Chapter 388: Without Wisdom, Without Strategy, Without Decision, Without Awareness
Chapter 388: Without Wisdom, Without Strategy, Without Decision, Without Awareness
In the captain's quarters of the Death Star, Sage was drinking while Lily stood by the window, observing the surroundings through a telescope.
Even after leaving their territory, there were still many islands along the way, which they could record to save time searching for them later.
The vastness of the ocean, especially in the New World with its ever-changing climate, made it challenging even for Sage to claim that he had discovered all the islands within his territory.
There were always some islands left undiscovered.
The island Lily spotted had a towering, steep mountain, and the entire island was rugged. Faint outlines of villages were visible on some slopes.
It was a typical barren rocky mountain with only a few patches of grass and trees.
The terrain was unsuitable for a port, the rocky mountain lacked resources, and the population... Lily could vaguely see the ruins of villages.
The population was likely small, with a few hundred people being a good number.
"Sage, I've always had a question," Lily said, putting down the telescope and turning to Sage. "Why do you want an island like this?"
It wasn't that Lily disliked such places; on the contrary, she felt relieved that Sage could offer these people a chance at survival. Under Sage's rule, life would improve, free from oppression.
However, both as a pirate and with her royal upbringing, she knew that there was nothing worth conquering on such islands.
Islands like this shouldn't even be ruled over; they wouldn't even be worth robbing.
But Sage was different from others; any land on the sea within his designated territory was his, no matter what.
"Why wouldn't I want what's mine?" Sage clenched his fist, "Whatever is mine, no matter its condition, I'll take it!"
He was a true map control enthusiast.
Not only would he claim a rocky island, but even a solitary coconut tree island wouldn't escape his grasp.
"Don't underestimate these rocky islands; if utilized well, they can be very effective. Such a tall rocky mountain is quite rare, and there's even a waterfall nearby."
"We can mine the surrounding area for stone, level the terrain, develop infrastructure, and then use the tall waterfall-covered mountain as a tourist attraction. Lily, what kind of sea is this?" Sage asked.
"It's a blend of spring and summer, and it won't get too cold in winter," Lily replied after examining the island's terrain.
"How wonderful! With calm seas all around, we can level the surrounding area and go fishing and swimming here. Once tourists start coming, this place will come alive!" Sage laughed. "The economy will flourish, and taxes will follow. I'll have meat, and they'll have soup; everyone will have a bright future. If nothing else works, we can set up factories here."
There were indeed many such islands within Sage's territory, all impoverished, with barren land and no special products.
Islands like this were perfect for establishing highly polluting factories.
Even a solitary coconut tree island could be used by Sage as a place of exile for those who made mistakes but didn't deserve the death penalty.
For the traditional pirates under his command, when they erred, they were given a gun with a single bullet and left on such islands to survive or end their lives by suicide.
There were no useless islands under Sage's rule; at most, he hadn't figured out how to develop them yet.
Sage didn't mind their poverty.
The advantage of vigorously developing industries was that once they were established, demand would drive the economy, and even the poorest places would thrive as long as there were people.
This was what set Sage apart from other pirates.
(End of Chapter)"Hahaha!" The thought made Sage burst into laughter.
"Sage, what are you laughing at now?" Lily asked.
"I laugh at Blackbeard's foolishness, struggling with so many pirates, yet he can't even develop them properly. His robberies are so insignificant."
"I laugh at Big Mom's recklessness. She has such a powerful nation, yet she establishes a united republic of all races, relying solely on her abilities for survival, without any understanding of sustainable development."
"I laugh at Kaido's lack of foresight. He rules over such a vast and promising nation, yet being a pirate himself, he hides behind the scenes. Even the Five-Star Emperor doesn't play the game like this!"
"I laugh at Red Hair's ignorance. With such a bright future, he could have been the second Pirate King, but look at the mess he's made of himself!"
"Only I, in the world of piracy, am the ultimate!" Sage roared with laughter.
Whether it was robbery or rule, Sage was the best.
Even the most traditional pirates spent the wealth they plundered on a comfortable retirement, didn't they?
Sage was doing the same, but on a grander scale. He didn't settle for one-time gains.
He also fulfilled his promise from his pirate days—he ate meat while his subordinates drank soup.
What is the rule of a pirate? To exploit subordinates, leaving them with nothing, not even a penny to spare, surviving on mere buns. Is that what rule is?
Why not create a prosperous society where everyone thrives, with ever-improving living standards, increasing purchasing power, and a flourishing environment? Not only would Sage collect more taxes, but living in such a vibrant place would be a delight.
This, too, is the rule of a pirate! Lily's lips curved into a slight smile, about to say something, but her gaze suddenly froze. Through the window, on a hillside, she spotted a figure waving in their direction.
Perception Color detected nothing, but instinctively, she felt a sense of impending danger.
"Sage!" she called out involuntarily.
Whoosh.
A silent gust of wind suddenly swept over, creating a howling noise in Lily's ears. In that gust, Lily felt her feet leave the ground, and the deck she was standing on abruptly vanished.
Two thousand people, no matter where they were, suddenly appeared in mid-air, revealing a momentary pause.
Below Lily, her crew members who should have been resting in the cabin remained in their resting positions.
Some seemed to be drinking, holding imaginary glasses in a toasting gesture, laughing heartily, but their hands held nothing.
Apart from these people, everything else had vanished.
The immense Death Star had disappeared into the vast ocean, leaving no trace, as if it had never existed.
"Hehehe," Kai Hai laughed from the hillside. "The power of Divine Concealment lies in its invisibility. If it doesn't target individuals, how can it be detected? Catastrophe, no matter how strong your Dominance is, I'm not dealing with you. But without the ability users, the ship's destruction is still a form of annihilation!"
He knew this Catastrophe well.
The audacity to publicly execute a Dragon Tribe member and rob an Allied Kingdom, the strength to repel three Pirate Kings, and the cunning to collaborate with Blackbeard—all indicated that this guy wasn't easy to handle.
But no matter how challenging, there was always a way.
He had never trusted that World Government agent.
If he could suddenly show up here, he could also visit other pirates. As far as he knew, the World Government and the pirates weren't simply enemies.
From the beginning, his battlefield wasn't on his own territory but on this island, a must-pass location on the way to the Azure Kingdom.
As expected, he had been waiting for this!
(Chapter End)
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