to him, asking him to inform the crews of the caravels.
When Bill took King Bear out of his cell, he noticed Yoko and Akisu running nearby and told them they could come along with him and Sasha, which they gladly agreed to do.
This group of four made quite an impression on the townspeople as Bill walked by carrying the enormous King Bear on his shoulder, while Sasha dragged Pin Joker and Stank behind her.
Even though these pirates weren't widely known, seeing Marines march such vicious criminals off to jail really boosted the locals' spirits. Boo Jack and Honey Queen were still on the ship, and Bill told Sasha to deal with them later and make sure to collect their bounties.
As for Bill himself, after turning in King Bear and the others, he went to Captain Smoker and agreed to take Nelson under his command. For the first time, Bill saw the man smile—Smoker didn't even care when Bill said he'd need a few days to pick up the fat nobleman.
Pulling out some documents, Smoker handed Bill the deed for the galleon. As Bill filled out the paperwork, he renamed the ship "M.S.S. Victory." The name was simple—M.S.S. stood for "Marine Science Ship," and "Victory" was chosen because it was the ship on which Horatio Nelson had died.
As he walked down the hall before leaving the Marine Base, Bill peeked into the room where Nelson was being held and saw him devouring a massive hunk of meat. When their eyes met, the hefty sailor didn't yell, but Bill noticed the fury in his gaze.
"Enjoy these last few days, because it's settled—you're joining my crew," Bill said and walked out, leaving the second mate coughing on his food.
Of course, Bill wasn't planning to torment the man. In fact, he intended to help him. But sometimes, help can only come in the form of a good kick in the pants. That was something Nelson Royal was about to learn.