Chapter 288: Hayek, You're Too Great! (6k)

Chapter 288: Hayek, You're Too Great! (6k)



Another half month passed.

A new ship had arrived at the reconstructed Port Augustine, one bearing the mark of the Donquixote Family.

"Is this Port Augustine? It looks rather rundown," Bufalo said, gazing at the land ahead, mostly in ruins.

On the other side, Gladius didn't pay attention to the wreckage but instead looked towards the port, where many ships were docked, some flying the Jolly Roger and others mere merchant vessels.

Outside the tall outer city walls, which were already framed and under repair, in what should have been the ruins of the port town, a man with dark skin was leading a group of subordinates, facing off against two groups.

One group was a band of pirates, and the other was a caravan.

The leader of the pirates wore a captain's hat, had a mechanical arm in place of his left arm, and boasted a robust build.

Gladius recognized him; he had seen his wanted poster before—it was 'Iron Arm' Uraldi, a small-time pirate with a bounty of 39 million berries.

"Of course, the things I stole belong to me!"

Uraldi's veins popped out, and his face was full of defiance. "Why should I hand them over? Didn't Heavenly Disaster say they welcome anyone?"

"On the condition that you follow our rules," Agin said indifferently. "The rule set by Sagarde is that once you enter the waters belonging to the Garley, no conflicts are allowed. If you leave the territory and do as you please, we won't interfere. But you committed this robbery after entering our waters. Seeing as it's your first time, hand over what you took, and we'll still welcome you."

"What a joke! Once we leave the Garley's territory, who can still rob us?! If we're not welcome, we'll just leave!" Uraldi shouted.

Outside the Garley's territory lay the vast open sea. Who knew which direction to go in? Only when entering the channel would it be a good spot for them to rob others.

In the past, the Free City had patrol ships, so pirates didn't dare to act recklessly. But now, with Heavenly Disaster having conquered this place, and all being pirates themselves, some pirates started having other ideas, like the one currently before them.

"Hmph, so Heavenly Disaster is nothing more than this. We're all pirates here; does he think he's a king or something?!" Uraldi turned and began walking towards the pirate ship, shouting in dissatisfaction.

"Gun Finger."

Puh!

Just as he finished speaking, Agin's voice sounded in his ear, and immediately afterward, he felt a pain in his heart, and he spat out blood and fell to the ground.

With his fall, Agin was revealed standing behind him. Agin's outstretched index finger dripped with blood as he coldly glanced at the fallen Uraldi and said to the pirates in front of him who had subconsciously drawn their weapons, "Drawing your weapons will be seen as resistance. Storm Leg!"

Swipe!

A kick sent out a horizontal crescent slash that passed through the bodies of these people, bursting out a cloud of blood.

The slash continued to the stern of the two-masted pirate ship behind them, cutting off half of the protruding ship's head and flying towards the mast position, severing one mast and leaving a half-gash on the second before it finally dissipated.

As for the pirates, they were all cut in half at the waist, not a single one left alive.

"Alright."

Agin retracted his leg and looked at the terrified merchant, saying, "All the things on that ship now belong to you to compensate for your loss. We'll be confiscating the ship, though. Also, for those doing business here, we will collect commercial taxes, and we also welcome you to invest in industries. Any questions?"

"No, none," the merchant said, startled. With so many corpses before him, who would dare voice any objections? He even somewhat regretted his decision to come here. Knowing that the place was currently being rebuilt and lacking all sorts of materials, even food, he had brought a batch of food to sell. But upon arriving, he found the place far too brutal, and he should have left earlier.

"Industries?"

The merchant paused, and his rationality flew out the window due to the greed inherent in his merchant profession as he asked, "Can we set up factories here? How much are the commercial taxes? And how does it work for setting up factories? What businesses can we operate?"

Agin: "..."

He was a man who could take out dozens of pirates with a single kick, but facing this weak merchant who probably couldn't even grip a knife tightly, he started sweating.

"Um, for specific questions, you'll have to ask specific people. And as for who those specific people are... well, that depends on the specifics," Agin stammered.

He knew how to fight and plunder. Back then, when he followed Creek in the East Blue, they had retreated from the Grand Line and even encountered a naval bombardment. He single-handedly held off the naval ships and protected the pirate ship's escape.

But when it came to business, he was completely clueless.

He was the combat squad captain, not the commercial squad captain. He would rather lead a team to wipe out the remnants of the nobles within the kingdom than be in charge of maintaining order in this port.

It simply wasn't his forte.

"The commercial tax is 40% of profits."

Just as Agin hesitated, a clear and cold voice sounded from behind.

Agin was taken aback and immediately turned and bowed, saying, "Ms. Lily."

The one who had arrived from behind was none other than Lily.

