Ortoren stayed on Punk Hazard for three days, and Olvia took three days off as well.
When Ortoren left Punk Hazard, she couldn't even come to see him off. Mainly because she wasn't feeling well and the immense pressure she had endured hadn't eased at all.
It would probably only start to subside after Ortoren was gone.
Not long after leaving Punk Hazard, Ortoren had already prepared his small folding stool, fishing rod, and all the necessary gear.
He sat down at the edge of the warship's deck, ready to enjoy a leisurely fishing session and savor the thrill of hooking a big catch.
However, before he could even attach the bait, the Den Den Mushi in his arms suddenly rang.
"Who is it this time? Always ruining my mood right when I'm about to fish. Don't tell me it's that dog Dragon again?" Ortoren cursed inwardly, though he still quickly pulled out the Den Den Mushi.
He looked down.
Hm. Not Dragon.
It was the damn Five Elders.
Ortoren adjusted his emotions slightly, then picked up the call.
"Long time no see, Saint Warcury."
On the other end, Saint Warcury chuckled softly, his tone calm and gentle.
"It has indeed been a while since we last spoke, Ortoren."
After a brief pause, before Ortoren could even respond, Saint Warcury continued.
"We've already reviewed the proposal you submitted regarding the 'Golden City' project, the one involving cooperation with the Big Mom Pirates."
Hearing this, Ortoren immediately perked up.
"What instructions do the Five Elders have? Is the proposal satisfactory? Do we need to send it back and have the Big Mom Pirates revise it?"
"No need," Saint Warcury replied. "We asked them to produce a proposal in the first place simply to see whether this so-called cooperation was meant to test us, or if it was just a polite way of rejecting us. From what we can tell now, their sincerity is quite acceptable."
"So?" Ortoren prompted.
"Since they've shown sincerity, there's no need for us to be overly harsh. We've reviewed the plan. While there are some elements that aren't entirely appropriate… this is our first collaboration, after all. A good start is important, and Charlotte Linlin and Totto Land deserve a certain level of respect. We'll proceed according to this plan. Mary Geoise will cooperate accordingly," Saint Warcury instructed.
That proposal did indeed contain quite a few arrangements that could be described as downright outrageous, such as the involvement of the Revolutionary Army. But considering the plan was drafted by pirates in the first place, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
Those details weren't the real focus.
What the Five Elders truly valued was that this cooperation represented the World Government's first open, official interaction with the Big Mom Pirates.
Of course, there had been arms deals and other dealings in the shadows before, but those were never meant to see the light of day.
Taking into account the possibility that this good start could eventually lead to absorbing the Big Mom Pirates, turning Totto Land into a powerful new force for the World Government in the New World, the Five Elders were willing to make certain concessions.
"I understand. I'll convey your intentions to the Big Mom Pirates," Ortoren replied. Then he added, "So who from the World Government will be participating in the formal operation of this project?"
Since this was a partnership, it obviously couldn't be something where only the Big Mom Pirates invested and built everything themselves. Likewise, the World Government couldn't just sit back and let them handle it alone, otherwise the cooperation would be meaningless.
Saint Warcury fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Originally, we felt it would be appropriate for you to act as the World Government's representative. However, considering your relationship with Charlotte Linlin, as well as your position as a Marine Admiral, we discussed it repeatedly and ultimately decided not to place this difficult task on your shoulders."
Ortoren thought to himself that they certainly made it sound nice, calling it a "difficult task."
But in truth, they were probably worried that Ortoren might use his dual status to stir up trouble behind the scenes.
Even though he understood this perfectly well, Ortoren still responded with apparent gratitude on the surface.
"Yes. As a Marine Admiral, it really wouldn't be appropriate for me to get directly involved in matters like this."
"It's good that you understand," Saint Warcury continued. "But that doesn't mean we want you completely hands-off. We hope you can act as a proper 'mediator' and conduct yourself from that standpoint. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Ortoren replied. "If anything comes up during this cooperation that requires my assistance, please feel free to instruct me at any time."
"Good. As long as you grasp our intentions," Saint Warcury said with a faint smile. Then he added, "For this project, our World Government's representative will primarily be Stussy of the Pleasure District. I'll have her contact you shortly."
"Understood," Ortoren answered without showing the slightest hint of objection.
