Staring at the disconnected Den Den Mushi in his hand, Ortoren frowned and muttered, "What a rude guy. Hanging up without even saying anything?"
Rayleigh was already doubled over with laughter, pounding the armrest of the sofa. "You suddenly invite him to burn Holy Land with you. The fact Dragon didn't cuss you out on the spot already shows incredible manners... hahaha..."
"What are you laughing at? Keep it up and I'll charge you extra!" Ortoren shot Rayleigh a vicious glare.
Knowing Ortoren had no shame and no bottom line—and that he would absolutely demand more money—Rayleigh quickly remembered his own coating schedule. If he provoked this guy and got slapped with extra charges, he might have to work overtime just to pay it off. So he grabbed a handful of his thigh, face turning red as he forcibly choked back the laughter.
Seeing Rayleigh finally stop laughing, Ortoren snorted twice. He was about to speak when another burst of laughter came from the side. He whipped his head around, ready to scold Shakky, but froze when he saw it was Gion clutching her stomach and laughing uncontrollably.
Oh. Never mind.
Slightly embarrassed, Ortoren nudged Gion with his foot to make her stop. Only then did he mutter to himself, "Maybe the signal was bad. I'll just call again..."
He tapped the Den Den Mushi twice. The signal went through, but before the Den Den Mushi even let out two chirps, it clicked off—hung up instantly.
Ortoren's face twitched. He swept a fierce stare across the room. Everyone quickly put on expressions saying, "I didn't see anything." Satisfied, he dialed again.
This time he didn't have to suffer too much humiliation. Dragon picked up quickly, though his tone carried clear impatience. "What is it?"
"Was the signal bad earlier?" Ortoren tried to find himself an excuse.
"How could it be the signal? I hung up your Den Den Mushi," Dragon said bluntly.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly losing your temper? Do you have any manners at all? Can't you show me a bit of respect?" Ortoren snapped back, just as annoyed.
"You have the nerve to ask me that? I should be the one asking you to show me respect!" Dragon shot back. "Did you listen to yourself earlier? Asking me to go burn Holy Land with you? Look, even though I might not be qualified to lecture you, I'm still saying it—Ortoren, you're a Marine, not a revolutionary. Are you out of your mind?"
"You already know whether I'm insane or not," Ortoren replied in a flat tone.
Dragon went silent for a second. Right. This guy is mentally unstable. Why am I even arguing with him?
Grinding his teeth, he said, "It's impossible to talk to someone with your mental problems. That's it, I'm hanging up. Don't contact me unless it's absolutely—no, don't contact me at all!"
"Foosha Village..." Ortoren murmured.
Dragon, who was just about to hang up, froze. His eyes hardened. "What do you mean?"
"You know I'm insane. If you push me too far, I'm capable of anything," Ortoren said in a dark, threatening tone.
Dragon erupted in fury. "How can you be so despicable!? How could you betray the trust my father placed in you!? Did he tell you those things just so you could use them to threaten me!?"
"I'm doing this for the Marines' cause and justice. Admiral Sengoku's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. Even Garp-san..." Ortoren stopped there.
Of course Ortoren was despicable. His bottom line was low—pathetically low—but it still existed. Everything he said was just talk. When it came down to actually doing it, he couldn't.
Dragon had calmed down by now, seemingly coming to his senses. His voice was steady as he said, "You're all talk. I don't believe someone like you could actually do something like that."
"How dare you bet on my character? Do you think that's appropriate?" Seeing that Dragon wasn't falling for it, Ortoren snapped back in frustration.
"Maybe you're ruthless in your methods, but if you truly had no limits, you wouldn't have reached your current position in the Marines. Admiral Sengoku, my father—none of them are blind. If you really had no bottom line, they wouldn't value you the way they do. And besides... words can be faked, but people cannot. If you had no principles at all, you wouldn't be standing at the top of this sea, Ortoren." Dragon's tone was firm and resolute.
Hearing that, Ortoren suddenly couldn't tell whether Dragon was insulting him or praising him.
It actually made him a little embarrassed.
"Enough. Talking nonsense with you is pointless. I'll just be upfront. My plan is already set. With or without you, I'm going through with it. But if you join me, my gains will be far greater. And honestly, working with me benefits your Revolutionary Army too, doesn't it? Look at the situation—don't tell me you're not itching to make a clean comeback, to give Holy Land a good, hard slap? Drop the pointless testing and tough talk. If we work together, it benefits both sides. From now on, G-5's market and supplies will be fully open to your Revolutionary Army. We'll have even more long-term business together. If you refuse, then pray you never need anything from me in the future." Ortoren finally snapped, laying everything out in one breath.
On the other end, Dragon listened to Ortoren's threat. He almost hung up several times, but in the end, he held back.
Because Ortoren was right. If G-5 fully opened trade to the Revolutionary Army, their situation would instantly improve.
And yes—they desperately needed a clean, decisive victory. A blow that would strike the World Government and Holy Land across the face, telling the world the Revolutionary Army could still fight.
After a long silence, Dragon finally spoke. "If I really shoulder this for you, then there will be no room left for negotiation between me and the World Government. It'll be a fight to the death. So let me make something clear: if I think there's anything wrong or dangerous about your plan, I'll pull out at any time. I won't take risks for you. And another thing... what you offered earlier isn't enough. You need to increase the price."
"How?" Ortoren asked quietly. "What do you want?"
"Living off raids isn't a long-term solution. Your G-5 is thriving—clearly you know what you're doing. I won't ask for too much, but at least give me a way in. Let my men earn money with you. That's not too much, is it?" Dragon stated his demand outright.
"You've got a lot of confidence in yourself..." Ortoren said, genuinely surprised.
Dragon chuckled. "I have confidence in my comrades of the Revolutionary Army. We are people of unwavering conviction."
On the surface, Dragon's request for Ortoren to give his Revolutionary Army a way to earn money didn't sound like much. It seemed perfectly reasonable—securing a stable income for his forces.
But in reality, opening that door meant Ortoren's influence would seep directly into the Revolutionary Army.
If Ortoren's political instincts were sharp enough to outplay Dragon, he might eventually control the Revolutionary Army the same way the World Government controlled the Marines—from their wallets.
Ortoren didn't believe someone like Dragon would overlook that. Which was why he found Dragon's confidence noteworthy.
"Since you're bold enough to let me reach in, why would I refuse?" Ortoren answered with a laugh, hearing the confidence in Dragon's voice.
That marked a preliminary agreement between them.
Dragon didn't waste time. Without asking a single thing about the plan over the Den Den Mushi, he simply asked, "Where are you now?"
"Sabaody Archipelago," Ortoren answered just as plainly.
"Wait for me. If I cross the Calm Belt directly, I should arrive in about half a month. We'll talk in person." Dragon replied briskly.
With that, the two ended the call, each hanging up the Den Den Mushi.