Chapter 290: The Turtle Island
Chapter 290: The Turtle Island
Volcano Nogrees, a typical volcanic island, is not very large and is not a member of the World Government. It can't even be considered a country because of its sparse population, consisting of only one town near the landing point and a handful of scattered villages.
According to Andre, he doesn't know the exact number of villages, but the town has a population of around ten thousand.
Boom!
Boom!
The vast ocean was lashed by a fierce storm, with thunderbolts piercing through the tempest and striking the sea.
In such treacherous waters, where any vessel could be engulfed by the fierce weather, a black ship rode the monstrous waves, unaffected by the raging torrent as if sailing in parallel with the sea.
As steady as duck feathers.
Boom!
A thunderbolt skimmed past the window of the Grim Reaper, causing Andre, who was standing there, to shudder. After a moment's pause, he continued, "The ruler there is our mayor, the owner of that island, and his family has ruled that place for generations. Of course, if it's Master Sarge, you have nothing to fear."
Andre didn't have the guts to challenge a family that had ruled for generations, and it had nothing to do with whether he had the strength or not. Even with his men, he inherently lacked the courage to defy authority.
He was just a merchant.
The reason he was able to come to Gales this time was also due to their mayor's order, a longstanding arrangement as the island was quite close to Gales. They frequently transported food here for sale and brought back some goods.
However, he didn't make much money from this exchange. Although he was better off than the civilians living on the island and had the qualification to trade elsewhere, merchants like him held a similar lowly status wherever they went.
They merely served the nobles.
But why not switch allegiance to someone who would treat them better? Just because he didn't dare didn't mean Sarge wouldn't.
This man dared to kill even Celestial Dragons—there was nothing he feared!
As Andre's dormant ambitions grew, his fear of taking action remained. But when he encountered someone as bold and kind to them as Sarge, a serious chemical reaction occurred.
After listening to Andre's introduction, Sarge adjusted to a more comfortable posture on the throne in the banquet hall, propping one foot on the armrest. He nodded and said, "Very well, once I take over that place, I'll leave it to you to manage. Since you want to set up a food factory, you can do it on that island."
"My only requirement of you is to pay your employees their due wages. As for profits, I'll only collect taxes. Whatever else you earn is up to your ability."
"Yes, Master Sarge! I will not let you down!" Andre's eyes lit up.
He knew his place; Sarge was the ruler, and he was merely serving him. Of course, the people on the territory he occupied belonged to Sarge, and he himself was also Sarge's subordinate.
But there was one thing—he could make money!
Ignoring the costs and taxes, the rest would be his!
Aside from setting up the food factory on the island, he had asked three times, and it was indeed true that he had the right to set up factories as he pleased on territories under Sarge's control!
That meant more money-making opportunities!
Out on the high seas, if one lacked status, having a lot of money could spell trouble.
Having the protection of a powerful figure meant the chance to earn money—a dream he wouldn't dare dream.
"Where are we now?" Sarge asked, turning away from Andre to face Lily.
Lily held the Eternal Pointer to Vacano Grees in her hand and thought for a moment before replying, "If we were on a regular ship, we'd be about two hours away. As for our location, it's directly east of Gales."
That wasn't entirely accurate, though.
The Grand Line, of course, couldn't be navigated that simply. If one used the sun as an anchor point, the Grand Line and the Red Earth Continent formed an 'X' shape. The first half of the Grand Line went southeast, and the second half went northwest.
However, Lily explained it as a cross to Sarge, not because she wanted to simplify it, but because it was the only way he, an illiterate man, would understand.
"That's not too far, then. We can settle this by evening. Mary, prepare something for us to eat after I take over that place. We'll have dinner there," Sarge said.
"Yes, Master."
Mary replied with a smile and then turned to the timid Sayu in the banquet hall. "How about some sweets, Sayu?"
"Yes, yes! Thank you, Mary!" Sayu nodded eagerly.
The little girl had also come along.
Initially, Sarge hadn't wanted to come himself. It was just a small island with insufficient personnel, led by a mere mayor—he didn't need to get involved personally. Sending a single executive officer, or at most a high-ranking one, would have been more than enough to handle the situation.
However, this would likely be his first subordinate territory, and it was also a food-producing area, so he had to give some face.
There was also another matter—the issue of materials for Sayu's Rainbow Gem.
Sayu, a fairly competent scientist, could procure most of the materials for her Rainbow Gem within the kingdom of Gales. However, she lacked a particular type of volcanic rock.
As the island in question was volcanic, she wanted to see if it would be suitable for her needs.
Thus, Sarge decided to go there himself. With Moria in control of the kingdom of Gales, there weren't any pressing issues or fears of an ambush.
As for his companions, he only brought three people, the core members of the ship.
Lily, the navigator, was indispensable.
Leti, a shipwright, was also crucial as she could take over the ship if necessary.
Mary, the cook, was essential for her delicious cooking.
In addition, he brought a thousand new recruits, only half the number of the Grim Reaper's crew. However, with the presence of the Power Room, the ship now only required a minimum of three hundred experienced sailors to operate.
Of course, those three hundred had to be seasoned seamen.
Two hours later, a white crater appeared before the Grim Reaper, and the violent storm subsided, revealing the setting sun.
For the Grim Reaper, a voyage that would take a regular ship twenty-four hours was accomplished in a single day, from morning to evening.
"A volcano? Is that snow?"
Lily stepped out of the banquet hall onto the deck, extending her hand to let the falling snowflakes settle in her palm. She looked up and said, "Winter? No, it's a mix of autumn and winter. No wonder it's such fertile land."
