Chapter 320: Tata Open!
Chapter 320: Tata Open!
The figure standing on the ocean began to move as soon as Sag discovered him, instantly shattering into fragments of ice. Accompanied by a gust of frost, he rushed onto the deck alongside the frozen ice path.
Whoosh!
The cold wind added a layer of frost to the deck, and on top of this icy layer, a human-shaped ice sculpture swiftly arose, transforming into a human form.
He wore a dark green overcoat, with a white V-neck shirt underneath. His lower body was clad in black pants, and he carried a backpack. A blue headscarf was wrapped around his head, and he wore round sunglasses like a blind man.
Overall, he looked like a homeless vagabond.
Kongming called out weakly, "Admiral Kuzan."
"Ah, I'm no longer an admiral now," Kuzan replied, scratching his head.
"Now that's a bit troublesome," he added with a troubled expression.
"Hahaha, what's with this getup? Are you planning to make a home on a park bench?" Sag laughed heartily.
"Well, it's not impossible. Lately, I've been feeling rather lost," Kuzan said, nodding seriously as if genuinely considering Sag's suggestion.
"Cut the crap," Sag scoffed. "Your eyes don't reflect that confusion, but with this outfit, are you on vacation?"
Compared to before, Kuzan now seemed less lethargic, having shed the frequent bewilderment that used to be evident.
"No, I've left the Marines," Kuzan shrugged. "I'm a free man now."
This statement gave Sag pause.
"Left the Marines?" he echoed. This prompted his memory, and he continued, "Oh, that's right. Has it come to that already? But..."
"A Marine Admiral no longer a Marine?" Sag snorted derisively. "That's as surprising as a Yonko not being a pirate."
Within the Marines, the primary function of an Admiral was not too different from that of a Fleet Admiral; in terms of rank, they were both on the same level as a Marshal, just one being the primary and the other the deputy.
For someone at this level to leave the Marines, it would undoubtedly cause a huge stir.
"Yes, I'm no longer a Marine," Kuzan affirmed. "Didn't you get the news? I lost the contest for the position of Fleet Admiral to Sakaski, and as I couldn't agree with his ideas, I decided to leave the Marines."
"I haven't heard the news yet; it's probably just a matter of time," Sag replied. He hadn't heard this information yet because he'd been busy fishing lately, and the winds hadn't brought any news to their location.
Sag's eyes involuntarily shifted to Kuzan, noticing the burns still visible on the left side of his V-neck shirt. And although his standing posture looked casual, it somehow felt awkward, and he emanated a chilling aura.
"You lost a leg?" Sag clicked his tongue in amazement. "That was a brutal fight."
"Of course," Kuzan replied. "Our battles as Logia users are fought in a different way compared to you guys. But it's no big deal; the loss of a leg doesn't affect me much."
As he spoke, Kuzan glanced at Kongming, who lay on the ground, and sighed.
"Hey, Sag, can you let them go? Some of these guys are too familiar, and I can't bear to see them killed by you. If you still want to continue this ruckus, I can keep you company," Kuzan proposed.
"I'm not interested in fighting a one-legged man like you, especially now that you're no longer a Marine," Sag chuckled. He surveyed the utterly defeated warships, the fallen Marine soldiers, and the scrapped Pacifistas.
Under Sag's previous assault, these vessels and soldiers had already been defeated in one strike. And if it weren't for the timely frost that had just occurred, the ships would likely have been burned to a crisp by now.
Even now, these ships, even if they didn't sink, would be unable to sail.
"Considering that you showed restraint in Water Seven, I'll let this slide," Sag said, his lips curling into a smirk as he glanced at the severely injured Kongming. "Just go back and tell your higher-ups that if they want to capture me next time, they'd better send someone more substantial!"
As he spoke, he turned to Kuzan and asked, "Now that you're no longer a Marine, would you like to come to my place, Kuzan?"
"I do have that intention," Kuzan nodded. "Even if I hadn't met you, I planned to visit your New Ohara. There are some things that only someone who has left the Marines can see."
