Using this money to fund the Revolutionary Army and prod the World Government into action was truly the most effective way to make use of it.
It wouldn't be long before the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders found themselves swamped with troubles and headaches!
...
"The financial aid of 100 billion Berries won't be given all at once," Shadow said, staring intently at Dragon. "Neither will the weapons and supplies. Everything will be delivered in batches."
"As for the details, someone will contact you to discuss them later. But make no mistake—if you wish to receive this aid, you will have to pay a certain price in return."
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Monkey D. Dragon knew this very well. By throwing such a massive sum on the table, Phantom was clearly signaling their intention to meddle in the Revolutionary Army's affairs.
Of course, it was only a minor degree of interference. And considering the immense value of the funding, Dragon was more than willing to accept it without complaint.
"Furthermore," Shadow continued, "the secret alliance and dealings between us and the Revolutionary Army must never be exposed to the outside world."
"I understand perfectly," Dragon nodded solemnly. "You wish to divert attention and shift the focus of hostility away from yourselves. Rest assured, no word of our connection will leak out."
"However... if the Revolutionary Army suddenly begins receiving massive amounts of funding and rapidly expands its influence, the World Government will surely launch an investigation to trace the source of the money."
"That is of no concern to us," Shadow said dismissively, waving his hand casually. "We can provide you with gold instead of cash."
"The first installment of aid will include one ton of gold, along with various types of weapons and ammunition. Once we return, we will send someone to contact you with the details."
One ton of gold was roughly equivalent to 5 billion Berries.
Although it was insignificant compared to the promised 100 billion total, as the very first payment, it was already an incredibly large sum.
"In that case, we have no issues at all," Dragon said with great satisfaction, nodding firmly. "On behalf of every member of the Revolutionary Army, I express our deepest gratitude for your generosity."
"Generosity?" Vladimir raised an eyebrow and corrected him coolly. "It is 'assistance'—the two are entirely different matters."
He paused briefly before adding in a commanding tone: "After receiving the aid, you must take action immediately. I expect to see tangible results within a short period of time. If I am not satisfied, I reserve the right to cancel all future funding and supplies."
"Results?" The middle-aged man with the cigarette couldn't help but speak up. "What kind of results exactly?"
"Within three months, overthrow the governing regimes of at least five different nations," Vladimir stated bluntly, leaving no room for negotiation.
"And these five nations must all be official member states of the World Government."
"At the very least, you must successfully establish strong anti-government armed forces within each of these five countries."
"Are you people from Phantom trying to force us out of the shadows and into the open to wage war directly against the World Government?!" one of the Revolutionary commanders exclaimed in shock.
"What of it? Is that too difficult?" Shadow asked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement and mockery. "Do you really think 100 billion Berries is such an easy thing to earn?"
"No," Dragon replied instantly, without the slightest hesitation. "I agree to your terms."
"Excellent."
Vladimir smiled faintly, turned around, and leaped gracefully back onto the Sea Dragon's massive head. "Then... until we meet again. I hope you manage to survive long enough to see this through."
"Hahaha... Best of luck to you all," Shadow chuckled softly. His body dissolved into countless strands of black smoke and vanished completely in the blink of an eye.
Watching the members of Phantom depart, one of the Revolutionary commanders couldn't help but voice his concerns: "Mr. Dragon... isn't this far too reckless? Our current strength is still insufficient. Taking on the full might of the World Government openly..."
"Hahaha, worry not," Dragon laughed confidently, his eyes gleaming with deep insight. "Phantom is pushing us right into the spotlight to test the waters and force the Celestial Dragons to reveal their 'National Treasure'. As long as we serve that purpose, they won't let us be wiped out easily."
"Besides..." He smiled meaningfully. "While Phantom pushes us forward, we can still use this opportunity to expand our influence and nurture revolutionary forces everywhere. It's just one layer of strategy built upon another. In essence, things won't be all that different from how they were before."
"Perhaps," the commander muttered, clearly still worried. "But we must remain extremely cautious. Phantom has thrown such immense resources at us... surely they intend to continuously meddle in our internal affairs as time goes on."
"Indeed... That is precisely the key point," Dragon murmured softly to himself. "I just hope Emperor Vladimir's appetite isn't too big to satisfy..."
...
Having finalized both the trade and the agreement for financial aid, Vladimir sat atop the Sea Dragon's head as they swiftly departed the area.
He had already instructed Shadow to pass the relevant orders to Robin; she would be responsible for handling all the logistics and arrangements moving forward.
The first installment of 5 billion Berries worth of gold, along with the weapons, was merely a small bait to reel the Revolutionary Army in completely. Such trivial matters were beneath Vladimir's personal attention.
Right now, the most important thing on his mind was the upcoming Grandest Auction in the World.
Less than two months remained until the scheduled date, and he still needed to decide on the location.
With this thought in mind, Vladimir pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
After a short wait, the call connected, and a familiar voice came through from the other end.
"Who is calling me at this hour?"
"It's me," Vladimir replied simply.
"Hmm?"
Doflamingo clearly froze in shock. Several long seconds passed before he suddenly reacted.
"Emperor Vladimir?!" He gasped audibly, drawing in a sharp breath.
"Do you have any locations under your command suitable for hosting a massive auction of unprecedented scale?" Vladimir asked directly, skipping all unnecessary small talk.
"Fufufu... As a matter of fact, I was just about to contact you regarding this exact matter," Doflamingo let out his signature weird, high-pitched laugh.
"Actually, some time ago, when Vice Captain Urahara instructed me to make contact with the various major powers and factions across the world, I already began making preparations..."
"Oh?"
"I own a large auction house located within the Sabaody Archipelago," Doflamingo explained proudly. "Over this past period, I have been renovating and expanding it extensively.
It has now been upgraded to a size capable of holding up to fifty thousand people comfortably. It should be more than sufficient to host your auction a little over a month from now."
He grinned broadly, brimming with self-satisfaction. He had gone to great lengths to prepare everything perfectly, hoping to win favor with Phantom.
Vladimir couldn't help but smile faintly. "You have done well. Once this entire event is successfully completed, I will consider formally inviting you to join Phantom as an outer-circle member."
Being an outer-circle member was a relatively low rank—not even as good as Robin's current position. She was at least an official member, even if she was mostly responsible for miscellaneous chores and errands.
Yet, even just the prospect of becoming an outer-circle member was enough to make Doflamingo's eyes light up with excitement.
"Fufufu... I trust every single word you say, Emperor Vladimir! Rest assured—the venue will be absolutely perfect. Nothing will go wrong!"
Hearing his enthusiastic promise, Vladimir nodded in satisfaction.
"Fifty thousand seats... that should be just enough. Three days from now, the Sea Dragon will arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago. Be there waiting for us."
____________________
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