Chapter 149: Pirates Too, Have Their Saviours
Chapter 149: Pirates Too, Have Their Saviours
That evening, the Death Harbinger hosted another feast.
With the abundance of newly acquired ingredients, there was more than enough to fill their storerooms, leaving a surplus that necessitated a celebration.
Sag, who had spent hours fishing without even a bite, decided that a party was in order to change his luck.
Seated upon his throne, he grabbed a handful of gold coins from the treasure chest presented to him and threw them into the air, shouting, "A reward for everyone! Share the wealth!"
The pirates roared in response.
Most of the treasure in Food City consisted of gold coins, with few items worth collecting. Nonetheless, the sheer volume of gold was a sight to behold, and it filled Sag with satisfaction.
For this heist, each crew member who participated in the operation received a double share, while those who stayed behind still earned half a share. There were no complaints, as everyone understood the importance of their respective roles.
It was a rare treat to receive a payout simply for being aboard the ship.
Sag had also managed to acquire some valuable collectibles for himself. He now wore rings on all his fingers, a beaded bracelet and a golden circlet on his left wrist, and a golden armguard on his right, all while holding a gem-encrusted goblet and laughing heartily.
While he may have lacked the refined elegance of a noble, there was no denying his opulence.
Among the crew, the one with the most aristocratic bearing was Lily, a true royalty with impeccable manners. Even with just a gemstone necklace given to her by Sag and without any other extravagant adornments, it was evident that she came from a prestigious noble lineage.
Next in line was Hawkins, whose golden locks mirrored Lily's but with a unique wave. It was no wonder that Reinitya dubbed him a replica of Lily; aside from their similar hair, he possessed a handsome visage with a touch of melancholy. Were it not for the six vertical lines tattooed on his eyebrows, giving him a somewhat sinister appearance, he could easily pass for a noble's brooding heir.
As for Sag, he wasn't lacking in the looks department either. With his blood relation to the beautiful Nico Robin, it was no surprise that Sag had an attractive face—the quintessential handsome rogue of the high seas. However, his demeanor fell short of the mark.
Take him inland, and he'd be a bandit chief; put him on the sea, and he's a pirate bully, the kind that even fish steer clear of.
From this raid alone, they had amassed a staggering six hundred and fifty million berries, not including the smaller denominations. And Sag had decided to distribute it all among his crew.
He set aside fifty million berries as communal funds, kept three hundred million for himself, and distributed the rest according to contributions.
Even those who hadn't participated in the heist received a substantial sum—a half-share amounted to over ten thousand berries.
The Mermen pirates, who had been actively involved in the raid, earned nearly four hundred thousand berries each.
This was a significant amount, especially considering that Sag had orchestrated the heist on Anu Country and Food City within just half a month.
"What about the shares of those who perished in the last battle?" Sag asked, turning to Lily as the revelry reached a fever pitch.
There had been no casualties during the takeovers of the Spring Queen's City or Food City, and the losses they had incurred during the battle at Anu Country were relatively minor, which was why Sag didn't consider himself particularly unlucky.
True misfortune would have resulted in far more devastating casualties.
Take, for instance, a tsunami or a Sea King—those were mere inconveniences to him.
"They've been set aside," Lily replied. "I've also asked their close friends for the addresses, and I'll be contacting Donquixote Doflamingo to open a channel to send their spoils back to their hometowns."
They had lost about a hundred men in Anu Country, leaving them with a current crew of just over a thousand two hundred.
The deceased crew members' shares would be preserved and sent to their loved ones, friends, or local village chiefs if they had no one else.
As for the possibility of despicable individuals taking advantage of the situation... Sag chose not to dwell on that.
The culture of the high seas fostered a sense of camaraderie, and even the most despicable individuals tended to have at least one loyal friend.
Even cannibals had affectionate grandmothers who were worthy of respect.
Furthermore, those who ventured out to become pirates rarely hailed from prosperous places; they often came from small villages, some of which were not even affiliated with the World Government.
