Six Hundred thousand fully armed regular troops!
From the literal meaning alone, it was clear this army was not a temporary force, but a long-term, permanently maintained military organization.
Even if one only calculated the soldiers' wages—at 1,000 Beli per person per month—the total cost would reach six hundred million Beli.
And that was just for a single month. The annual expense would be staggering.
For an individual, was 1,000 Beli a month a lot?
Not really.
A single copy of the World Economic Journal cost 100 Beli, and even local newspapers were around 30 Beli a piece.
From that alone, it was easy to gauge the value of 1,000 Beli. It was barely a subsistence-level wage—practically exploitative.
Which meant, in reality, the actual wage must have been higher.
In other words, even if the Alabasta Kingdom diverted a portion of its military funds, it could afford to pay such a sum.
Ten billion Beli—for the survival of a kingdom—that wasn't so much after all.
More importantly—
At this point in time, the Alabasta Kingdom had only just begun to show signs of rebellion. Because the events had advanced nearly a year earlier than expected, the kingdom's finances were not yet completely ruined.
And of course—
Ren's offer to "negotiate" was simply business. Start high and settle where it hurts.Perfectly reasonable.
To reassure Vivi and Igaram, he even added with a faint smile, "You can pay after the job's done. If I fail, you owe me nothing."
"But… ten billion Beli is too much," Vivi hesitated.
Ren's assumption about the kingdom's state didn't quite match the situation she remembered.
"If you're not willing to pay any price," Ren said earnestly, "then you'll never gain anything—or change anything.
And besides, this is a one-time offer.
Or do you think you can find anyone else willing to go up against Crocodile?
A pirate? Or the Navy?
You should know very well how Crocodile earned his 'heroic' reputation.
As for the Marines… surely you understand what kind of authority the Seven Warlords of the Sea possess."
"…We don't have that kind of decision-making power," Igaram said quietly. "We'll need the king's consent."
"In that case," Ren sighed, "we'd better part ways here."
He shook his head, regarding them with the kind of look one would give to a fool. "You know what kind of reach Baroque Works has inside Alabasta. Practically everywhere.
If it were a matter of pure stealth, maybe there'd be hope—but since I destroyed the Whisky Peak base to win your trust, Baroque Works won't just sit idly by.
The situation won't wait for your royal deliberations. Once the moment passes, it's gone—and once you're exposed, Crocodile will cut you loose faster than anyone."
Silence descended.
Igaram frowned deeply, unable to deny Ren's logic.
Even so, he still harbored doubt toward this man.
But someone understood the situation far better.
Vivi suddenly stood, raising her hands as she stepped past Igaram and faced Ren directly.
Their eyes met. Her voice was calm: "Mr. Ren, you said we only need to pay after the mission succeeds, right?"
"That's right," Ren nodded. "If I took your money first, I'd look like a scammer. Our meeting hasn't exactly been friendly, after all."
"In that case…" she took a breath, "can we change how we pay you?"
(⊙_⊙)?
Ren's brow furrowed. "What do you mean—"
"Collateral," Vivi said firmly.
She took a step back, her expression calm but resolute. "I am the princess of Alabasta, as you already know.
I can offer myself as collateral—to guarantee your service.
When everything is over, the kingdom will pay you a fair sum to take me back."
"W–Wait, Princess!"
Igaram leapt up in shock, eyes wide with panic.
But Vivi only shook her head gently. "Igaram, this is the best option we have."
Her thoughts were crystal clear.
*The moment this man appeared, everything spiraled out of control. Our cover's blown, our base destroyed. Whether we survive or not, Baroque Works will come to 'clean up.' Our corpses aren't among the dead—so suspicion is inevitable.
It no longer matters if our identities are exposed. What matters now is returning to the kingdom.
Only there can we confirm if the true mastermind is Crocodile. Which means—we must live long enough to get back.
The best way is to let Ren's crew escort us.
And if he can be made to move against Baroque Works on the way, that's killing two birds with one stone.
He knows we don't have the funds he's asking for. What he really wants is the kingdom's wealth.
Then fine—let me be the collateral. That's the price of trust.
Whatever his intentions, honest or deceitful—the only thing being risked right now is me.
And if you think about it, isn't our life already in his hands?
