New World, Golden City.
Compared to when Golden City was first established, only a little over a year had passed, yet the place had already been completely transformed. Although the outer walls of the high-rise buildings were still unfinished, the structures had sprung up across the island like bamboo shoots after the rain.
The atmosphere was still thick with the feel of an active construction site, but it already carried a sense of grandeur and scale.
It was obvious that neither last year's Reverie nor the New World Summit War that broke out midway had slowed the project's progress in the slightest.
The original plan was to have Golden City fully operational within two and a half years. Ortoren had already considered that fast. Yet now, Tesoro had told him that by the end of this year, Golden City could begin operations. Without question, the schedule had been pushed forward by another half year.
At this moment, Ortoren had just disembarked from a warship and was waiting at the construction site for another vessel, Katakuri's Sweet Donut. He would later board the Sweet Donut and travel with Katakuri to Whole Cake Island.
Wearing a safety helmet and setting an example himself, Ortoren walked out from the construction zone and said with a sigh,
"Originally, we planned to turn against Mary Geoise around the year 1510. By then, Golden City would have already been running for a year or two. But now, before Golden City is even finished, we've already split from Mary Geoise. I really don't know whether Golden City will still be able to develop smoothly after this…"
It was currently Sea Circle Calendar year 1507, a full three years ahead of the original schedule.
This made Ortoren wonder whether being in such a hurry to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates back then had truly been the right choice.
With that thought in mind, he turned to Isshō beside him and asked,
"Aren't you on fairly good terms with that Slekemind fellow? How have things been going with him lately?"
Back when Slekemind had first entered the New World, it was also not long after Isshō had begun following Ortoren.
At the time, Isshō was responsible for pirate suppression within the G-5 jurisdiction and frequently clashed with Slekemind in skirmishes and hit-and-run battles. That was how the two had first become acquainted.
Later, when Slekemind became a Shichibukai, he even deliberately sought Isshō out to show off. Naturally, he soon experienced the darkness of the New World. Katakuri personally led people to surround and beat him, captured him, and sent him to G-5. Only after paying a two-hundred-billion-Beli guarantee did he truly become a Shichibukai who could move freely in the New World.
For a long time after that, Slekemind had little to do with Ortoren. Mainly because Ortoren didn't take him seriously, and Slekemind simply wasn't qualified to speak with him.
Instead, it was Isshō who continued to have more contact with Slekemind. Although Slekemind was a pirate, he wasn't the kind who slaughtered and looted civilians at every turn. Isshō couldn't associate with pirates of that sort anyway.
As for Slekemind himself, he was a simple-minded, rough-and-ready type. After becoming a Shichibukai, he occupied an island with the nature of a pirate haven as his base. While collecting tribute from his pirate subordinates, he spent his days scheming about how to stir up trouble with the Whitebeard Pirates.
Over the years, Isshō and Slekemind had gone from clashing enemies to something like reluctant acquaintances, bound by a rather awkward sort of fate.
Hearing Ortoren's question, Isshō, who had come over from G-5, immediately waved his hand in denial.
"We may know each other, but just because you're an Admiral doesn't mean you can slander me like that. When did I ever have a good relationship with that bastard Slekemind?"
Ortoren smiled without saying anything. Isshō didn't press the point either. After a brief pause, he continued,
"Things are going pretty well. Ever since the war with Whitebeard ended last year, Slekemind has basically become the main force and representative figure hunting down the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates in the New World. His biggest success was almost wiping out the current batch of remnants entirely. He nearly killed the Whitebeard Pirates' current captain, Sachi."
The threat posed by the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates hadn't lasted long. Less than half a year had passed, but under the pressure of being hunted down by everyone in the New World, they were already close to collapsing.
Ortoren listened, nodded quietly, and said nothing.
