Doflamingo originally listened and was laughing; the quality of this Rainbow Gemstone indeed looks good, surely attracting a lot of interest.
"Of course, the gemstone can be converted into Belly, just like gold. It doesn't require anyone to endorse; it can be directly sold."
Just the next words from Sage were enough to make him feel a chill down his spine.
"My meaning is, it equates to Belly, has a fixed value that is universally accepted by the people on the sea."
Sage squinted his eyes, slightly tilted his head, grabbed a piece of meat with bones, and chewed and swallowed it whole.
It was as if the food in his mouth and the wealth at sea were the same, opening his mouth wide to swallow them all.
"Gold aside, diamonds you know, I actually believe they aren't valuable, but people at sea think they are valuable. However, both gold and diamonds need to be converted into Belly. As for the price, it varies in different places; what I say is... directly assume it as Belly, no need for conversion, it can be used directly."
"For this, I don't need it to be sold at a high price; stabilizing it is enough, like stabilizing it at ten million Belly, so that people at sea think this gemstone is worth ten million Belly, then it's okay."
Things that can be manufactured at a low cost, no matter how pretty, are essentially not valuable.
But Sage can make it valuable, aside from selling it, the best way is to create a system of Belly gemstones, like the Belly gold system.
"Fuhuhuhu, what are you trying to do, Sage... is there actually such a way, Belly, Belly!"
No need to say it outright, Doflamingo knew what this represents.
Gemstone?
This low-cost thing, if it can represent Belly, then it will be a huge gain for anyone!
"It can be done!"
His mouth almost split to the ears, "I can use my channels to define this gemstone, set the price at ten million Belly, whatever you want I can give! But, Sage... I don't want profits, you must give me 50% of the Rainbow Gemstone production!"
No profit in Sage's depicted future can compare.
Money?
He is also a king, there in Dressrosa, money is of no use to him; instead of controlling money, since becoming the king of Dressrosa, what he controls are the various channels.
Through controlling channels, secretly accumulating power.
If he has this thing, he will play an even bigger role in these channels.
Those essential supplies...
A few gemstones can exchange for them, this deal can certainly be done.
Upon hearing, Sage laughed twice, stretched out a finger, "10%."
"Hey, I'm taking care of your matter, so all the initial output is mine."
Doflamingo's forehead burst into a vein, "A hundred pieces give me ten?"
"I can also package, how about this, I'm very generous to my partners, in terms of resources, as long as I have them, I'll cover half."
Sage said, "Weapons, ships, food; for buying these things, I'll cover half, total cost controlled within twenty billion Belly, turning the Rainbow Gemstone into something linked with Belly, no problem right?"
"40%!" Doflamingo immediately replied, "You don't have business channels, relying solely on this place of yours, at most you can only attract people on this shipping route, not causing global tremors, your progress will be very slow."
"10%, progress may be slow, but my territory is expanding, it's just a matter of time." Sage said.
"30%, time is money too, but if I help you, it will speed up a lot."
"15%, once the products are made and the plan is there, it's just a matter of how to do it, it can be completed no matter what. It's not just your channel that can do it; I remember Crocodile is already out, that guy also does business quite well." Sage said indifferently.
"Fuhuhuhu, he just wants to establish a military power to protect himself, now don't even know where he is, to recover will take a lot of time, why waste this time. Let's concede a step each, 20%, I'll help you complete this within a year with costs less than twenty billion Belly."
Doflamingo smiled, "Within a year, this can be done."
"Deal."
Sage let Bella pour them each a glass of wine, then picked up his gemstone wine glass, and raised it to Doflamingo, "So, happy cooperation!"
Doflamingo grinned wide enough to stick out his tongue, raised his glass and clinked it with Sage's from afar, downed it in one gulp, and exchanged glances, both breaking into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Fuhuhuhu!"
The sky isn't gloomy, but under this laughter, there's a palpable depression, making Bella beside feel suffocating.
What harvest, what equivalence with Belly, she doesn't understand, but she always feels like her master might be up to something big again.
Lily's eyes drifted, not speaking, just watching Sage laugh heartily.
Before that, she also asked Sage why he wanted to do this.
The answer was... a matter of quantity.
A pure Rainbow Gemstone, to sell at a high price, requires strict control of quantity, then it won't be enough to be called an 'industry', for this vast territory, if it can't be used for industry development, then it's considered insignificant, not enough to make Sage spend so much effort.
Selecting material, determining cost, is it just for producing a few hundred pieces to sell?
