"Then my asking price might not be within your psychological tolerance..."
Sengoku gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a deep voice, "Within my authority, I can only prepare one or two Devil Fruits..."
"And I can't hand Clown Buggy over to you either. Clown Buggy is a notorious pirate named by the World Government for public execution; he knows too much..."
"Goodbye."
The Radio Snail seemed about to hang up at this point.
"Wait!"
Sengoku hurriedly stopped the other party, unable to help but shout loudly, "Why don't you throw in a counteroffer! I can't be the only one naming prices all the time!"
"Don't think my proposal lacks sincerity, your asking price just now was also very insincere!"
This is a matter where both buyer and seller want to profit.
When the market price of a Navy Admiral is not transparent, both sides can only cautiously probe each other's psychological bottom line. Through constant pulling, they can establish a suitable negotiation bottom line in each other's minds.
Admiral Aokiji was placed on the negotiation table like a commodity by Sengoku the Buddha and the Konoha Pirates, only this was purely a seller's market.
However...
The seller genuinely wanted to make this deal.
The stable, mechanical voice came from the Radio Snail: "The Navy should release Clown Buggy first to show your sincerity..."
"He is a pirate named by the World Government for public execution..."
Sengoku took a deep breath; it seemed this pirate crew was insistent on Buggy, most likely for the secret of One Piece from Clown Buggy's mouth.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed slightly, and he spoke again to the Radio Snail beside him, "Clown Buggy killed a Heavenly Celestial Dragon and angered the World Government. He also holds the secret of One Piece. His life is far more important than Kuzan's..."
"It seems this deal can't be done..."
The Konoha Pirates were evidently ready to hang up the Radio Snail immediately.
"Wait!"
Sengoku immediately probed the other party's bottom line and continued to negotiate: "However, I am the Navy Admiral, everything is for the sake of the Navy!"
"As long as you promise to return Kuzan, I can try to defy the World Government's orders and hand Clown Buggy over to you. After all, your bottom line is Clown Buggy, presumably for the so-called secret of the Grand Treasure, right?"
"Devil Fruits and such are just added perks to you, right?"
"That's also fine, but catching a Navy Admiral isn't easy..."
The voice from the Radio Snail seemed to carry a sigh: "Perhaps we won't have a chance to capture a Navy Admiral in the future. Since we might only do business with the Navy this once, shouldn't we make enough from this single, rare opportunity to last three years?"
"Then I will try to gather Devil Fruits and pirate Demon Fruit Users..."
A sharp glint flashed in Sengoku's eyes as he spoke softly: "Moreover, your bottom line is Clown Buggy. Even if the warship responsible for escorting him hurries over without stopping, it will take half a month to deliver Clown Buggy here..."
Half a month...
This time is almost enough for Admiral Akainu to swiftly return to the headquarters from the New World's G1 Branch, and Admiral Kizaru has always been stationed at Navy Headquarters.
"Half a month?"
The Konoha Pirates seemed a bit hesitant, as if worried about something: "You won't gather the Navy to besiege us in half a month, right?"
"I am the Navy Admiral."
Sengoku's voice immediately steadied, seeming to use his own credibility as a guarantee: "If the Navy Admiral breaks faith with you, it's equivalent to breaking faith with the entire world..."
"Then the World Government could just appoint a new Navy Admiral?"
The Konoha Pirates immediately pierced Sengoku's little scheme with a sharp remark.
Crack...
Crack...
Sengoku forcefully crushed his senbei, feeling somewhat angry and embarrassed at having his little scheme revealed: "I use my own honor as a guarantee. If you don't trust me, why negotiate with me!"
"..."
The Konoha Pirates fell silent on the other side.
Clearly.
This Navy Admiral seemed genuinely angry.
"Alright."
"You make a fair point..."
The voice from the Radio Snail also became hesitant, once more pointing out a flaw in Sengoku's words: "But we still want to ask, compared to the Navy's honor, compared to the lives of your subordinates, shouldn't a competent Navy Admiral consider his own reputation worthless?"
"..."
Sengoku's heart fell silent.
If he could use his own reputation to save the lives of subordinates and swap his own reputation for the Navy's honor, Sengoku would never hesitate to throw his own reputation on the ground, letting it be trampled!
But...
How could such words come from a pirate's mouth!
"Alright."
"Let's talk something serious."
The Konoha Pirates seemed to abandon this haggling, directly stating their real bottom line: "We'll only give you two days to find a way to get the World Government to declare in the news and newspapers that Clown Buggy is released without charges. As long as we receive the news recorded in the papers, we will release this Navy Headquarters Admiral..."
"That's impossible..."
Sengoku immediately thought of the faces of the Five Elders.
The life of a mere Navy Admiral, how could it compare to the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' intimidation over the world?
"Wait..."
Sengoku's expression suddenly changed; at this moment, he suddenly realized the other's intent: "No... you... aren't after the secret of One Piece!"