Pirate: I'm an admiral now, what's wrong with taking a little extra money?

"General Kane is really joking."

"If you're here for fun, the entertainment district welcomes you anytime. If you're here for trouble... even though you're a naval hero, the waters behind this place run much deeper than you imagine."

"Just say what's on your mind."

"That's right."

He flicked his cigarette ash, pulled an inconspicuous black token from his pocket, and casually tossed it onto the table.

"Clap."

A soft sound made Stussy's pupils shrink sharply.

She stared intently at the token, her cold expression instantly replaced by one of shock and solemnity.

CP0?!

"you……"

Stussy stared intently at the token, then looked up at the seemingly nonchalant navy man before him, his mind a complete mess.

"You're one of the Five Elders' men?!"

She had planned everything, but she never expected that this naval rear admiral, who constantly preached justice in the newspapers but actually acted eccentrically, was actually a "special envoy" sent by her superior's superior.

"Let's get to know each other again, G-5 base commander Kane."

Kane's smile remained the same, but now carried a more condescending air.

"Of course, in this room, you can consider me...your direct supervisor."

Stussy took a deep breath, the astonishing rise and fall of her chest betraying her inner turmoil.

Her years of experience as a secret agent forced her to calm down.

She sat down again, this time with less of the queen's arrogance and more of the subordinate's caution.

"I have been rude."

Stussy said in a low voice, her voice devoid of any seductive charm.

"I wonder what kind of intelligence Your Excellency needs this time? Whether it's Roger's movements or the whereabouts of other great pirates, as long as it's news circulating in the underworld, Pleasure Street can give you an answer within three days."

"intelligence?"

Kane shook his head and held up a finger in front of him.

"No, no, no, we'll talk about those things later."

He leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes fixed on Stussy as if he were eyeing a plump prey.

"I'm here today with only one concern."

His voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.

How many Pele does Pleasure Street actually earn in a year?

Chapter 83 Earning 300 Billion a Year! You Don't Want Your Clone Identity to Be Exposed, Do You?

"Ok?"

Stussy's movements froze.

She clearly hadn't expected that this "naval hero" holding the highest secret orders, after all that buildup, would ultimately be concerned with the financial statements.

After a brief moment of surprise, she covered her mouth and chuckled. With a flicker of her eyes, she regained her former self as the charming and shrewd queen of the entertainment district, who could manipulate men at will.

"General Kane is really joking, this kind of trade secret..."

"I don't want to hear nonsense."

Kane's eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Specific figures."

Stussy's smile faded slightly.

Driven by the instincts of a top CP0 agent, she assessed the difference in combat strength and status between the two sides in that instant, and ultimately chose a compromise—to tell the truth.

After all, the man in front of them held the Five Elders' token in his hand.

"Profits vary greatly depending on the distribution channel."

Stussy walked to the wine cabinet, seemingly arranging the bottles casually, but in reality, every muscle was tense, ready to deal with the worst-case scenario at any moment.

"Besides the overt entertainment industry, there are also arms dealers, intelligence brokers, and the distribution of certain special materials..."

She paused for a moment, then gave a number.

"In total, the annual net revenue is approximately 350 billion peggs."

350 billion!

Even though Kane was mentally prepared, his hand holding the cigar still paused slightly when he heard the number.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that all his hard work in fooling Marshal Kong, even with Earl Hong's tireless "begging" day and night, didn't amount to as much as the other man's annual income.

Getting involved in pornography... no, getting involved in the entertainment industry is the real answer.

Kane forcibly suppressed the urge to smile, maintaining an inscrutable indifference, and lightly flicked his cigarette ash.

"How should this money be divided?"

Stussy paused for half a second as she poured the wine. She turned around, leaned against the wine cabinet, and looked at Kane with a probing gaze.

"This is a top secret of the World Government... but since you have the mobilization order, I may as well tell you."

She extended six long, slender, and fair fingers.

"Sixty percent will be handed over to Mary Geoise."

"The remaining 40% will be used to maintain the operation of the Pleasure Street branch, to deal with various officials and pirates, and to maintain the vast intelligence network."

"Sixty percent..."

Kane stroked his chin, nodded thoughtfully, and then quickly began to calculate in his mind.

Sixty percent is 210 billion.

Those Celestial Dragons living like pigs at the top of the Red Line have quite the appetite.

Sudden.

Kane looked up, and a smile appeared on his handsome face that made Stusky feel a strange chill.

"If... I mean if."

"Starting today, what if we reduce the tax by 20% out of that 60%?"

"For example, the money might be lost in a shipwreck during transport, or it might disappear as an operational loss due to force majeure."

Do you think the old men upstairs will find out?

Stussy was completely dumbfounded.

Her hand holding the wine glass froze in mid-air as she stared at Kane in disbelief, as if she were looking at a madwoman.

"Major General Kane."

Her voice suddenly plummeted to freezing point, all the allure of a woman of the night vanished, replaced by the coldness and murderous intent characteristic of a secret agent.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Are you instigating me to embezzle funds from the World Government? Do you know that's a capital offense?"

Faced with Stussy's almost murderous gaze, Kane wore a shocked expression that seemed to say, "How could you slander someone's innocence out of thin air?"

What is corruption?

Kane slammed his fist on the table with a righteous air, heartbroken and indignant.

"This is called the rational redistribution of resources!"

“Our G-5 branch is also an important institution of the World Government. The money spent on building the fortress is to better suppress pirates and uphold justice on the sea! How can this be called corruption?”

"This is called—strategic interception!"

Stussy: "..."

She'd seen shameless people before, but never one so brazenly shameless.

"I'm sorry, I can't comply."

Stussy coldly refused, slamming his glass heavily on the table.

“Every account on Pleasure Street is rigorously audited by CP0’s CFO. A 20% deficit? That’s 70 billion Berries! No one can balance a deficit of that scale. Unless you want me dead.”

“Audit? That’s too easy.” Kane shrugged dismissively. “Just keep two sets of books, right? If all else fails, what’s the name of that CFO in charge of the audit? I can have him ‘die in the line of duty’ and replace him with someone more sensible.”

"enough!"

Stussy stood up abruptly, his tone icy and chilling.

"Major General Kane, if you're here to have fun, please leave. This token, no matter how powerful, doesn't have any jurisdiction over finances. Unless you have a written order from one of the Five Elders, you won't get a single penny!"

After she finished speaking, she made a "please" gesture, her eyes sharp.

If the soft approach doesn't work, is it time to use a hard approach?

Kane looked at the beautiful woman with thorns all over her body, and his smile deepened.

He stubbed out the half-smoked cigar, ignored the other person's wariness, and slowly stood up.

step.

Two steps.

Instead of heading towards the door, he walked around the desk and approached Stussy step by step.

The overwhelming sense of oppression made Stussy instinctively want to retreat, but her pride as a strong person kept her rooted to the spot.

Until Kane walked up behind her.

His warm breath brushed against Stussy's sensitive earlobe, sending a slight shiver through her.

Kane's voice, tinged with amusement and magnetism, whispered in her ear like a devil's murmur.