Refined iron can be sold for over thirty thousand Belly on the Grand Line, but during wartime, it can go for over eighty thousand Belly.
Kid once hijacked a ship from Big Mom, getting two hundred tons of refined iron and fifty sets of cannons, valued only at eighty million.
This is due to the New World; elsewhere it might be cheaper.
But regardless of the price, the premise is that it can be sold.
Someone needs to acquire these and forge them, right? If it's a small quantity, it's manageable since there are always craftsmen, but for large-scale acquisition, besides the World Government, there's only O'hara left.
Although they are unaware of the details, there's a rumor that the World Government is also placing orders with them, clearly due to insufficient production capacity.
Now it's purely a seller's market, and they can name their price.
Although Wano Country has been dismantled, its iron ore was still exported in large quantities; during its isolationist period, the iron ore was cheaper, costing as little as eight hundred Belly per ton.
You heard that right, eight hundred!
Refined iron, when exchanged with gold coins, would only cost five thousand Belly!
Although the price changed after being occupied by Lord Sage, it indirectly proved Wano Country's abundant reserves, as they have never lacked raw materials.
And the lead bullets made from these raw materials... Who the hell buys finished products?
They export the finished goods!
As for the profit on raw materials, anyway, Sage's official purchase price is fifteen thousand Belly per ton. After the local merchants buy it, they simply resell it, paying taxes along the way.
As for neutral merchants...
"The official purchase price is fifteen thousand, why don't you switch sides and join us in O'hara? Bring out your nation's compass."
The Fishman merchant smiled at him, saying, "It's the same if you find someone else. This price was set by the spontaneously formed chamber of commerce, and it's consistent across the board. You won't find a higher price."
To receive their treatment requires submission.
This Fishman is not afraid of mentioning the official purchase price, but selling at that price is not possible for foreign merchants.
"Twelve thousand it is!"
The merchant gritted his teeth, "Won't you at least take the lead bullets? I went to great lengths to get these, I'm willing to go cheaper!"
There's no place to sell them except here; the black market price is actually quite high now. During the Summit War, lead bullets could sell for two thousand Belly each on the black market.
Compared to raw materials, the price of such finished goods is actually very high, but under normal circumstances, they would sell for three hundred to five hundred Belly each.
Military arms, even just ammunition, can never be cheap enough to cost tens of Belly.
Now it's a wartime economy, with prices soaring to Summit War levels, but he can't sell them.
Such high prices come with risks, and the sea is the biggest risk; if robbed, he'd end up with nothing.
"Cheap..."
The Ray Fishman pondered and said, "Alright then, for this box you have..."
"Two thousand rounds!"
"Hmm, thirty Belly each, I'll take them all."
"You're robbing me!"
The merchant exclaimed, "Isn't this supposed to be the best business environment here?! Or are you pirates just pirates, might as well just rob me directly!"
Thirty-one bullets? Sixty thousand Belly?
He went through so much trouble to get a batch of lead bullets, hoping to make a fortune, but at this price, he can barely buy a knife?
"Hmph, what do you think our lead bullet cost is?"
The Ray Fishman wasn't afraid to reveal this, extending five fingers toward the merchant, "Don't think we do hand crafting or careful manufacturing. Lord Sage has pure assembly line factories. Our lead bullet cost is only fifty Belly. I'm offering you thirty as a kindness, I still have to pay taxes, you're calling it cheap? I feel it's cheap myself!"
The manufacturing cost of lead bullets is indeed not expensive; arms dealers sell them for three hundred to five hundred, but on the black market, under normal circumstances, the price would be even less.
The Navy Branch G-5 has done this before; the arsenal wholesale price was two hundred Belly each.
But with the fall of the Donflamingo Clan, that business is gone; now it's only they who can do it.
The simplest cost optimization allows Sage to make a fortune in the arms trade.
"You lowly..."
"Watch your words."
Seeing the merchant's face flush red, about to utter a curse, the Ray Fishman cracked his knuckles, coldly stating:
"I can crush you 'humans' as easily as bugs. Racial discrimination is outdated; this is O'hara! You, a stinky outsider, are you here to cause trouble in my O'hara?!"
"I..."
The merchant swallowed loudly, holding back his words, hesitating for a while before saying, "I'm not..."
"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse, we have another proposal here..."
The Ray Fishman beckoned, allowing an assistant from the chamber of commerce to bring over a piece of Pearl Coral, "Business can be done in many ways. This is my gift to you, a rare Pearl Coral from the South Sea."
"The purpose is simple, you know that the first half of the New World will eventually belong to Lord Sage. It's just a matter of time, maybe years, maybe decades, or perhaps just months... You don't want to join us, but we can also cooperate."
"Cooperate?" The merchant was stunned, "What do you want to do?"
"What special products does your country have?" The Ray Fishman said, "We don't need your compass or coordinates, we just need to know this."
"Lead and iron ore," the merchant said.
"Production lines can't be set up, but we can purchase raw materials... As a businessman, wouldn't you want to escape noble oppression and do business freely? Just need to pay taxes... Of course, you don't qualify for this now, but we can offer it to you."
"I don't care how you get your materials, whether it's through buying slaves or forced labor, as long as you bring the raw materials to us, we'll give you an additional 10% rebate as your money, and we have banks for you to save, even if you die, your family can use it."
"Think carefully, earn a lot of money, come here and be a free man, isn't it better than being exhausted and oppressed by us and your master for a low price?"
The Ray Fishman's words, filled with temptation, brought the merchant into silence.
Perhaps... it's a good idea.
Their conversation was being carefully eavesdropped on by a man in a coat and helmet among the port crowd.
That was Shaka.
They had returned to O'hara several days ago.
In these days, they had done nothing but wander around the city of O'hara, observing its unique vibrancy completely different from other cities.
The port was lively, and the city even more so, accommodating various races living peacefully while absorbing architectural styles from multiple races, expanding in area and showing unique flair.
Like Wano Country, although dismantled, its architectural style was left behind, blending Wano's flying eaves with modern streamline design, lining up in commercial rows.
The recording stars projected by the Video Snail looped on the plaza screen, with Takoyaki vendors created by octopus Fishmen grilling fifty octopus balls simultaneously with six arms.
You could even see Giants walking around, with the locals unfazed, even greeting them.
What was shown here is racial equality, under Sage, where everyone can choose what they love freely, earn considerable salaries, and have free time for themselves.
Peaceful, beautiful.
But there's darkness too...
For example, right now.
O'hara's vibrancy was actually built by exploiting others.
Sage, with no reservations, introduced the current rules established by O'hara, helping those with genius brains understand that everything depended on drastically compressing raw material costs while exporting high-value goods and exploiting those outside the territory for sustenance. This was how it came about.
It's good, but it has its drawbacks.
Yet these drawbacks... compared to other places, it's simply as good as it can get!
Because O'hara's bottom line is almost others' ceiling!