"Hm?"
Stussy's movements froze.
She clearly hadn't expected that this "Marine Hero," who held the highest secret order, would spend so much time building up to a question about financial statements.
After a brief moment of astonishment, she covered her lips and chuckled lightly. With a flirtatious glance, she reverted to the Queen of the Pleasure Quarter, a social butterfly who had men wrapped around her little finger.
"Rear Admiral Kane, you must be joking. Such business secrets..."
"I don't want to hear any nonsense."
Kane's gaze was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
"The specific numbers."
The smile on Stussy's face faded slightly.
Out of instinct as a top agent of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero, she instantly assessed the difference in their combat power and status, ultimately choosing a compromise—to tell the truth.
After all, the man before her held a token from the Five Elders.
"The profits fluctuate greatly depending on the channel."
Stussy walked to the liquor cabinet, seemingly arranging the bottles casually, but in reality, every muscle in her body was tensed, ready to deal with the worst-case scenario.
"Aside from the legitimate entertainment industry, there's also arms brokering, intelligence peddling, and the circulation of certain special goods..."
She paused, then stated a number.
"All things considered, the annual net revenue is about three hundred and fifty billion Berries."
Three hundred and fifty billion!
Even though Kane had been mentally prepared, his hand holding the cigar still paused slightly upon hearing this figure.
He lamented inwardly that all his hard work swindling Fleet Admiral Kong, even with the Red Count going out to "solicit donations" day and night, didn't add up to her annual revenue.
Running a brothel... no, the entertainment industry was the meta.
Kane forcefully suppressed the urge to let the corners of his mouth curl up, maintaining an air of profound indifference as he lightly flicked the ash from his cigar.
"How is this money divided?"
Stussy's hand, which was pouring a drink, paused for half a second. She turned around, leaning back against the liquor cabinet, and looked at Kane with a probing gaze.
"This is a top secret of the World Government... but since you hold the mobilization order, there's no harm in telling you."
She held up six long, slender, fair fingers.
"Sixty percent is handed over to the Holy Land Mariejois."
"The remaining forty percent is used to maintain the operations of the Pleasure Quarter branch, bribe various officials and Pirates, and maintain the vast intelligence network."
"Sixty percent, huh..."
Kane stroked his chin, nodding thoughtfully as he quickly calculated in his head.
Sixty percent was two hundred and ten billion.
Those Celestial Dragons living like pigs at the top of the Red Line really had quite an appetite.
Suddenly.
Kane looked up, a smile appearing on his handsome face that sent an inexplicable chill down Stussy's spine.
"If... and I'm just saying if."
"Starting today, what if two-tenths of that sixty percent wasn't handed over?"
"For example, what if the money encountered a 'shipwreck' during transport, or disappeared as an 'unavoidable operational loss'?"
"Do you think those old men at the top would find out?"
Stussy was completely stunned.
Her hand, holding the wine glass, froze in mid-air. She stared at Kane in disbelief, as if looking at a madman.
"Rear Admiral Kane."
Her voice suddenly dropped to a freezing point, the coquettish charm of a courtesan completely gone, replaced by the coldness and killing intent unique to an agent.
"What exactly do you mean?"
"Are you inciting me to embezzle World Government funds? Do you know that's a capital offense?"
Faced with Stussy's murderous glare, Kane wore a shocked expression as if to say, "How can you slander an innocent person out of thin air?"
"What do you mean, embezzle?"
Kane slammed his hand on the table righteously, his heart aching.
"This is called a reasonable redistribution of resources!"
"My G-5 Branch is also an important institution of the World Government. Spending money on building the Fortress is for the sake of better suppressing Pirates and upholding Justice in the seas! How can you call this embezzlement?"
"This is called—a strategic interception!"
Stussy was speechless.
She had seen shameless people before, but she had never seen someone so shamelessly self-righteous.
"I'm afraid I can't comply."
Stussy refused coldly, slamming the wine glass down on the table.
"Every account in the Pleasure Quarter is strictly audited by a Cipher Pol Aigis Zero financial officer. Two-tenths less? That's seventy billion Berries! No one can cook the books for a deficit of that scale. Unless you want me dead."
"Audits? That's too easy." Kane shrugged nonchalantly. "Just keep two sets of books, right? If that doesn't work, what's the name of the financial officer in charge of the audit? I can have him 'die in the line of duty' and replace him with someone more sensible."
"Enough!"
Stussy shot to her feet, her tone icy and piercing.
"Rear Admiral Kane, if you're here for fun, please leave. No matter how much power this token holds, it doesn't extend to finances. Unless you have a handwritten order from the Five Elders, you won't get a single Berry!"
After speaking, she made a "please leave" gesture, her eyes sharp.
So the soft approach didn't work, and now she was resorting to the hard one?
Kane looked at the prickly beauty before him, the smile in his eyes deepening.
He stubbed out his half-smoked cigar and, ignoring her vigilance, slowly stood up.
One step.
Two steps.
He didn't walk towards the door. Instead, he rounded the desk, closing in on Stussy step by step.
The mountain-like pressure made Stussy subconsciously want to retreat, but her pride as a powerful individual kept her rooted to the spot.
Until Kane was right behind her.
His warm breath brushed against Stussy's sensitive earlobe, sending a faint shiver through her.
Kane's voice, tinged with a playful and magnetic quality, whispered in her ear like a demon's murmur.
"Don't be so tense."
"Miss Stussy..."
Kane paused, his voice dropping even lower, as soft as a lover's whisper.
"Or should I say... Buckingham Stussy."
Buzz!
Stussy's mind went blank, her pupils instantly dilating to their absolute limit.
Kane's voice continued.
"You wouldn't want your secret of being a 'clone' to be exposed to the public, would you?"