Chapter 341: Defying the Heavens!
Chapter 341: Defying the Heavens!
The Den Den Mushi fell silent once more.
Lily sat at the table, silent for a moment, before speaking, "They actually took the initiative to come out."
During the encroachment on Whitebeard's territory, there had been encounters with the Whitebeard Pirates, or what remained of them.
Hawkins had come across Lacgo, the 7th Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, who had some reputation on the high seas and wielded a meteor hammer as his weapon.
A great battle had ensued, but in the face of Hawkins' Devil Fruit ability, Lacgo was powerless and could only retreat.
Ajin had encountered Ginguld, the 11th Division Captain, possessing a pair of Iron Arm Gaunts and mastery over Observation and Armament Haki.
However, his abilities proved to be a direct counter to Ginguld, instantly melting his prized gauntlets into molten iron. The scorching hot iron injured his hands, and he was defeated by Ajin.
Only the desperate efforts of his crew had allowed them to escape with their captain.
Urgi had also come across Blenheim, and after a brief skirmish, the Whitebeard pirate had withdrawn.
Despite their string of victories and the significant expansion of their territory, they were constantly harassed, forcing them to bolster their defenses.
The battle with Big Mom and the allegiance of numerous pirate crews meant that they currently had over a hundred members stationed on the islands near Ohara and along similar shipping routes.
However, for their newly acquired territories deeper in the New World, each outpost required an investment of three hundred men, with some critical islands housing five hundred and a captain.
Magnet Island, in particular, had a thousand men stationed, and it was one of the locations that these high-ranking executives had to defend against attacks from the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
While they could repel the assaults, the constant harassment was a nuisance, and the strain on their manpower, resources, and security for the resources transported from the islands was considerable.
Yet the sea was vast, and those they sought were like needles in a haystack, leaving them with no choice but to endure the situation.
Now, it seemed their patience was about to pay off.
"Once we defeat them, we can slowly conquer the territory we've claimed."
A smile curved Lily's lips as she said, "Lately, their plunder of supply ships has also caused us significant losses."
"Those are minor issues," Sag assured her as he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he continued, "Everything can be used to deceive, but not our battle lines. No matter how they harass or rob us, we are still on the path to victory."
"You're always so confident, Sag," Lily remarked.
"Of course!" Sag exclaimed, his confidence unabated. "I'm the pride of the East Blue, the Confident Little Prince! No setback can defeat me! Hohohoho!"
"Then there's another matter I should report," Lily said. "Before I received Teach's call, I got another one."
"Two days ago, a spice shipment from Serabis that was being transported by the Whitebeard Pirates was hijacked," she explained.
The ship had been destroyed, and only a handful of crew members, barely a dozen, had survived. It had taken them two days to find a Den Den Mushi and report the incident.
Sag picked up a slice of meat, thin as a cicada's wing, with his chopsticks and gently dipped it into the hot pot before placing it in Lily's bowl.
"It's nothing serious," he waved it off. "Now that those rats are backed into a corner, they're coming out in full force. Once we deal with them, everything will be fine."
Lily blinked her beautiful eyes and picked up the piece of meat with her chopsticks, eating it before sighing softly. "Sag, Serabis is the island that produces spices. The special spices we need for our canned food all come from that island."
Bang! Sag snapped his chopsticks in half, his face darkening, "You mean the meteorite spice?!"
Lily nodded, "And a large amount of star anise. Without that spice, our canned food production decreases significantly. Also, I received a call from Dove. Meteorite spice is being sold on the black market."
"Damn it! This is defiance of the heavens!" Sag exclaimed, veins popping on his forehead. "That's my meteorite spice! My goods, my money! Marco, get your ass out here now!"
Lily pursed her lips, knowing that Sag wouldn't remember the name of the island.
"Understood, I'll start preparing for the expedition immediately," she said. "But, Sag, while I know the meteorite spice is valuable, is it really necessary to go to war over it just for making canned food to sell? Everyone in our territory has enough to eat, and the quality isn't bad."
On the vast ocean, each island had its unique produce due to its climate and maritime factors.
This was especially true in the Grand Line, where no two islands shared the same specialty.
Serabis, for instance, had become one of Sag's conquests after his conflict with Big Mom, previously falling under the Whitebeard Pirates' jurisdiction.
