Rayleigh was initially surprised that Ortoren could contact Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, but upon considering Dragon's status and Ortoren's relationship with Garp, it all made perfect sense. Given Ortoren's treasonous mindset and actions, it even seemed like the most natural outcome.
For his part, Ortoren, for certain reasons, made no effort to avoid Rayleigh or Shakky. He sat openly in the tavern, chatting with Dragon.
"Things have been pretty grim for your Revolutionary Army these past couple of years..." Ortoren said into the Den Den Mushi, his tone solemn.
Dragon chuckled on the other end, shaking his head slightly before replying, "You're actually concerned about whether our Revolutionary Army's situation is tough?"
"Don't be so formal, really..." Ortoren replied, then continued, "Our G-5 is expanding into many new ventures right now. Soon, we plan to enter markets like food and military supplies. Hearing things aren't going well for you, I thought I'd come specifically to offer some support to this good brother of mine."
At this, a flicker of genuine interest lit Dragon's eyes. He addressed the Den Den Mushi: "Oh? Seems you're serious about expanding and strengthening your operations. Telling me all this—aren't you afraid I'll leak it to the World Government?"
"See? That's trust. If I didn't trust you, would I share this with you?" Ortoren replied, his tone thick with the implication that he considered Dragon family.
In truth, though he intended to enter these industries, Ortoren still had no plans to put G-5 on the table. He would definitely need someone else to act as the front man. As for the candidate, the current plan was most likely to assign the role to the Marines' "Reserve Rear Admiral," Mr. Doflamingo.
"So what you wanted to discuss today was these private business matters?" Dragon pondered before asking.
"Primarily, I wanted to strengthen our bond," Ortoren remarked with feigned sincerity, then added, "Secondarily, we could explore cooperation... business ventures..."
"Cooperation..." Dragon keenly grasped the crux, murmuring softly, "I see. So if I want to become your premium client—someone who can reliably purchase grain, military supplies, and other goods from you long-term—I'd first need to prove my loyalty to you?"
"It's not quite that," Ortoren replied. "Mainly, there have been some misunderstandings between us in the past. I worry you might not trust me yet. So I'd like to collaborate on a few projects first. That way, we can get to know each other better, build some trust, and then we can all feel more at ease."
"So how exactly do you envision this cooperation?" Dragon pondered for a moment before asking.
"I want to become an Admiral, and I need your help to achieve that!" Ortoren stated bluntly.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Dragon's voice dropped. "I, Dragon, have made my way in this world relying on three things: ruthlessness, loyalty, and a wide network of brothers. If you expect me to betray my brothers as capital for your advancement and wealth, you've seriously misjudged me, Ortoren!"
Ortoren fell silent for a moment. He was tempted to correct Dragon's perspective: For the likes of you in the underworld, to grow big and powerful, those so-called three principles should be betraying brothers, breaking oaths, and taking care of the boss's wife, right?
But Ortoren quickly snapped out of his thoughts, smiling as he replied, "Of course I wouldn't misjudge you. I consider you my dearest kin, my own blood brother. How could I ever ask you to betray your own? If you betrayed them today, you could betray me tomorrow. Wouldn't you agree?"
Dragon felt he had a point, yet the implication was so troubling he couldn't find a response.
"Then how do you want me to help?" Dragon asked after a moment's thought.
"Ahem... confidential intelligence." Ortoren first feigned mystery, then whispered, "Holy Land is preparing to make a move against the Commander-in-Chief. You served in the Marines before, so you understand what that means, right?"
"I understand the implication, but since the higher-ups are considering a change, with your standing, I doubt anyone in Marineford could rival you... Do you really need my help?" Dragon asked, slightly puzzled.
Though he hadn't been in the Marines for many years, Dragon still had a clear grasp of its current situation. Given Ortoren's abilities and his current standing, there were only a handful within the Marines who could realistically compete with him for the position of Admiral. And among them, Ortoren held the advantage. Did he really need Dragon's assistance?
