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Chapter 231: How Much to Buy Shabondy?
Chapter 231: How Much to Buy Shabondy?
It wasn't that Lucci and his crew lacked strength.
It was more that the Pacifista were truly formidable.
In the first half of the Grand Line, where Haki hadn't come into play yet, the competition was mainly in the realms of martial arts, swordsmanship, ability development, and physical conditioning.
This machine, with its immense strength and durability, coupled with its powerful laser attacks, was overwhelmingly superior to pirates who hadn't yet mastered Haki.
In a one-on-one confrontation, only two or three of these so-called Supernovas might emerge victorious, and even then, at a significant cost.
In Sag's opinion, if this fight were to continue, Hawkins and the others would have to sustain more injuries before they could defeat the Pacifista.
If Lily and her crew had fought from the start, the outcome wouldn't have been much different.
Perhaps they would have sustained slightly less injury due to their ability to use Haki.
Lily had taken advantage of the prolonged battle, using the 'All Things Breathing' state to identify the damaged Pacifista's weak points, and together with Marika and Letty's assaults, she had exploited those weaknesses with a strike of her Haki-empowered sword, beheading the cyborg.
Nevertheless, the 'All Things Breathing' state had undoubtedly deepened, and Lily was now embarking on a path unique to her.
She now possessed an aura that, once activated, was deadly.
"What a prize!"
Reinette gleamed as she inverted the halberd, hooking it into the recess in the Pacifista's chest. She then picked up the cyborg's head and dragged its massive body back.
Such high-tech construction was a boon; analyzing it might reveal some valuable technological secrets.
The Pacifista's obstruction was merely a test of the crew's strength, and Sag was relatively satisfied. They were adequately prepared for the first half of the Grand Line, and with the mastery of Haki, they would become notable players in the New World.
From here on out, it was a matter of relentless refinement. In the Grand Line, there were no shortcuts—those who made it this far had overcome numerous trials, and their willpower had been tempered. Spending more time here wouldn't make a difference if their resolve hadn't been forged.
"Tsk."
Lucci clicked his tongue, his face contorted in dissatisfaction as he reverted to his human form.
The power discrepancy was unacceptable.
He could accept that the Sword Princess possessed exceptional talent, but the chef seemed to be delivering blows with greater force than his own Six Style Ultimate Techniques.
Was this the power of Haki?
Perhaps he should master it sooner rather than later.
"Well done," Sag exhaled a puff of smoke, reclining comfortably and scanning the group. "But if you wish to progress further, you won't be able to do so in such a leisurely place. Enjoy it while it lasts, for this is your final respite. Once you enter the New World, brace yourselves for cruelty."
"I have but one expectation of you: it is not a disgrace to lose, but never lose the will you've shown against a formidable foe. If you become bewildered and lose your way, you're finished. Of course, as my underlings, I'll ensure you have a path to retirement if need be. You won't end up like that pathetic old man, Rayleigh, post-retirement. Hohohoho!"
"I won't sink to that level!"
Lucci clenched his fists, his eyes cold. "Never!"
The others straightened, their expressions hardening as they entered the venue without another word.
Sag smiled, but remained silent.
It was hard to say.
He knew Lucci would eventually rejoin the World Government, but wasn't this a form of self-preservation?
If the World Government discarded them, what would a group of assassins turned spies do?
Would they honestly find peaceful jobs as sailors or secretaries?
How was that any different from a life of destitution?
Sag wasn't concerned about casualties among his crew. As long as his core members were intact, he could stage a comeback.
Currently, Lily was the least likely to fall into a slump, Marika was resilient, and Reinette, despite her youth, would adapt to the New World as she had already been exposed to it at such a young age.
As long as these core members remained steadfast, he could rise again.
Even if the others lost their will, once they established their territory, there would be tasks for them to handle. Their Haki might be gone, but their base abilities would remain, making them more than capable of dealing with ordinary opponents.
Even if they all perished, Sag had the courage to start over.
This was the nature of entrepreneurship—a series of ups and downs.
This was also the fundamental difference between him and Moriah.
Moriah would sink into despair and stagnation for a decade or two due to the death of his companions.
Not Sag. He had endured too many setbacks to be deterred now.
