Chapter 292: Do You Think I'm Doing Charity?
Chapter 292: Do You Think I'm Doing Charity?
"Ha, ha, ha!"
On the deck in the pouring rain, the eighteen merchants were either lying down or kneeling, gasping for breath.
Standing in the rain on the deck, Renee Tia stuck out her thumb and index finger in a scissors gesture at them, baring her tiny tiger teeth. "Hahaha, thank me, I saved your lives!"
"Saved our lives?!"
The eighteen merchants unanimously glared at her, their eyes sharp as they snapped, "We almost died!"
The lightning didn't strike them directly, but it hit the sea right next to Link. However, their close call wasn't over yet as an Air Bomb exploded on the remnants of the ship they were clinging to.
If it weren't for their strong will to survive, manifesting at the moment the waves were about to engulf them, forcing them to swim with all their might to reach beneath the Death Harbinger and climb up using the rope net, they would have surely perished.
A little later, and they would have been gone.
"Just say whether you're saved or not. As long as you're alive, that's good enough," Renee Tia said with a flick of her mouth as she looked at the fat merchant among the group. "Well, well, if it isn't you, Fatty. It's been a while."
"It's been—"
Before Link could finish his sentence, Renee Tia turned and walked back into the building. "Once you can move, go inside. Sage wants to see you."
Link forced a smile, a vein popping out on his temple as he struggled to rein in his anger. He took a deep breath, staggering to his feet and pulling one of the merchants next to him up. Together, they made their way to the banquet hall on the first floor.
As soon as they stepped through the door, they heard a boisterous laugh that was all too familiar.
"Whoa, ha, ha, ha! If it isn't my old friend, Link! Oh, and you black-market merchants from Rogue Town, it's been a while."
Seated on a throne, Sage didn't move but simply smiled at them, a cigar clamped between his teeth. "Well, well. What brings you here to the New World instead of staying put in Carnival City? Did someone kick you out?"
The last time they had met was indeed in Carnival City, where Link had sold the entire city to this man.
He was indeed an old friend.
"Here, have some hot soup."
Unlike Sage, Mary came pushing a cart, beaming as she served the group soup. Link managed a thank you, his hands shaking as he held the bowl. After a few sips of the hot liquid, he felt his body warm up, and he finally relaxed.
"We came here specifically because we saw the news of you conquering Garess," Link said, his tone steadier now. "Are you selling it?"
Sage's smile widened at Link's direct question. "Who are you representing?"
Lily, standing beside Link, instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, a chill entering her eyes.
Link, however, was blunt. "All six Great Kings of the Underworld have their eyes on it, and I suspect even the World Government is involved. I'm just a messenger, though. But knowing you, if you wanted to sell, you would have done it already. As for me, I want to buy some property here. Name your price."
Sage was clearly running things in this part of the New World, a place beyond the reach of the World Government. And just like Blackbeard, he was now a notorious pirate with the potential to become a Yonko.
It was unlikely that he would sell everything, but Link believed he could still buy some property in the City of World Desire.
He was confident about this. Although he had lost money in Carnival City, he had managed to establish a foothold, and things were now starting to turn a profit. No matter what price Sage quoted, he would be able to come up with the money, and then he could continue making profits from this crucial transportation hub.
He was prepared to agree to any amount, especially since the eighteen black-market merchants from Rogue Town had come with him!
Even though they had encountered a maritime disaster, their foundation remained. At the very least, if Sage agreed, they could channel funds through their connections.
"I'm not selling."
"Okay, that's the price. Hmm?"
Link was about to agree when he suddenly felt that something was amiss. He looked at Sage, confusion furrowing his brow. "You're not selling?"
"Of course not," Sage snarled. "I'm not selling, period. Not for any price."
Sage's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "This is my turf, and I'm the only ruler here. The land, the industries, everything belongs to me."
"But you're just a pirate," Link said, bewildered. "What's the point of having so much territory if you can't utilize it effectively? Even Big Mom relies on us in the Underworld."
What could a pirate do with such a vast territory?
Go on a robbing spree every day?
That would be a waste, especially considering this was a transportation hub!
"You don't understand, do you? We used to be in the same business, and now I'm just doing a side job. Besides, why can't pirates do business? Look at Doflamingo; he's doing pretty well for himself. If he can do it, so can I. Before, I didn't have the capital, but now I have more than enough. I'll do any business that turns a profit!"
Sage extended his hand and clenched it into a fist. "Gems, shipbuilding, weapons, food, loans, robbery—I'll do anything that makes money. I just conquered an island that produces food and fertilizer, so I already have a ready supply of food. Once I finish developing Teimatan, I'll be able to sell food to others and make a killing. Tell me, do I know how to do business or not?"
Link took a step back, unconsciously swallowing at Sage's words.
This man's business scope was far wider than his own.
He had only wanted to set up a black market in the City of World Desire.
