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Chapter 453: Aura is of Utmost Importance
Chapter 453: Aura is of Utmost Importance
The next morning, as news birds delivered reports to various parts of the world, a single piece of news reached different places at different times.
One of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'Tenryukaku' Donquixote Doflamingo, had resigned from his position, and from now on, he was just a mere pirate!
Some people thought it was insignificant, but for others, it was as if the sky was falling! In the Famine Nation, the representatives chosen by the starving populace to specifically trade with Doflamingo for food were in a panic.
The leaders who were currently at war and trading weapons and battleships with Doflamingo were in a bind.
There were also benevolent rulers who were ill due to the harsh environment and needed a large supply of medicine, relying on their trade with Doflamingo.
And there were those who lacked handicrafts and fabrics, relying solely on external trade.
Whether they were good or bad, at this moment, it didn't matter. What mattered were those who had deeper dealings with Doflamingo, and now, they had lost contact.
They didn't know if there would be any goods, and with the phones not working, they could only rely on the newspapers to confirm that Doflamingo had indeed resigned from his Warlord position. Perhaps he was truly done with it all?
"Buru buru buru..."
In the palace of Storm City, a talking cricket rang, and a hand picked up the receiver. In that instant, a man with a cigar clenched between his teeth and a sinister gaze appeared.
"Hey, Sage." The man spoke into the receiver, "It's rare for you to call me."
"Cut the chatter."
The talking cricket's voice deepened, "You've seen what Doflamingo has done, haven't you?"
Sage glanced at the newspaper spread out on the table and nodded, "I've seen the picture."
"That idiot resigned from his Warlord position. I don't know what he's planning, but the trade will definitely be affected. For you, this is a big deal, right?"
"Yeah, I'm also annoyed. Each one of them, they don't know how to do business properly."
"Leave it to me."
Crocodile didn't give Sage a chance to chat and got straight to the point, "Leave everything to me. This won't happen again. You know, I also have good relationships with those patrons."
In a way, he and Doflamingo were of the same type. Back when they were both Warlords, they controlled different trade channels in the underworld.
It was just a matter of being in prison for a while, not losing all their channels. It was only after Sage re-established his business that their shares differed.
What Doflamingo possessed was the convenience of traversing the seas with the Warlord position as a guarantee, making trade easier.
Crocodile, on the other hand, hid deeper, conducting other trades through transactions with other outlaws and using the channels of underworld leaders.
The world was so vast that there were places Doflamingo couldn't reach. His influence wasn't big enough to control the entire world; he only occupied a small share.
Sage was also taken aback by Crocodile's words. To be honest, he never expected that Crocodile's phone call was about this matter.
"Hmm hmm hmm," he chuckled softly, flipping through the newspaper. Besides Doflamingo's picture, there were other images on different pages.
There were pictures of Luo and the Straw Hat Kid, as well as Kidd and Skullaman Ap.
"Do you think Doflamingo will lose?" Sage asked.
"After two years, the Straw Hat Kid has re-entered the sea. With his mischievous nature, I don't think Doflamingo will come out unscathed. But that's not the most important thing."
"Whether he loses or not isn't the issue for you. What's crucial is that your trade has been affected. Do you want to be controlled by others? I remember you're not that kind of person."
"Leave it to me. Regarding channels, I'll share them with you. It's all about making money, and for you, it's the same no matter who you choose. But with me, you won't have to worry about channel issues. I know you want to gain access to the underworld channels, and I can help you with that."
"Sage, my old friend," Sage chuckled, taking out a cigar box and lighting one, then exhaling a puff of smoke.
"This matter isn't something to discuss right now, but I'm intrigued by what you said about the channel issue. Come to me, and we'll have a proper chat about it."
Click.
He ended the call and leaned back in his chair, glancing out the window. "Not bad, Lily. You made it just in time."
...
Splash!
The waves crashed against the ship's hull, sending up sprays of water as a large vessel steadily sailed on the ocean's surface, parting the waters below.
The sea breeze ruffled the golden, wavy hair of the woman standing at the front of the deck.
She brushed her hair away from her ear, glanced at the newspaper in her hand, and frowned slightly. "Not only has he resigned from the Seven Warlords, but he's also abdicated his position as king. What could make you do this? Is it for autonomy, or do you want us to realize your importance?"
She put the newspaper aside, and Akainu respectfully took it from her.
As for the exposed alliances between Law and the Straw Hats, and Kidd and Apu, she skipped over them without much concern.
"Regardless, I want to see for myself what you're up to."
Lily gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist. "If you mess up, I won't mind giving you a warning on Sage's behalf."
"Lily, do you think Donquixote Doflamingo isn't afraid of offending us by doing this?"
Akainu, standing behind her, couldn't help but ask, "After all, we are the Four Emperors."
"Because he doesn't want to offend Kaido either. Sage can afford to not care about going to war with Kaido, but as his subordinates, we have a lot more to consider. It's best not to disrupt his plans."
Lily said calmly, "We're about to go to war with Big Mom, and if we start a fight with Kaido at this point, all our plans will be for nothing. So far, Sage's plans have never failed, and we can't change course just because of this. Compared to Sage's plans, this trade issue is insignificant."
Sage sent her there, perhaps just to ensure the goods' safety, and how she ultimately handles the situation will depend on the circumstances in Dressrosa.
Without a clear objective, Lily had a lot on her mind.
The Four Emperors' reputation was at stake; they couldn't become Donquixote Doflamingo's henchmen.
Resigning from the Seven Warlords and the king's position, was it really just to negotiate with Law? Or was there another motive, to use this to gain their support as well? Lily didn't like this kind of manipulation.
Donquixote Doflamingo was a partner, and they had a good relationship, but no matter how good the relationship was, Doflamingo always treated himself as an equal partner, not a subordinate or an affiliate.
"If you want to talk to Sage on equal terms, the least you can do is show your strength. Small conspiracies won't work." Lily said indifferently.
"What a hassle, Lily. Just get rid of that Straw Hat and Law."
Paru strode over confidently, tapping his shield. "Once they're gone, won't everything return to normal? If they're really that threatening, we should've eliminated the Straw Hats beforehand."
"Who do you think I am?"
Lily glanced at him coldly. "And who do you think Sage is?"
"We discussed this a long time ago. If we eliminate someone just because we perceive them as a threat, Sage wouldn't be in the position he is today."
"That's how the sea works. If one Straw Hat is gone, another Pith Hat will rise. If we eliminate everyone who poses a threat, Sage couldn't become a Four Emperor, and we wouldn't have achieved what we have now."
If even Teach didn't do it, why should Sage?
When it came to hatred, Teach, who had captured and caused Ace's death, was the one who should've eliminated the Straw Hats beforehand.
That Straw Hat wasn't weak either; he couldn't be certain that he wouldn't pose a threat.
Ambition was crucial on the high seas.
"Just make sure the goods are safe. As for Donquixote Doflamingo, I'll give him a warning when I get there."
Lily looked at the raging sea, turned around, and headed into the ship's cabin.
(End of Chapter)
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