The high-ranking members waited inside the venue, with the exception of one who didn't consider himself among their ranks—Ajin, who was currently leading his crew on a plundering spree across the Shabondy Archipelago.
Ajin personally oversaw the plunder of the most critical locations, while his lower-ranking subordinates, guided by CP9's intelligence, ransacked other areas.
First on the list were the slave shops. Each of the thirty islands in the Lawless Zone had one, and they held substantial cash reserves. While some had defensive measures in place, they were no match for the Natural Disaster Pirates.
Island 3.
Bellamy squatted on the ground, coiled like a spring ready to launch. With a burst of speed, he punched a hole through the wall near the entrance of the slave shop. He then bounced around in the narrow room, punching out a guard with each nimble leap, leaving the interior walls dented and battered.
Before long, he stood on a fallen guard, a malicious grin stretching across his face.
His men didn't understand why their leader, Bellamy, insisted on punching through walls instead of using the door, but they followed his lead and rushed inside to start collecting valuables.
In addition to the slave shop, they also targeted the weapon merchants, seizing not only their treasures but also the weapons they needed for themselves.
Next on their list were the wealthy residents of the Shabondy Archipelago. As these islands were under the World Government's watchful eye, they were safer than anywhere else. Even pirates dared not cause trouble here, so quite a few affluent individuals chose to live here.
The pirates smashed through the expansive estates, killing the guards who resisted, and then proceeded to loot and plunder.
Gold, jewels, and Berry—these were the big-ticket items. They also helped themselves to smaller items, like silver plates and gilded lamps, knowing full well that their captain wouldn't be interested in such trivialities. They pocketed these lesser treasures for themselves, along with some nice jewelry and bracelets that caught their fancy, laughing and joking among themselves.
That was the way of the Natural Disaster Pirates. As long as it wasn't obviously a priceless treasure, their captain, Sag, allowed them to take what they wanted first, and they could claim another item during the official distribution of spoils.
Everything was permitted by the generous and magnanimous Captain Sag.
"Hey, what's their problem?!"
On one of the islands, Bonnie sat atop a building, watching as Miot led a group of his men on a rampage. She glanced down at the group of seemingly selectively blindfolded marines surrounding her and frowned in displeasure. "The Natural Disaster Pirates are out there robbing and plundering, yet you're here to arrest me?!"
The marines remained silent, though some of the younger ones seemed eager to chase after the pirates. However, the older, more seasoned marines quickly restrained them with subtle gestures.
The leading marine warrant officer acted as if he hadn't heard Bonnie's words, calling out to her, "Big Eater JoJo Bonnie, you are surrounded! Surrender now!"
It wasn't that they didn't want to; it was that they couldn't.
They had just received orders not to engage in any conflict with the Natural Disaster Pirates. Not even a little bit.
While some of them struggled to understand this directive, they knew that a Celestial Dragon was in their captain's hands, and so they could only stand by and watch.
"Tsk! You despicable marines, clearly discriminating against me! While they're out there robbing, you come to arrest me instead?! That's unfair treatment!" Bonnie extended a hand, "Well then, turn all of you into old men!"
...
Two hours later.
Ulki had somehow procured a long table and set it up where Sag was seated. Marika walked over with several large trays of pastries and meats, placing them on the table. She smiled and said, "Let's have some food."
This building had a kitchen, and since they were waiting around with nothing to do, Marika had wandered over to take a look. She had found the kitchen and the necessary ingredients, so she decided to whip up some afternoon tea snacks.
After setting down the treats, she smiled at the giant, Stansen, and said, "Sorry, you're too big to move. I brought some fried food to you in the kitchen. Can you get it yourself?"
"No problem."
Stansen nodded and barely moved. He stretched his neck out the back door and extended a hand, easily reaching into the kitchen. He grabbed a piece of fried food that was as big as his palm, drenched in sauce, and brought it to his mouth.
This snack was bigger than a normal human's head, and one could easily be bludgeoned to death by it.
Stansen sniffed first, his eyes widening slightly, and then he took a bite, a crisp crunching sound filling the air.
"Delicious!"
"Of course," Sag laughed heartily. "This is the work of the chef I personally selected! How could it not be tasty?"
"It's been a long time since I last ate something this good." Stansen nodded repeatedly, already finishing half of the fried treat that was the size of his hand.