"I'll be waiting for you on the Grim Reaper," Sag said, stepping onto the bulwark. He then turned back to Kongming and added mockingly, "By the way, there was an obvious flaw in your plan—you didn't understand my combat strength. Your greatest success was destroying my foundation and causing me some trouble."
Thud!
After delivering his parting words, Sag blew smoke rings and used Moon Step to leave, gradually disappearing from Kuzan's vision.
Kuzan scratched his head and remarked, "He uses the Six Styles of the Marines better than anyone else. That guy..."
"Admiral Kuzan, I... I'm sorry," Kongming said weakly. "We failed."
"I told you, I'm not an admiral anymore," Kuzan said. "The plan was good, but it lacked substantial combat strength. Even though I'm no longer a Marine, I'll still give you some advice. Sag, no, that Disaster guy, is untouchable now."
He glanced in the direction where Sag had disappeared and paused before continuing, "What he lacks now is just a title, not strength."
Just as Sag could discern his state, Kuzan could also perceive Sag's current condition.
The Sag he saw now was completely different from the one he had encountered before. While the previous Sag was strong, Kuzan had still been confident that he could suppress him.
But now, the aura Sag emanated constantly had reached a terrifying level.
He possessed Haoshoku Haki, Haki, abilities, and Taijutsu. Not only did he possess all these, but he was also extremely proficient in them.
He was just missing territory and influence to be considered a Yonko.
Such an existence was beyond the reach of the Marines; they shouldn't even dare to entertain any ulterior motives.
When the Marines encountered a typical Yonko, they would have to report to their higher-ups and receive orders on whether to engage or not. Sag had already been accorded this treatment before, but because he wasn't a Yonko yet, they had wanted to test him again upon discovering his weakness.
However, this plan had failed utterly.
Twenty large warships, although there might not have been that many vice admirals, but including the Pacifistas, it was at least the might of two 'Demon-Enslaving Orders'.
To lose so many at once in the New World would undoubtedly trouble the Marines.
"That Sakaski guy encountered a setback right off the bat," Kuzan shook his head. He walked to the other side of the ship and, upon reaching the end, said to Kongming, "Rest up, and have someone come to pick you up.
"With that, he jumped back onto the icy path frozen on the ocean's surface and returned to riding his bicycle."
There were many individuals who didn't fear the mighty seas or the salty waters, but among them, Kuzan was arguably the most unique.
The power of the Ice-Ice Fruit allowed him to traverse any waves or storms with ease, and all he needed was his bicycle to roam the world.
...
Half a day later, on the Death Threat, in the banquet hall.
"Lord Sag!"
Akin stood below the throne, his expression filled with guilt and his face solemn. "I apologize for my failure, which forced you to come here personally."
After receiving treatment, Akin naturally regained consciousness. His injuries weren't too severe; the most serious ones were inflicted by Sag himself, and he had mainly fainted from the impact.
Upon waking up, Akin's first instinct was to find Sag and apologize.
He had indeed messed up this time.
"Indeed. As punishment, you won't receive any spoils of war for the next three months," Sag replied without hesitation.
"Yes, Lord Sag. I will work harder and not bring shame to your name again!" Akin exhaled in relief, his eyes now filled with determination as he secretly clenched his fists.
He knew it was due to Sag's ability, and the image of Sag in his illusion was not a hallucination. However, it was a lesson he needed to learn from.
As someone who enjoyed the treatment of a high-ranking officer in the Disaster Pirates, he couldn't afford to make such mistakes again.
"Okay, let's start the banquet. Old friend, we should welcome you properly!" Sag laughed heartily.
When Kuzan first boarded the ship, he startled quite a few people. However, upon learning that he was no longer a Marine, everyone gradually relaxed.
After all, the appearance of an Admiral would have caused a lot of trouble.
