https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-13-A-Venture-Needs-a-Resounding-Name/12608057/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-15-I-a-Pirate-Demand-Your-Treasure-/12608059/
Chapter 14: Guys, Let's Set Sail!
Chapter 14: Guys, Let's Set Sail!
After the defeat of the Kreig Pirates in the Grand Line, they fled to the East Blue, encountering naval blockades along the way. By the time they reached Baratie, there were slightly over a hundred crew members left. However, following their failure at Baratie, many pirates deserted the crew midway.
Now, on this island, there were only about thirty people left.
Lily didn't kill these pirates but merely knocked them out, leaving them unconscious but alive.
Paul was the first to wake up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt a dazzling flash of fire. The bonfire had been relit, and Sag and Lily were sitting by it, looking in his direction.
He quickly scrambled to his feet, and as he rubbed his hands together, flames ignited. "Taste the fire of Flame Paul!" he shouted.
"Paul, stop!"
A voice rang out from beside him, causing Paul to turn his head in surprise. It was Agin, watching the slowly awakening pirates. "There's no need to fight anymore."
"Captain Agin?" Paul asked, puzzled, and then, as if remembering something, he looked around. "Where's Captain Kreig?"
"He's dead."
Agin's response sent a chill through the hearts of the pirates. He pointed to where Kreig's body lay. "Killed by Captain Sag."
The pirates looked in that direction and broke out in cold sweats.
There was no longer a person there, just a pile of mangled flesh.
"Captain Sag?" One of the pirates noticed something amiss. "Captain Agin, you've joined them?"
"That's right."
Sag took over the conversation, standing up. "We're all pirates, and we all follow someone. Agin has joined my crew, and now I sincerely invite all of you to join my pirate crew. What do you say?"
The pirates looked at each other, and one of them, knife in hand, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Sag. He raised his knife towards the sky and shouted, "Captain!"
"Captain!"
"Captain Sag!"
The pirates chorused their agreement without hesitation.
"Captain Sag defeated Kreig, so he must be stronger! We can still be the rulers of the East Blue!" one of the pirates exclaimed excitedly.
If Captain Agin had joined, then there was no need for further discussion. They would simply join as well.
Sag was not surprised by this reaction at all.
Not everyone was like Agin. Indeed, there were those loyal sailors who would follow their captain to the end of the earth, but most pirates were driven by reputation and personal gain.
To expect unwavering loyalty from every crew member was unrealistic.
This was the cruel sea, not a child's game.
The duty of a pirate captain was to hold the crew together, not to nitpick and seek out the most loyal members.
"Excellent!" Sag exclaimed. "Follow me, and you won't be disappointed. We're all pirates seeking freedom and wealth. I'm not stingy when it comes to money. From now on, I'll take 50% of the spoils, and the remaining 50% will be divided among those who participate in the plunder. Even those who don't join in the battles will get a share. I guarantee that everyone will benefit!"
"Really, Captain Sag?" One pirate's eyes lit up at the prospect.
"I assure you!"
Sag raised his head proudly. "If you become officers, your shares will be even higher. So work hard, everyone!"
"Oh!!!"
The pirates responded enthusiastically, brandishing their weapons and cheering.
Sag was confident that none would bear a grudge over the distribution of spoils.
While the others were still unconscious, he had asked Agin about how Kreig's crew divided their plunder.
The answer had surprised him.
The Krieg Pirates were a typical pirate crew, and their method of dividing spoils was equally standard. The captain took 80%, and the remaining 20% was divided among the crew. Those who participated in the plunder received a share, while those who didn't contribute got nothing and were only provided with food and drink.
This revelation had almost made Sag's jaw drop.
In his memory, the traditional old pirates back home only allocated a few shares of the loot to the captain, never more than 14%. Even that was considered brutal, and such captains might find themselves overthrown and thrown into the sea within a couple of days.
Proper pirate captains only took two shares. The rest belonged to the crew.
But what did 'two shares' mean? It didn't mean 20%. It meant that, out of the spoils, the captain received one extra share after an equal division among the crew.
So, if ten people stole a gold bar, it had to be divided into eleven portions, and even if they stole ten apples, those would have to be cut into eleven pieces, rather than the captain taking two whole apples.
