One punch, and everyone fell silent.
The ship continued its journey through the deep sea. Behind them, the massive Sea King carcass was gradually obscured by gathering shadows, creatures tearing at it voraciously, causing the waters in that area to churn endlessly.
"Is this the power of a Warlord of the Sea?"
The people on board couldn't help but feel shaken as they recalled the scene. Stealing glances, they saw Wilder standing at the bow, his back to them, his tall figure exuding an inexplicable aura of power.
Kaneshiro was now standing beside Wilder, a smile on his face. "Mr. Wilder, thank you so much! If it weren't for you just now, everyone on this ship might have perished."
Kaneshiro's words were half-truth, half-flattery. Wilder knew they had their own ways of dealing with such situations; otherwise, they wouldn't dare to conduct such business.
Wilder didn't expose him, maintaining a modest smile as he said lightly, "It was what I ought to do. After all, I am on this ship too."
Wilder felt his acting skills had truly improved a lot. At least, he could now say things he originally wouldn't have wanted to say quite naturally.
"Hahaha, Mr. Wilder is truly approachable," Kaneshiro said after a moment of thought. "Regardless, we truly owe you one this time, Mr. Wilder. I have some connections in the New World. If there's anything I can assist you with in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
Wilder looked at him deeply upon hearing this and nodded. "That would be excellent. May I ask what kind of business Mr. Kaneshiro is in?"
"I am merely a small boss, a director in a company, though there are still people above me managing things," Kaneshiro said, his right hand unconsciously tightening its grip. Although the movement was slight, Wilder noticed it.
"Is that so?" Wilder remained composed, his expression still that of calm with a faint smile. "Then what is the name of your company? Perhaps I have heard of your esteemed firm."
"Hahaha, our company is called the Red Leaf Company. We primarily trade in medicinal herbs. It's not a particularly large company, but Mr. Wilder would definitely know the people we partner with."
"Oh?" Wilder's eyebrow arched, his gaze shifting slightly, becoming probing as he stared directly at Kaneshiro. Kaneshiro's smile gradually faded as he met Wilder's eyes.
Beads of nervous sweat unknowingly trickled down Kaneshiro's forehead. He knew Wilder must have gleaned some information from his words, and at this moment, his heart was pounding with anxiety. He didn't know if his next decision was correct, nor what Wilder's reaction would be, but he had to gamble! This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if he missed it, he would truly never be able to recover!
From the moment Wilder had boarded his ship, Kaneshiro had faintly entertained the idea. Now, he felt the opportunity had arrived! Wilder stared straight at him. He knew the other man must have a purpose for suddenly striking up a conversation. Those earlier words seemed like he was constantly probing for an opening, or more accurately, dropping hints. Wilder decided to give him a chance.
"Mr. Kaneshiro, if you have something to say, why not say it directly?" Wilder said lightly, his gaze fixed on the deep sea ahead.
Wilder's words made Kaneshiro sigh in relief. He knew he was one step closer to his opportunity.
"Then I shall be direct." Kaneshiro raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his brow and slowly stated his purpose. "In the Red Leaf Company, I am the second-largest shareholder. I was originally the first, but an incident later caused me to suffer huge losses, and I ended up in the second position. This originally wasn't much, but what I didn't expect was that the mastermind behind those losses was none other than the current majority shareholder."
"Although I was unwilling, it was the result of my own carelessness that time. I accepted it."
"But I never imagined he wouldn't let me off, even plotting to kill…" Kaneshiro paused here before continuing, "Right now, we are probably in a state of irreconcilable conflict. But he is the majority shareholder, suppressing me at every turn. I have no way out. Ironically, he was my best friend… of course, that was in the past."
"So?" Wilder said faintly, showing no reaction.
Kaneshiro looked at Wilder and said through gritted teeth, "So, I hope… Mr. Wilder can help me!"
"On what grounds?" The words, devoid of any emotion, left Wilder's lips. His gaze remained fixed on the dark, deep sea before them, never wavering.
Kaneshiro's eyes burned with hatred, his voice turning somewhat grim. "If… he can be made to pay for his actions! I am willing to offer the company to you."
"At that time… if you wouldn't mind, please allow me to manage the company for you, Mr. Wilder." As he said this, Kaneshiro carefully observed Wilder's expression, trying to read something from his face. But unfortunately, Wilder's countenance remained unchanged from beginning to end, perpetually calm.
