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Chapter 286: The Fifth Emperor?
Chapter 286: The Fifth Emperor?
The fall of the Kingdom of Gareth, the coveted city of the world, has fallen into the hands of pirates!
For a transport hub that is also a den of scoundrels and saints, while war rages, the outskirts are still teeming with people. Aside from those who have joined Sag's coalition, there are also journalists eager to get the scoop.
Augustusburg is open!
The coalition forces poured into the city, paying no heed to the ruins that surrounded them. They all gathered before the half-destroyed inner city in the northern district, their eyes fixed on the intact royal palace. Their faces bore expressions of awe, fanaticism, and peculiar thoughts as they gazed upon the balcony above.
"Disaster!"
A pirate among them shouted, "I want to join your crew! Take me under your wing!"
This statement resonated with many around him, who voiced their agreement.
"Ho ho ho ho! Do you wish to join me? I welcome you all with open arms! Anyone who desires to be a part of the Disaster Pirates is welcome!"
Sag's laughter filled the air as he continued, "However, don't assume that this means you'll share equally in my spoils of victory. That would be unfair to those who have fought and died for me, and there's still much to be done!"
Just a couple of days ago, a group had fought and died for him. Although they were no more, Sag had his own sense of propriety. He wouldn't immediately recruit a new batch of people to enjoy the fruits of victory without any sacrifice; that would render the previous sacrifices meaningless.
However, he needed to recruit more hands, for the task at hand was not yet complete.
"Hey, Disaster, now that you've taken this place, will you run it like before?" The question came from a merchant.
"Of course," Sag replied. "Everything will remain the same. This place will continue to be a city of freedom and openness. As long as you abide by my rules, you are welcome here."
Sag continued, "However, given that we are rebuilding, the name must change as well. Augustusburg and the Kingdom of Gareth are now part of history. From this day forward, I shall rule here!"
He addressed the crowd, "Go forth and spread the word across the seas. I, Disaster, extend an invitation to all who hear my call, regardless of race or occupation. Come and settle here, live your lives, and as long as you follow my rules, I shall grant you fairness under my rule!"
"I am not Totland, demanding your souls. I am not Whitebeard, merely planting my flag. Nor am I Kaido, shutting myself away in my domain. I am not like Red Hair, wandering from place to place. I offer you my protection until my dying breath!"
"So come, residents and pirates alike, and find your place here!"
There was no rush to recruit new crew members, but this invitation had to be conveyed far and wide.
A bustling population breathed life into his territory!
Several journalists raised their cameras and Den Den Mushis, capturing the moment as Sag, standing atop the palace, exuded an aura of wild abandon. They snapped photos, immortalizing the scene...
...
The New World.
On a tropical island farther back, a group of pirates were holding a banquet, drinking and carousing. A man with a gray, voluminous pompadour, a hint of curls, and a blue cloak strolled over to a tree stump and handed a newspaper to a one-armed red-haired man.
"Oh?"
The red-haired man set down his cup and took the newspaper with his remaining right hand. He glanced at the content and then at the wanted poster that accompanied it.
"Has William been defeated?"
"Most likely," replied the gray-haired man, biting on a cigar and exhaling a puff of smoke. "This man has always been formidable."
"It's a bit of a shame," the red-haired man said with a shake of his head and a smile. "I've met William, and he's a decent fellow. I respect his commitment to his vows and his protective nature. I never expected him to fall."
"Boss! If you're not happy about it, let's go to Gareth!"
A chubby pirate beside him tore off a piece of meat with a bone and chewed, grease dripping from his mouth.
"Nah, that guy's a real tough one, hahaha!"
The red-haired man laughed a couple of times, but his tone didn't convey any sense of trepidation. He glanced at the newspaper again and smiled. "The sea always gives way to a new era."
Boom!
In a cave on an island shrouded in purple lightning, an enormous figure picked up a massive wine cup from the ground, ignoring the terrified expression of a similarly-sized pirate beside him. He drained the cup in one go.
