Chapter 251: Shipwright
Chapter 251: Shipwright
Upon hearing this, Donquixote Doflamingo laughed, "Pahahaha! It's already prepared, including the treasure tree, Adam, as you requested."
When Saga decided to change ships, he instructed Doflamingo to help him gather ship-building materials.
After all, as one of the leaders of the underground world, Doflamingo's connections were formidable. Whatever existed in the market, he could procure.
The most precious and allegedly indestructible treasure tree, steel tougher than that found in the East Blue, the finest cloth, and the most resilient ropes—every single item was sourced from the underground world's channels, even including connections from the World Government.
After all, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he could wield the power of the World Government.
Those materials were superior to even the best ones found in the East Blue. After all, this was the black market, and as long as one could afford it, anything could be obtained at the highest quality.
Even if one wanted to replicate the original Dead Star, the materials that only matured once every two or three decades in the East Blue could be acquired through the black market.
This was also the reason why Saga sought out Doflamingo.
Since they were cooperating, it made sense to leverage each other's strengths, and Doflamingo's power lay beyond mere brute force.
"As expected of you!"
Saga revealed a smile and raised his cup towards Doflamingo, "During this period, I'll be staying here."
"Pahahaha! I won't mistreat my business partners," Doflamingo replied. "Hey, Saga, now that you've reached the New World, what are your plans?"
To seize territory, one would also need a business to operate. In Doflamingo's eyes, Saga had already reached a level where he could establish himself in the New World and acquire a significant amount of territory.
His Dressrosa was thriving, and there were no immediate troubles. However, merely relying on verbal agreements and loose partnerships was insufficient to forge a strong bond with Saga.
Although it might be too early to discuss such matters, knowing Saga's ambitions ahead of time could help strengthen his influence.
The more reins one held, the better.
"This is precisely what I wanted to discuss with you," Saga said. "I've discovered a pair of sisters in the Land of Paradise. Help me bring them to Dressrosa, and in return, I'll grant you the agency rights to the Rainbow Jewel. What do you say?"
Saga smiled and said, "That jewel is incredibly beautiful. With your connections, you should be able to sell it for a pretty penny. I'll give you a twenty percent cut from this deal."
"As for the rest, it's about ships," Saga continued. "I plan to focus on shipbuilding as our main business."
With someone like Reinitya, who loved shipbuilding, as long as they found a base of operations, developing the shipbuilding industry could be a significant business venture.
"Pahahaha! Will you build warships as well?" Doflamingo asked.
"Of course!" Saga laughed. "We'll build any type of ship. You must have channels to sell them too, right? We can give you a share of that as well. I won't mistreat my business partners either!"
Saga could, of course, sell the ships himself. He believed that with Reinitya's shipbuilding skills, as long as they cultivated her talent, they could create exquisite ships.
These ships would not only be kept for their use but also sold to others.
"That will indeed require a substantial amount of timber and steel," Doflamingo said with a laugh. "However, if you aim for a large territory, it's not impossible. As long as you maintain the standards of your current ship, it should be easily achievable. Alright, consider this deal agreed upon."
For a mutually beneficial opportunity, Doflamingo had no reason to refuse.
Saga was undoubtedly taking advantage of his connections, but in addition to further binding Saga to him, Doflamingo could also gain considerable profits from the jewels and ships.
Who wouldn't want more berries?
He could, of course, sell them himself, and it wasn't a matter of who gained the upper hand in this deal. It was a true collaboration, far better than the 2 billion berries sitting in his possession.
"I'll need your help with something else," Saga said. "I want a base of operations, and it can't be too small. Somewhere within the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates in the first half of the Grand Line. You have extensive intelligence networks, so help me find a suitable location."
Doflamingo let out a low chuckle. "The New World isn't as easy as you think, Saga."
The New World was vast; just governing Dressrosa was enough to keep him occupied.
Moreover, the larger the territory, the more likely it was to house an established nation with numerous powerful individuals.
"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy," Saga said with a cruel smile. "But violence solves everything. No matter the obstacle, be it creature or otherwise, annihilation is the answer."
Brute force might be the final solution, but it was also the most suitable one!
