Oraation isnd near Amazon Lily, five newly structed warships were moored, their hulls t over the bustling docks. The Calm Belt's specialty fruits were being loaded onto the ships while a short, thin man in a Marine Vice Admiral's coat stood nearby, holding a small notebook, scribbling calcutions.
"After dedug all expehe profit of this trip is at most 100 million Berries… maybe even less," Vice Admiral Momonga muttered under his breath, his expression sour.
As a real power Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters, the past two years had seen Momonga stationed in the Calm Belt, taking on the heavy responsibility of managing "transport logistics." However, the profits from this assig were meager. The five warships, loaded to the brim with specialty fruits from the Calm Belt, would barely a profit of 100 million Berries once expenses were deducted.
To put it into perspective, this amount wasn't even enough to cover the cost of one warship. It would take at least two round trips to earn enough to build a single vessel and each round trip took a month. For five warships and 10,000 Marihis was far from effit. At this rate, Momonga thought bitterly, it might be more lucrative to bee a pirate. With a bit of luck, the spoils from raiding would easily pay for several warships.
"When will they find a proper mineral vein?" Momonga mented, rubbing his temples. "Even an iron or copper mine would do!"
He watched the Marines moving bad forth, loading the fruits with practiced efficy. If these ships were loaded with iron ore instead of fruit, the profit could easily exceed 1 billion Berries per trip. That kind of revenue could quickly fund new warships, and as the scale of operations expanded, profits would snowball. Within a few years, Marine Headquarters could rake in tens or even hundreds of billions of Berries annually from multiple veins, strengthening their financial resources. With such wealth, the Marines could easily bolster their forces, and perhaps even fight the New World pirates head-on without fear.
As Momonga daydreamed about this grand future, he paused, toug his thoughtfully. "Since when did I bee a businessman? Am I not a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters?"
He chuckled at his own self-mockery but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, while fighting pirates was an honorable task, developing the Calm Belt tthen the Marines' power was just as important, if not more so. Sure, it might ck the immediate satisfa of enf justice, but the long-term bes for the Marines were undeniable.
---
Just as Momonga was lost in his thoughts, a otion broke out among the Marines he warships. Cheers and whistles filled the air, and some Marines waved their caps enthusiastically, their excitement palpable.
Momonga gnced over and immediately uood the cause of the otion. Amazon Lily's Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, had arrived.
Even as someoh a strong sense of justid unyielding willpower, Momonga had to admit that Boa Hancock was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Her beauty was so striking that it could leave anyone in awe. But as a man of discipline, he knew better than to let his admiration cloud his judgment.
Admiration was natural, but it e resped professionalism. Momonga uood his limits. Boa Hancock's strength, amplified by her powerful Devil Fruit abilities, meant that she could easily defeat him if she wished. Moreover, she wasn't just any pirate, she was uhe prote of Saint Cudius, a powerful and iial figure.
Momonga chuckled internally. He knew better than to overstep his bounds. Even as a Vice Admiral, he was nothing more than a minure in Cudius's eyes. The idea of pursuing Boa Hancock was ughable. Instead, he viewed her as a key partner in the development of the Calm Belt.
---
Hancock desded from the Nine Snake Pirates' ship with her signature air ance. Her long bck hair swayed gently in the sea breeze, and her bd-white gsam g perfectly to her tall, elegant figure. With the nine-snake earrings dangling from her ears and an air of superiority, she epitomized fidend disdain. She didn't even spare a g the cheering Marines, perfectly embodying what it meant to be haughty.
She walked straight to Momonga, brushing her hair back with a delicate hand. Her tone was full of dession as she said, "Momonga, ime you e, bring more warships."
Momonga was momentarily stunned. He quickly posed himself and asked, "Boa Hancock, what do you need more warships for?"
Hancock's lips curled into a cold smile, her expression tinged with arrogance. "You don't o ask so many questions," she replied dismissively.
Momonga felt a wave of frustration rise within him. Her imperious attitude and the immense bag she had made it impossible tue with her. Swallowing his irritatioried again. "Without a valid reason, I have no authority to mobilize additional warships."
Hancock remained silent for a moment, then spoke without even gng at him. "Fisher Tiger has discovered an isnd ri iro's an open-pit mine, making it easy to extract. His team has already started mining. With 30,000 Fish-Men, they extraough ore to fill ten warships within a month. Do I o say more?"
Momonga was taken aback. After all this time, they had finally discovered a mineral vein! His heart surged with excitement, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel exasperated. Why couldn't she just vey the news straightforwardly instead of maintainisu?
Although annoyed, Momonga couldn't deny his excitement. "Uood," he said, nodding. "I'll hahe arras."
Hancock didn't aowledge his response. She simply let out a dismissive "Hmph," turned on her heel, and began walking away. Her sole purpose in ing here was to deliver the news. As for why she hadn't used a Den Den Mushi? The answer was simple—Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, deemed Momonga unworthy of having her taformation.
---
Meanwhile, back at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, Sengoku received the news and was eted.
"Finally! Progress in the Calm Belt!" Sengoku excimed, pag his office with excitement. "An isnd with rich irohis is a game ger! I already see ons, bases, and warships taking shape!"
After firming the report with Momonga, Sengoku made an immediate decision to bolster the Calm Belt development project. Fifteen additional warships would be deployed, along with reinforts, to expedite the operation.
From another perspective, this development solidified Momonga as one of the most powerful Vice Admirals in Marine Headquarters. With 20 massive warships and nearly 30,000 Marine soldiers under his and, his resources far exceeded those of an average Vice Admiral, who typically had three warships at most. This project could potentially elevate his status to unpreted heights.
