"I get nine, he gets one."
These four words, spoken lightly from Roger's mouth, stirred up a monstrous storm in Robin's ears.
He froze, and on his face, twisted by fear, for the first time appeared a strong sense of absurdity and disbelief.
Nine-to-one split?
You get nine, he gets one?
What kind of hellish division ratio is this?
Is he begging for scraps?
"Your Excellency... are you... are you joking?"
Robin forced a laugh.
He had traversed the East Asian seas for decades, handling countless messy affairs, both legitimate and illicit, for Sam.
He had seen greedy officials and vicious sea bandits.
But he had never seen such an outrageous appetite!
"Joking?"
Roger tilted his head, his smile growing brighter.
"Do my crew members look like they're joking?"
Robin subconsciously turned his head to look.
At the door, Buck was flexing his fist, which was larger than a sand pot, with a friendly expression that said, "Say one more word, and I'll twist you into a pretzel."
Robin's cold sweat instantly poured down.
"No... I wouldn't dare..."
"Good then."
Roger nodded with satisfaction.
"I'm a person who hates wasting time on inefficient things like haggling."
"Nine-to-one, that's my final offer."
"Either you take that one tenth and go back to tell Sam that everyone will still be like brothers from different fathers and mothers in the future."
Roger paused, gently tapping Robin's shoulder with his baton.
"Or, I will now turn all your dozen or so ships into afternoon snacks for my the explorer."
"Then I'll sail to Hirado and personally ask Sam what flavor of ashes he prefers."
Gulp.
Robin swallowed hard.
His brain was working at high speed.
This foreigner in front of him had unfathomable strength, acted domineeringly and wildly, and clearly knew his master's background, so he was definitely prepared.
To go head-to-head would be suicide.
But if he agreed just like that... how would he explain it to his master when he went back?
"Your Excellency... this matter is of great importance, and it is not something this humble one can decide alone."
Robin said, trembling, trying to buy time.
"May I be allowed to return and report to my master, and then..."
"I said, I hate wasting time."
Roger interrupted him impatiently.
He stood up, walked to the cabin door, and looked at the dozen or so merchant ships outside, laden with goods.
His eyes gleamed with the kind of light a capitalist gets when he sees an assembly line.
"It seems that you won't believe it just by talking."
"Hector."
"Here, Captain!"
"Perform a magic trick for our esteemed guest."
Roger snapped his fingers.
"Let's start with that escort ship with a broken leg."
Robin hadn't yet understood what "performing a magic trick" meant.
Then, he witnessed a terrifying sight that he would never forget in his life, one that would replay in his nightmares every night.
At the bow of the explorer, the golden-wrapped sphere, pulsating like a heart, suddenly burst into brilliant light!
The dazzling golden light even outshone the midday sun!
Immediately after, countless golden energy threads, thicker than cables, shot out from the cortez's heart like living giant pythons.
They spanned the sea, instantly coiling around the escort ship with the broken mast!
"Screech... crunch..."
Amidst a chilling sound of twisting metal and splintering wood, the nearly thousand-ton displacement escort warship was forcibly lifted from the sea by those golden threads!
It was frantically squeezed, twisted, and disintegrated in mid-air!
The sturdy keel was twisted into a pretzel, the thick ship planks were torn into fragments, and the cannons and cargo on board fell into the sea like dumplings!
"What... what kind of sorcery is that?!"
"Help! It's a sea monster! The sea monster is eating the ship!"
On the other merchant ships, the sailors who were still conscious let out heart-wrenching screams.
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