章 107: Transaction, Detailed Information On The Underground World

"Haha! Brother Arías, you're young and full of promise! And to top it off, you've married the most beautiful woman in the sea—truly enviable!"

Shanks quickly became close friends with Arías. Meanwhile, Usopp was deep in conversation with his father, Yasopp, while little Zoro eagerly challenged the crew of the Red Hair Pirates. The crew laughed and "battled" with Zoro, occasionally teaching him some combat skills. After hearing about the dreams of these young ones, the pirates were happy to share their knowledge.

Bendik Snake taught Nami about navigation, Hongo gave Chopper many medical books, and Bendik and Muscat even started a music session with Brook!

When Shanks learned that Hiyori was Oden's daughter, he was surprised. "Is this little girl really Oden's daughter? She's grown so much!"

As the night went on, Shanks, pleased with his newfound friendship with Arías, invited him and his crew to join their banquet. "Come on, Brother Arías! We hit it off right away. We won't stop until we're drunk!"

Though Shanks and his crew drank heavily, Arías, Hancock, and Salome remained sober due to their modified digestive systems, courtesy of the Immortal Thief Liuku. Even Rakiru's culinary skills, which surpassed Sanji's current abilities, couldn't slow them down.

The banquet continued all night, and by early morning, everyone was passed out on the deck. Only Arías, Hancock, Salome, and Benn Beckman remained awake, enjoying the morning sea breeze. The Dawn was docked next to the Red Force, with the Red Hair Pirates having driven away any nearby threats.

Beckman, smoking calmly, asked, "What's your real purpose in finding us?"

Arías stretched and smiled, "Why do you ask? I just wanted Usopp to meet his long-lost father."

Beckman, unconvinced, replied, "People like you don't do things without a purpose. You wouldn't come to us for no reason."

Arías was slightly taken aback by how quickly Beckman saw through him. But remembering Beckman's reputation for being the smartest man on the seas, it made sense.

"There is indeed something," Arías admitted. "I need information about the underground world."

Since the incident at the Bliss Bar, the underground world had placed a bounty on Arías. First, five pirate groups attacked them, and later in Drum City, a gladiator named Oliver tried to claim the reward for his head. Arías had no intention of letting these threats slide. To develop his own power, controlling the underground world was crucial—it was a major source of income and detailed intelligence.

Beckman, exhaling smoke, asked, "What do you offer in exchange?"

"We're pirates, not a charity. If you want something, you must trade for it."

Arías considered his offer and replied, "After you defeat pirates, you can come to me to collect the bounty. I won't charge an agency fee."

For a pirate crew like Shanks', which didn't rely on robbery, bounty hunting was a significant income source. However, as pirates, they couldn't go directly to the Marines to collect the rewards without risking a trap. They needed a middleman—a bounty hunter—to collect the rewards on their behalf in exchange for a commission. While the commission wasn't much, it added up to a substantial sum for a crew like the Red Hair Pirates.

Beckman quickly weighed the pros and cons. "Alright."

As a man of high intelligence, Beckman understood the value of information. The Red Hair Pirates might be powerful, but information was their lifeblood. He knew the details of the underground world well.

"There are currently six 'emperors' in the underground world," Beckman began. "They are: Du Feld, the King of Loan Usury; Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District; Dorag Piecro, the King of Killers; Morgans, the King of Intelligence; Giberson, the King of Warehouses; and Umit, the King of Shipping."

This was information Arías already knew, but he needed more details.

Beckman continued, "While this information is public, what the world doesn't know is that Feld, Piecro, and Morgans are all part of the same force—or rather, they are the same person. The true emperor of the underground world is a man known as 'Night Ghost'—Solomon Archibald."

Beckman took another drag from his cigarette and added, "This man hides all over the world, never staying in the Grand Line. As long as he's around, taking down Feld and others won't make much difference."

"As for Giberson and Umit, they're backed by Big Mom and Kaido, so most people won't bother them. Only Stussy remains a mystery—no one knows her true origins."

Beckman shared everything he knew about the underground world. "According to my sources, Solomon was recently spotted in North Blue. If you're looking to confront him, that's where you should start."

Arías took note. He knew that Stussy's real background was with the World Government's CP0, and her true master was Vegapunk. Through her, there might be a way to contact Vegapunk.

As for the so-called Night Ghost, Arías trusted Beckman's judgment. He knew that soon, Doflamingo would rise to become the true master of the underworld. Doflamingo's primary activities were centered in North Blue.

Moreover, the fact that Doflamingo would eventually kill Solomon meant that Solomon's power ceiling was limited—it wouldn't surpass Doflamingo's.

Arías also understood the details behind the bounty on his head. The information was provided by Morgans, the hitmen by Piecro, and the bounty itself by Feld. For instance, the gladiator Oliver was secretly one of Piecro's men.

"But I heard the bounty on you was recently revoked," Beckman suddenly mentioned.

"Revoked?" Arías pondered. Could it be because of Oliver's death?

It was likely. Oliver wasn't weak, and with the Gladiator Fruit enhancing his abilities and weakening his enemies, he was nearly unbeatable below the level of the Shichibukai. But Arías had killed him, proving that his strength was beyond what the underground world could handle. The underground world wasn't run by fools—they followed the rules, but only when it suited them.

"Could it be that when Whitebeard, Kaido, and others break the rules, they too want to challenge the status quo?" Arías mused to himself.