"Your business should be quite prosperous, shouldn't it? What kind of hatred would make a man give up all his wealth?" Wilder turned his head and looked at him quietly.
The ship continued to sail through the deep sea. Perhaps because Wilder had just killed a Sea King, or maybe it was just coincidence, they encountered no further trouble along the way.
Wilder's words caused the image of his wife's tragic death to flash through Kaneshiro's mind. The hatred in his eyes almost materialized and overflowed. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke the truth in a trembling voice, "He killed my wife."
Wilder's expression shifted slightly, and he fell silent. Not out of sympathy, but because he felt this man was too capable of forbearance, to be able to work alongside the man who had murdered his wife.
Of course, Wilder wouldn't just believe his words like that. As it stood, what Kaneshiro had said wasn't enough to attract him. A medicinal herb company was decent, but it was just a company. Wilder himself wasn't lacking in such wealth.
Kaneshiro had been watching Wilder's expression intently. The flicker of disappointment Wilder inadvertently revealed did not escape his notice. Instantly, his heart sank.
Unwilling to give up, he continued, "If Mr. Wilder is willing, and entrusts the company to my management, I am confident I can increase its value tenfold within a year. Of course… this would require some assistance from Mr. Wilder's organization."
Kaneshiro wasn't exaggerating, nor would he claim he could increase the company's value tenfold on his own. He clearly stated it required Wilder's help, a point that earned him some affirmation in Wilder's mind.
A practical man. Tenfold… that's not bad…
Wilder remained silent, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. A tenfold profit was merely enough to pique his interest slightly. Business in the New World wasn't that simple, so he needed to carefully calculate the ratio of investment to return.
Wilder hadn't forgotten Kaneshiro's mention that the Red Leaf Company's partner was someone he knew. This made him curious. Who could it be? Wilder didn't want to guess, because there was no need to.
"You just said I know the person who partners with the Red Leaf Company. Who is it?"
Wilder's question gave Kaneshiro a glimmer of hope. He immediately slapped his forehead and said excitedly, "Oh… right! Look at me, I forgot about that."
"This person shares the same status as you, Mr. Wilder. He is also a Warlord of the Sea…" Kaneshiro hadn't finished before Wilder interrupted him, stating directly, "Doflamingo?"
"Er… yes. How did you know?" A hint of astonishment appeared on Kaneshiro's face.
Wilder didn't answer. His expression finally turned serious, contemplative. He waved his hand. "I need to think about this matter. You may attend to your duties first."
"Very well." Kaneshiro suppressed his inner excitement and withdrew.
Wilder remained standing at the bow. Kaneshiro's company partner was actually Doflamingo! This was unexpected. He had initially thought it was an insignificant company, but now, it seemed there was something worth considering.
Red Leaf Company, partnership, Doflamingo…
Wilder's face remained calm, but his mind was already racing. Ideas surfaced one after another, gradually connecting, until finally, as if a ball of fire had exploded, a vague yet much grander idea emerged.
His face perpetually serene, Wilder's gaze pierced through the deep sea before him, as if seeing into the New World.
He had two main objectives for entering the New World this time: one was to find a suitable place to establish a base, and the other was to set up an "officer factory," which meant recruiting a large number of orphans.
Besides these, there was one more—
To take over Doflamingo's industries and network!
That's right. From the very beginning, Wilder had harbored this idea. Currently, there was less than a year and a half until the collapse of Doflamingo's family in the story's plot. If he wanted to take over Doflamingo's enterprises concurrently with his downfall, he needed to infiltrate in advance.
But this was no simple task. Doflamingo, as a leading figure in the underworld, possessed means and intellect beyond comparison. He even navigated with ease among people who could bring about his demise at any moment; this wasn't something achievable with ordinary wisdom.
If Wilder had to summarize Doflamingo in a few words, they would be: sharp, decisive, forbearing, ruthless, intelligent, possessing extremely strong judgment, a terrifying big-picture view, capable of utilizing all resources at his disposal to the absolute maximum, and able to control the overall situation.
One could say Doflamingo's defeat in the original story was very unscientific.