"Hey, Giant, what do you usually eat?" Reinette asked curiously.
"Same as humans, just larger portions," Stansen replied in his rumbling voice. "When we go to sea, we also have giant chefs. The food is usually sea kings and giant beasts, as human food is too small for us."
"Ah, I don't know about your appetite, but with this size, it looks like our food preparation workload will increase again. What a happy problem to have," Marika laughed.
"Are all giants pirates? I've heard of you guys. You're supposed to be the strongest pirates on the sea," Reinette said.
"The warriors of Elbaf go to sea to prove their valor. Not sure about my fellow countrymen, but there are definitely giants in the navy as well," Stansen replied in his deep voice.
"Elbaf, huh? That's a great place, the strongest source of manpower. We should definitely recruit more of your countrymen in the future," Sag smiled. "From now on, anyone from Elbaf is welcome in my crew! I'll never turn away such excellent warriors!"
Giants were born fighters, and as natural-born warriors, they were a rare and formidable force on the sea. To defeat them usually required a famous and powerful figure on the sea. It was no wonder that Sag was interested in recruiting more giants.
"Supernovas are also quite famous, but to defeat a giant without relying on abilities... that's another story."
"When these nearly twenty-meter tall creatures unleash their full power, regardless of their strength or weakness within their own kind, they become an unstoppable force against humans."
"So, the Third Brother's value continues to increase."
"Hmm? Who's the Third Brother?" Sag blinked, shaking his head to dismiss the sudden thought.
Stansen finished the fried treat, licked his fingers, and said, "We giants don't easily submit to humans. If not for you saving me, I wouldn't have joined your pirate crew. Neither the Pirate King nor the Emperor of the Sea could make us serve them. It takes more than just strength for us to acknowledge and truly follow someone as our captain."
Being tricked into serving or submitting out of personal gratitude—these were subjective actions of the giants, and they could leave anytime.
This was different from having the giants acknowledge and truly accept someone as their captain, following them wholeheartedly.
"Hmm," Sag nodded. "I wasn't expecting any less from you. They are indeed my personal property."
He picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth, grinning proudly. "Compared to my crew, they are my vassals, and they will have great use in the future."
Furthermore, the Magellans were exceptionally talented, and with Gabura training Rass, Rass would pass on the training methods to his fellow Magellans. Soon enough, they would all master the Six Styles, making them the creme de la creme of fighters—the equivalent of three hundred CP9-level powers.
A grand landlord indeed needed his own private army and vassals!
"Sag."
Just as Sag was indulging in his wild imagination, Lily interrupted, "Someone's coming."
From the doorway, a group of black-clad, expressionless individuals appeared one by one, stepping into the venue.
"Agents," Lucci spoke up, recognizing their kind.
Though they weren't CP9, they were likely from CP1 to CP8.
The ten agents who had arrived each carried a massive briefcase, each capable of holding ten times the contents of a regular-sized one. They set down the briefcases, and one of them opened his case, revealing stack after stack of Berry, all the way up to the brim.
"One briefcase contains ten billion Berry, making it a total of one hundred billion Berry. It's time to release your captive, and you should also order your crew to stop the plunder of Shabondy," one of the agents stated flatly.
"Oh? I thought Yellow Monkey would come himself," Sag chuckled, snapping his fingers. "Lucci, hand her over."
Lucci stiffened, a slight tremor in his eyes as he grabbed Charlos by the chain around her neck, his smile turning slightly sickening. He led Charlos forward like a dog on a leash and extended the chain toward the agents.
"Rob Lucci," the agent called out, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses but fixed on Lucci for a moment. Yet, he didn't take the chain nor did he say anything further. Instead, he gestured, and the other agents quickly moved to Charlos' side, freeing her from the chain's grasp and pulling her away.
"Vile commoners! Vile commoners!" Charlos finally screamed, her voice shrill. "Kill them! Save my father and brother!"
"Apologies, Charlos of the Charlos Kingdom. We have been tasked with ensuring your safe arrival in Mary Geoise, and we ask for your understanding regarding any disrespect," one of the agents spoke rapidly, ushering Charlos away.
"The whimpers of a spoiled noble brat—how entertaining," Sag laughed. "Well then, how much are you willing to pay to buy Shabondy?"
(End of Chapter)
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