Isshō continued,
"During this time, Slekemind has built tremendous prestige across the entire New World. Among the pirate factions, aside from the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, he's now the biggest name around, without question. As for the other forces, especially those so-called kings of the underworld and the top figures in every trade, they're all sharp people. Once they saw him rising, they immediately understood that he was backed by us, that he was the spokesperson we pushed forward. Naturally, they trust him quite a lot. So having him act as the one who calls the shots for the New World pirates shouldn't be a problem."
In the past, Slekemind was simply strong. As a Shichibukai, his words carried weight within his own territory, but once he left his turf, his influence dropped off sharply. At best, he was just someone with a fair amount of clout among pirates.
Now, things were different.
Doflamingo and Moria had appeared alongside Slekemind in public on multiple occasions, addressing each other like brothers. Slekemind also frequently made a show of delivering valuables seized from the Whitebeard Pirates' remnants to nearby Marine bases. His pirate fleet could even receive supplies at those bases. Of course, as a Shichibukai, he technically had the right to do so. But rights were one thing. Why hadn't he dared to use them this way before?
As a result, the various factions of the New World had more or less figured it out. Slekemind was basically acting as Ortoren's dog now, a big shot backed by Ortoren, and he had already earned the recognition of the New World Marines.
Because of that, everyone gave Slekemind face. His influence naturally spread beyond his own territory. Wherever he went in the New World, people treated him with respect. And within the pirate world, seeing how impressive his position had become, many were even more eager to come under his banner.
That was why Isshō believed that if Slekemind continued developing step by step like this, there would be no real issue with him becoming the figurehead who spoke for the New World pirates.
Only then did Ortoren speak up at the right moment.
"That kid… he's the type who'll open a dye shop the moment you give him a bit of color. Of course, that also shows he's straightforward and not much of a schemer. But precisely because of that, we need to make it very clear what he can do and what he absolutely cannot do. Otherwise, if one day he does something that angers everyone, I'll have no choice but to take his head to appease public outrage. Then we'd have to train another one from scratch. That'd be a real hassle."
"Understood," Isshō replied with a nod and a cheerful smile.
The meaning was simple. Keep reminding Slekemind, don't let him get carried away, and don't let him start pulling off pirate-style massacres or similar atrocities. If he crossed that line, Ortoren would not tolerate it.
After making that clear, Ortoren added,
"Beyond that, you need to keep a tight grip on him. Watch Slekemind closely and don't let the pirate forces under his control expand too much. Otherwise, it'll cause problems down the line. Whether it's manpower, weapons, or pirate warships, anything we can control must stay firmly in our hands."
Ortoren understood the danger of this better than anyone, because he himself was the perfect example.
When he first arrived at G-5 as the base commander, he didn't even have enough men to fully crew a single warship. Back then, all he thought about was loyalty to Mary Geoise and loyalty to Marine Headquarters.
Later, when he had tens of thousands of elite troops under his command, new thoughts began to surface. Maybe he could compete for the rank of Admiral someday. Just look at how imposing Admiral Sengoku was back then. Of course he would think, "A man should aspire to be like that."
Now, with hundreds of thousands of elite troops in his hands, he was even thinking about overturning Mary Geoise itself. Looking at the Five Elders, Imu, and that Empty Throne, how could he not think, "That position could be taken"?
If you really thought about it, it was the swelling of his own military power that had stained his loyalty.
You lot really ruined this Emperor.
Precisely because he had walked this path step by step himself, Ortoren understood this danger all too well. Right now, Slekemind didn't command much power, so he was willing to shout loyalty at the top of his lungs.
But if his strength continued to expand, even if Slekemind himself remained loyal, the pirates under him might not.
That was why he had to stay vigilant and control Slekemind's growth. Not for any other reason, but to ensure that his loyalty didn't rot.
Thinking it through like that, Ortoren was actually doing it for Slekemind's own good.
Just as Ortoren finished giving Isshō these instructions, a Marine Lieutenant Commander approached, snapped to attention, and saluted.
"Loyalty!"
After the greeting, the Lieutenant Commander reported,
"Admiral, Stussy-sama has prepared tea aboard her ship and invites you to meet with her."