How much can it sell for?
Even if it reaches the price of a Devil Fruit, it won't sell much.
While Devil Fruits are truly rare, Rainbow Gems... with Sage constantly increasing manpower, the quantity can increase.
You can't just spread rumors about gemstones in the ocean.
Like gathering seven gems to summon a Divine Dragon and grant a person's wish.
Or say there are nine Rainbow Gems in the world, and embedding them into the hilt of a sword will grant incredible Power of Nature?
That kind of thing might fool a ghost, but the quantity definitely can't sell high, there are no Divine Dragons, but Kaido has one—do you want it?
The only way is to completely stabilize the price of Rainbow Gems through hype and endorsement.
Sage has no interest in scams and wouldn't cause a financial bubble, he disdains such actions.
The quickest way is, of course, to drive up the price of Rainbow Gems in the short term, then deceive people into trading resources, and wait until the Rainbow Gems' quantity increases and becomes worthless, then let the bubble burst completely.
But there's no need; Sage simply wants to establish another 'currency' on the basis of the current Belly currency.
After all, Gold can't be created, but Rainbow Gems, he can create.
He has no interest in overthrowing Belly, as this currency circulates the entire ocean, even if the remaining closed nations don't use Belly, they trade using Gold, which is pegged to Belly, and a stable currency has its advantages.
He just needs to peg a stable currency of his own onto this stable currency.
A wealthy landlord, of course, wants to control everything in his hands. He can't control the Belly across the ocean, so he creates something out of nothing to peg to Belly, controlling it indirectly.
When a Rainbow Gem is considered to be worth ten million by people across the ocean and used for transactions, who dares to say he hasn't controlled the currency?
Another 'Gold' has emerged, hasn't it?
Besides Rainbow Gems, Sage has also negotiated weaponry and ships trade with Doflamingo, giving a third of the business to Doflamingo.
Renedia possesses the technology of Pluton; dismantling a little can make fine weapons and cannons.
For instance, waterproof cannons or flintlock guns that can fire consecutively.
These two technologies exist on the ocean, but the quantity is small, the production can't keep up, mostly for self-use, and they might even be owned only by certain individuals.
Even if the Navy uses flintlock guns where you have to reload gunpowder for each shot, and cannons that require a curtain to cover them to fire when it rains.
This part is a major need for everyone.
To Doflamingo, Sage is also fair, only asking for half of Doflamingo's profits.
"Hey, I heard the trade tax under you is only 40," Doflamingo complained.
"Sure, but why not pay personal tax too, if you want, I'll give you 40%."
That one sentence left Doflamingo at a loss for words.
"Hehehehehe, you're making so much money, what do you really want? The Pirates I know are satisfied with territory, your Royal Palace is pretty nice too." Doflamingo laughed and asked.
When money allows you to reach out and get anything you want, it really becomes useless.
Luxury food, drink, and accommodations, Sage now uses nothing but the most extravagant items, and his Royal Palace even has a courtyard. He farms with tools made of gold and hoes inlaid with gemstones, full of a nouveau riche aura.
With his own abilities to produce weapons and ships, he shouldn't need that much money no matter what.
"You already know, obviously it's to rule the world!"
Sage said: "I don't like a shabby world; otherwise, why would I bother to take over Gares? Conquering Hive Island would've been quicker. Occupying this trade route is to ensure my subordinates also have a good life. When their goods are sold, they earn more money, enabling more consumption, making the environment more prosperous—the more prosperous, the more wealth I gain."
"Only such a world is fit for me to rule, rather than having to fight for a bottle of wine outside to steal it, can't it just come to me obediently and offer itself?"
"Let me tell you, false and low-end rule won't care if the people below live or die, leading to poorer rule, eventually ruling until they run out of money."
"Reasonable, long-lasting, and increasingly prosperous rule enables me to gain everything in this world. If there's a good path, why not take it? Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Otherwise, relying on the More-More Fruit's ability, he could just blow up an island he dislikes with one shot—that would be ruling, too.
Rule of the void.
Having settled the weapons, next is the ship trade.
Be it ordinary ships or warships, Sage gives Doflamingo a third, another third to be sold in Gares, and a third given to Link.
Let him explore new channels.
Some things obviously can't just rely on Doflamingo; he's a landlord, not a supplier, and what's within one's grasp must be firmly held.
Otherwise, who is really working for whom?
Just as he finished negotiating and had seen off Doflamingo, an unexpected person arrived...
Crocodile paid a visit.