Chapter 434: Planning? Demolition!
Chapter 434: Planning? Demolition!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Within the forge, Koutarou swung his hammer, pouring molten iron onto Lily's sword blade, and then began to forge it anew.
The forge was ready, previously built by Renetia for the purpose of reforging Lily's sword, but she never got to use it herself.
"So that's how it is, Haki," Renetia realized as she watched Koutarou wield his hammer infused with Haki, and the red-hot blade being forged also seemed to be covered in the same Haki.
"Forging with Haki? Is this how a famous blade is created?"
"There's also the technique."
Lily, who was also observing, estimated the rhythm of Koutarou's hammer swings, "So, this is a swordsmith's method?"
"Each person has their own unique technique, Lily, Renetia. My technique is not purely that of a swordsmith; it also incorporates my own understanding."
Koutarou struck the hammer, "With each blow, the two-finger-wide blade becomes more solid. The saying goes, 'A thousand hammers and a hundredfold forging create the finest steel.' It is through constant tempering and forging that the highest quality swords are crafted."
"The Superior Crafts require fifty processes, the Great Crafts require twenty-one, and the Supreme Crafts require twelve. There are a total of eighty-three blades in the sea that are considered the 'Greatest Blades,' and each one has a noteworthy forging technique."
"The Superior Crafts are set in their ways, their techniques are fixed, and their quality cannot be improved. My forging only enhances the strength of the blade. Your Highnesses, please do not have unrealistic expectations."
"Superior Craft?" Lily asked, taken aback for a moment before realizing, "Is that the term used in Wano Country for 'Good Fast Blade'?"
"Oh, these are world-renowned brands, but can a generic brand become just as good as a famous one?"
Renetia pondered, "So, a fast blade is like a local brand that's not quite famous but still decent. Then what are generic brands? Weapons produced by mass production? After all, there's not much technique involved."
Clang!
Koutarou almost missed his strike as he glanced at Renetia, then said, "Your Highness, swords require technique. It's not enough to have form without substance. However, the strength of many can also be sufficient, and to some extent, it may be considered a unique technique, allowing for the creation of weapons of varying sizes and qualities."
Renetia blinked in response, then quickly pointed at Koutarou with a huff, "You, Akahiro, you've only been here for two days, and you dare call my production line generic?!"
"Your Highness, my name is Koutarou," Koutarou corrected.
"Fine, Akahiro," Renetia replied dismissively. She asked, "Then when will this sword be ready?"
"It will take two months. Many materials need to be carefully forged. Unless you want to use a wider blade, Lily."
"Understood. Then, I appreciate your hard work."
As long as the technique was sound, Lily felt relieved.
Although White Thunder was only a Good Fast Blade, it was a significant item to her. She was willing to wait as long as it took to ensure nothing went wrong.
The Sacred Position was not of utmost importance.
White Thunder would become even more renowned alongside her!
Akahiro Koutarou's arrival also solved Lily's current issue of insufficient weapon strength, and the influx of population and the Golden Bank addressed the shortage of people.
As for resources,
Doflamingo and Crocodile had already been contacted, and ships were on their way to transport resources to Orlara for infrastructure development.
...
"Here, mark out an area for me."
In the palace conference room, as Lily arrived, she saw Sage pointing at a large map and casually drawing a circle.
This is a detailed map of Storm City and its surrounding areas. Sage marked a location on the map, situated on the outskirts of the city, right at the edge of the urban area.
"Why not start from the outside?"
Hawkins, who was present at the meeting, asked, "If we renovate now, won't it involve demolishing people's homes? If we build from the outside, it can be done directly."
"You have no economic sense at all. Don't you understand what demolition means?"
Sage rolled his eyes, "The previous battle damaged the central area, and there weren't many changes on the outskirts. Who knows how long those old buildings have been standing there? Didn't you see them yourself last time? The wooden ones are almost infested with worms, and the stone ones are starting to crumble. It's best to renovate them together."
"But we won't demolish for free. We'll provide housing certificates, and they can exchange them for houses of the same size. If it's not enough, they can pay the difference themselves. I'll also arrange for loans. My people can pay interest like before, and it's not a big deal."
This was how he had always done it. When the central area was rebuilt, his people could live there first and pay later if they didn't have the money. The additional interest was negligible.
"If they exchange their houses themselves, their work enthusiasm will be even higher. Moreover, by moving from the second and third floors to the sixth floor, the residential density will increase, and there will be more demand in this area."
"Let's start by renovating this area and creating a pilot project. We'll have a unified urban planning design. I'm tired of people building houses wherever they want, making the city a mess without any planning."
"However, I have requirements for this area, which will also be the standard for the future."
"High-rise buildings are acceptable, but the number should be limited. Only construct those with financial attributes, and all residential buildings must not exceed six stories. Don't let everyone live in pigeon coops in the future."
Although talent is the primary source of productivity, and the more people there are, the more productive and demanding it becomes, Sage had no interest in cramming thousands or even millions of people into a tiny area.
He sought prosperity, not oppression.
Living in a grand palace himself, he didn't want his people to be confined to tiny cages of a few dozen square feet.
The six-story buildings will essentially replace the current two and three-story residential buildings, and they will be larger and more beautiful. Moreover, with a unified urban planning design, the city's architecture can be improved.
This will also cultivate a group of specialists in this field, who can then be sent to the satellite islands to continue contributing.
That's what prosperity is about. Skyscrapers are not meant for living.
This is what it means to be generous with rewards.
Such standards should be implemented in advance; otherwise, some people will end up building those things.
Hawkins was the minister in charge of urban planning, so there shouldn't be any issues with him overseeing it.
"I see. We'll take it step by step, then. I'll keep a close eye on it," Hawkins nodded.
Although this approach would take more time, it was more stable and prevented overstretching themselves.
As for the continuous influx of people, they could be divided into two groups. One group could focus on production, while a portion could be allocated to infrastructure development. This way, not everyone would be engaged in the same work, preventing issues if the demand suddenly drops.
Sage could afford to wait.
Even if he calculated the time since the Straw Hat's departure, he still had enough patience.
He didn't believe he would lose.
Nor was he taking a gamble. He wasn't the type to achieve a seemingly grand but fleeting ambition and then disappear into obscurity.
He didn't know how long he could stay here, but as long as he lived, he would follow the plan in his heart.
There would be no slip-ups.
(End of Chapter)
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