After being persuaded by both men in turn, Shanks finally stiffened his neck, his face red as he accepted Jake's support, though he still stubbornly insisted.
"We do need some funds right now, but don't worry—later on, I'll definitely make sure you get more than your money's worth!"
Seeing his captain's reaction, Beckman knew Shanks was just embarrassed.
He didn't comment, merely smiling faintly before lighting another cigarette.
Jake, meanwhile, continued.
"Let's move on. Having that gold as startup capital won't solve long-term problems—it's just a stopgap measure at best. In my original plan, most of that gold was meant to fund the construction of the Sea Train.
Once the Sea Train is built, the immense transportation advantages it brings will generate massive profits for the Marines. Just the ticket sales alone would recoup the investment within two years—not even counting additional fees various nations would pay the Marines.
But I also knew that once the World Government realized how lucrative this venture was, they'd never leave it alone. That's why I chose to collaborate with Whitebeard. If there's one Pirate in this world I can trust, without question, it's Whitebeard.
Though our allegiances differ, I have to admit—Whitebeard is truly one of the world's rare great heroes. Working with someone like him gave me complete peace of mind. Of course, this was also influenced by that time when Doflamingo ambushed me and Marco saved my life."
Hearing this, Shanks immediately guessed when Jake was referring to.
"No wonder the Whitebeard Pirates' movements were so strange back then—you were on his ship! I actually thought Whitebeard was finally making his move for the Pirate King's throne."
Beckman sighed at Red Hair's words, muttering in exasperation.
"Only an idiot like you would think that. The only thing separating Whitebeard from being Pirate King was that he never went to the final island, Laugh Tale. And it wasn't that he couldn't—he just didn't want to. Otherwise, after Roger was captured, he would've been the second Pirate King."
Listening to Beckman's remark, Shanks scratched his head and laughed.
"Hahaha, I guess you're right. But Beckman, you really live up to being the vice-captain I chose—your brain's as sharp as ever!"
"Idiot, just listen to what Rear Admiral Jake has to say!"
Watching their easy camaraderie, Jake smiled slightly before continuing.
"To minimize the World Government's interference with the Sea Train, the Marines secretly supported numerous underground factions, having them invest in the project through various means to siphon off as much of the World Government's profits as possible."
"By leveraging Whitebeard's notorious reputation, we had him periodically seize high-value cargo from sea trains or collect certain taxes. The results were remarkable—not only did we secure additional military funding from the World Government this way, but we also split a significant portion of the Berries originally meant for them with the Whitebeard Pirates."
Hearing this, Shanks slammed the table in frustration and exclaimed,
"Damn it! Why wasn't I the one who rescued you back then? I want to collaborate with you too! If we had that kind of money, we wouldn't have been stuck washing dishes for three days after our last meal!
That bastard boss made me scrub every bowl and utensil at least twice—said it had to be absolutely clean!"
As Shanks complained, Beckman smacked him on the head and snapped,
"It's your own fault for eating so much! And stop interrupting Jake!"
Jake, however, simply shook his head dismissively and continued,
"It's fine. The fact that you're showing such frustration means our future collaboration holds great promise.
But this method can't be used indefinitely. The World Government will soon catch on to the trick and force us into a major conflict with the Whitebeard Pirates—though that process will take at least two years.
Perhaps by heaven's mercy, during that time, I found a Devil Fruit user with the Gold-Gold Fruit ability. His name is Tesoro, and he can create gold—though it disappears if submerged in seawater for too long.
But as long as it doesn't stay underwater, his gold is indistinguishable from the real thing!
After I dismantled the Donquixote Family, I handed all their operations over to Tesoro. Those who cooperated with him thrived—and those who didn't? Well, the Marines helped them change their minds.
Do you know the terrifying force unleashed when the Marines is determined to crown someone king of the underground market? It's enough to send shockwaves across the entire world.
In less than a year, Tesoro has seized control of over 30% of the Underground Black Market's total wealth!
At this point, he might as well be called the uncrowned king of the underworld!"
Hearing this, Beckman voiced his concern to Jake,
"Rear Admiral Jake, aren't you worried about his loyalty in the long run?"
In response, Jake smiled meaningfully and asked.
"Do you know what my Devil Fruit is?"
"Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan—the Seraphim Fruit. A fruit that only existed in myths before you appeared. We all thought it was just a legend, an incredibly rare fruit. That's correct, isn't it?"
"Do you know that angels in legends possess the ability to communicate with the souls of the dead?"
Shanks' pupils contracted sharply, and he stared at Jake in horror before exclaiming.
"You're not telling me you have that power right now, are you?!"
"I do. And that's precisely why I can guarantee Tesoro will never betray me."
Jake spoke while recounting Tesoro's story to Shanks and Beckman.
After hearing about Tesoro, complex expressions flashed across their faces.
Shanks sighed softly and murmured.
"How many more tragedies like this must this damned world endure?"
"That's exactly why I want to change this world. Currently, with our control over the Marines, military funding is no longer an issue. Two of the Four Emperors have agreed to ally with us. I'm already in contact with the Revolutionary Army. All forces are being gathered. When everything is ready, it will be time to drag the Celestial Dragons down from their pedestal!"
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