https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-363-The-Giant-Beast-and-Its-Master/12612791/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-365-My-Calamity-Pirate-Crew-Has-to-Help-Out-/12612793/
Chapter 364: Slaves from the Western Sea
Chapter 364: Slaves from the Western Sea
"Brrring, brrring, brrring."
The sudden ringing of the Den Den Mushi startled Lily, who quickly pulled out her small Den Den Mushi and pressed the button to answer the call.
"Yes?" Lily frowned.
While she received quite a few calls, they were usually not about anything important. Her three junior officers were competent and handled most matters efficiently.
However, the caller this time was not one of her junior officers.
The small Den Den Mushi projected an expressionless female image.
"Lily, it's Misty," said the woman who had once been known as the 'Wind-Chasing General' during the Garley era. Along with her, 'Fate Warrior' Seifer had also surrendered and joined Lily's forces.
Neither of them had become a part of the Natural Disaster Pirate Group, but they held important positions within the territory. Misty and Seifer jointly oversaw patrol and defense, taking turns to ensure that there were no issues with law and order.
Although there were pirates stationed in Storm City, they did not involve themselves in these matters. Sarg had clearly separated their duties.
The task of maintaining law and order fell to Misty and Seifer.
"There's a merchant who has brought a group of slaves here and intends to sell them. Are we allowed to trade slaves here?" Misty asked.
"How could that be?" Lily began to refuse but then paused as she recalled that there might not be a rule against it. She turned to Sarg for confirmation.
"Wait a moment," Sarg said, taken aback. "Are they trying to sell slaves to me?"
The idea of slave trading in the New World had never crossed his mind.
Sarg had never set a rule regarding the buying and selling of slaves because he didn't see the need for it. In his eyes, the people in this territory had no human rights to speak of.
The number of countries that had joined the alliance in the New World was minuscule, almost negligible. The reality in this sea area was that most couldn't afford the Heavenly Gold, and a small minority simply didn't bother to pay it.
And as pirates themselves, their situation was even worse than that of non-allied countries. In non-allied countries, people had no human rights, but here, their very lives were often at stake.
So, what was the point of buying and selling slaves here?
To put it bluntly, anyone in this territory, regardless of their status or position, could easily end up as a slave if they fell into the hands of the World Government.
Furthermore, Sarg furrowed his brows and asked, "Where did he get those slaves? They're not from places I haven't conquered yet, are they?"
The New World was vast, and it was unlikely that someone would travel great distances just to sell slaves here. They must have come from somewhere nearby—perhaps a place that Sarg had not yet claimed but had marked as part of his territory.
If that was the case, Sarg thought angrily, "How dare they take my people and try to sell them back to me? And for a profit, no less! Especially for a profit made from something as pointless as slaves, which have no productive value whatsoever! Misty, bring that merchant to me at once!"
Sarg enjoyed spending money, but only on things that made sense to him.
He was willing to invest in business ventures and didn't hesitate to spend on raw materials because he understood that the more he spent, the more he would gain in return. His crew and everyone under him benefited from his spending, growing stronger and healthier.
But what was the point of buying slaves?
It was a waste of money on something that produced nothing of value! And to make matters worse, these slaves were likely people who had originally belonged to him!
Soon enough, Misty arrived with a group of people in tow. They didn't even make it into the palace, stopping at the grand staircase that led up to it.
There were around thirty people, including a stout man in a fur coat who seemed to be the merchant, and the rest, who were all shackled and emaciated, their skin and hair a dull yellow from apparent malnutrition.
They cowered like mice, their eyes darting around warily as they took in their surroundings, especially once they entered the palace grounds. They seemed equal parts fearful and envious, as if they felt the need to kneel even before they had seen anyone of importance.
Until Sarg appeared at the entrance.
Thud!
"My Lord!"
Upon seeing Sarg, the one who knelt down first wasn't the slaves but the stout merchant at the forefront.
As he knelt, the merchant shouted, "I've been wronged!"
"Oh? Coming to the pirates' doorstep to cry foul, how peculiar."
Without even bothering to get a good look at their faces, Sarg chuckled and pointed at the merchant, saying, "Are you one of my subjects?"
"He's not," Misty replied, shaking her head. Her skin was fairer than Lily's, and her brown hair fell loosely around her face. "This guy claims he's from the Western Sea. He managed to get his hands on a group of slaves and thought he could sell them here since we're short on people."
"It's a miscarriage of justice, my lord! I didn't break any rules of your pirate group!" the merchant howled. "I was just transporting goods when I encountered a bunch of idiots trying to rob me in the Western Sea. Then I thought about how we've been having trouble recruiting lately, so I brought them along. Of course, if I could make a little money, that would be even better."
"My lord, these people can be bought for a small price. I'll sell them to you at the lowest human price of 50,000 beri each. That's right, just 50,000 beri, and you can buy a free slave."
Bang!
Before the merchant could finish speaking, a bullet pierced his forehead, creating a bloody hole. Sarg had pulled the trigger of his flintlock, and now the gun's muzzle slowly emitted smoke. Staring at the corpse, Sarg cursed, "You motherfcker are definitely not one of my subjects!"
The people under his rule were those he actively gave money to. None of them would proactively ask him for money.
Even the merchants would try to curry favor with him, hoping for greater profits in return. While their motives were self-serving, they operated in the shadows and were not foolish enough to be so blatant about it, let alone say it out loud.
This guy was too stupid!
So stupid that Sarg didn't feel like sparing him.
After all, Sarg was a pirate, not a moral exemplar. Such individuals could be killed or let go, depending on his whim.
However, the merchant's words had been disgustingly offensive, not only insulting the intelligence of Sarg's subjects but also indirectly insulting Sarg himself.
At that moment, Lily found the information she was looking for and spoke up. "Sarg, this man is called Cayo. He seems to be a wanted pirate, but the bounty isn't high, less than 100 million."
"He was here half a month ago, selling off a batch of spoils of war and wandering around buying trading goods. He created a bit of a ruckus because he hadn't paid the sea-parting tax when he bought things here," Lily continued.
It was because of this incident that Lily hadn't taken long to find the relevant information.
Anyone who wanted to buy things and then leave had to pay the tax. After all, it was unclear who those goods would eventually be sold to.
Domestic merchants were fine; they had industries based here and couldn't afford to openly defy Sarg, nor could they bear the consequences of being disloyal. So, they obediently paid their taxes.
However, for non-domestic merchants, Sarg uniformly collected a 70% value-added tax. For every 100 beri worth of goods they purchased, they had to pay an additional 70 beri. After that, it was no longer Sarg's concern.
Since Sarg didn't need any channels—he himself was the biggest channel—he wasn't worried about selling his goods. His only concern was keeping up with production. Not imposing a 100% tax on outsiders was already a sign of his mercy.
Allowing foreign merchants to come here to purchase goods was solely to increase circulation. While not every item was subject to this tax, certain specific goods and purchases above a certain amount were always taxed.
"I was wondering," Sarg mused. "If the merchants under me are this stupid, I might have to consider replacing them."
Sarg clicked his tongue, then finally turned his attention to the malnourished, yellow-skinned group. "Hey, where are you guys from?"
The group of thirty or so people looked at each other, too afraid to meet his gaze. After a long while, one of them finally stepped forward, his legs trembling as he spoke. "My lord, we..."
"Call me Pirate Captain!" Sarg interrupted.
"Yes, Pirate Captain. We're from the Western Sea. Can we have something to eat? We're starving," the man pleaded.
Were they really from the Western Sea?
(End of Chapter)
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