After returning to G-5, Ortoren and Momonga passed more than two quiet months. True to his word, Spandine swiftly sent a large group of unemployed shipwrights from Water 7—along with Master Tom himself—to G-5.
At that moment, in the Base Commander's office, Ortoren was hunched over his desk, drafting a development plan.
Across from him, Momonga sat on the sofa with a stack of documents, reporting the latest updates.
"Training's coming along. Issho's already gotten into rhythm. But we're still short on officers who can lead men into the field. If it's just Issho alone, efficiency's too low. When do you plan to rope some people over from headquarters?" Momonga asked.
Their three-man setup at G-5 was simple: Ortoren handled overall strategy, Momonga acted as his assistant plugging the gaps, while Issho practically lived with the G-5 fleet, constantly seeking out pirates to hone their troops against—pushing G-5's Marines toward elite-level combat readiness.
Given Issho's strength, as long as he didn't provoke top-tier monsters of the New World, he could hold his own, so Ortoren felt reassured.
"I'm already in touch with Gion. She said once she clears her current workload, she'll apply for transfer to G-5," Ortoren replied without lifting his head.
Indeed, Gion was his first recruitment target. He trusted her most, given their close ties and long acquaintance.
Beyond Gion, Ortoren had also reached out to Tokikake and Yamakaji. But Yamakaji was tied down by some classified mission and couldn't leave anytime soon.
Tokikake, meanwhile, had ended up under Garp. The two of them together were like rotten fish paired with rotten shrimp—spending their days drinking, gambling, and womanizing. They'd become a "scenic attraction" at headquarters: the infamous Slacker Duo.
Kuzan, on the other hand, had been promoted to Vice Admiral and given command of a base, so he no longer hung around much with that old rogue Garp.
Originally, Tokikake had no interest in G-5, mainly because he didn't want to work under Ortoren—he'd always considered him a rival in love.
But once Ortoren revealed that he'd invited Gion over—and that she had already agreed—Tokikake didn't hesitate. He said he'd report it to Garp when he got the chance and then head to G-5 as an external assignment.
Nominally, he would remain under Garp's direct command, but in practice, he'd be stationed at G-5. This way, everything stayed within regulations, no sneaking around required.
When Ortoren heard Tokikake's response, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Bait really was useful!
Meanwhile, the New World had been bustling. Gecko Moria, Donquixote Doflamingo, Dracule Mihawk, and others had all begun making their moves, stirring up plenty of trouble. One day, someone would strike at Ochoku's Hachinosu; the next, there'd be a clash with the Big Mom Pirates. The struggle between old and new powers was erupting across the seas.
And it wasn't just the names Ortoren recognized. Beyond Doflamingo and the others, a wave of powerful pirates he had no memory of had also begun throwing the New World into turmoil.
They'd likely either end up as stepping stones for future Yonkō, or as fodder swallowed by the current Emperors.
But for now, they burned with ambition and fighting spirit.
For instance, Issho had repeatedly crossed paths with a pirate named Slekemind, a Paramecia-type user of the Masu Masu no Mi (Crush Crush no Mi). Arrogant and powerful, he had battled Issho several times and still hadn't been brought down.
Still, one faction in the New World remained untouchable—the Whitebeard Pirates. Ever since Crocodile challenged Newgate and was defeated, not a single formidable contender had stepped forward to test Whitebeard again.
But the Whitebeard Pirates really were like salted fish. As long as no one provoked them, they hardly ever stirred up trouble. Of course, that referred mainly to Whitebeard's core crew. The many subsidiary crews under his banner were still plenty active, stirring the seas and clashing constantly with the new generation of pirates.
Every now and then, someone strong enough would appear to catch Newgate's eye, prompting him to step in personally and adopt them as a "son."
Since Ortoren already had things planned, Momonga didn't push further on that subject. Instead, he continued his report. "About our warship construction—we first need to secure a proper island to serve as our shipbuilding base. It can't be too far from G-5, and we'll need to station troops there to guard it..."
"Got any recommendations?" Ortoren asked.
"Yes. I've already marked a few suitable islands on this chart. Pick whichever you think best." Momonga pulled a sea chart from his folder and laid it on Ortoren's desk.
Ortoren nodded and accepted it but didn't look it over right away.
Unfazed, Momonga carried on. "But shipbuilding takes more than just technique. We'll need vast amounts of good timber, machine tools, and other equipment. And that's not even the hardest part. I ran some estimates—once we launch this project, the financial strain will be massive. Just relying on Issho and the others wiping out pirates won't keep the Shipbuilding Division running. We'll need a steady source of funds."
The mention of money gave Ortoren a headache. You really didn't understand how costly things were until you were the one in charge.
That whole 'foreign garrison' program only solved part of the manpower and troop funding issue. G-5 still had to cover its own operating costs. Headquarters wasn't about to send them support. At best, raiding pirates let them keep the budget balanced—that alone was already decent.
Where was he supposed to find spare money to build ships?
Ortoren had thought about tapping into the Golden City on Skypiea... but in the end, he shoved that idea aside. G-5 simply didn't have the capacity to manage a fortune that enormous yet. If word ever leaked, the fallout would be disastrous.
"Got any ideas for funding sources?" Ortoren rubbed his temples, irritation in his voice.
Momonga went quiet for a moment before gritting his teeth. "I do... but it's not exactly good for our reputation."
"How so?" Ortoren raised an eyebrow.
Reputation? What good was reputation compared to money?
"Protection fees," Momonga said flatly.
Ortoren blinked in surprise. "Don't we already collect those? Stationing troops is protection money in its own way. But once troops are deployed, raising fees again would be crossing the line. Those nobles aren't going to cough up more so easily..."
"I don't mean the garrison fees. I'm talking about charging merchants—imposing protection fees and tolls on ships that pass through our waters," Momonga explained, his eyes shifting slightly.
Ortoren went silent, then muttered, "Your standards keep dropping... Isn't that just straight-up piracy? Blocking sea lanes and extorting tolls?"
Not that all pirates went around massacring people. The established ones understood sustainability.
They'd shake down merchant convoys for a cut—call it 'protection.' Pay, and you got safe passage.
Because if you slaughtered them all, who would dare sail that route again? And with no merchants, there'd be no one left to bleed dry.
Momonga sighed helplessly. "What else can we do? I'm no financial genius. Half-baked ideas like this are all I've got."
"What if we expand the shipbuilding itself? While making warships, we also build regular vessels. Sell them. Could that work?" Ortoren mused aloud.
"I don't know. I've never studied business. Honestly, we need someone with real commercial sense. This funding problem's a nightmare. We're all muscle, not merchants," Momonga said with frustration.
Ortoren scratched his head, then glanced at the sea chart on his desk. His eyes landed on the Sabaody Archipelago...
Was Gild Tesoro still around there?
Maybe it was time to pay him a visit.
...
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