Chapter 125: The Shocking Scheme
This invitation came out of nowhere, with no clue as to who invited him or what kind of gathering it was.
So Ian's first reaction was to ignore it.
However, Hogkin said to Ian at that moment, "When that person dropped off the invitation, he said one thing: 'Please be sure to come, there's a big deal!'"
"Oh? Did he really say that?" Ian became a bit interested.
"Yes, Ian Boss, that's why I had to bother you," Hogkin said. "The lawless zone is like this sometimes; some people like to keep things mysterious. But if they say there's a big deal, it might actually be true."
"Could it be those bounty hunters and assassins who recently came ashore?" Ian mused. "Sending the invitation here—do they mean to join forces with the local powers of Sabaody Archipelago?"
"That might be it!" Hogkin said, realizing.
"Alright, go check and see if other families have received similar invitations," Ian ordered.
Hogkin left to carry out the order, and Ian sat down to start thinking things over.
Since Ian hadn't put much effort into running his family, it hadn't expanded much. But considering that he had wiped out the four families like Boulder's and gathered some of their subordinates, he now had a bit of influence in the lawless zone. It wasn't strange for the invitation to end up in his hands.
What intrigued Ian was what this "big deal" could be.
Could it be that someone wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to rob the Celestial Dragons' bank on Sabaody Archipelago?
That would be incredibly bold. Weren't they afraid of drawing a Marine Admiral to wipe them out?
Of course, this was just Ian's guess; it might not be the case. So, after thinking it over, Ian decided to go take a look.
Whether he would participate was another matter, but at least he needed to figure out these people's goals. Otherwise, if they pulled off something big and he got caught in the crossfire, it would be bad.
However, before going, he needed to be prepared.
Hogkin returned not long after, and the news he brought confirmed Ian's guess. Almost every underground organization on Sabaody Archipelago, big or small, had received such an invitation.
But strangely, no one knew who had sent them.
With so little information, Ian frowned. Reluctantly, he got up and left, planning to visit Shakky, the professional information broker.
Arriving at Shakky's Rip-off Bar, it was as empty as usual, but this time Rayleigh was there, chatting with Shakky about something, both laughing happily.
"Master Rayleigh!" Ian couldn't help but smile as he greeted him.
"Oh, you're here!" Rayleigh said with a smile. "I was just telling Shakky about some funny stories from her pirate days!"
After sitting down, Shakky handed Ian a cup of tea, knowing he liked it. After setting the cup down, she asked, "Did you come here for something?"
"Yes," Ian said, explaining the situation. Then he asked, "Shakky, do you have any information that might help?"
"So that's it," Shakky said, lighting a cigarette. "Lately, several groups have come to me asking about this. But honestly, I don't know much. These people who came to Sabaody Archipelago apparently got a recruitment message from the underworld and rushed here. However, the person who posted the recruitment message doesn't seem to be from the underworld."
"Recruitment?" Ian asked curiously. "What kind of recruitment information?"
"To be precise, it's a commission," Shakky said. "Since there's no limit on the number of people and the reward is very high, it can be seen as a recruitment. Many people have come."
"High reward? How much?" Ian asked, interested.
"1 billion Berry," Shakky said, revealing a shocking number.
Ian was stunned. Rayleigh laughed heartily and said, "That's an incredible amount!"
"What kind of commission is it?" Ian asked in surprise. "To offer such a high reward?"
"That's the strange part—the content of the commission wasn't revealed at all," Shakky said with a shrug. "That's why I said I don't know much."
Ian fell into thought. Shakky looked at him and asked, "Are you planning to go see?"
"Of course," Ian said. "With that much money, who wouldn't be tempted? As for whether I'll participate, that depends on the situation."
"Be careful," Rayleigh warned him. "This could be a Marine trap. The World Conference is about to start. If they set this up for security reasons, it could be trouble."
Ian nodded and said, "Yes, I understand. I've thought of that too. If things go wrong, I'll pull out immediately."
After leaving the bar, Ian went back.
The time on the invitation was the following night. As dusk fell, strange people began appearing all over Sabaody Archipelago. None of them looked like good people, scaring the ordinary residents into locking their doors and hiding.
These underground forces headed from all directions toward the amusement park area, because the meeting place on the invitation was in the 39th Mangrove Zone, which was the farthest from the Marine base on Sabaody Archipelago.
Ian set out at that time as well, going alone without bringing anyone.
Such gatherings usually didn't last long, given the commotion on the island; the Marines couldn't be unaware. But the timing of this gathering was clever—it coincided with a period when the Marines were short-handed, so there was no need to worry about being surrounded.
