For smart people, weapons are never just fists or knives and guns; mouths and minds are also essential tools when needed.
Sherlock successfully persuaded the group of pirates who had hijacked the ship. He had to thank their employer behind the scenes, possibly fearing too much attention, which was why they dared only hire these second-rate pirates. This allowed him to use his sharp tongue to convince them to change their minds.
From robbery and murder to kidnapping and extortion, although it was a new venture they weren't very skilled at, the pirates still showed a professional spirit of "loving what they do" and at least weren't as harsh with Sherlock.
However, basic precautions were still in place. After the ship had set sail for a long time, the pirate leader with dreadlocks handed Sherlock a transponder snail, allowing him to contact his family to arrange the ransom.
Sherlock hesitated for a moment after picking up the transponder snail, then, under the wary eyes of the pirates watching him, dialed Tony's number.
The phone rang a few times before being answered. Tony, it seemed, had stepped out of the shadows, and his voice had regained its vitality: "Hello! Who's this?"
"It's Sherlock."
Tony's voice sounded a bit surprised: "Oh, it's Sherlock. What a coincidence, I'm right now..."
Sherlock noticed that the pirates' expressions seemed a bit off, so he quickly interrupted Tony, saying, "Let's talk about other things later. Right now, I've been kidnapped by a group of pirates. Please help me prepare 40 million Berries for the ransom."
The transponder snail mimicked Tony's flustered reaction to the bad news, and Sherlock took the opportunity to explain to the pirates, smiling: "I know you're wondering why I didn't call my father. My father is the president of a trading guild, and every move he makes is watched by others. If I were to call him, it might draw unwanted attention. I'm a businessman, and since I've promised you the ransom, I'll keep my word. You all rely on your own skills to do business at sea, and I don't want to risk my life. So I'm having my friend raise the ransom, and you can rest assured, it won't cause any trouble."
"I love making friends. The 40 million Berries will be my gift to you all as a greeting."
Sherlock was sitting on a small merchant ship with a crew of no more than twenty, with only five or six holding official positions, so it was clear that the ransom wouldn't even need a thousand Berries.
The pirates exchanged looks, believing Sherlock's words, and their attitude toward him softened.
Sherlock continued to speak to Tony through the transponder snail: "40 million Berries, remember, don't notify the Navy or anyone else. You can have the person you mentioned a few days ago come to pay. I'll call you in an hour. If that person is too afraid to come..."
Tony's transponder snail was suddenly taken by someone else, and a calm voice interrupted Sherlock's words: "I'm the person Tony mentioned a few days ago—William, Mr. Sherlock."
Sherlock was taken aback, and then he heard William say: "I'll bring the money myself."
The pirate leader snatched the transponder snail away, growling: "Don't try anything funny. We're the Shark Pirate Crew, and if you make a move, you'll never see your friends again!"
William chuckled lightly: "I'll come alone, on a single ship. Besides the money, I'll be unarmed. Does that work for you? Are you still afraid?"
The pirate leader snorted and threw the transponder snail back to Sherlock.
Sherlock, being a daring individual, wouldn't have dared to convince cold-blooded pirates to switch from killing him for a reward to kidnapping him for ransom without his quick wit.
Sherlock directly spoke to William through the transponder snail: "This 40 million Berries is for me to owe you, but I'm going to pay this high price to make this deal with you. So, I want to have control over the business."
William was silent for a moment before replying cheerfully: "This is all my fault, so I'll cover the money. As for the collaboration, let's settle it later, one thing at a time."
Sherlock was about to say something else when the pirate leader, impatient, grabbed the transponder snail and hung up. The ship had only just left the shore, and the meeting time and place could be discussed later. He needed to consult with the other pirates in the crew first.
...
On the other side, in a small two-story tavern in Red Leaf Village, William handed the transponder snail back to Tony.
Akin and Edmond were also in the room.
William had originally brought them to meet Tony to discuss the procedures for setting up a workshop in Red Leaf Village, as well as to gather information on Sherlock, but they had unexpectedly encountered this situation.
Tony furrowed his brows tightly: "I can only scrape together a few hundred thousand Berries in cash, any more than that is impossible. How much do you have?"
Tony was just a small-time gang leader, and Red Leaf Village wasn't exactly thriving—it was far less prosperous than Frost Moon Village. Furthermore, he had a bunch of idle thugs depending on him for food, so his income wasn't much. This was one of the reasons he was willing to accept William's proposal.
"17 million Berries," William replied, "though in cash, it's even less."
Tony stood up nervously from behind the desk, pacing back and forth: "Even with everything added up, it's only about 20 million Berries—half the amount!"
"How could Sherlock think of asking us to raise the ransom? Why didn't he just ask his father for the money?" Tony muttered in frustration.
"His father is the president of a trade guild. Such a position is held by respected individuals, and everything they do is closely watched. If he called his father to raise the ransom, it would be hard to keep it hidden from the surrounding people. Word would likely get out, and it might even alert the Navy or other authorities," William explained, unraveling the mystery. "Besides, based on what you've told me about him, Sherlock, the son of the Flash Gold Guild president, probably wouldn't want to bother his father unless it was absolutely necessary."
William took a cigarette from the desk's pack, sniffed it nostalgically, then stuck it in his mouth without lighting it, continuing to speak easily: "Of course, the most important part is that he specifically mentioned me in the phone call. I guess he wanted to see how much capital I had for collaboration. If that doesn't work out, he might have planned to ask his father instead."
William smiled as he finished, finding Sherlock an interesting character. In his past life, William had been bold both in daily life and business, but if the roles were reversed, and one day he was kidnapped by a bunch of cold-blooded Somali pirates, he'd focus entirely on ensuring his safety instead of discussing business or playing mind games like Sherlock was doing, with his life literally in someone else's hands.
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