Chapter 143: The Currency Loophole Behind the Closed Borders
The next day.
According to the information Shakky gathered, the currency currently circulating in Wano was mostly oval-shaped gold and silver coins. One gold coin was worth about 10,000 Belly, and a silver coin around 100 Belly. In rural areas, rough copper coins worth only 1 Belly still circulated, though they weren’t widely accepted.
In a poverty-stricken future, even a small pot sold at the tool shop would cost "30 silver," while a large pot went for "60 silver." Just five silver coins could cover an extremely poor family’s entire week’s living expenses in a rundown town like Kuri.
Defeating Wano’s so-called number one sumo wrestler, Yokozuna Urashima, could net a dreamlike 500 gold coins.
The rarest currency, though, was platinum. Some major aristocratic families were now offering a full platinum coin as a reward for capturing the pure-blooded offspring of the Flower Capital’s Mountain God—the little white boar.
Just one platinum coin in the Flower Capital could buy a luxurious mansion, equivalent to about 1,000 gold coins.
This made "Little Jew" Shakky instantly smell an enormous currency loophole. Wano was rich in gold and silver mines, which lowered their value, but platinum was scarce, skyrocketing its worth.
Each oval-shaped small gold coin from Wano actually weighed a full tael—about 50 grams! Even with Brook’s group bringing in a hundred catties of gold, they’d only be able to exchange it for 1,000 gold coins—the equivalent of just one platinum.
"Little Jew" Shakky was outraged by this massive loss but quickly spotted a golden opportunity. If they brought in gold from the outside world and spent it here, they’d suffer a heavy loss. A hundred catties of gold would only be worth 10 million Belly in Wano, while outside in the greater seas, it would fetch at least 2 billion Belly!
The price difference was insane. Was this the hidden flaw behind Wano’s policy of national isolation?
...
Naturally, "Little Jew" Shakky wasn’t about to take that loss lying down. She immediately dug out her favorite platinum jewelry—along with forcibly raiding Charlotte Linlin and Stussy’s collections of platinum accessories. She even snatched up some precious medical tools from Crocus, along with experimental materials from Silva and Tom!