Regardless, Sag wouldn't withhold what was rightfully theirs. As long as the money reached the intended community, he considered his duty fulfilled.
In fact, he didn't need to concern himself with these matters at all.
Pirates were no strangers to death. While there were timid individuals among the crew, even the meekest would loosen up after a few drinks and confide in their trusted companions about their homes and where their treasures should go in the event of their demise.
As long as the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew avoided significant losses, the spoils of their fallen comrades would always find their way to the right hands.
And there had been significant casualties.
There was no helping it. Sag wasn't perfect, after all; he was just a smelly old pirate.
"This is the first I've heard of it, Sag. Normal pirate crews wouldn't bother with this."
Generally speaking, pirate crews didn't care about their fallen members. Any treasures left behind would either be claimed by the captain, divided among the crew, or, in the case of those with a sense of honor, set aside to be sent to their fallen comrades' next of kin.
But, more often than not, talking about honor among pirates was pointless. Why? Because no one knew who would breathe their last breath in the next moment, so they squandered their spoils recklessly, reveling in the present.
"Piracy is a profession, Hawkins.
Since it's a profession, there should be a beginning and an end to it. When I set out to sea, I declared that joining my crew meant signing up to die with me. But whether they perish or survive, I, Sag, guarantee that their efforts will be rewarded! However, once they die, they can no longer plunder or live as they please, so... try to stay alive, won't you? I won't let you down!"
"Lord Sag!"
A pirate stepped forward, downing the rum the size of a human head in one go, and roared, "I'll follow you to the end of the world!"
"Me too! Pirates need their saviors too, and you, Lord Sag, are ours! You are our savior!"
"Yes! Lord Sag is our savior! You will become the Pirate King!"
"Let Lord Sag become the Pirate King!"
The pirates echoed in excited agreement.
"Whoo-hoo-hoo! Then we better step up our game!" Sag drained his cup, laughing heartily.
Observing the crew's fervent reaction, Hawkins nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
Their morale was high.
But the strange thing was, the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew wasn't your average pirate crew.
There was a difference between pirate crews and the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew.
Pirate crews varied in size, and those with a substantial number of members often bore the strong imprint of their captain. Take Hawkins' crew, for instance; each of his crew members donned a mysterious robe because that was his style.
With their numbers, such crews were easier to command, differentiate, and imprint with the captain's influence.
On the other hand, elite pirate crews were characterized by strong personal styles. However, due to their smaller size, internal strife was rarely an issue.
Yet, the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew didn't fit neatly into either category.
While it could be said that Sag recruited a large number of members, many of them were ordinary people.
If one were to claim that the crew was an elite force, their individual styles were too distinct.
This had nothing to do with the presence or absence of officers; it was because there was no imprint of the captain on them.
Whether it was the three female officers or Hawkins himself, each of them had a distinct and robust personal style.
Even among the crew, there were variations. Some were utterly devoted to Sag, like the Magi tribe.
Some had boarded out of gratitude toward Sag. The crew he recruited in the East Blue included such individuals, and while they weren't necessarily loyal, they had their own agendas and thoughts. Why, just the previous raid on the Spring Queen's City, a few members hadn't returned.
This wasn't a matter of betrayal, but simply a case of individuals choosing to no longer be pirates. They might have feared death, or realized they couldn't keep up with Sag's pace, whatever their reasons, they had taken their leave with their share of the spoils.
This wasn't something Sag would concern himself with. Pirates came and went as they pleased; they weren't bound to anyone as slaves or vassals. Whether they boarded or disembarked, it happened all the time.
This wasn't considered an act of betrayal, just someone choosing to no longer be a pirate. Unless they were officers, they were just ordinary crew members, and no one would bother themselves over the comings and goings of mere foot soldiers.
However, Lily had noticed the discrepancy during her casualty count and, upon further investigation, discovered that several members from the East Blue recruitment were missing.
It couldn't have been in Anu Country, as that place was too poor to attract anyone. That left only one possibility—the prosperous Spring Queen's City.
