If Tesoro and Doflamingo wanted to further expand their business, they needed the approval of the Yonko, because starting from the middle section of the New World, the territory was entirely divided among the Yonko.
They could not simply compromise with only one of them, especially since neither Tesoro nor Doflamingo were the types to live under another's thumb.
Another reason was that they couldn't only cooperate with one faction; they needed multilateral cooperation. Given the mortal enmity between the Immortal Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, if they allied with one, the other would certainly retaliate with a devastating strike. Although Treasure was determined to surpass Alucard within the three-way alliance, Tesoro and Doflamingo disregarded him for the moment.
Simply aligning with the Big Mom Pirates wouldn't work either. The Big Mom Pirates were a crew connected by blood ties as a core hub; most core members were either Charlotte Linlin's children or her daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Without that relationship, it was extremely difficult to enter the inner circles of the Big Mom Pirates.
After explaining the reasons for inviting the Yonko factions, Tesoro sat cross-legged, raised his hand, and said, "To put it simply, the goal is 'Let's all make money together.' I trust none of you have any objections?"
Kaido wanted to form an army of Devil Fruit users? Fine, Devil Fruits would be exported and traded to him. Did Charlotte Linlin love rare species? Granted, once rare species were discovered, they would be supplied to her. As for Alucard, who sought nothing but amusement... he could just take the money.
"This... We need to consult Mama."
Cracker and Opera hesitated for a while. They did not dare decide such a major matter privately and felt they needed to report it to Charlotte Linlin.
"No problem," Tesoro said, snapping his fingers and calling for Baccarat, one of his confidantes. "Take our esteemed guests to rest, and prepare a Den Den Mushi for them."
"How many Devil Fruits can you provide?" Kaido was only concerned with forming his army of Devil Fruit users.
Tesoro ticked off his fingers. "I currently have three. If you agree to cooperate, they will be given to the Beasts Pirates immediately, free of charge."
Three Devil Fruits were worth at least 300 million Berries. Giving them away free of charge showed Tesoro's immense wealth.
"You're not lying to me, are you, brat?" Kaido glared, clearly unsatisfied with the number; he wanted more.
"As my influence grows, I can help you gather more Devil Fruits, but at that point, they will need to be acquired through trade," Tesoro said confidently. He was certain Kaido would compromise since he was the only one who could provide him with Devil Fruits. Even Doflamingo was smiling, full of confidence.
As expected, Kaido scoffed, stood up, and walked away. The fact that the mad dog didn't fight meant he had agreed.
"Fufufufu... Monet, take Queen-san to retrieve the Devil Fruits."
Following Doflamingo's command, Monet, in her secretary attire, walked over to Queen and gestured with her hand for him to follow.
"Well... finally..."
Having settled matters with two of the Yonko, Tesoro finally looked at Alucard and Hancock. As for Whitebeard... they would ignore him for the time being.
"One hundred billion Berries."
Alucard simply stated the number.
Tesoro's eyes narrowed, and Doflamingo's eyebrow, visible above his sunglasses, twitched.
Even Hancock couldn't help but lower her gaze, shocked by the number Alucard had just named.
Doflamingo turned and gave Tesoro a look. Tesoro struggled with the decision for two seconds before slapping his knee. "Fine, 100 billion Berries it is."
"A year."
Alucard added two more words, nearly causing Tesoro to spit blood. 100 billion Berries a year? That was an absurd amount; even the Heavenly Tribute paid to the Celestial Dragons wasn't so exaggerated.
Alucard seemed to read Tesoro's mind. Crossing his arms and resting them on his knee, which was crossed over the other, he chuckled. "Hmph, I am not a Celestial Dragon."
Tesoro had thought that a single payment would buy him eternal peace. He was understandably furious that the cost was 100 billion a year.
But at this moment, Doflamingo spoke up again. "Fine, 100 billion Berries a year. We will pay until we die."
Doflamingo spoke the latter part, "until we die," with a clear emphasis.
"Hmph, a cunning fellow," Alucard laughed. The deal was done. He stood up and walked toward the door. "Have it delivered to the ship quickly."
After Alucard and Hancock left, Tesoro turned to Doflamingo with a cold face. "Hey, Joker, do you think my money falls from the sky?"
He was skilled at earning money, but he hadn't reached the level of "treating money like dirt." Moreover, 100 billion Berries a year was a painful loss!
"Fufufufu... Tesoro, you can't deal with these monsters just by relying on the gold hidden in your body. For now, learn to compromise."
Doflamingo raised his index finger, grinning. "With this, that brat Law is no longer a threat. And with the Yonko no longer obstacles, we can at least develop a force second only to theirs."
"Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Alucard, the shackles binding the monsters of the New World are now in my hands. Fufufufufu... This way, the Government won't dare to deal with us arbitrarily either."
Doflamingo roared with laughter. He had yielded so much profit to the three Yonko, yet he acted as if he had gained the advantage in the end.
"I hope your choice proves useful. I will eventually become the man who controls all the Berries in the world. When that day comes, whether it's the Yonko or the Celestial Dragons, they will all fall before this power."
Pausing, Tesoro then asked, "Speaking of which, what about that guy Treasure?"
To prevent the power of the Immortal Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, the two of them had formed a pirate alliance with the other Warlord, Mad Treasure. He was currently absent from Gran Tesoro because he was out hunting for treasure.
"That guy?"
Doflamingo gave two cold laughs. "We'll treat him as a cooperative partner for now, but don't give him too many opportunities to cause trouble."