Tesoro did not explicitly state it, instead he shook hands with the other party.
“Hmm, actually, there’s room for negotiation. It would be a major breakthrough if we could cure Amber Lead Syndrome.”
The sensation in the palm of his hand made his heart race. This matter was indeed difficult to handle, but if done well, it could bring enormous profits.
“Sir, we’re also here to make money.”
Although he said so, Tesoro increased his price. The profit share he proposed was far from his upper limit.
Demanding a sky-high price but willing to negotiate, Tesoro couldn’t reveal his bottom line right away.
The fact that the other party did not reject means the deal could proceed; it just depends on how much money needs to be shared.
“Those at the top also need to be taken care of, and those at the bottom who handle things need to eat too. Your sincerity is lacking.”
“One should not be too greedy. Lady Valladryk has been getting along well with Stella recently. If this amount is still not enough, we might have to call it off this time.”
“Deal. Don’t worry, in the future, no one will trouble you. As a token of our old friendship, I will take care of your medical department’s license.”
“A pleasure working together.”
Tesoro adjusted his plain glasses. This is just to appear a bit more sophisticated. In this business deal, the ones who earned the most were not the Beasts Fruits but these people.
He allocated a profit share of up to sixty percent. The highest share he could accept was actually seventy percent. As long as the operation was done properly, the remaining profits would still be huge.
However, to feed those people above, he had no choice but to bleed heavily.
Establishing connections* with the people above was no joke. Although a sixty percent profit was significant, the amount that would actually reach him was not much. Celestial Dragons, some royals, officials above him – these were the real big players. [TN: Giving bribes.]
The money the people below receive was just a drop in the bucket compared to this.
Beasts Fruits was a long-term business. Sacrificing future development for immediate profit would be counterproductive.
“Humph, just wait. Sooner or later, you’ll all have to cough it up. Let’s go, Baccarat. I’ll bring you to meet someone important. You better behave well.”
Tesoro left with a girl with orange hair. He had discovered her by chance, and because of her unique ability, he adopted her.
The smooth negotiation this time was also related to her because she was a Paramecia-type Luck-Luck Fruit user. She could change people’s luck, and some good luck could influence many things unconsciously.
Joining the Beasts Pirates seemed to have infected Tesoro with a liking for picking up children.
Due to the unique nature of the Luck-Luck Fruit, Tesoro treated her as his confidant and nurtured her. Coincidentally, Stella also liked the child, so they temporarily adopted her.
“Can I play with Little White?”
Persian might not look cute, but its sleek body resembling a puma carries a unique sense of beauty. The Persian living in Tesoro’s house successfully caught Baccarat’s attention.
“If it’s willing, then sure. Just be careful not to get scratched.”
“My luck has always been good; it’s not a problem.”
However, as she said this, a security guard who had just passed her outside the door inexplicably tripped over a raised floorboard. Then, he collided with a nearby waiter carrying hot soup, resulting in a series of miserable screams.
Baccarat’s Luck-Luck Fruit perfectly demonstrated the principle of conservation of luck – when someone has good luck, there’s always someone else who will have bad luck.
Baccarat can’t just grant luck to someone out of thin air; her luck is robbed from others. Through a brief contact before entering, she took away a certain amount of good luck from the other person.
In ordinary circumstances, good luck and bad luck maintain a balanced state. When good luck is taken away, bad luck naturally takes its place.
In the original timeline, this was also a bug ability. With this ability in a casino, she could manipulate the life and death of a gambling table. Cheating was no match for her luck manipulation.
Her battles were unique; she only needed to toss a coin, and luck would help her accomplish certain things. However, this ability could only deal with small situations. In battles against true powerhouses, luck had a hard time influencing the outcome.
Even the helm on Shiki’s head only appeared after a battle.
Without much delay, Tesoro, accompanied by Baccarat, boarded a ferry. His upcoming schedule was quite busy; first, he had to go to Onigashima to take charge of the specific arrangements regarding the “Scamming the Rich” plan.
After that, he would finalize on some details with the people who accepted his bribes.
Once done with this matter, he would go to Fishman Island to discuss issues related to the mining company. Although not as busy as Queen, he still had to put in a few days of work.
Some time later, on Onigashima, a group of new Water-type Pokémon appeared.
Besides mining, they also work part-time in exploring the nearby waters to search for Plates. Ordinary Pokémon cannot sense his Plates, so finding them is purely a matter of luck.
At least, the roaming Magikarp armies hadn’t brought back any valuable information yet. This time, he was just increasing manpower.
Able to live underwater, cause sufficient damage to rock layers, and possess the ability to mine minerals; after careful consideration, he finally decided on Swampert.
Blue back, black fins, white belly – a Mud Fish Pokémon who normally walks on four legs.
It is modified from the mudskipper, which lives in the swamps of Wano Country.
The special fins on Swampert’s body are a unique organ that allows it to sense changes in ocean waves and wind. It can use them to predict the arrival of storms and adjust the mining work schedule accordingly.
Some Swampert live in swampy environments, and to adapt to such conditions, their eyes undergo a special evolution so that even in murky mud, they can see the figures of their opponents clearly.
Underwater mining would inevitably stir up a lot of silt, and this special trait will prove effective for underwater mining.
In addition, Swampert possesses quite terrifying strength. Even if a touring boat is stranded on the sea, it could pull the boat forward. With powerful arms, it could easily lift a one-ton heavy boulder.
Developed arm muscles allowed it to easily crush sturdy rocks, saving a considerable amount of time and manpower in both mining and transporting.
With Swampert leading the way and the Fish-Men following behind, the mining operation should proceed much more smoothly.
Compared to mining, the harassment of sea beasts and Sea Kings was more troublesome. Most people couldn’t handle those colossal Sea Kings in the deep sea.
Shirahoshi could become one of the three ancient weapons because of her ability to control colossal Sea Kings. In this world predominantly covered by the ocean, it is undoubtedly a natural disaster.
The overall strength of the Fish-Men is not strong. Once they provoked these colossal Sea Kings measuring several kilometers, even Mandrell would be powerless against them. With the cushioning effect of the seawater and their monstrous size, a punch from them would be like scratching an itch.
However, it wasn’t as if there was no solution. Although there are no ancient weapons among Pokémon, they had another special existence.
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