Therefore, it was almost impossible for Wilder to infiltrate Doflamingo's industries while Doflamingo was still active. So… his network of connections was a breakthrough point.
A partner was also part of that network. Thus, the Red Leaf Company could indeed be a breakthrough point. And he wouldn't have to worry about being discovered, since Kaneshiro was an old hand at the Red Leaf Company, and its second-largest shareholder, formerly the majority one.
If Red Leaf's current majority shareholder were to disappear, it wouldn't arouse Doflamingo's suspicion. After all, it wasn't his own enterprise but a partner's. And given Doflamingo's methods, he likely knew about the situation between Red Leaf's top two shareholders; he wouldn't be surprised if one of them vanished one day.
Wilder ran the idea through his mind, roughly memorizing it, then asked Kaneshiro about the mode of cooperation between Red Leaf and Doflamingo.
"Aside from their direct transactions, companies like Red Leaf, and including Red Leaf, that cooperate with Doflamingo—unless they are very large-scale and possess enough military might to make Doflamingo somewhat wary—most companies have to pay Doflamingo a certain fee on a regular basis. He calls this a 'cooperation fee'."
Wilder nodded, gaining a general understanding of their partnership model.
After this, Wilder didn't ask Kaneshiro any more questions, nor did he indicate whether he would accept his proposal. He returned to the bow, and no one knew what he was thinking.
This made Kaneshiro somewhat uneasy, unable to quite grasp Wilder's intentions.
Unconsciously, the ship had arrived before a massive "mountain range."
The sailors on board once again stood on high alert. After all, beyond this "mountain range" lay the New World.
Soon, the ship drew ever closer to the colossal "mountain range" that divided the seas. Beneath the red stone cliffs, the enormous fissure also came into view.
"All hands, attention! Stay sharp!" Kaneshiro's expression turned grave as he directed the sailors to steer the ship towards the great fissure.
The world on the other side of the great fissure—would it greet them with calm? Or a storm? No one could predict. So, they could only prepare for the worst, ready to face terrible weather.
The ship quickly reached the great fissure beneath the Red Line. Here, the speed of the current abruptly increased, and the ship was sucked in with a whoosh! "Are we finally here…?" Wilder's legs were planted firmly on the deck, standing ramrod straight. His expression carried a hint of gravity, and also… a trace of anticipation.
Darkness enveloped them. Only heavy breathing and frantic heartbeats could be heard on deck. Everyone could feel the ship being propelled forward at an insane speed.
The turbulent current continuously poured in from behind, pushing the entire ship onward, faster and faster.
Just as their hearts felt like they could barely withstand the pressure, suddenly, the speed sharply decreased. Then, everyone felt the ship's orientation change; it was no longer moving forward but ascending.
BOOM! The entire ship burst through the waves, launching high into the sky from beneath the sea! After the upward momentum dissipated, it slammed back down heavily! And then, the sound of a bubble bursting reached everyone's ears. The coating that had enveloped the entire ship shattered, dissipating into the air in an instant.
Its mission was complete.
However, this didn't mean everything was safe. The crisis was just beginning! A gloomy sky, thick dark clouds pressing down over the ship, felt like a giant stone weighing on their hearts, making everyone feel oppressed and heavy.
The ship rocked violently. Seawater mixed with rain suddenly poured in, washing over the deck. Gale-force winds howled in their ears, like roars from hell, seeking to claim every life.
Even the entire sea appeared somber and dark. The churning, massive waves brought with them endless despair.
"Damn it!" the sailor at the helm cursed. This situation clearly wasn't welcoming them with calm, but with a storm.
Creeaak… The deck let out a weak groan, jarring and unpleasant.
Although the sails had already been furled, the mast still began to bend to one side under the fierce wind.
The situation was critical! "Damn it! Lurjia, Luriyi, what in blazes are you two idiots doing?! Playing grab-ass?! Secure the damn mast! If it breaks, none of us are getting out of this alive!" Kaneshiro yelled, exasperated, at two dazed-looking crewmen. His eyes, fixed on the severely bent mast, couldn't help but flash with worry.
However, what one fears most often comes to pass. Kaneshiro's words had barely faded when a crack was heard. Then, before everyone's horrified eyes, a fissure appeared in the middle of the mast and began to spread, until a clap of thunder struck, and the mast snapped completely!