This is the best possible move!
At that moment, Vivi displayed wisdom far beyond her years.
She hadn't placed blind faith in Ren. Instead, she turned his mercenary logic into her own leverage—trading something she didn't currently control for tangible gain.
If Ren accepted, he would be obligated to move against Baroque Works first.
'Smart girl,' Ren thought, nodding slightly. "All right. But payment can't be delayed for long.
If you want me to make it rain over your coastal cities afterward, your treasury had better be ready within three days."
"Then… we have a deal?"
Vivi hesitated for a second before extending her hand. Ren clasped it firmly, then released it.
And with that handshake, their cooperation was sealed—and the Whisky Peak affair finally came to an end.
Against the combined force of Zoro, Nojiko, and Bonney, over a hundred bounty hunters stood no chance.
Victory came swiftly.
Once the cleanup was done, the group returned to the Enlightenment.
Zoro, standing watch, calmly wiped his blades by the rail.
Not all bounty hunters were killed—Zoro never slew women or children; Nojiko refrained from harming the latter as well, and Bonney lacked the bloodlust for slaughter.
Half the hunters survived—either gravely wounded and hiding or fleeing across the wilds.
Ren didn't bother pursuing them; in fact, he needed survivors.
Without someone to leak information, how else could he lure Baroque Works into the trap he was setting?
Not long after boarding, Nojiko brewed hangover soup for Zoro and Nami, serving them each a bowl.
Bonney, another heavy drinker, refused hers—handcuffed again with Seastone restraints, shrinking back into her nine-year-old form, and promptly falling asleep on deck.
"She just fell asleep like that?" Nojiko asked curiously.
"Leave her," Zoro replied, handing back the empty bowl. "If she tries anything funny, I'll handle it."
Seeing this, Nojiko said nothing more and went back inside.
Inside the cabin, Nami was grumbling over the loot.
"These guys are so poor! Aren't bounty hunters supposed to be loaded?!"
Her pretty face was twisted in disdain.
She'd found only scattered bits of treasure, barely totaling three million Beli—an insult to the title of "bounty hunter."
Even after sweeping the entire base, they managed only eight million Beli in total.
"T-That's because most of it's turned over to headquarters…" Vivi explained nervously from the sofa, Igaram sitting stiffly beside her.
"What?! You just let them exploit you like that?!" Nami yelled, indignant—as if she were the one being robbed.
She looked for all the world like someone possessed by greed—exactly like Ren.
Of course, Vivi didn't dare say that aloud. She simply continued, "The Baroque Works base at Whisky Peak mainly existed to gather funds for the company.
There are many such bases nearby. They usually leave a small portion for local hunters and send the rest to headquarters periodically.
Just a few days before you came, they made a delivery."
"Ugh, talk about bad luck!"
Nami exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated, before glancing at the pair. "So you two will be traveling with us for now?"
"Y-Yes," Vivi stammered, intimidated.
It felt like there was a fiery aura blazing behind the orange-haired woman.
"Well, since it's the captain's decision, I've got nothing to say.
But seriously—you're unlucky to have drawn the attention of someone like Crocodile."
She shook her head, peeling an orange from the table as she chatted with Vivi, fishing for details about Baroque Works.
Ren didn't join in.
Instead, he stole two of the three oranges Nami peeled, earning himself a punch for it.
Rubbing his head, he said casually, "Anyway, tell us where the other bases are. Preferably the ones with a Log Pose pointing to them.
Since our deal's made, I might as well get to work."
"The other bases' Log Poses? We only have one that points to Alabasta…" Vivi glanced uncertainly at Igaram.
He frowned, then admitted, "Actually, there are a few others—but we'd need to find the right hunters.
According to company records, the next island after Whisky Peak on the magnetic route is a dead zone. So most agents rotate in from other routes.
Some cautious hunters secretly make permanent Log Poses for themselves, just in case."
"Would they look like… half a sandglass?" Nami suddenly asked.
"Yes, that's right."
No sooner had Igaram confirmed it than the orange-haired girl grinned and pulled several permanent Log Poses from her pouch.
"I knew these things would come in handy someday!"
She triumphantly planted her hands on her hips—just in time for Ren to swipe the last half of her orange.
"Ren!!"
(End of Chapter)