One Piece: The True Codex

For the clever, weapons are never limited to fists or blades. A sharp tongue and a quick mind can be just as critical in moments of peril.

Sherlock successfully persuaded the pirates who had hijacked his ship. He owed his thanks to their employer, who, perhaps out of fear of attracting too much attention, had only dared to hire a group of third-rate, uneducated pirates. This gave Sherlock the opportunity to use his silver tongue to sway them.

What began as a plan for robbery and murder quickly shifted to kidnapping and ransom. Though this was a new line of business for the pirates and they were somewhat inexperienced, they exhibited a certain professional pride. At the very least, their attitude toward their captive, Sherlock, became noticeably less hostile.

Still, they maintained basic precautions. It was only after the ship had been sailing for some time that the pirate leader, the dreadlocked man, handed Sherlock a Transponder Snail, instructing him to contact his relatives to arrange the ransom.

Sherlock hesitated for a moment as he picked up the snail. Under the watchful eyes of several pirates, he finally dialed Tony's number.

The snail rang a few times before the call was answered. Tony's voice, sounding lively and full of energy, came through: "Hello! Who's this?"

"Tony, it's Sherlock," he said.

Tony sounded surprised. "Sherlock? What a coincidence, I was just—"

Sherlock noticed the pirates around him reacting suspiciously, so he quickly interrupted Tony. "We'll talk about that later. For now, listen carefully: I've been kidnapped by pirates. I need you to prepare 40 million Beli for my ransom."

The Transponder Snail perfectly mimicked Tony's shocked and flustered response. Sherlock took this opportunity to smile at the pirates and explain, "I know you're wondering why I didn't call my father. As the president of the Flash Gold Guild, my father's every move is closely watched. If I were to call him, it might attract unwanted attention. I'm a businessman. Since I've promised to pay the ransom, I won't go back on my word. You gentlemen make your living on the seas through your own skills, and I have no intention of risking my life unnecessarily. That's why I'm asking my friend to handle the ransom—it'll give you peace of mind and avoid complications."

"I'm a man who values friendships. Consider the extra 40 million Beli as a token of goodwill for meeting you fine gentlemen."

The ship Sherlock was on was a small merchant vessel with no more than twenty crew members. At most, only five or six of them held significant positions. Clearly, the ransom wouldn't actually require 40 million Beli.

The pirates exchanged glances and seemed to believe Sherlock's explanation. Their attitude toward him improved noticeably.

Sherlock continued speaking into the Transponder Snail, "Tony, remember: 40 million Beli. Don't inform the Marines or anyone else. You can have that person you mentioned the other day deliver the payment. I'll call you again in an hour. If that person lacks the courage to come—"

Before he could finish, the Transponder Snail was taken by someone on Tony's end. A calm and steady voice interrupted him: "I am the 'person' Tony mentioned the other day—William, Mr. Sherlock."

Sherlock froze for a moment, then heard William say, "I'll bring the money to you personally."

The pirate leader snatched the Transponder Snail from Sherlock and growled, "Don't try anything funny. We're the Shark Pirates. If you make any sudden moves, you'll never see your friend again!"

William chuckled lightly. "When the time comes, I'll come alone, on a single ship, unarmed except for the money. Surely that won't scare you, will it?"

The pirate leader snorted and tossed the Transponder Snail back to Sherlock.

Sherlock was a bold man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to use his wit to persuade cold-blooded pirates to change their plan from murder-for-hire to a ransom scheme.

He addressed William directly through the Transponder Snail: "Consider this 40 million Beli a debt I owe you. But I'm paying such a hefty price to secure our collaboration, so I want a controlling stake in the deal."

William was silent for a moment before laughing heartily. "This whole situation started because of me, so of course, I'll cover the cost. As for the collaboration, let's keep that separate and discuss it later."

Sherlock was about to say more, but the pirate leader, growing impatient, snatched the Transponder Snail and ended the call. The ship wasn't too far from shore yet, so the meeting time and location could be decided later. For now, the leader needed to consult with the other officers in the pirate crew.

Meanwhile, in a small office on the second floor of a tavern in Momiji Village, William handed the Transponder Snail back to Tony.

Gin and Edmond were also in the room.

William had originally brought them to discuss the formalities of setting up a workshop in Momiji Village and to gather information about Sherlock. He hadn't expected to stumble upon this situation.

Tony paced back and forth, his brows furrowed tightly. "I can only scrape together a few million Beli in cash—no more than that. How much do you have?"

Tony was just a small-time gang leader, and Momiji Village wasn't particularly prosperous—certainly not compared to Shimotsuki Village. Plus, he had a group of idle thugs depending on him for their livelihood, so his income was limited. This was one of the reasons he had been eager to accept William's proposal.

"Seventeen million Beli," William replied. "And even less in cash."

Tony stopped in his tracks, visibly uneasy. "Even if we pool everything together, that's only about 20 million Beli—half of what we need!"

"Why would Sherlock ask us to help with the ransom? Why not just get the money from his father?" Tony muttered to himself in frustration.

"His father is the president of a guild—a position held by someone highly respected in the community. Every move he makes is under scrutiny. If Sherlock were to call him for ransom money, it would be impossible to keep it under wraps. Word would spread, and it might even alert the Marines or other authorities," William explained matter-of-factly. "Besides, based on how you've described him, this son of the Flash Gold Guild president is probably reluctant to trouble his father unless absolutely necessary."

William took a cigarette from the pack on the desk, inhaled its scent nostalgically, and placed it in his mouth. However, he didn't light it. Instead, he continued speaking casually, "But the most important reason is that he deliberately mentioned me during the call. I suspect he's using this as an opportunity to gauge how much capital I have for our potential collaboration. If I fail to meet his expectations, he might then turn to his father."

William chuckled as he finished his analysis. He found Sherlock to be quite an interesting character. In his previous life, William had considered himself a bold person, both in everyday life and in business. But if he imagined himself in Sherlock's shoes—kidnapped by a group of ruthless Somali pirates—he knew his first priority would be ensuring his own safety. He wouldn't dare think about business dealings, let alone play mind games over the phone.

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