Scattered on the ground beside him were several newspapers and a wanted poster.
"Well done! Oh, ho, ho, ho!"
The behemoth roared skyward, "Good job, old man Whitebeard, for stirring up such a massive war! And good job to this young punk, too! Destroying Marinford wasn't enough, he's gone and fallen Garath as well!"
Boom!
The behemoth's massive fist slammed into the nearby pirate, sending them flying with a punch that left a dent in the wall.
"So boring, too boring! Why haven't I died yet!!?"
The mountain cave echoed with the behemoth's angry roars.
In another part of the New World, within a grand hall resembling a palace, an equally massive black shadow bared its fangs and let out a bizarre laugh.
"Ma ma ma ma!"
Before this shadow lay a newspaper and a wanted poster featuring a white-haired individual.
"Well said! Are you truly so magnanimous as to embrace all races? Don't be too arrogant; let me see what you're made of!"
On the Grand Line, in a certain small town.
Crocodile sat on a wooden crate, holding a newspaper in one hand while his golden hook tapped on it. With a cigar clenched between his teeth, a smile played at the corners of his mouth as he said, "Embracing all races? Renaming the place? Is he trying to poach business from Totland, Sag? Are you pointing your spear directly at the Yonko? That's not how pirates do things; piracy is a business, too."
To his side, Daz Bonez stood with his arms crossed, his expression stern. "A bounty of 1.8 billion berries—is he aiming to challenge the Yonko?"
"That's been his intention all along," Crocodile said. "He's always been this confident. Now that he has a territory, we can continue our cooperation. Mr. 1, would you care to accompany me to the New World after such a long absence?"
Daz Bonez's voice was deep and serious as he asked, "Do you have confidence in him?"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Crocodile let out a staccato laugh. "Don't underestimate me. My confidence has been fully restored!"
...
Augustusburg, the royal palace.
After his previous speech, Sag had taken up residence here, making this the only building that hadn't been extensively damaged his new headquarters.
"1.8 billion..."
Sag sat on a stone throne, looking at his wanted poster and chuckling. "With this value, can I call myself the Fifth Emperor?"
"Fifth Emperor?"
Renetia, standing below him, paused. "But isn't Whitebeard dead? Shouldn't it be the Four Emperors? Sag, are you a Yonko now?"
"If having a territory makes you a Yonko, then there would be pirate emperors all over the sea—sixty of them!"
Sag laughed heartily and pointed at Cipher. "And then you, mountain bandit, could kill fifty-six of them and become the Bandit King! Ho ho ho ho!"
Cipher scratched his head, feeling perplexed.
How could anyone kill fifty or sixty of the monstrous Yonko?
Who was that powerful?
"Sag, what should we do now? There are still so many people outside; how should we settle them?" asked Lily, standing to Sag's left and in the front row.
Indeed, there were many things to be done, with the most pressing issue being the reconstruction of the city.
After all, in its current state, it was practically unusable, and many people were left homeless. If they didn't take care of this, it would become a big problem.
For now, the guards who hadn't surrendered but had started working for Sag were maintaining order on their own initiative.
But this couldn't last long.
People needed to eat.
Even if the entire Kitchen Squad pitched in, they couldn't feed a population of millions. No matter how hard Marika cooked, she couldn't prepare enough food for so many people, and they couldn't afford to buy that much food anyway.
Lily knew all too well what happened when people were desperate and impoverished, having seen it firsthand in the former Oykot.
"We need to rebuild the city, so let's put them to work and pay them for their labor," Sag said, waving his hand. "If the money we looted isn't enough, well, we've only taken over one city so far; the entire kingdom is not yet under our rule. You will lead those new subordinates and put them to work."
He clenched his fist and cackled, "I want all the nobles here to disappear. All rule will be consolidated under me!"
What was a landlord?
It was the largest power, with no one sharing in its rule!
(End of Chapter)
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