Perhaps some had decided they'd amassed enough wealth, or they'd grown fearful of death, or they'd realized they couldn't keep up with Sag's pace. Whatever their reasons, with the spoils from that raid, they'd chosen to retire and live ordinary lives.
The more pirates there were on board, the more likely such situations would arise, even for a crew bearing the captain's mark. It was even more unlikely for Sag, whose rule was not one of strength.
There were crew members who could leave at any time, as well as those from Magi Town who had joined for the fame, and this group had a wide range of styles.
Among them were the bloodthirsty, the greedy, the despicable, the free-spirited, the malicious, and the kind-hearted.
In a typical pirate crew, internal strife would be rampant.
Yet, on the Death Harbinger, an odd harmony prevailed. It wasn't a cheerful, everyone-getting-along kind of atmosphere, but rather a simple lack of mutual suspicion.
This was all thanks to Sag's presence.
Here, they didn't worry about their hard-earned treasures being stolen, because Sag kept a tight rein.
They didn't fear being killed in their sleep, because most disputes arose from treasure, and now that it was all accounted for, there was little chance of it falling into another pirate's hands.
This effectively prevented 70% of revenge killings and allowed the crew to let down their guard completely, knowing there was no conflict of interest.
On top of that, Sag was very generous. Even with just half a share, they still got more than enough, and those who didn't participate in the heist still received a portion. There was no significant disparity.
As for the rest, like personal grudges, this couldn't be prevented. However, the rule was that private duels were allowed, but murder was prohibited. Breaking this rule meant death and being fed to the sea.
Unsatisfied?
Then feel free to leave the ship.
Even Hawkins didn't mind this rule, let alone Sag.
However, leaving the ship wasn't as simple as just jumping ship. The tradition of needing the captain's permission to disembark was one that Sag upheld. For ordinary crew members, he didn't care much, but for those with a name and reputation whom he had personally recruited, they didn't have the authority to leave without his consent.
This included Hawkins, Bellamy, and others. The rules of the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew were simple, but sometimes, simplicity was most effective.
These pirates, who were unlikely to form a cohesive unit, were now strongly bonded, as if held together by a powerful adhesive.
Especially with the policy of sending the spoils back, the crew's morale was greatly boosted. If the treasures were also sent to their hometowns, even if there were no relatives there, Sag's reputation would spread.
This would make more people aware of the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew and give those aspiring to set sail another option to consider.
However, Hawkins gazed deeply at Sag, who was laughing loudly nearby.
Perhaps he wasn't thinking that far ahead, or maybe he just didn't care about such matters.
It was unclear if it was due to his Conqueror's Haki, but even his casual actions could have unexpected effects.
"Powerful?" Hawkins murmured to himself, shaking his head as if it were more complex than that.
Strength didn't always equate to a noble character.
But Sag's bold and unrestrained spirit...
Hawkins turned to look out the window at the vast, endless ocean stretching beyond the horizon.
Just like the sea...
Following him might not be a bad idea.
"What are you pondering over there? Drink up!"
Hawkins heard Sag's voice calling out to him, and he turned to see Sag refilling his cup and gesturing towards him. "Finish what's in your cup first. Are you trying to raise fish in there? Drink it all, and then I'll pour you another!"
...
Two days later, in the morning.
The Death Harbinger arrived near the island where Carnival City was located.
This large magnetic island, to which Carnival City belonged, hadn't always been a bustling place. It had gradually become more prosperous due to being the terminus of the sea train.
The island's most thriving industry was entertainment.
As soon as he heard this, Sag became wide awake, having risen early that day. He was now on the deck, eagerly awaiting their approach.
With a thriving entertainment industry, there would surely be dance troupes, which he had been longing for.
Although there were quite a few female pirates on board, something was missing. Those women had other duties—ship's doctor, cook, navigator, or combatant—and while they were skilled in their roles, they weren't professional dancers.
This time, Sag planned to stay for a while. He would first look for a good dance troupe in the city, enjoy the local entertainment, and then start his next raid.
After sailing for so long, it was time to relax a little.
(End of Chapter)
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