This island boasted two unique products: meteorite spice and star anise. According to legend, a meteorite had crashed there in ancient times, creating a massive crater that altered the land's attributes, allowing a unique spice to be grown within the pit.
This spice was incredibly versatile, capable of harmonizing even conflicting flavors to create a perfectly blended dish.
Its taste was explosive, a burst of deliciousness that commanded a price far higher than gold. It was always in high demand, rarer even than the annual 'Water of the Gods' sea salt produced by the Seven Waters Capital.
Naturally, since the conquest of the island, this spice had become Sag's private supply, with only the surplus finding its way into the black market.
However, aside from the rare meteorite spice, there was another auxiliary spice called 'Star Anise'.
This spice was also excellent and had the added benefit of preserving food.
Sag, aware of this spice's effect, immediately established a canned food factory.
This was something Lily couldn't quite understand.
After all, Ohara's prosperous products were ranked first in arms and second in food. They had no shortage of sustenance.
"Lily, some things aren't solely determined by whether or not people have full stomachs or if there's an economic benefit," Sag explained.
"Everything here is mine, and I can certainly let my people grow their own crops and catch their own fish. In my territory, only a minority goes hungry, and even if there are shortages, internal merchants can trade food since it's abundant."
"But you should know that they can afford to eat because they have salaries. And where do those salaries come from? They come from having jobs to do."
"Aside from that spice and the food-deprived island of Serabis, Star Anise isn't needed anywhere else. If you don't give them work, how much can they grow on their own? And if they grow less, won't they have nothing to do?"
"By having the people of Serabis cultivate these spices and utilizing Star Anise's preservative property in food preservation, we can create canned goods, generate more jobs, and put money in more people's pockets."
"It's like Letty's shipbuilding and weapons factories. What use is iron ore by itself? It only becomes valuable when crafted into weapons. Now we have another factory for canning food, creating even more jobs and boosting our domestic demand."
"With increased domestic demand, I collect more taxes, and more people have jobs, ensuring stability. Stability isn't something you can achieve by simply talking about it."
Idle hands and a lack of purpose can be incredibly destructive.
It only takes a small group of capable individuals—no more than a dozen—to cause trouble.
If among them, there's someone skilled in combat and another with navigational knowledge, and then someone shows up shouting, 'I want to be the Pirate King' or 'I have an idea,' you've got yourself a pirate crew right there.
Sag rolled his eyes and said:
"I ended up becoming a damn pirate myself because I couldn't get my shit together and achieve my dream of being a landlord.
"I can't have my people following in my footsteps, can I? If everyone becomes a pirate, what's the point of my pursuits? If the whole world turns to piracy, who the hell are they gonna rob then?"
Lily nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."
"Pay attention and learn, Lily. You're the head housekeeper now, and in the future, you should take the initiative with matters like this. Let me tell you, selling raw materials is a dead-end; it's processing and selling finished products that will bring prosperity and create jobs." Sag advised.
"But we don't have enough manpower," Lily pointed out.
"Indeed, our production has been stagnant due to our limited workforce. Dove called the other day, wanting to increase our trade, but we couldn't meet his demands," Lily said after some thought. "The total population of Ohara is only two million."
In the past, this number would have been considered substantial.
But ever since Sag started playing with this idea of an industry chain, it wasn't nearly enough.
The labor demands were just too high.
While the Little People on the subordinate island were cultivating crops, and the volcanic fertilizer from the affiliated island of Wakan Nogure was boosting their harvest, it still wasn't enough to feed Sag's territories, let alone sell externally.
The subordinate islands suitable for cultivation needed more hands for farming.
Mining iron ore, crafting weapons, logging, shipbuilding—all these activities required manpower. And that didn't include the small independent merchants and artisans; the labor shortage was becoming more and more pronounced.
As a result, their production had stagnated at a certain level.
"It's better to have insufficient manpower than an excess. Don't worry; my products are in high demand. Once we push back Whitebeard and incorporate the planned forces, we can slowly recruit more people," Sag assured, waving his hand. "It's about time my plan comes to fruition anyway."
Conquering half of Whitebeard's territory was the longest-running plan Sag had undertaken since he started strategizing.
But it was also the most profitable.
"Are we mobilizing the entire army this time?" Lily asked.
"We're going all out!"
Sag clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "We're deploying everyone. I'm going to twist Marco's head off and turn it into a pineapple-shaped drinking cup!"
(End of Chapter)
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