Aside from the volcanic ash, the snow also contributed to the richness of the soil.
Indeed, it was an island with an exceptionally high grain yield.
"Full speed ahead!"
Lily ordered the crew who had emerged from the ship's cabin, "Sarge wants to have dinner there, so don't be late."
"Yes, Miss Lily!"
The crew sprang into action, hoisting the sails, pulling the ropes, and steering the ship towards the island now in clear view.
For such a small island, Sarge didn't even need to lift a finger; Lily alone could handle it.
The Grim Reaper swiftly docked at the landing point, and a group of pirates leaped off, charging straight towards the town ahead.
In the fields surrounding the town, golden wheat swayed in the wind, reflecting the rays of the setting sun. As the pirates approached, the wheat stalks seemed to ripple like golden waves.
Some peasants were bent over, harvesting the wheat, when they suddenly saw a cloud of dust approaching, and a group of pirates rushing towards them.
"Pirates?! Pirates?!"
A middle-aged man dropped his scythe in shock, crying out in fear. Overcome by terror, he tried to run but stumbled and fell to the ground, helplessly watching the pirates draw near.
Then, they rushed past him.
The pirates paid no heed to these peasants, rushing straight towards the largest manor in the center of the town.
Although most of them were new recruits, there were some among the pirates who understood the rules, like Barnaby, who had defected earlier.
He knew Sarge's rules well, and most pirates were paired up with a veteran to learn the ropes. Barnaby had quickly befriended the newcomers and made sure they understood Sarge's rules.
They had no choice but to remember; in Augustinburgh, there had been those who tried to bully civilians, and within two hours of committing the act, they were hanged by Akin and his men, their bodies still dangling in the central square.
Anyone who disobeyed the captain's orders would face execution.
And that was just Akin, the chief officer. If they encountered the little guy with the black eyes, things would be even scarier.
Right now, at the town's entrance, there were also those whose skin had been flayed, their ribs exposed, forming bloody wings as they knelt there.
It was said to be an ancient punishment called the Blood Eagle, and though it had been many years since it was last used, the pirates had somehow dug it up, and the effect was chilling.
Boom!
Just as the first batch of pirates entered the manor, a dull thud sounded from within, and over a dozen pirates went flying out, crashing into their comrades behind them.
"Pirates! And it's Andre, too!"
A stout, pot-bellied man clad in fur emerged, his eyes immediately falling on Andre among the crowd. "You dare betray me and lead pirates here? You despicable wretch!"
"You're the one who's wrong!"
Although Andre was initially fearful, seeing so many people around him, he straightened his shoulders and retorted, "Look at what you've done all these years! I've made so much money for you, and there's so much food here, yet Jenny starved to death because of you!"
"You didn't treat her parents when they fell ill, and you let a little girl starve. You had so much food and money! I tried to reason with you, but you wouldn't listen! We work for you, yet you refuse to take care of us. It's time we found a new master!"
If there's an abundance of grain, does that guarantee everyone will have enough to eat?
This man would rather let the grain rot and be thrown into the sea than feed those who couldn't afford to buy it!
This had happened three years ago, and since then, Andre had developed a severe fear of not having enough money.
He never wanted to experience that kind of situation again.
"It seems I've been too lenient with you."
The town mayor's body began to swell, and he continued, "Do you think you can defeat me just by bringing some pirates? I am the strongest here. Have you forgotten how I punish those who dare to protest?"
As his body swelled, it turned a bluish-gray color, and two layers of turtle-like ridges emerged from his back. His height, which had been around six feet, suddenly ballooned to over fifteen feet.
He looked like a... turtle?
"I ate the Turtle-Turtle Fruit: Ancient Crocodile Turtle type."
Swoosh!
Before he could finish his sentence, a black beam of light flashed through the air, slicing open his chest and spraying blood like a fountain. His body wobbled as he tried to turn around, but his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Lily shook the temporary curved blade she was holding, flinging the blood off it, then glanced at the mayor, who was struggling to return to his human form, before turning away. "Sarge, do you want to keep him?"
The crowd parted as Sarge, draped in a black cloak with red trim, strode forward, accompanied by Reneetya and Marika.
"Ancient Crocodile Turtle?"
Sarge glanced at the mayor, who was still struggling to regain his human form, and furrowed his brows. "He looks more like a tortoise to me. Ancient type? Really? Oh well, keep him for now. Maybe someone will want him later."
Then, he turned towards the townspeople gathered at the town's entrance, a wide smile on his face.
"From now on, this place is under my control, 'Disaster'! This island is now my territory, and your allegiance belongs solely to me. Everything here is mine! Ho ho ho!"
Lily watched Sarge, exuding absolute confidence, and a soft look appeared in her eyes.
At least under Sarge's rule, there was no oppression.
In the time since, she had personally killed, and through reports from others, they had tallied that they had eliminated around ten thousand nobles, both major and minor.
The people of the Gales Kingdom had noticeably changed since Sarge's takeover.
Aside from fairness, Sarge had one other defining trait.
Two million people had been oppressed by ten thousand nobles, living in misery, with an average of two hundred people serving one noble.
But with only one person at the top, they could easily provide for him.
Sarge didn't share his ruling power with anyone else; only he enjoyed the privileges while everyone else worked.
With the expansion of his territory, the pressure of supporting Sarge would lessen, and there would be virtually no pressure at all.
There was none now, and in the future, things would only get better.
(End of Chapter)
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