After chatting for a while at the harbor, everyone took a Homies carriage and soon arrived at the castle on Whole Cake Island.
Ortoren and Katakuri got out together. As for Gion, Rouge, and the others, they headed back to their residence to rest.
As they walked into the cake castle, Ortoren said, "The grain output from the Calm Belt is enough to cover the entire New World Navy's consumption. But for the Navy as a whole, there's still a pretty big shortfall. When the time comes, we'll have to make up that gap with Totto Land…"
In recent years, the Calm Belt had been pushing agricultural development hard. With its favorable conditions, they could get two, even three harvests a year, and the yields were huge. But there was only so much they could do with a limited foundation and a relatively short development period. For now, it was enough to cover the New World Navy's needs, but compared to the Navy's massive force spread across the world, it still left a serious gap.
Katakuri heard that and laughed. "We haven't even fought yet, and you're already calling Totto Land 'us'?"
"Confidence," Ortoren replied with a grin.
Katakuri didn't bother nitpicking the wording. He said calmly, "If you want Totto Land to pay military funding and expenses, we could sell everything we own and still never afford to support a navy that large. But if it's just food supply… in this world, there's probably only Totto Land that can handle that kind of pressure. So don't worry. As long as you really can take down Mama and Kaidou, food won't be a problem anymore."
Honestly, what did Totto Land have the most of?
Food, of course.
Every island under their rule had vast fields and producing land, and Homies handled the farming, tended it day and night, and took care of everything down to the smallest detail. The output was enormous.
And then there were the Big Mom Pirates' many food-related Devil Fruit users. There were so many you couldn't count them on both hands. If they went all out and focused purely on producing food, they could genuinely feed the world.
Why were the people of Totto Land so happy?
More than anything, it was because the cost of living was low. For almost all citizens, food and drink were never a worry.
In the early days, when Totto Land's system was at its simplest, citizens only had to pay the Soul Tax on time. Other than that, there was nothing else to do. As long as you paid the Soul Tax when you were supposed to, you never had to worry about eating or drinking, and you could spend your time however you liked. With that much free time to live your own life, how could the happiness level not be high?
Now, after multiple rounds of reforms, Totto Land's taxes were no longer limited to the Soul Tax alone. People had options. You could pay a monetary tax to be exempt from the Soul Tax. And if you didn't want to pay money, you could still pay the Soul Tax instead.
Either way, as long as you paid your taxes, you wouldn't starve on Totto Land's territory.
At its core, the Soul Tax meant that what you contributed would become Homies, working in your place and handling labor, construction, and all kinds of national development. So if you paid enough money, there was naturally no need to keep paying with your soul.
Talking as they walked, Ortoren soon reached the castle's grand hall, where he saw two figures who had clearly been waiting for him for some time.
Inside Charlotte Linlin's reception hall stood a massive long table piled high with all sorts of ingredients, desserts, juices, drinks, and alcohol.
At that moment, the towering Charlotte Linlin sat at the edge of the table, shoveling food into her mouth.
Not far from her, Kaidou's equally imposing body lounged against a long bench. He held a sake jug, occasionally grabbing a bite to go with the drink, looking completely at ease.
It was obvious that by now, Kaidou had grown used to life here.
"So you're here? The man who stands above the heavens…" Charlotte Linlin burst out laughing the moment she saw Ortoren, tossing out a teasing remark.
Kaidou, sitting nearby, couldn't help but laugh as well.
Hearing that, a vein twitched at Ortoren's temple. He turned to Katakuri beside him and muttered, "If I call her an old hag, her combat power goes up by twenty percent. If she says I'm 'standing above the heavens,' my fighting spirit goes up just the same…"
After venting to Katakuri, Ortoren didn't bother with formalities. He pulled out a chair, sat down at the table, grabbed the juice in front of him, and drained it in one gulp. Only then did he speak.
"Old hag, how's your health been lately? Any flare-ups? Look at me. I've already cured my illness. Just thinking about you still being stuck with that disease makes me feel uncomfortable all over. I came here this time specifically to show some filial piety."
The moment Ortoren called her "old hag," Charlotte Linlin's mouth twitched twice. A flash of irritation passed through her eyes as she snapped, "You little brat. Don't think beating Whitebeard means you can act arrogant in front of me!"
Ortoren casually picked up a small cake from the table and took a bite. Chewing, he flashed a ferocious grin. "Then what? If you're not convinced, how about a one-on-one?"
Charlotte Linlin's expression darkened with anger, but in the next instant, she calmed herself. With a cold laugh, she said, "There's no need for such low-level provocation, is there?"
At that point, Kaidou spoke up as well. "Enough of this nonsense. I'm already getting impatient."
Ortoren dropped his provocative attitude and returned to a more serious demeanor. He took another sip of juice before continuing. "Even though Katakuri already filled me in on the way here, before we start, I still want to confirm things face to face. The betting table is right in front of us. Have you all really made up your minds to push these chips in?"
This question was aimed mainly at Kaidou.
Kaidou naturally understood. He took a swig of sake and said, "Since you're confident enough to take the two of us on by yourself, if I say anything else now, wouldn't that just make me look pathetic? So there's no need for probing. I'll make it clear right here. As long as you can beat me into submission, I'll hand over the Beasts Pirates to you without another word."
Charlotte Linlin curled her lips into a vicious smile. "You're my own son. How could I possibly go back on my word? Just like Kaidou said, if you win, Totto Land will be yours to rule. But if you lose…"
Ortoren waved his hand. "We already made this clear before. On the Navy side, I can't give ground. That's different from you two. But if I lose, Hachinosu, Dressrosa, the North Blue businesses, the Atlantis Chamber of Commerce, and all assets in the Calm Belt, I'll hand them all over to you."
This was a gamble with real stakes. Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin had both put their chips on the table, so Ortoren naturally couldn't come empty-handed.
He couldn't put the Navy's forces or troops on the table. Those weren't the same as pirate crews, and they didn't belong in a wager like this.
But everything he had accumulated over the years, resources, connections, trade routes, merchant guilds, capital, he had all placed on this table.
If he lost, it would be a devastating blow to Ortoren. The favorable situation the New World Navy currently enjoyed would collapse in an instant, and he would once again be constrained by others.
In other words, he wouldn't be the boss anymore.
For Ortoren, this was also a massive gamble. He absolutely could not lose, and he could not afford to lose.
The three people at the table had all staked their futures and prospects on this moment.
When Ortoren finished speaking, the three exchanged a glance. Then Kaidou said, "What, do we need to sign an agreement?"
"Hahahaha…" Ortoren laughed loudly. "No need. Agreements don't mean much to people like us anyway. Besides, whoever loses at this table won't have any right to resist. And setting all that aside… we're family now, after all. There's still some basic trust."
After saying that, Ortoren went straight to the point. "So, have you decided on the battlefield?"
Ortoren's confidence was absolute. Not only was he taking on two opponents alone, he even handed over the right to choose the battlefield to Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin.
Time, place, and advantage. He gave them all.
And he would still win.
That way, after they lost, Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin wouldn't have a single excuse left. They would have no choice but to accept it.