"Lease Rock Island for ten years!?"
When Gilbert heard Aaron's new condition, he froze for a moment. Then, as usual, his expression hardened, and he began calculating, carefully weighing the pros and cons, trying to discern Aaron's true motives.
Compared to a permanent transfer, leasing the island was a much easier pill to swallow. It meant the ownership of Rock Island would still remain under his name; it would merely be rented out for a period of time. And ten years well, at forty-seven years old, he could certainly afford to wait that long.
Besides, with someone like Aaron, an elemental Logia Devil Fruit user overseeing Rock Island, order could be restored, and the island's economy might even revive.
Given the administrative skill Aaron had already shown in managing the slums of Vilia Port, Gilbert believed he could easily turn Rock Island into a prosperous territory.
And once ten years passed, he could simply reap the rewards.
The only concern was that after a decade, Rock Island would no doubt have become the heart of Aaron and the Akio Family's operations and by then, Aaron himself would have grown immensely powerful. Reclaiming the island might not be easy. Most likely, Gilbert would need to support a rival gang on the island to keep Aaron's influence in check.
But that didn't worry Gilbert in the slightest. After all, he had the World Government and the Navy behind him.
No matter how strong Aaron became, could he possibly match the Navy, those ferocious hounds of the sea?
As for Aaron's motive, Gilbert saw it clearly: the man simply wanted to use Rock Island as a base to strengthen his own forces and provide the Akio Family a fallback stronghold.
And from that perspective, trading ten years of control over a currently worthless island in exchange for Aaron's protection and the future development of a potentially rich territory was an exceptionally good deal.
"What a sly old fox… he's really thinking it through."
When the Den Den Mushi remained silent for so long, Aaron could tell Gilbert was scheming again.
This was no fool. Though Gilbert's personal strength wasn't impressive, his cunning mind and his ability to exploit his royal status made him a dangerous strategist, one not to be underestimated.
On the other side, Akio was quietly impressed.
He immediately understood Aaron's intent in securing Rock Island. Yes, Aaron was using it to expand his personal power but since he was part of the Akio Family, the gang would benefit as well.
And more importantly, it gave them a retreat.
Once he and Regis were gone, if Aaron ever found himself unable to defeat Dars or Regis, he could fall back to Rock Island and rebuild from there. The Akio Family would not vanish overnight.
"Alright. I accept your terms."
After another two or three minutes of silence, Gilbert finally smiled. He had worked out the full logic of the deal and he was satisfied.
Hearing that, a heavy weight lifted from Aaron's heart. For the first time, his cold, stoic face softened into a faint smile.
From this moment on, he finally had a true domain of his own.
It didn't belong to the Akio Family; it belonged entirely to him. And, most importantly, he wouldn't have to fear hostility from the World Government or the Navy, since his claim to it was completely legal.
Yes, the lease only lasted ten years but who could say what might happen in ten years' time?
"Then I thank you, Lord Gilbert," Aaron replied smoothly. "Don't worry I'll see to your protection personally."
The deal was sealed.
Now came the details specifically, how long Aaro would serve as Gilbert's bodyguard.
Naturally, Gilbert wanted the protection to last as long as possible ideally forever. But he knew that was unrealistic, so he began bargaining, trying to stretch the term as much as he could.
This was wartime, after all. Both sides of the Drum Kingdom's civil conflict were employing assassins to eliminate each other's leaders. Having a Logia-type user with Observation Haki guarding him would drastically increase Gilbert's safety.
He had only narrowly survived one assassination attempt earlier that night, and the fear still lingered. Now that he had Aaron, he wasn't about to let him go easily.
In the end, after prolonged negotiation, Gilbert agreed to lease Rock Island to Aaron for fifteen years and pay him a monthly salary of 100 million Berries in exchange for Aaron's protection for one year.
According to Gilbert's calculations, one year would be enough to crush Gresham and seize full control of the Drum Kingdom. After that, as king, he could request a skilled Observation Haki user from the World Government for protection.
Aaron also added a small condition of his own: his role as Gilbert's protector must remain secret.
He explained it plainly; he didn't want the Invisible Man to hold a grudge against him.
Though Gilbert was displeased, he had hoped to boast publicly that Aaron was on his side, he could understand the reasoning and reluctantly agreed.
"Hmphahahaha! Invisible Man… and my dear brother Gresham just you wait. I'll make you both regret it!"
Inside his castle, Gilbert threw back his head and laughed wildly.
Now that he had Aaron's protection, the tension that had been strangling him all night melted away. Confidence surged back into his voice as he barked orders for the kitchen to bring out food, he hadn't eaten since returning from the chaos outside.
Meanwhile, having concluded the negotiation, Aaron turned toward Akio, bowing slightly with a respectful tone.
"Lord Akio, I assume you've already heard about Rock Island. That island will serve as one of the Akio Family's future safe havens and also as a major source of profit for us in this civil war. I hope I can count on your assistance."
Rock Island's location alone made it a goldmine waiting to be developed. Naturally, Aaron wanted to claim it entirely for himself, but he knew that would be difficult.
After all, he was the Akio Family's only true powerhouse. Holding the island alone would be nearly impossible.
To take it quickly and securely, he needed the gang's backing.
Of course, in the long run, Aaron was confident that the Akio Family itself would eventually fall under his control. He wasn't worried about them interfering with his plans for the island.
"Of course," Akio said with a smile. "If Rock Island is yours, then it's ours too. You can count on my support."
Then, as if remembering something, his tone softened awkwardly.
"As for money… the gang can't offer you much right now. But manpower that's no problem. Other than the core officers, you can pick whoever you like."
No money!?
Aaron instantly caught that critical detail.
It was strange, very strange.
He knew exactly how vast the Akio Family's operations in Vilia Port were. Before the civil war broke out, the gang made tens of millions of Berries a month just from protection fees alone. Add in their control of various businesses and their dominant share of Drum Kingdom's lucrative pharmaceutical trade and the profits were staggering.
Even accounting for high expenses, they should still be clearing at least seven or eight hundred million Berries a month.
So how could the leader of such a powerful gang suddenly claim he had no money and not sound like he was lying? Something wasn't right.
Still, Aaron didn't press the issue.
"That's fine," he said calmly. "As long as I have the people, that's enough."
The two men then smoothly shifted the conversation away, chatting idly for a few more moments until, with a whisper of wind and snow, Aaron's figure vanished from the room.
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