If he were to become a Shichibukai, Kuro actually thinks that he could do it based on strength alone, but for someone like that, Kuro needs some information to see what his trajectory is like.
Since the creation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, apart from that weakling Law, all those who have voluntarily wanted to become Warlords of the Sea have been dangerous.
Let's leave Blackbeard aside. It was because of him that Kuro was more cautious about selecting the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to avoid another similar situation.
Above that is Doflamingo, the dangerous individual who used the Celestial Gold to blackmail the World Government into becoming a Shichibukai.
If another similar incident occurs, still under his command, making mistakes is a minor matter; the real issue is that he loses face.
Kuro picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.
Soon, the Den Den Mushi's appearance changed, transforming into a stern-looking creature with a small mustache.
“Lucci…”
"Kuro? What do you want with me now? I am CP0 under the World Government, not under the Navy, and certainly not under you, Vice Admiral. Mind your place!" Lucci said coldly.
"Asking you for a little intelligence is like asking you to die. We're all in the same system, don't be so stingy, Lucci."
Kuro exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Do you know Joe Rudolph?"
"Without orders from the World Government, we, CP, have no obligation to cooperate with you, Kuro!"
Lucci paused for a moment, then said, "The leader of the half-fishman forces in the New World. He's a very troublesome person because he's almost as skilled as a fishman underwater. He often raids pirates in the New World and is quite famous there."
"You didn't have any contact with him back then?" Kuro asked.
“I did have contact with him. He also had the idea of joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea, but the World Government ignored it because of the opinions of the human kingdoms and the fact that Jinbe was also a Warlord at the time. Moreover, his reputation was only slightly known in the New World, not the kind that was famous throughout the seas,” Lucci said.
The World Government used to invite the Seven Warlords of the Sea based on their reputation; at the very least, they had to be someone that people throughout the entire sea had heard of.
But Joe Rudolph is only famous in the New World, and not in a positive sense. He's more like a 'ground rat' – when pirates encounter him, there are only two outcomes: either the pirates kill him, or he kills the pirates.
"What is his purpose?" Kuro asked.
Lucci was silent for a moment, then said, "Perhaps, he wants the world to acknowledge the existence of the half-fish people."
Kuro agreed with this.
Race-wise, humans and fish-men dislike half-fish-men; factions-wise, pirates dislike this one who only knows how to double-cross others; and the Navy dislikes him even less.
He's caught in the middle.
"You want him to become a Shichibukai?" Lucci asked.
“He took the initiative to come to me. If his purpose is simple, it’s not impossible.”
Kuro said, "After all, he has enough strength, and it seems that he has no other way to go besides the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Regardless of the influence of any of the World Federation member states, if Rudolph discovers that the purpose is simple, this would be an excellent opportunity for him to become a Shichibukai.
They are quite strong, but their living space is very small. They have nothing to do except cling to a powerful ally.
However, the fact that he hasn't yet pledged allegiance to one of the Four Emperors means that this pirate doesn't have any goodwill towards them.
The man who doesn't like the Pirate Emperor, but instead wants to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is simply trying to live under order.
but...
"It still depends on his sincerity."
Kuro, holding the microphone, looked at the heads laid out on the desk. "Just a few old guys' heads aren't enough."
...
"Take the bounty."
At this moment, Kro gave Rudolph a check and said, "A total of 683 million, you can cash it at the World Bank."
"As for money..."
Rudolf looked at the check but didn't take it. Instead, he said, "Could you turn it into supplies? My people are in need."
"You can take the money and buy whatever you want anywhere," Kro said.
Rudolf shook his head and laughed, “Perhaps you don’t quite understand the situation of merfolk. We merfolk are not well-liked. Some of us look a lot like humans, and some look a lot like merfolk, but in any case, we all have the characteristics of fish. Look at my whiskers, they’re just one strand. My skin has no pores, and if you look closely, you can even see gills. Humans won’t sell us anything, and in this New World, we can’t even find an agent.”
"Oh? There are people who don't make money even when they have it?" Kro asked.
"Of course, someone will make the money."
Rudolf's smile remained unchanged as he continued, "But that price is too high. Our people often buy things at high prices, and the resulting Berries don't last long. Six hundred million is a lot, but I have several thousand people in my tribe, and I can't ensure their stable survival."
What does 600 million mean? It's enough for a person to live a carefree and luxurious life, and even have more than enough to spare.
But what if the price is a hundred times higher than what an ordinary person would pay?
Take a newspaper as an example. For an ordinary person, it's worth 100 Berries, but for them, it's worth 10,000 Berries. Of course, this isn't referring to newspapers, since newsbirds don't look down on people, but businessmen do.
No merchants in the world are willing to trade with them; those who do are all greedy businessmen who can get anything. They can get any supplies their people want as long as they ask for them, but the price... is very high.
The reason Rudolph wanted to become a Shichibukai was because it was a legal pirate organization as defined by the World Government. They would be respected by those countries and would no longer have to rely on those cunning merchants. That was the first reason.
Secondly, he also wanted to provide his people with a legitimate place to live, which is why he did not side with the Four Emperors.
Rudolph is very strong. At least since his debut, he has rarely suffered a defeat. His great strength has attracted many suitors.
Kaido tried to recruit him, but he refused. He hated the chaos. He was strong, but his clansmen also had weak members, and Kaido hated the weak.
Big Mom tried to recruit him, but Rudolph didn't want to lose his soul's lifespan.
Shanks also tried to recruit him, and in fact, Shanks' rules were the most suitable, but Rudolph still didn't like them.
Pirates are pirates after all. Rudolph became a pirate for survival and for his people, but that doesn't mean he wanted to go down that path forever. Ultimately, he did it for his people.
It's completely impossible to join the World Government as a commoner; the only way to survive within the rules is to be recruited as a pirate and become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
However, he dared not attack the World Government, fearing that he would give them a bad impression. So he could only frantically search for pirates, hoping that the World Government would notice him, but it still didn't work.
This time, he couldn't stand it anymore and risked coming to the G-3 fortress, where he found the Golden Lion.
I must become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, no matter the cost!
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