Chapter 24: Win-Win!
Chapter 24: Win-Win!
As usual, Sag used Storm Kick to cut down the mast of a warship and escape its pursuit.
The night sea was pitch-black, with only the moon and stars providing a faint glow. However, on this vast ocean, the drifting ships reflected that faint light, emitting a golden luster.
On the black-sailed warship, a group of pirates held lanterns, their eyes gleaming as they gazed upon the scattered treasures on the deck.
Sag's eyes sparkled too, perhaps even more intensely than those of the seasoned pirates.
This was the first time he had ever seen money!
Back in the day, he had undertaken countless endeavors but had never laid eyes on a single Berry. Now, he had finally come across some wealth!
They had plundered eight million Berries from the mayor, not to mention the value of the gold and jewels.
"That's why I say, there's nothing worth stealing from the poor," Sag boasted. "Raiding half a town only gets you a million Berries. But when you target a rich guy, you get everything!"
The veteran pirates among his crew nodded in agreement.
Common folk had expenses to consider, so even if they saved a little of their earnings, it wasn't much. Compared to raiding towns, these seasoned pirates preferred targeting merchant ships.
"Now, let's divide the spoils! Lily, hand me the sword!"
Sag laughed heartily and held out his hand. Lily drew out the rapier and placed it in his palm.
"I'm the captain, so I'll take four million Berries out of the eight million. As for the rest, the navigator gets a 5% share, and Ajin, as the overall combat leader, also gets a 5% share. Paru, you take 3%. Everyone else gets an equal share, and I won't be taking a portion this time."
By rights, as the captain, Sag could have claimed another share, but he generously chose not to.
"As for these treasures..."
He held the rapier and sliced through the middle of the pile, pushing half of it aside. He then pushed the remaining half towards the pirates and said, "The rest is all yours. Officers get to pick first, and the rest of you can take what you want. If anyone isn't satisfied with their share..."
He pointed at the wine barrels that had been brought up earlier and laughed loudly, "Then let's have a drinking contest! Whoever wins gets the right to claim the spoils they desire! Let's liven things up!"
"Ohh!!" The pirates cheered loudly.
It was challenging to divide the gold and jewels fairly, as no one knew their exact value, and they couldn't immediately be converted into Berries. Essentially, it came down to each person taking a piece in turn.
There was no discussion about the size or weight of the items.
Instead, a drinking contest was more in line with the pirates' wishes.
Sag returned the sword to Lily and shouted to his crew, "Have some fun! Tomorrow, we set sail for Nadia!"
"It's Nadia!" Lily corrected him again.
"Close enough."
Sag was in a good mood and didn't bother arguing with Lily. Humming a tune, he strolled back into the captain's cabin.
Lily's expression shifted, and she followed Sag into the cabin.
"Lily, don't you want to join in the festivities? I recall you don't have any money either. Now that we've divided the spoils, shouldn't you be thinking about going shopping and buying yourself some things? After all, you're a girl," Sag said, propping his feet up on the table as he sat in the captain's chair.
"That would have to wait until we find a town," Lily replied. "But tell me, are we going to continue plundering in the East Blue? Even if you save up enough to buy some land, won't you eventually be exposed as pirates?"
Her concern wasn't about Sag's focus on plundering, as she was a pirate herself, and that was the nature of their profession.
She was worried about Sag's dream.
This guy had his heart set on buying a plot of land and becoming a landlord.
If he wanted to retire quietly, the World Government might not pursue him. But if he didn't keep a low profile, there was a good chance he'd be discovered one day.
Although she hadn't been following Sag for long, Lily had come to understand him to some extent. He wasn't the type to keep a low profile.
After interacting with Ajin and the others for several days, Lily also knew what most pirates were like. They would either rest on uninhabited islands or temporarily settle in weak villages. While raiding towns did occur, she had never heard of pirates directly charging in without considering the defensive capabilities of their targets.
Most pirates primarily targeted merchant ships while evading the Marine Navy.
But Sag was different. Perhaps due to his overwhelming strength, he didn't consider these factors at all. As long as he found a target, he would raid it without hesitation, and now he even wanted to provoke a country.
Not only did he refuse to keep a low profile, but he also acted arrogantly.
After all, he wanted to become a king just by fishing.
Moreover, he was also very unlucky. Even if he managed to plunder enough money to buy land, with his bad luck, could he really keep it safe?
"Who said I wanted to buy land in the East Blue?"
Sag laughed and said, "I'm serious about my ambitions. Whatever I do, I aim for the top, and it's the same with being a pirate. But some paths are different, Lily. Do you know what it means to be the Pirate King?"
"Gold Roger?" Lily asked, puzzled.
"I'm talking about the significance of that title."
Sag explained, "Also, it's Gol D. Roger, not Gold. Don't be misled by the newspapers."
"D," Lily murmured, not fully understanding the difference. She continued, "If you want to be recognized as the Pirate King, you should find Laugh Tale, right? Only then will people acknowledge you as the Pirate King."
"That's the problem," Sag said. "Some people aren't interested in that, like me. I'm not interested in Laugh Tale, and becoming the Pirate King doesn't necessarily mean going there. If I gain enough power and reach the pinnacle of piracy, who can deny that I'm the Pirate King?"
Sailing the world and finding the final island would only draw the attention of the World Government, leading them to exhaust all their efforts to hunt him down.
This kind of Pirate King held no appeal for Sag.
"Since I've become a pirate, I won't linger in the Four Blues. The Four Blues are where the World Government's power is strongest. If I stay here, I'll only attract their attention. The only place for me is the second half of the Grand Line—the New World!"
Sag clenched his fist. "'Kaido' has occupied Wano Country, 'Big Mom' established Totto Land, Whitebeard planted his flags across a large swath of the New World, and even the youngest of them, 'Red Hair', has a stable stronghold!"
"These individuals are hailed as the Yonko, the Four Emperors of the Sea. They rule over vast territories, command countless subordinates, and do as they please. They've all made their mark in the New World, and only there can I fulfill my dreams!"
He wasn't a fool; now that he had become a pirate, he knew better than to think about buying land in the East Blue.
He might have considered it before because he hadn't opposed the World Government back then. Whether it was farming, fishing, being a merchant escort, or even an idol, those were all activities within the bounds permitted by the World Government.
At that time, he was a law-abiding citizen, so it was natural to think about legally owning land and becoming a grand landlord.
But now that he had become a pirate, an outlaw, if he wanted to fulfill his dreams, the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line were out of the question. While it was possible to be a pirate in those regions, and even relatively easy, if he wanted to become a grand landlord, he had to go to the New World.
He hadn't heard of any pirate being able to occupy a place in the Four Blues or the first half of the Grand Line for an extended period.
Redeeming himself and going straight?
That wouldn't make him a Pirate King!
In the New World, whether he bought it with money or took it by force, he would have the best chance of success.
The paths taken by those emperors and silver medalists of the sea could be replicated.
By seizing territory and establishing himself as a king, he would be halfway to fulfilling his dreams.
As for conquering territory in the East Blue...
It was theoretically possible but impractical.
While it was true that there were non-affiliated countries in the East Blue that were not under the protection of the World Government, it was pointless to consider them. Even if he succeeded, it would only give the World Government an excuse to intervene, and they might even end up adding another affiliated country to their fold.
Instead of worrying about the World Government there, he might as well go straight to the New World.
Only there could he achieve his dreams of becoming both a grand landlord and the Pirate King, a true win-win situation.
Win-win!
(End of Chapter)
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