"Pahahaha! Sometimes, brute force isn't the answer either," Doflamingo said. "Seizing territory and ruling over it are two different matters. Nonetheless, since you wish to know, I'll look into it.
"If might was everything, Kaido wouldn't just be the King of the Beasts."
"Indeed, it took more than just strength for me to seize control of Dressrosa, and that was with my noble bloodline backing my claim."
"As for Saga, he has no such lineage. Collecting protection fees and sourcing materials are one thing, but it seems he aims to rule with an iron fist, which is an entirely different matter."
"Even the Yonko have not achieved that. Big Mom, for example, leads her own independent faction rather than occupying a specific country."
"Still, this turn of events benefits me either way. If Saga succeeds, our partnership strengthens, and I stand to gain even more."
"And if he fails..."
"He will have no choice but to rely on me. A mere pirate attempting to conquer the New World will need far too many resources."
"Manpower, weapons, supplies—these are all necessities, and the more one needs, the more dependent they become on those who can provide them."
"In fact, I could even manipulate the Heavenly Demon Pirate Crew and control Saga himself! My words outside the palace gates were not idle threats."
"Of all the people in Saga's crew, I am the one he most anticipates working with in the New World."
The thought brought a sinister smile to his face, and he clapped his hands. "Now, let the feast begin! It's time to officially welcome my partner!"
As he clapped, the rapid tapping of high heels on the floor could be heard, and a figure spun gracefully through the side door, each step in perfect rhythm with the music filling the banquet hall.
The dancer's body moved with power and passion, her every gesture full of life. As the tempo increased, her movements quickened, and she finally extended one hand upward, tilting her head back and biting seductively on a rose between her teeth, exuding a captivating allure.
It was a classic flamenco dance.
"Impressive!" Saga exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "She's almost as good as the dancer in my crew. Hey, Doflamingo, send her my way."
"Puhahaha! I'm afraid not, she's one of my executives."
"This is Violet," Doflamingo introduced with a smile. "One of my finest dancers."
Violet concluded her dance with a graceful bow to the audience before changing her posture and continuing to dance across the grand hall.
"Hmm," Saga remarked after giving her a brief glance. "Your country is known for its dances, isn't it? Find me some daring dancers like her, won't you?"
"Puhahaha! That can be arranged. If you desire it, I will make it happen."
Saga wasn't particularly concerned about selecting a few dancers; as for whether Doflamingo would take the opportunity to plant spies among them, he didn't think the man had such idle interests.
Any minor intelligence could be openly shared between them, and while Doflamingo could indeed place spies within the group, forming a dance troupe would also fulfill one of his long-standing wishes.
"Hahahaha! I knew coming to the New World would pay off! Problem solved with this dance troupe!" Saga laughed heartily.
"To our successful partnership," Doflamingo said, raising his glass. His executives followed suit, toasting with Saga and his crew.
However, the evening took an unexpected turn from there.
Doflamingo had expected a formal introduction and a chance to get to know each other better, but Saga insisted on drinking contests.
"Drink! You fish-keepers! A Shichibukai and a king, and you don't even have the guts for this? True strength on the high seas comes from having guts! Drink it all! Hahahaha!"
It started off well enough, but as the night wore on, Saga grew rowdier, challenging Doflamingo to drinking games.
If it had been a simple drinking affair, Doflamingo could have easily excused himself, as he typically only drank in moderation.
But Saga's words goaded him.
Did he think Doflamingo lacked guts?
The night progressed in a blur of alcohol, with no distinction between friend or foe, young or old. Aside from the child, Rebecca, and Sugar, whom Doflamingo insisted on keeping conscious, even at the cost of his own sobriety, only Lily and Malika managed to escape the drunken revelry.
"Useless, all of you! Can't even finish your drinks! How pathetic!"
Saga scoffed at the clearly inebriated crowd, downing the last of his drink and laughing loudly. "But I am pleased with this feast. We shall continue it next time!"
With that, he strode out of the banquet hall and was escorted to the palace's guest quarters.
As the night of revelry came to an end, Violet, who had been dancing tirelessly for half the night, finally came to a stop, her eyes narrowing as she watched Doflamingo lean on the table, barely managing to stay upright.
Violet took a few steps forward, slowly approaching the man, her fingers curling into a tight fist.
