Unused large sums of money are nothing but a hindrance

With Tom's case over, even if we were to follow the original story, it would still take a few years. Until the undercover investigation begins, it seems unlikely that any major events will occur.

Of course, on a global scale, there are events happening, like the attack on the celestial gold transport ship during Donquixote Doflamingo's induction into the Seven Warlords of the Sea. I wonder if it was around this time that the Skypiea kingdom fell due to internal strife? I'm not sure when Mihawk settled there, though...

There was also the incident related to Zephyr and the assault on the training ship, but if we knew the exact timing, it could serve as a reference for the movie-related events. It was speculated that the culprit might be Edward Weevil, who claims to be Whitebeard's son, but since the movies tend to have parallel elements, we can't be sure.

Not much of this is relevant to me. The Celestial Gold incident involves Doflamingo, who seems to hold some secret about Mariejois, making it difficult for the government to touch him. So, the likelihood of it affecting me is low.

If things become unbearable, the Five Elders might give me an order to eliminate Doflamingo, but I doubt they would resort to such measures right away, whether for good or ill, they are cautious enough not to act hastily.

As for the Celestial Dragons, that falls under CP0's jurisdiction, so if there's any action taken, it would likely be by CP0.

As for the Skypiea kingdom, I have a thought like, "What kind of internal strife could lead to the destruction of a nation?" Perhaps they lost sight of a stopping point... But well, if it's going to collapse within a year, it must already be in its final stages, so it's unlikely that any intervention will happen.

So, in the end, there's not much that directly involves me. Actually, from now until the start of the original story, there may be a few small incidents, but major events are rare.

The real problems will arise after the original story begins. Within just one year from there, a massive number of events will occur.

As for the East Blue-related matters, let's put them aside. Drum Kingdom changed to Sakura Kingdom, the rebellion in Alabasta was resolved, Baroque Works collapsed, and Crocodile was stripped of his title as a Warlord of the Sea. As for the Sky Island, Enel's rule collapsed.

Then there's the incident in Water 7, which I'll be deeply involved in. If it follows the original story, Enies Lobby will be destroyed. Ace will be captured by Blackbeard, who will become one of the Seven Warlords. Thriller Bark under Moria will be decimated.

And then, there's the assault on the Celestial Dragons at Sabaody Archipelago, the riot and mass escape at Impel Down, and the Summit War at Marineford, which leads to Whitebeard's death.

All of this will happen within a short span of one year, and it feels like a nightmare. No wonder the Five Elders must have been scratching their heads.

Well, for now, my significant involvement will be in Water 7 and Enies Lobby. There might be an explosion in paperwork and such, but there won't be any direct involvement... at least, that's what I hope.

If I'm demoted after the Enies Lobby incident, I won't be swamped with the events at Impel Down and Marineford... that might actually be a good thing.

"Captain, I can see an island."

"I see, even though it's nearby, it's still going to take some time... Should we all use Razor to get back on our way home?"

"No, I think using Razor to travel this distance would drain our stamina."

Kaku responded while shaking his head to my murmurs. As I glanced around, some of the other members seemed pale, realizing it wouldn't be practical.

"But this island looks pretty small."

"Well, it's just an uninhabited island with nothing much. Our purpose is to have a barbecue as a reward, so it shouldn't be a problem."

As Jabra and Blueno conversed, they looked ahead at a small isolated island, which was our destination this time. As I had discussed with Pochi before, all CP9 members took time off to visit a nearby island for relaxation. Surprisingly, the application was approved with ease.

No, it was more than that...

"Well, there's plenty of food and drinks, so feel free to indulge."

"...But Chief, are you sure about providing so much high-quality food and expensive drinks? Is there no problem with the financial aspect?"

"No, I didn't prepare those; they were sent by higher-ups."

"Huh?"

In response to Blueno's question, I took a candy out of my pocket and started chewing it. At that moment, Fukurou, who loved gossip and was aware of the situation, spoke up.

"Tch, it seems like it's a reward for your usual hard work. In fact, Chief, you've been receiving a substantial bonus regularly, but you've been rejecting it lately~"

"I did accept it at first... But it's been coming so frequently that it's become bothersome, so I've been refusing it lately."

"Why? It's not like having money is a problem for you, right?"