Ian's identity was a Pirate Hunter, so he shouldn't really mix with these people. But since Ian's family was always in the lawless zone, he had to go this time to find out what these people were planning, so he could respond accordingly.
Soon, Ian arrived at the meeting place on the invitation. It was just a barren field with no buildings, only a bonfire burning in the middle of an open space. Next to the bonfire was a small box.
The bonfire was naturally a signal. When Ian arrived, there were already many people gathered around the bonfire in a circle. Some stood, some sat, all waiting, but no one spoke, and no one opened the small box to check.
Ian quietly blended into the crowd, pulling his hat down low and staying silent.
More people continued to arrive, but no matter who came, the others only glanced at them. Even if they recognized someone, they just nodded without speaking.
It was clear that everyone attending this gathering was being cautious.
Ian carefully observed the crowd, trying to see if the mysterious organizer was mixed in among them. But after looking for a while, he couldn't tell who it might be. The people gathered here were all fierce-looking, with scarred faces and tattooed skin, each one more menacing than the last.
These people were almost all bounty hunters chasing money, assassins, or various criminals. It was said they were tough guys from all over, plus the local underground forces of Sabaody Archipelago. There were already several hundred people present. How could it be easy to figure anything out from such a crowd?
Time passed slowly. When the scheduled meeting time arrived, the silent scene was suddenly broken by a "purupuru" sound.
The small box next to the bonfire popped open on its own, revealing its contents.
Inside were two Den Den Mushi. One was a normal adult Den Den Mushi, fitted with a speaker device. Next to it was a slightly smaller white Den Den Mushi.
Ian understood that the white Den Den Mushi was used to prevent eavesdropping.
"Hello everyone, you can call me Mr. Justice," a voice, seemingly disguised, came through the Den Den Mushi's speaker.
Using a Den Den Mushi to speak without revealing one's identity was common in the underworld, but Ian found it somewhat novel.
Everyone listened quietly, no one speaking. "Mr. Justice" was obviously a fake name.
"I've gathered you all here because I have a big deal I want to collaborate on," the voice from the Den Den Mushi said. "Of course, there's no pressure. Those willing to participate can stay; those who don't can leave freely."
Still, no one spoke. The voice waited for a moment before continuing, "The World Conference is about to start. You all probably know that. What I'm about to say is related to this. This time, accompanying the Marine escort ships are not only the kings and leaders of various countries but also the Heavenly Tribute they are offering to the Celestial Dragons this year."
As soon as the voice finished speaking, the previously silent scene erupted in uproar!
"Sorry, we're leaving," a man who seemed to be a local family boss immediately stood up and said. "We'll pretend we never heard this."
With that, he and his subordinates left without looking back.
"We won't participate either."
"Us too, sorry."
One after another, several bosses and their people left. After hearing that statement, combined with the mysterious organizer's alias, almost everyone realized that the target of this scheme was the Heavenly Tribute!
The local forces of Sabaody Archipelago knew best how dangerous the Celestial Dragons were. So when this event involved the money offered to them by various countries, they immediately understood how serious it was.
To avoid getting burned, they wisely chose to leave quickly, not even wanting to hear the rest.
Even Ian felt like getting up and leaving!
Damn, he had thought these people were just planning something like robbing a bank, but their audacity went far beyond that.
Having personally experienced being a slave at the auction house, Ian now deeply hated the Celestial Dragons. But that didn't mean he would provoke them now.
Though he wanted to leave, when Ian saw that most of the people present were still sitting, he held back and decided to listen further.
"..."
The voice from the Den Den Mushi was silent for a long time before continuing, "I don't know how many of you stayed, but I assume there are still some. So, I'll continue. As you know, the Heavenly Tribute offered to the Celestial Dragons by various countries varies in amount. The lowest is 2 billion Berry. The more Heavenly Tribute, the stronger the escort force. I have information about a fleet carrying only the minimum tribute. If you're willing to do it, I'll provide the details. After the job, I don't want the Heavenly Tribute, and I'll still distribute the promised 1 billion Berry reward among you."
That's a total of 3 billion Berry! Those still present felt tempted. But out of caution, someone walked over, picked up the microphone, and asked loudly, "If you don't want the money, what do you want?"
"I want the Demon Fruits on that ship," Mr. Justice said. "It's the tribute ship from the Pear Blossom Kingdom in the South Blue. Besides the Heavenly Tribute, there are two Demon Fruits they've collected to offer to the Celestial Dragons. One of them is a Demon Fruit that has never appeared in any guidebook. That's the one I want."