That was why Sag had tried various professions before becoming a pirate. He had felt that piracy wasn't lucrative enough. With a bounty on his head, he had to keep a low profile while traveling through rain and shine, and yet, he barely made any money.
Who would willingly sign up for that?
But the pirates in this sea had their own unique culture. While other captains took 80%, Sag was being extremely generous by only taking half!
If they stole 10,000 Berries, he would directly take 5,000!
What a bargain!
At this rate, it wouldn't take him long to accumulate wealth, buy a large piece of land, recruit a bunch of subordinates, and live the corrupt life of a landlord, thus reaching the pinnacle of life!
"My friends, let's feast and get to know each other better!" Sag laughed heartily.
"Oh!!!" The pirates responded with a loud roar.
And then no one moved.
Sag blinked, then repeated, "I say, let's have a feast."
"Oh!!!" The pirates continued to shout.
"What the hell!"
A vein popped out on Sag's temple as he exclaimed, "Bring the food and let's start the feast! Stop standing around and get moving!"
"Captain," Paul meekly raised his hand. "Do we have any food?"
"......" Sag's expression turned gloomy as a bad premonition crept over him. "You don't have any food?"
The pirates shook their heads in unison.
"What a coincidence," Sag sighed, his face falling. "Neither do I."
He had been hoping that some of them would have backup food so they could enjoy a hot meal and drinks, and perhaps even celebrate.
But not a single one of them had any food!
At that moment, Agin spoke up. "Captain Sag, why don't we just set sail? There are plenty of ships passing through the waters near this island, and we can easily capture one."
"That's a good suggestion, but there's just one tiny problem," Sag smiled. "I don't have a ship."
"......" Agin was taken aback.
No ship?
How did they get here then? Did they fly? Agin's heart sank as he looked at Sag, who had been so full of grand plans just a moment ago. A nagging feeling told him that following this captain might be a little problematic.
"It's not a big deal," Sag waved his hand dismissively. "If we don't have a ship, we'll just make one. Let's get to work! There's plenty of wood here, so let's make some rafts and set sail!"
Where there's a will, there's a way!
So what if they didn't have a ship? They were on an island full of resources.
......
While Sag didn't have a ship, the pirates only had a small boat that could seat five people at most. With a total of thirty-five people, they had no choice but to make rafts.
Agin had actually had a chance to get a ship earlier.
After their retreat from Baratie to this island, they had lacked supplies and even faced food and drink shortages. Their original plan had been to rob a ship at sea, so Agin took a small wooden boat and set out, soon encountering a merchant ship.
However, he didn't want to resort to the despicable tactics they had used under Kreig. He wanted to fly the pirate flag proudly and engage in fair combat, instead of pretending to be distressed and then ambushing their prey.
But how could a small boat catch up to a large sailing ship? Moreover, the merchant ship had cannons, and before they could even get close, the pirate flag had been spotted, leading to their unsuccessful attempt.
This was also the reason Kreig had punished Agin, and then, Kreig had died...
Boom!
As dawn broke, a large tree came crashing down. Several pirates wielded their axes, stripping the tree of its branches and shaping it into a log. Two pirates then carried the log towards the shore.
"Captain!"
Paul approached, his voice loud and clear. "We've cut down the trees and are ready to set sail at any time!"
With a group of pirates working together, the task of cutting down trees was completed swiftly, especially with Lily's fine sword and Agin's staff, which could easily fell a tree. The more time-consuming part was shaping the logs and binding them with ropes.
Fortunately, they had suitable ropes from Kreig's possessions.
His shoulder armor shield still remained, containing a few poison gas bombs, a pistol, and some high-quality net-like ropes, which were perfect for binding the logs together.
Sag was currently fiddling with the pistol, having taken it from Kreig's shoulder armor. It was a decent quality weapon.
Every self-respecting pirate needed a gun.
In addition, he had also confiscated Kreig's cloak and was now wearing it.
He nodded at Paul, then turned to Agin and asked, "Agin, are you sure there will be ships passing through this route?"
"Yes, quite a few. We're bound to encounter some as soon as we set sail," Agin replied confidently.
A grin spread across Sag's face as he raised the pistol high and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot reverberated across the island, capturing the attention of the other pirates.
"My friends, let's set sail!"
(End of Chapter)
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