But at that moment, Doflamingo's lips curved into a sinister smile, which she caught, causing her to swiftly relax her grip.
"Puhahaha! That Saga, his drinking capacity is quite something too," Doflamingo suddenly laughed, glancing sideways, "What are you up to, Violet?"
"Young Master, you're drunk. I just came to check on you," Violet replied, pressing her lips together.
"Puhahaha! Hopefully, that's all it is," Doflamingo waved his hand, signaling for Violet to leave. As he watched her walk away, his smile widened, deep in thought.
...
The next day, Reinitya officially started building the ship.
Their ship was different from ordinary vessels. A typical twin-masted sailboat could accommodate forty to fifty people, and it would only take a few days to build.
Technical expertise and shipbuilding speed are distinct concepts and not easily interchangeable.
The construction of the Dead Star took a considerable amount of time, excluding the period spent gathering materials.
This time, aside from incorporating Pluto's technology, the ship would be even larger.
Having learned her lesson from her previous experience of building a warship, Reinitya decided to strictly follow the standard number of cannons for a regular ship.
After all, she now understood the limitations of cannonballs; a few shots were usually enough to suppress the enemy's naval forces. Having too many cannons would be unnecessary.
From their encounters with naval ships during their voyage, they had rarely needed to use all their cannons.
For this ship, Reinitya planned to install around two hundred cannons—one hundred on each side, fifty at the rear, and a main cannon at the front.
In terms of size, considering the inclusion of giants like Stansen, the ship would be larger to accommodate them, but the passenger capacity could be reduced.
The goal was to accommodate two thousand people while providing ample living spaces and residential areas on board.
Two thousand was not an excessive number, but to achieve the latter, the ship's size would undoubtedly be massive.
Without sufficient technical expertise, such a gigantic warship might not even be seaworthy.
Even with the help of Stansen and the trained shipwright crew, coupled with an abundance of materials, it would still take about a month to complete.
Half a month later...
Under the bridge outside Dressrosa, the waters beneath the bridge's shadow were filled with numerous silhouettes, resembling a school of ferocious fighting fish. At that moment, they remained still, lurking beneath the surface.
A white-haired man sat on the edge, holding a fishing rod as if he were a statue.
The shadows in the water were the outlines of the fighting fish, densely packed but motionless beneath the fishing line, creating an intriguing scene.
It appeared as if the man was single-handedly using his fishing rod to suppress these aggressive fish.
"Damn it!"
A vein popped out on Saga's temple as he clenched the fishing rod tightly. However, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
This was already the eighth fishing rod in three days.
He needed to stay calm; fishing required a tranquil mind!
For the past half month, while Reinitya had been busy building the ship, Saga had found himself with plenty of free time, often coming to this spot to fish.
He couldn't get these fighting fish out of his mind. Compared to other fish in the open sea, this aggressive species that could leap out of the water seemed more likely to take the bait.
All it took was for them to bite, and with no particular technique required, they would be hooked as soon as they leaped out of the water, just like that!
But these stubborn creatures refused to bite or surface.
Saga's persistence over the past half-month, day after day, was remarkable. Even a woman would have given up and jumped into the sea out of frustration by now.
Yet, these beasts remained unmoved by his efforts.
As soon as he picked up his fishing rod, they would become still, almost as if they were deliberately taunting him. He even considered using a net; with Momo's ability to enlarge objects, he could just scoop them out directly.
However, as soon as he entertained this thought, the school of fighting fish quickly swam away, denying him the opportunity. They would only return once he completely abandoned this idea—not just pretending, but truly giving up—and continued to play this game of 'you try to catch me, and I'll watch you fail.'
On average, he had broken one fishing rod per day over the past half-month, and the rate of breakage had increased over the last three days, with the eighth rod now in his hands.
"Saga," a voice called out from behind him.
"I won't give up, Lily. I can't be outsmarted by a fish! Fishing requires a calm mind, and these fish are just too cunning. They recognize the bait but refuse to take it. That's what makes it a challenge!" Saga replied instinctively.
"It's not about the fish," Lily shook her head. "There's been a problem with Reinitya's shipbuilding, and it's come to a halt."
(End of Chapter)
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