But the moment he thought of that, Dragon stiffened, suddenly realizing something. He spoke at once: "Are you worried things won't be secure enough, so you want to get rid of one of your competitors to make sure no one can stand in your way? You've always been close to Kuzan, and Borsalino isn't the type to fight over anything. So you plan to use me to take out Sakazuki? That way your biggest threat disappears, and your promotion to Admiral becomes a done deal... You're ruthless, Ortoren."
Ortoren???
I thought I, Ortoren, was already ruthless, cold-hearted, and shameless. Yet you, Dragon, with your thick brows and 'honorable' face, can come up with something that vicious?
"Good thing a troublemaker like you was kicked out of the Marines. Otherwise I really would've had a rival on my hands," Ortoren said into the Den Den Mushi with a sigh.
Dragon answered in a low voice, "Even if I'm now an enemy of the World Government, I'm not as vicious as you think. Sakazuki and I have no grudge, and we get along well enough. If you want me to be your knife, then you're really—"
"I know you're not like that. Relax, I never planned—" Ortoren cut in before Dragon could finish.
But before he could finish his own sentence, Dragon cut him off: "You'd have to raise the price."
They spoke almost at the same time, and the line fell into a strange silence.
Dragon froze for a moment on the other end, face warming as he realized how ridiculous that sounded.
After hesitating, Ortoren still couldn't resist asking, "How much?"
Don't get him wrong—he had absolutely no intention of taking out Sakazuki. He was simply curious what someone like Dragon thought Sakazuki was worth.
"Ahem..." Dragon cleared his throat, ignoring the question entirely. He shifted the topic. "Stop wasting time on nonsense. What do you actually want me to do?"
"Here's the situation. You know Admiral Sengoku treated me incredibly well. His matters are my matters. There's movement from above now, but it looks like it'll take years before it becomes real. Admiral Sengoku is a man with ambition. If he could become Fleet Admiral just a little earlier, he could realize his ideals earlier, bringing more justice and care to these seas. So waiting years would only slow his progress. And if Admiral Sengoku doesn't make progress, how am I supposed to make progress?" Ortoren said with self-righteous indignation.
On the other end, Dragon calmly poured himself tea, showing zero intention of acknowledging Ortoren's speech.
Ortoren didn't expect a reply anyway. After a brief pause, he continued, "I've already looked into it. To put it simply, the commotion is because the current Commander-in-Chief is considering retirement—but only considering. It'll take another two or three years before anything settles. So I was thinking... since that's the case, maybe I can speed things up?"
"Speed things up?" Dragon frowned, trying to grasp the meaning.
"Yeah. I'm not familiar with this so-called Commander-in-Chief. Never even met him. So no need for courtesy. My thought is, if his retirement will take years of fussing around, why not just find a way to push him out altogether? If he's going to retire anyway, why take such a roundabout path? This way, it's easier for everyone, right?" Ortoren said, as if stating something perfectly reasonable.
Dragon looked even more bewildered. "What does this have to do with me? Don't tell me you think I have the connections to influence the Commander-in-Chief's position. That's giving me way too much credit..."
"Hardly. I know exactly what you're capable of," Ortoren said with a chuckle.
Even knowing what he meant, Dragon still felt this guy was looking down on him.
"So we just stick a huge scandal on him, force him to take responsibility, and make him resign. Problem solved..." Ortoren continued without letting Dragon speak.
"You want me to cause trouble for him?" Dragon finally understood, rubbing his chin. "That won't be easy."
"It is easy. I already have the plan. You just need to cooperate. We set Mary Geoise on fire—he won't be able to stay in his seat even if he wants to!" Ortoren said casually.
Dragon froze.
Burn Mary Geoise!?
How can you say that like it's nothing? If I hadn't heard the actual words, with that relaxed tone I would've thought you were inviting me out for barbecue!