No one objected to Akin's punishment, and Kuzan, who was standing beside him, took the opportunity to quietly ask a question while Akin stepped aside and the others began preparing for the banquet:
"Hey, he's your subordinate, so you shouldn't blame him, right? I know about 'Mist Fear,' and he's a tricky old pirate. It was only because he lost to Whitebeard that Mr. Garp was able to find an opportunity to capture him."
Sag replied, "Victory and defeat at sea are indeed not important; what matters is survival. However, when it comes to ruling your subordinates, even as an Admiral, you don't have as much experience as I do. Punishment at this time is what will reassure them. If you don't do anything, that's when problems will arise, and your crew will feel uncertain even when they make mistakes."
With the punishment given, the matter was put to rest.
Leaving it unattended would have caused issues and made the crew feel that mistakes were acceptable, which was not the desired influence.
Sag's punishment was neither too light nor too heavy, but for pirates, the issue of treatment or, more specifically, money, was of utmost importance.
Being a pirate meant looting and plundering for wealth, and while some might consider this punishment insignificant, most pirates would view it as a severe consequence.
Punishing Akin would also serve as a warning to the other pirates.
Indeed, following Sag's rules would ensure their safety, but failing to accomplish tasks satisfactorily would still result in embarrassment and consequences.
As for the rest, there was nothing else to it.
This wasn't a strictly hierarchical organization like the Navy or the Kingdoms; it was a chaotic group of pirates, and maintaining this level of order was sufficient.
"Sag."
Lily approached and said, "Leaving two hundred people here probably won't be enough. Should we reinforce our numbers? After all, this is a magnetic island with gold mines. We should assign someone to govern it."
Half a day was more than enough time for Lily and her team to take control of the island.
Without the ability user, the island was free from the mist, and Lily immediately proclaimed that Sag now ruled this place. Under Heinrich's leadership, they eliminated a group of 'zombies' who were mining in the caves.
Marroni's ability was permanent, and once someone was controlled by his illusion, they would remain trapped in that fantasy world forever, even if the ability user died.
If these affected individuals hadn't caused any trouble, it wouldn't have been an issue. However, they became violent when they encountered strangers, so Lily decided to wipe them out completely.
But this cleanup gave rise to a new problem.
Who should they assign to this island?
For the smaller, resource-producing islands, it was sufficient to leave behind some crew members, especially since they were close to New Ohara and could easily receive support in case of any emergencies.
However, this island was different. It was a magnetic island on a major trade route, and with the presence of gold mines, it required more than just a regular crew. If they assigned someone inadequate and the island was conquered, the losses would be significant.
Sag thought for a moment and said, "After Akin returns, have him bring some people here to station. Let's set the number at five hundred for now."
"An island that produces gold will likely have other mineral deposits as well, which suits his ability. As our current frontline, we can also deploy troops from here to capture other places."
This was a step they would inevitably take.
As their territory expanded, the high-ranking officers would become more dispersed, each assigned to govern different important locations.
This was the first significant territory they had acquired, and only a high-ranking officer could be trusted to defend it satisfactorily. A regular captain simply wouldn't suffice.
It could also serve as a frontline base from which they could advance according to Sag's plan to expand their sphere of influence.
Akin was just the first; there would be many more to follow.
According to his plan, aside from the indispensable trio of Lily, Marika, and Reneetia, who would remain by his side, the rest would be sent out to govern other territories.
As for the issue of strength, their abilities would be tested and proven in battle.
It wasn't that Sag was unappreciative of past loyalties, but the New World demanded such strength. If someone truly lost their fighting spirit and couldn't adapt, he would ensure they had a good place to go.
However, if one didn't strive, fight, and adapt, whether it was an individual or a pirate crew, they wouldn't be able to establish themselves in the New World.
"This is a Colosseum, a place to breed beasts!"
Sag raised his cup, stood up, and addressed the lively crowd below him. "Fight with all your might! Bring me victory, and I will generously bestow upon you all that you deserve!"
"Wealth, glory, status—aside from ruling power, I will share everything else with you! Hahaha, whoo-ha-ha-ha!"
(End of Chapter)
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