Chapter 178: Prelude to Expansion!

Before the start of this year's World Summit, over 170 participating nations, along with smaller member regions like Water 7, had begun their delivery of the Heavenly Tribute.

For nations unable to meet their tribute obligations, expulsion from the World Government awaited. Meanwhile, numerous other nations, waving their treasures in hand, were eagerly trying to join the system, seeking the benefits of membership.

Unlike the 50 countries officially attending the World Summit, the collection of Heavenly Tribute began earlier and extended much longer, sometimes spanning up to half a year.

About a month after the World Summit concluded, the joint operation between Marine Headquarters and Claudius—dubbed the "Sky Island Gold Expedition" finally came to an end.

All the gold from Sky Island had been transported down to sea level. When its total value was finally assessed, it far exceeded the initial estimates of Claudius and Sengoku.

At first, the two had estimated that the treasure of the Golden City on Sky Island would be worth at least 50 billion berries. Both felt this was a conservative yet satisfying number.

However, once the gold had been delivered, CP-X and Marine Headquarters organized an expert team to evaluate the treasure over two weeks. Their conclusion? The total value of the haul reached a staggering 500 billion berries—ten times the initial estimate.

To be fair, it wasn't entirely Claudius and Sengoku's fault for underestimating the value. Based solely on the weight and purity of the gold, the treasure was worth approximately 300 billion berries.

But much of the gold wasn't just raw material, it was crafted into intricate artifacts with over 400 years of history. Items like crowns, jewelry, and scepters carried immense historical and cultural value. The legendary reputation of the "Golden Land" only added to their worth.

Still, much of the gold had been used as simple building material—bricks, walls, and decorations which lacked significant historical value. Otherwise, the Golden Land's total value could have easily exceeded a trillion berries.

This realization left both Sengoku and Claudius feeling a tinge of regret.

The treasure, valued at 500 billion berries, was split evenly between Marine Headquarters and Claudius. Each party walked away with 250 billion berries worth of gold.

At Marineford, in a secret harbor used by the Scientific Division, 25 old warships sat docked. On the decks of these ships, large piles of gold lay under canvas covers, awaiting distribution.

Inside the harbor, Marine leaders led by Sengoku inspected one of the warships. When the canvas was pulled back, the dazzling brilliance of the gold beneath lit up the surroundings, leaving the group momentarily stunned.

"This…" Fleet Admiral Kong murmured, his expression betraying his astonishment. After a moment of composure, he gestured to the other warships in the harbor and asked, "Are all 25 of these warships filled with gold?"

Sengoku grinned, his excitement barely contained. "Yes, Fleet Admiral. Every single one of the 25 warships is loaded with gold, both on the deck and in the cargo hold."

Garp stepped forward, reaching into the pile and pulling out a handful of gold nuggets. Smacking his lips, he said, "Even though our annual military budget is worth more than this, it's no wonder people lose their minds over gold when they see it in person."

Marine military expenditures reached hundreds of billions of berries annually, so these leaders were used to hearing such figures. But seeing a literal mountain of gold in front of them was something else entirely.

"With this amount of gold," Sakazuki muttered, his gaze intense, "a hundred new warships would no longer just be a dream!"

Tsuru, the Chief Staff Officer, remained composed, though her calm demeanor now was in stark contrast to her reaction when she first saw the Golden Land on Sky Island. "Having the gold is one thing," she said. "But the question remains, how do we liquidate it? We don't exactly have an abundance of accessible channels for cashing this out."

Gion, toying with a gold bracelet she had picked up, nodded. "She's right. We can't move too much gold at once without drawing attention, and finding the right buyers will be a challenge."

Kong turned to Sengoku. "What did you and His Highness discuss about this?"

Sengoku's grin widened. "It's actually quite simple. For the warships we need, we can trade directly with gold nuggets. The Tom Shipbuilding Company in Water 7—owned by His Highness—can handle the transactions. That alone will take care of a large portion of the gold. As for the rest, well, we can use it as wages for Marine personnel or exchange it for military expenses in smaller amounts, ensuring it doesn't attract too much attention."

Zephyr nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. With an organization as large as ours, digesting the gold internally shouldn't be too difficult, as long as we're cautious."

"Then let's start with the warships," Kong concluded. "The rest can be dealt with later as needed."

The conversation shifted to the topic of developing the Calm Belt. The preliminary plan had been finalized, with both Claudius and Sengoku agreeing to use Amazon Lily as the focal point of operations. From there, the Marines would begin expanding their influence across the Calm Belt.

Meanwhile, in Mariejois, Claudius was lounging in his courtyard, holding a phone snail as he spoke with Doflamingo.

"So, cousin, how do you like the gift I sent you?" Doflamingo's voice came through the snail, laced with amusement.

Claudius's gaze rested on the golden clock now adorning his courtyard. With a chuckle, he replied, "It's excellent—but tell me, why are two of my ships missing?"

The truth was that the Marine's share of 25 old warships had been handed over to Claudius without hesitation. Since these ships were slated for decommissioning and destruction to protect their technology, gifting them to a Celestial Dragon like Claudius posed no risk.

"Furufurufuru… Two ships missing? Oh, that. If I recall, they seemed to have sunk halfway during transport," Doflamingo teased, his tone dripping with mock innocence.

Claudius smirked but didn't press the issue. "Fine. Just don't draw too much attention when you're spending. I need to keep things low-key on my end. You understand?"

"Relax, cousin," Doflamingo assured him. "In the underworld, no one's going to question the origins of gold."

Satisfied, Claudius shifted the topic. Picking up a piece of paper from his table, he lowered his voice. "By the way, take note of this. The last batch of Heavenly Tribute will be transported from…" He whispered the details to Doflamingo, who quickly jotted them down.

"Furufurufu… Cousin, after this job, I should finally become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, right?" Doflamingo asked with anticipation.

"Of course," Claudius replied with a grin. "And after that, you can head to Dressrosa. The World Government will tacitly approve your claim, provided you handle everything cleanly."

"Don't worry," Doflamingo said confidently. "I'll make sure it's flawless."

After wrapping up the conversation with Doflamingo, Claudius turned his attention to Tesoro, who approached him respectfully.

"Your Highness, you wanted to see me?" Tesoro asked.

"Yes, Tesoro," Claudius said with a smile. "How's your training coming along?"

Tesoro's eyes gleamed with confidence. "I think I really have a knack for this, just as you said, Your Highness."

"Hahaha, good. I like confident people," Claudius said. "In that case, it's about time I send you out to handle something important."