After handling the matters on Fish-Man Island, Lin Yan returned with Ain to the Moby Dick of the Whitebeard Pirates.
In the meantime, he took stock of the situation. The Beasts Pirates had over five hundred members, the Big Mom Pirates had over five hundred members, and the Navy had over five hundred members. In total, there were more than fifteen hundred captives.
Whitebeard personally held a meeting to decide how to deal with these fifteen hundred people. During the meeting, opinions varied. These captives were all up to no good, and logically, sending them to prison seemed the best option. The other squad captains agreed this made sense. Anyone daring to covet the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates deserved to be taught a lesson.
However, a problem arose: the Whitebeard Pirates didn't have enough prison space. Were they supposed to build a prison just for these fifteen hundred people? Impossible! They were already tightening their belts financially. Building a prison was out of the question.
At this point, Lin Yan came up with an idea.
"I have a suggestion!" The Whitebeard Pirates were currently short of money, and Lin Yan turned his gaze to the captives from the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and the Navy. Although these captives themselves had little value, their backgrounds made them valuable bargaining chips.
"What's your idea?" everyone asked, looking at him.
"Ransom!" Lin Yan snapped his fingers, his eyes gleaming. Jack the Drought was a pillar of the Beasts Pirates. The Navy wouldn't abandon Vice Admiral Onigumo. And Perospero was Big Mom's eldest son. Would Big Mom not come to rescue him?
The captains exchanged glances. Given the current state of the Whitebeard Pirates, this was indeed a good plan.
"Gurararara! This is a good idea!" Whitebeard nodded repeatedly.
"Lin, how much do you think we should ask for?" Marco asked.
"Thirty billion!" Lin Yan had already thought it through. Thirty billion was neither too low nor too high, enough to alleviate their financial pressure. It was also a reasonable amount that the three major forces could afford without becoming desperate.
So, they put the plan into action.
That day, the Whitebeard Pirates announced that they had captured Jack from the Beasts Pirates, Perospero from the Big Mom Pirates, and Vice Admiral Onigumo from the Navy. If they wanted them back, they had to pay thirty billion Beli.
The news shocked the world. No one expected the Whitebeard Pirates to act so soon after the war at Marineford. They struck with lightning speed, targeting three major forces. Were they not worried about retaliation?
Reports flooded in, with seagulls spreading the news worldwide. Some eager reporters even traveled to the Whitebeard Pirates to get firsthand information, taking photos and gathering material for their newspapers.
"Thirty billion? What audacity!" Kaido roared, smashing a handprint into the table. His forehead bulged with veins, making him look terrifying.
"Do the Whitebeard Pirates want to start a war?" said King, one of the three All-Stars, with a grim face.
Similarly, the Big Mom Pirates were in an uproar.
"Mom is asleep; how do we handle this?" Katakuri, one of the Sweet Commanders, tapped the table, looking around.
"Demanding thirty billion! We need to teach them a lesson!" Smoothie, another Sweet Commander, said angrily.
"Thirty billion? Have they gone mad?" Cracker, the third Sweet Commander, fumed.
On the Navy side, Sengoku closed his eyes without commenting when he heard the news.
"How do you see this, Sengoku?" Vice Admiral Tsuru asked calmly.
"Thirty billion Beli is no small amount!"
"We miscalculated with Fish-Man Island," Garp sighed.
"I think we should consider it. The Whitebeard Pirates might not want a full-scale war," Aokiji suggested.
"Let's wait and see," Sengoku decided, unwilling to pay such a large sum.
The next day, the three major forces responded. The Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates issued threats, warning the Whitebeard Pirates not to get too arrogant. They believed the Whitebeard Pirates were on their last legs and could be easily overthrown if they joined forces. The Navy remained silent, watching the situation unfold.
"No reaction?" Lin Yan wasn't surprised. He had anticipated this. Extracting money from them would require significant effort.
So, Lin Yan released another message: the first faction to come for their captives would only need to pay fifteen billion. The second would pay twenty billion. The third? No discounts, thirty billion as stated!
This news quickly reached the three major forces. Hearing that they could save fifteen billion Beli by acting first, both the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates fell silent. Even the Navy was momentarily tempted. If they acted quickly and rescued their people first, they could save fifteen billion Beli!
The three major forces started to stir. Should they just pay fifteen billion Beli to get their people back?