After ending the call with the Five Elders, Ortoren rubbed his chin.
"Stussy of the Pleasure District, huh?" He thought for a moment, then chuckled. "That really is quite fitting."
From the Five Elders' perspective, Stussy was clearly far more suitable for this kind of collaboration than Ortoren himself, a Marine Admiral.
Moreover, this project was fundamentally oriented toward the entertainment industry, an area where Stussy had already proven her abilities. With a certain level of backing from the World Government, she had rapidly established the Pleasure District as a massive intelligence network within the underworld.
Her competence was beyond doubt, and her experience was more than sufficient.
Ortoren wasn't surprised by this arrangement, nor did he see any problem with it.
"Let's leave it at that for now. I'll wait until Stussy contacts me," he thought, setting the matter aside.
He then quickly dialed Tesoro on his Den Den Mushi.
"Admiral?" Tesoro answered.
"The Golden City project is officially underway. Begin the foundational construction under the name of the Big Mom Pirates and Totto Land. On the World Government's side, the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy, will be stepping in to oversee this cooperation. This was within our expectations, so proceed according to the plan," Ortoren instructed.
"Yes, Admiral! I'll activate the Golden City project immediately!" Tesoro responded without hesitation.
Ortoren had barely hung up when another call came in, before he could even put the Den Den Mushi away.
"So fast?" Ortoren muttered in mild surprise.
Still, he didn't delay and picked up the call, greeting the other party enthusiastically.
"Hahaha, Stussy. I was just thinking about you, and you call me right away?"
"Admiral, lying isn't something a good man should do," Stussy's sultry voice came through the Den Den Mushi. "If you were really thinking about me, I don't recall you ever calling first. Or are you still upset with me? Was it because I turned down your invitation to that tea party last time? You're not that petty, are you?"
"How could that be?" Ortoren laughed. "Ms. Stussy is beautiful and charming. In my view, beautiful ladies naturally have special privileges, so of course I wouldn't be angry over something like that."
The two exchanged a bit of playful banter before Stussy finally steered the conversation back on track.
"The Five Elders just informed me that they've already told you about the arrangements for the 'Golden City' project with the Big Mom Pirates. So you should know by now that Mary Geoise has entrusted me with handling this cooperation."
"That's right. Saint Warcury already briefed me," Ortoren replied.
"But" Stussy's tone grew even more teasing. "But I've obtained quite a lot of confidential intelligence in the New World and the underworld, and much of it doesn't quite match what's been reported to Mary Geoise. To sort out what's true and what's not, I think the two of us should meet in person and have a proper talk. What do you think, Admiral?"
"Of course. No problem at all," Ortoren said with a smile. "You may not have said much over the years, but I know you've helped me deal with quite a few problems behind the scenes. I've always wanted the chance to thank you in person."
Strictly speaking, if the World Government truly wanted to investigate what Ortoren had been doing in the New World, it wouldn't have been impossible to uncover.
However, Ortoren had always been extremely cautious, layering every matter with multiple safeguards before feeling at ease. On top of that, there were people within Marine Headquarters who helped smooth over the rough edges, so nothing had ever come to light over the years.
On the rare occasions when loose ends did appear, they were usually dealt with long before they could reach Mary Geoise.
Even so, there were still some things that couldn't be handled perfectly.
Ortoren had never mentioned those matters to Stussy, yet for reasons unknown, the Queen of the Pleasure District, the head of the World Government's largest intelligence network in the New World, had quietly erased those traces for him.
Because of this, Mary Geoise had never discovered anything truly outrageous about Ortoren.
At the same time, Stussy wasn't the type to quietly help without saying a word. On the contrary, every time she dealt with something on Ortoren's behalf, she would call him afterward to casually "show off," making sure he knew exactly what she had done behind the scenes.
As a result, even though they rarely met face to face, they had effectively been cooperating for quite some time.
Or rather, Ortoren had unilaterally accepted Stussy's assistance on many occasions already.
He understood very well that there was no such thing as kindness without a price in this world. The gifts Stussy had given him in secret likely already had a price tag attached. She simply hadn't come to collect yet.
But that didn't matter.
Based on this alone, Ortoren was willing to trust her.
And that trust had already become the foundation of their cooperation. This time, Stussy's request to meet was likely meant to address exactly that.
...
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