At this moment, she wore a tight shirt, with a butterfly knot tied at the collar, and on her lower body, she wore a pair of tight pants that outlined the perfect curves of her legs. Although she was covered up quite conservatively, it couldn't hide the fullness of her fruits, which jiggled with each step she took.

Lily had a sword casually tucked into her waist, her left hand pressing down on the hilt, and she strode up to the merchant, causing him to lower his head, his face filled with fear.

'Sword Princess' Bienelda Lily, the newspapers said she annihilated a hundred thousand with five thousand, and she also defeated the well-known Tihana, with a bounty of 730 million berries. She was a great pirate.

"We allow anyone to come here to start a business. All commercial taxes are 40%. Personal taxes will be levied according to the existing rules. There is one condition: if you invest in a business here, the ownership will belong to Sagarde, and when he makes a request, you must serve him. Aside from that, we have no other demands."

Lily said, "In return, we will provide protection. As long as Sagarde rules here, you will have a safe environment and will not be disturbed by anyone."

"Can we do any kind of industry?" The merchant's eyes lit up.

"Anything that poses a polluting danger to people is forbidden." Lily continued, "Aside from that, anything goes. Of course, no skimping on quality is allowed, and there are some rules you should understand."

"Yes, I understand!" The merchant nodded vigorously.

Any industry could be established!

And they were only charging 40% tax!

It was so low that he felt like laughing! In the kingdoms of the Grand Line, only nobles were qualified to set up factories. Even if one managed to obtain such a qualification by chance, the taxes imposed were extremely heavy, allowing only a meager profit.

As for the Four Emperors, they were even worse than those kingdoms.

These pirate emperors were purely occupying territory and doing as they pleased.

'Hundred Beasts' needed slaves, not merchants. They either captured people to work for them or ordered their subordinates to do their bidding, without any regard for the local consequences. If their orders were not obeyed, they would simply suppress the dissent.

'Big Mom' only collected souls. The territories under her control were required to provide sweets, and if they failed to do so in time, they would face destruction.

'Red Hair' didn't care about anything. He just planted his flag and collected protection money. He was more like an alliance formed to resist other pirates rather than an empire trying to build something. So within his territory, things remained the same as they always had been, no different from other countries and islands.

As for Whitebeard...

Whitebeard was gone!

But here, despite their status as pirates, they were allowing the establishment of factories, asking for only a small amount of tax and loyalty. Loyalty was a common concept on the Grand Line, wasn't it?

These people weren't just pirates, they were saviors!

"As expected of Heavenly Disaster, who killed the Celestial Dragons!"

The merchant raised his hands and exclaimed excitedly, "I have no questions at all, and I will absolutely obey Sagarde's orders. Tell me where to go and what to do, and I will do it! I want to become a subject of Heavenly Disaster right now. How much do I need to pay?"

Lily took an unconscious step back, stunned by the merchant's enthusiasm. She stood there, dumbfounded for a while, before saying, "You don't need to pay anything as long as you follow the rules."

"Then how about this," the merchant waved his hand, "I'll give you all the goods on this ship for free, not a single berry! Consider it a gift for meeting Sagarde!"

Without another word, the merchant instructed his subordinates to unload the cargo from the ship and headed towards the city.

Leaving Lily standing there, somewhat dazed.

She tilted her head, and her usually serious and stern expression took on a cute look.

She was a little confused. Shouldn't they be reluctantly agreeing or even avoiding them like the plague? Why were they so enthusiastic? Even she was a little puzzled by their reaction.

Although she understood how taxes should be collected and rules enforced, she was not a business expert.

"Lily! Agin!"

A voice rang out from the port, and Lily turned to see Sayu, Rina, and Robbo, who had disembarked from the Donquixote Family's ship. They were the two sisters who could make rainbow gems and the miners from Columbus Island.

Now that Sagarde had his own territory, he had, of course, called Donquixote to send them over.

The cautious Sayu introduced the people behind her, who looked scared out of their wits. "We also brought the people from our hometown."

In addition to the two sisters, the villagers had also been 'bundled up' by them and brought along. Moreover, their father, who had disappeared for several years and suddenly reappeared after they had returned, was also with them.

"I came to pick you up, so rest assured, you will be settled here, and Sagarde will arrange work for you soon."

Lily said, "Let's go, I'll take you to a place to settle in."

After settling them in the city, Lily headed to the palace to report to Sagarde.

In the palace dining room, Sagarde sat at the head of a long table, being fed by the female pirates, while the table was filled with rare delicacies prepared by Marika herself.

Beside him stood Bellana, holding a bottle of fine wine, ready to refill his gem-encrusted wine glass.

In front of the table, Pasha was dancing while Byron, a musician, played a tune.

"Lord Sagarde, ah~"

A curvaceous female pirate used a fork to twirl a strand of noodle coated in meat sauce, holding it up with one hand while the other supported the bottom. She fed it to Sagarde.