"Link, my old friend, and all of you," Sage said, his eyes crinkling in a smile. "What's the point of always following in someone else's footsteps and getting the leftovers? I've always been generous when it comes to talent. How much can you really gain by being under Umite and Giberson's thumbs?"
"Why don't you work for me? I'll only take 40% of your business tax, plus a tax on your personal profits. In my territory, you can engage in any business, and I can even entrust the black market to you as long as you pledge your allegiance to me."
There would undoubtedly be a black market.
This place was a transportation hub, and some pirates might not want to join Sage's crew, but he wouldn't drive them away either. Any loot these pirates acquired would undoubtedly end up here, and that meant business opportunities.
What he lacked right now was talent in this area, and Link's arrival couldn't have been more timely.
Additionally, with his vast array of industries, Sage needed people to help him sell his goods. After all, he couldn't personally negotiate deals with someone like Donflamingo. Having someone to assist him might even allow him to expand his business.
And as for Sage's invitation...
Link was very tempted!
He wasn't a fool, and he could clearly see the prospects before him.
He had exerted a lot of effort to establish a small foothold in Carnival City, relying on that place to conduct business and using Umite's connections to engage in black market smuggling.
But now, things were different. This was the entire Garess!
And who knew, there might even be more territories to come.
After all, this was Sage, a formidable competitor to the Yonko, with the potential to become one himself!
Pledging his loyalty to Sage seemed like a pretty good idea.
"Won't anyone compete with us?" Link's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"No one will compete with you in the black market. I'll leave that business to you, and besides collecting taxes, I'll even pay you!" Sage explained.
Link and the eighteen black market merchants' eyes lit up at Sage's words.
Pay them!
Without even waiting for Link to respond, several of the merchants immediately knelt and exclaimed, "Lord Sage, we pledge our allegiance to you!"
Link glared at them and then followed suit, kneeling on one knee. "As long as you keep your word, I will pledge my loyalty to you and work for you!"
They had never intended to refuse, and now they were even more determined.
Because what Sage was offering was simply too enticing!
"Hahahaha, ho ho ho ho! You won't be getting the short end of the stick!"
Sage threw his head back and laughed heartily. "I can do anything that those in the underground world do, and I'll eventually wipe them all out. Everything, without exception, will be mine!"
"You'll definitely be able to do it; you're a disaster after all!"
Link had full confidence in Sage. "By occupying territories and enslaving them, we can obtain a constant supply of raw materials. Selling those will bring in money, and we can compete with them."
"Enslave?"
Sage paused for a moment, a look of disdain on his face. "Who bothers with that? I pay money, and regardless of who it is, as long as they work for me, I'll pay them according to how much they do. Things that don't require money are what's truly risky."
"What money?"
Link blinked, confused. "Why would you pay for something you've conquered with your own abilities?"
Even the World Government didn't pay for such things! There were so many countries that hadn't joined their ranks, and the people there had no human rights. They were simply captured and put to work, and as far as he knew, they weren't paid a single cent.
Not to mention, Sage was a pirate!
Sage rolled his eyes. "What's so good about having slaves? If you have slaves, you might think it's more convenient, but having people work for you without paying them is actually very inconvenient. Those kinds of people have no value at all!"
"Have you ever owned a cow? Probably not. I've had one before, back when I wanted to become the Farming King. With that cow, I had to take care of its food and drink, and if it got sick, I had to take care of that too, always worried that it might stop working for me."
"Even though it's your property, it's actually very troublesome."
"What's the difference between these slaves and that cow? Don't you have to take care of their food and clothing? And if there aren't enough slaves, what if they get sick? Wouldn't you have to treat them then? Otherwise, if they die, you'll lose labor power, right? And you can't just kill them all, so who would you enslave then? Wouldn't you have to pay out of pocket for that?"
"Even if their food and clothing are of poor quality, that's still money going out, and they won't work diligently for you either."
"But if you pay them a wage, it's a different story. They'll work diligently based on how much they earn. With money, they'll buy their own food when they're hungry, buy clothes when they need them, and take care of themselves when they're sick. You won't need to worry about anything; just pay them!"
"And those who sell things will earn money and then spend it on other things. With this cycle, the economy will prosper, and I'll be able to collect even more taxes. Isn't that much more profitable than having slaves?"
"Do you think I'm doing charity by paying them? This is all business. Do you even understand how to do business?" Sage finished his speech, leaving not only Link but also Lily by his side stunned.
This theory was one that Lily had heard before.
But she had never heard that not enslaving people could have such an effect. It just seemed a bit odd.
Being oppressed and enslaved was supposed to benefit those kings and nobles.
Allowing people not to be oppressed should be detrimental, right?
Paying people for their work seemed like a good thing.
Even pirates had their own code of honor, and Lily had her own sense of justice. She had always felt that what Sage was doing was a good thing.
But why did it sound so much more evil coming from Sage's mouth, even compared to enslaving people?
Wasn't this a good thing? After all, he was paying them, and not a small amount either.
(End of Chapter)
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