"Listen, Jabra, unused large sums of money are nothing but a hindrance. Even without those bonuses, my regular salary is more than enough. I can't understand why they keep trying to give me money at every opportunity..."

"Well, it's probably because you work too hard, Chief..."

As the Commander-in-Chief of CP9, my monthly salary is an enormous amount. Of course, that's to be expected, given that holding such a high position in the world's largest organization, the World Government, would naturally come with a substantial salary.

At that point, the amount was not something I would spend in my daily life. In fact, even during my time as the Chief of CP5, I had plenty of money left over.

On top of that, it's honestly annoying how they keep trying to give me large sums of money, using various excuses. Unlike in my previous life, where there were ATMs all over the country for easy money transactions, here in this world, it becomes physically cumbersome to deal with such a large amount of money.

"Well, I had been rejecting those offers, but when I applied for this vacation, they offered to provide food and drinks in place of a special bonus for the barbecue, so I thought it would be fine and accepted... But they ended up sending an absurd amount. So, feel free to take any leftover food and drinks for yourselves today."

"Hehe, well, I can understand the higher-ups' struggle. They want to provide fair compensation for your work, but since you don't want it, it becomes a bit tricky."

As I muttered this, Blueno, in his civilian attire, gave a wry smile as he handed me some beans. Today being a holiday, even Blueno was in a relaxed mood... The tie's color is different from the usual? I suppose he changed it for the vacation?

"...Well, even so, I've found good ways to spend the money lately, so I've started using it."

"That's surprising. I can't imagine the Chief spending large amounts of money. What do you use it for?"

"Clothing. I have them custom-made... Like this outfit I'm wearing now."

"How much does that cost?"

"This outfit costs 65 million berries. My regular suits are around 80 million."

"...Huh? What?"

As I answered Khalifa's question, she widened her eyes in surprise, as if her thoughts couldn't keep up. Jabura, similarly astonished, joined the conversation.

"Hey, hey, 65 million!? Why? It just looks like an ordinary outfit..."

"It is an ordinary outfit, but it's a superior version compared to what you guys are provided with... Let me explain simply. It's a 'clothing that can withstand my movements even when I'm serious,' so it's expensive."

"...I can totally understand that. Seriously, it's amazing. A suit that can endure the Chief's movements..."

Indeed, clothes in the world of One Piece are extraordinarily sturdy. It might sound like a manga-like depiction, but even if you get hit by flames, they only get slightly scorched, and when an animal-type Devil Fruit user transforms, the clothes stretch and accommodate the changes.

Speaking of which, when it comes to Devil Fruits, the clothes are considered part of the body or something, so they undergo some strange interpretation... Natural-type transformations include the clothes as part of the ability, after all.

Smoker couldn't turn his jitte into smoke; I wonder if weapons are an exception or if it's due to the effect of Sea-Prism Stone... But Ace's dagger on his waist could be turned into flames without any problem, so Sea-Prism Stone is probably the most likely...

Well, setting aside Devil Fruits, the clothes in this world are exceptionally durable, and the suits provided by the government are even more advanced, incorporating cutting-edge technology.

Still, even those couldn't endure my serious movements, so I had them custom-made. Thanks to that, there are no incidents of clothes tearing during my movements.

Although they would tear if I pulled on them with a bit of force...

At that moment, Blueno seemed to have a question in mind, as he tilted his head curiously and asked:

"I understand the price, but is there even a tailor who can create such clothes?"

"Well, they're not tailors, but scientists... It's called 'Vegapunk.'"

"Isn't that the famous genius scientist? Are you acquainted with him?"

"No, I've never met him in person. My father has a connection with Vegapunk, and he made the arrangements through that. It seems Vegapunk is always short on research funds, so he gladly agreed to do it."

For me, it's a practical solution to dispose of the unusable large sums of money, but personally, I find it troublesome, so I honestly don't want to meet him directly.

Ideally, I'd prefer to keep my father as the intermediary and maintain a professional relationship as a tailor.

***

You can indulge in more than 10 chapters ahead of the regular schedule by visiting our Patreon page and subscribing.

Feel free to explore our Patreon at:

https://www.pat reon.com/KangTL

Your support will enhance our productivity in creating more captivating and wonderful works.