Sagarde opened his mouth and bit down, then picked up a two-and-a-half-year-old white-feathered chicken that had been roasted to perfection and chewed it down to the bone before swallowing it whole. He then picked up his gem-encrusted wine glass and gulped down the wine before putting it down for Bellana to refill.

"I want some too! I want some too!"

As he reached for it, Renetia tapped on the table with her juice box in her mouth.

"Alcohol is not for kids. Drink your juice; it's sweet."

Sagarde rolled his eyes and said, "How's Lily's sword coming along?"

"I haven't found a swordsmith yet, and I'm not sure where to start. I lack the expertise in this area, unlike with machinery and shipbuilding."

Renetia took a sip from her straw, her greasy little hands holding the juice box, "Renowned swords are famous for a reason; they possess extraordinary qualities."

"Forget it. We'll find a swordsmith later. You have more important things to do." Sagarde said.

Having acquired the electrified greatsword, Sagarde intended to have Lily's sword reforged to generate electrical sparks, befitting the name 'White Lightning.'

He had initially hoped that Renetia could handle it, but it seemed like a difficult task, as swordsmithing differed from invention and manufacturing.

It had nothing to do with Haki cultivation; what mattered in swordsmithing was the quality of the materials and the craftsman's skill.

The craftsmanship determined the sword's grade: a fine sword required fifty smiths, a great sword twenty-one, and an unparalleled sword twelve. The grade was set from the moment of its forging.

This was a field that Renetia had never studied, so it was understandable that she had hit a roadblock.

It had been a month since they started, and most of the kingdom's nobility had been eliminated. Now, under the leadership of Xif and Misty, two locals, their subordinates were scouring the mountains for any surviving nobles, ensuring their demise.

The order had come from Lily, who believed that leaving even a single low-ranking noble alive could pose a potential threat. It was crucial to stabilize their rule.

And now, it was time for Sagarde to put his Plan into action.

"Get the lumber and minerals ready from our territory. Take a group of people and start building ships. Let's get our shipbuilding industry up and running."

"No problem!" Renetia flashed her cute tiger teeth and pounded her chest, "Leave it to me, and I'll build the safest ships out there!"

Shipbuilding was her dream, so she couldn't refuse.

For Sagarde, establishing the shipbuilding industry first and using the Donquixote family's connections to sell the ships would give them control over a core industry. As for materials, they would use what they had in their territory, and if they lacked something, they would go out and take it!

After all, he was a pirate, and taking what he wanted was the pirate's way.

If they really couldn't get their hands on something, that's when the Donquixote family's influence would come into play.

Sagarde thought of something else and asked Bellana, "How's Law's design coming along?"

"Law is still busy." Bellana paused and replied, "He should be working on your bedroom right now."

"Tell him to speed things up. After the bedroom, we'll remodel this dining room. Knock down any walls that need to go, I want a grand banquet hall. And redo the throne room too. Get rid of that stone throne and replace it with the one from my ship."

Sagarde picked up his gem-encrusted wine glass and took a sip before setting it down for Bellana to refill.

"Yes, I'll go find Law right away." Bellana nodded.

"Also, it's about time you asserted yourself as the head maid. How's the recruitment of maids going? Pasha, stop dancing for a moment. Go and get something to eat. The same goes for you, Byron. I'm talking to you, so pay attention. Why are you trying to put together a band by yourself? Have you completed the task I gave you to find musicians?"

With a territory of over two million people, it was embarrassing that he only had one maid, one dancer, and one musician. He wanted to liven things up, but he didn't have the staff to do it.

"I'm already looking, Sagarde."

The three of them lowered their heads and meekly replied in unison.

Yes, their status had improved since following Sagarde, and they had achieved things they had never dared to dream of before.

But the problem was, they didn't have enough people.

Every day, they searched the city for potential recruits, and they could sense that Sagarde's reputation was changing. Some people saw him as a good person, but ultimately, his identity as a pirate made them hesitant to serve him directly or enter his palace. To some, it felt like selling their children into servitude.

That was one issue.

The second issue was that the commoners were mostly poor, and while they could do regular jobs, certain positions, like dancers and musicians, required good looks or a certain level of skill.

As for those they could acquire readily...

"We did come across some during the noble purge, but I thought they might be dangerous, so I had them all killed."

Lily walked in and said, "We'll just have to find some promising candidates and train them."

"You..."

Sagarde sighed, "Forget it. If you're the one choosing, then I guess it's fine. Have the people we're expecting arrived?"

"Yes, they've been settled in."

"Good, then. With the rainbow gem factory, the mines, and the shipbuilding industry, we'll be set. Robbo and his team are professionals at mining, so let him take charge of that. He's been training since he was young, and when he grows up, he'll be a great asset."

Sagarde clenched his fist, "Shipbuilding, gems, weapons, and plundering will be our core industries for now!"

Lily nodded and added, "Sagarde, I encountered something at the port that I wanted to discuss with you."

She recounted the story of the merchant, and Sagarde frowned, "No way!"

Lily was taken aback but replied, "Alright, I'll go kick him out then."

"Why would we do it for free? We have to charge him! Otherwise, we're losing out!"

Sagarde took a sip of wine and instructed one of the female pirates feeding him, "Go find that merchant and tell him to charge the regular price. I'll just take the taxes!"

"Sagarde?"

"Lily was perplexed.

'Why are we making them sell things? Wouldn't it be better to give it to them for free? Aren't we losing out otherwise?' Renetia tilted her head, her eyes full of confusion.

'The most terrifying things in this world are the ones that come for free,' Sagarde exclaimed. 'First of all, you must understand that money, or beri in this case, is merely a medium of exchange. It holds no intrinsic value.'

'Why did I insist on buying materials from those poor folks? Why did I advertise in the newspaper, inviting traders from the sea to bring their goods, thinking I'm some rich fool doing charity?'

'The stones, wood, and iron nails we're using for reconstruction aren't free. We have to pay the commoners of this kingdom to mine and gather these resources.'

'And we have to pay the merchants who bring us supplies and materials. With our might as pirates, we can deter them from raising prices, ensuring they sell at the standard rates of the sea.'

'As for the exact prices, I don't know, but Donquixote Doflamingo should be able to provide us with that information with a little persuasion.'

'The merchants will make a profit, the commoners will be able to afford what they need, and I will collect taxes on these transactions. It's a win-win-win situation!'

'As long as I maintain my strength and the aura of intimidation, I can ensure stability and watch my territory flourish.'

'Sagarde, you need to ensure you maintain that fearsome reputation of yours.' Lily said.

'Of course, of course!' Sagarde nodded vigorously. 'Now, let's get back to the matter at hand. Why would I give things away for free? It's their money I want, not their gratitude!'

Hearing this, everyone in the dining hall was left with a puzzled expression on their faces.

Renetia tilted her head, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

'Sagarde...'

Lily pursed her lips and, after a moment of silence, turned to face him. 'I thought you were illiterate?'

Hearing Lily's words, Sagarde's temples throbbed with a burst of blue veins. 'Just because I can't read doesn't mean I don't understand! Even if I didn't understand, I've played Victoria 3!'

'And I know that damn Hayek!'

'That game might have some flaws and can't be left completely free, but Sagarde, you're intervening with force, not just the economy!'

'With our intimidating presence as pirates, we can prevent merchants from raising prices, ensuring they stick to the standard rates of the sea.'

'As for the exact prices, I may not know them off the top of my head, but Doflamingo will surely be able to provide that information with a little persuasion.'

'The merchants will turn a profit, the commoners will be able to afford what they need, and I will collect my taxes. It's as simple as that!'

'With my strength and the fear it commands, I can ensure this cycle continues, and my territory will only grow more prosperous.'

'Sagarde, you need to maintain that fearsome reputation of yours.'

'Victoria the Third?'

Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she unconsciously gripped the sword at her waist. 'And who is this Victoria woman?'

'It's not a woman, or at least I don't think it is. It's a person's name, I think. I can't quite remember.'

Sagarde scratched his chin and waved his hand dismissively. 'None of that matters. The point is, we can't just give things away for free. I'll pay them, and that money will be enough for them to buy what they need.'

'As for the initial investment, that's not an issue. Beri is the common currency of the sea, and as long as we have something to offer, we can get our hands on as much as we need.'

'With our own territory, I don't need money within its bounds. The larger and more prosperous my territory becomes, the more 'wealth' I will accumulate.'

'Understood. I'll keep that in mind.'

Lily nodded and then added, 'Also, Sagarde, I took a look around, and it seems we don't have enough food and materials. If we follow the system you mentioned, which I must admit I don't fully understand, the prices of goods will rise if we don't have enough food, and the money we give out won't be enough.'

'What are we lacking?' Sagarde asked.

'Everything!' Lily exclaimed. 'We need wood, iron, stone, clothing, food... Just providing for the daily needs of the people is a massive undertaking, not to mention the reconstruction efforts, which require even more materials.'

'What about the dwarves?' Sagarde inquired.

'They went to Tilmant. Moriah called a few days ago, and they're still looking for a place to settle down. Once they start planting, it will take some time for the crops to grow.' Lily explained.

The Long-Arm Tribe may be the best farmers, but even with their skills, it will take time.

'Then let's go and take what we need by force!' Sagarde declared, waving his hand. 'We can raid other territories to get what we need. For now, let's stabilize this place, and then we can focus on expanding our horizons!'

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end