Chapter 501: Work for Me
Chapter 501: Work for Me
Standing before Sage was none other than Lucci, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
Dressed in a white suit with a half-mask hanging at his waist, Lucci stood out under the lighting, causing many to freeze in surprise.
"Lucci? Rob Lucci?"
Baffalo, who had followed along, covered his mouth in shock, revealing his prominent teeth. "CP0? Does Lord Sage have spies in CP0 as well? Just like how the Young Master has people within the Navy."
After all, he had been with Donquixote Doflamingo, and he had even met CP0, understanding their unique nature.
As for Rob Lucci, he had also heard of his fame as a genius among agents.
Regarding the three Amazon Warriors within Ohara—Kaku, Bruno, and Kalifa—very few knew their true identities. Even the previous agents like Jabra had kept their faces hidden from their subordinates.
"Let's skip the banquet. I'm still primarily an agent of the World Government."
Lucci glanced at the three unconscious Dragon People and said to Sage, "Are you sure you want to deal with these three?"
Knocking out these three was also to avoid future trouble. After all, his dual-agent status was known to the World Government, Sage, and himself, but not to the Dragon People.
If they saw his face, it would be troublesome to deal with them later.
"Hmm?"
Sage was taken aback, "Who do you represent when speaking to me?"
Lucci surveyed the surrounding pirates but remained silent.
"For your sake..."
Sage waved his hand at his subordinates, "Wait outside."
The vehicle moved, and all the gathered subordinates left, leaving only the three female executives behind.
"Council of Five."
Lucci spoke slowly, "Your arrival here has been noticed by the higher-ups, and they've brought new terms."
He raised his index finger, "16 billion belli. Release the Dragon People safely, and in exchange, you'll deal with Tazolo. The rest, they'll give you 20% of the business shares and help you gain control quickly."
"What do you mean?"
Sage snorted, "No, are they going crazy in Mariejois? Do they have tumors in their heads?"
His words were not hard to understand.
After he dealt with Tazolo, the World Government would take over Tazolo's business and give him a portion.
"Mine! It's all mine!"
Sage stretched out his hand and clenched it tightly, "No one has ever taken what I set my sights on! Let those five old men come themselves!"
As his words fell, a terrifying aura emanated from his clenched fist, causing Lucci's clothes to flutter, and his hat to fly off his head.
Lucci reached out and caught the flying hat, saying calmly, "I'll report this truthfully."
Sage locked eyes with him, but Lucci showed no fear, only staring back at him.
After a long while,
"Hahahaha!"
The door of a liquor shop on the commercial street shattered, and Sage sat on the hood of the car, clinking his bottle with Lucci. After the crisp sound, he took several gulps and burst into laughter.
"It's been so long since we last met, and you won't even let me hold a banquet? Serving the Dragon People is nothing compared to serving me. Thank you for the information, Lucci!"
Sage had come this far, and Lucci must have played a significant role, undoubtedly excelling in his intelligence work and saving him a lot of trouble.
Lucci also took a few sips but maintained a calm expression, "Compared to such matters, if you don't agree to the terms, it's best to leave."
"Hmm? You want me to leave?"
Sage raised an eyebrow, "Is that what Rob Lucci should be saying?"
Even in the past, Sage wouldn't have thought these were words he should say, especially after joining the Catastrophe Pirates and personally experiencing the execution of the Dragon People in Shabondy with Sage.
He was someone who pursued pleasure.
He should be fearless.
Would such a person say these words?
"You don't understand, Sage."
Lucci thought for a moment and said, "Some things are beyond imagination, even with the vast imagination of the sea."
Some matters were chilling just to think about, and one couldn't delve too deeply into them.
Including this time.
Gran Tazolo's Dragon People had encountered a Four Emperor, but instead of dispatching an Admiral, they only received support from ten large warships. For ordinary pirates, the support of ten large warships was indeed formidable, enough to force them to flee. Still, it was far from sufficient when facing a Four Emperor.
Yet, they didn't dispatch an Admiral, as if they weren't concerned about the Dragon People's impending plight. Aside from the initial terms given to Sage, there were no additional conditions for the Dragon People's release.
This situation was unusual.
Especially since the order came directly from the Council of Five.
Smash! His fingers subconsciously tightened, crushing the bottle, "If nothing unexpected happens, Sage, if you don't leave this time, it won't be an Admiral coming."
Above the Admiral
It couldn't be a Fleet Admiral, as they were of the same rank, similar to the main and deputy positions.
Beyond the Marshal, that's beyond the Navy.
"The World Government itself? Who's coming? The Five Elders?"
Sag chuckled, "Besides posing, what else can they do?"
Lucci, uncharacteristically silent for a moment, replied, "There are some things I can't say, but the Five Elders aren't as simple as you imagine."
In his eyes, a hint of desire emerged, "Sag, I've found a brand new path, a path that can quickly surpass you. If I acquire it, our positions will be reversed."
No one is born to be beneath others.
Although Sag, compared to the Straw Hat who defeated him, is indeed worthy of the Four Emperors' position and is at the apex of the sea, for Lucci, it doesn't inspire absolute loyalty.
He works for Sag because when they were scapegoated by Spandam and faced retribution, it was Sag who took them in. Additionally, since Sag doesn't mind them continuing to work for the World Government, with his formidable aura, they remain loyal to him.
But it's not as if they've sold themselves to Sag, because not only does Sag not care, but the World Government doesn't care either, and this distorted and contradictory state exists.
However, given the chance, Lucci still wants to defeat Sag.
Especially after learning about the existence of the Five Elders.
"The wine has been drunk, and I've brought the message."
Lucci, with hands stained by the wine from crushing the bottle, walked past the three Dragon People lying on the ground. After walking for a while, he turned back and said,
"Anyway, I also want to see how far you'll go."
After speaking, his body disappeared into the distant alleyway.
Sag looked at the spilled wine on the ground and clicked his tongue, "This bastard, not much money, but he's learned to waste a lot. This is my wine!"
"Huh? Sag, didn't you just rob this?" Renetia asked from behind after finishing her juice.
"Nonsense! From the moment I arrived here, everything here belongs to me!" Sag shouted.
"What does he mean?"
Lily furrowed her brows, gazing in the direction Lucci had left, "Is he quitting? Or is he afraid of something? Is there something in the World Government that he fears?"
"Afraid?"
Sag's eyes widened, baring his teeth in a grin, "There seems to be one, but it's not that one. It seems the Five Elders have something I don't know about."
In his memory, there was an empty throne, but no one at Lucci's level could possibly know about it, and no one on the sea would be aware of it either.
The only ones at his level who might know are the Five Elders.
Lucci indeed had a sense of fear, but he must have witnessed something, hence the desire.
"The Five Elders? Interesting."
Sag shook his head and laughed, then with a wave of his hand, a gale swept up the three Dragon People, "No one can stop me from getting rich! Whoever comes, I'll be waiting right here! Let's go find Tazolo directly. Since these three have been abandoned, let's change the trading partner."
"Huh? Will he pay?" Renetia asked, puzzled. "If you're going to rob them anyway, why bother with a trade when it's all yours?"
"It's not about the money."
Sag glanced at the unconscious Dragon People and sneered, "Revenge is also a trade. I prefer his talents over money. Guild Tazlo was once a slave!"
...
Boom! In the center of Gran Tazolo, Tazolo kicked over a table made of gold and shouted,
"Why didn't anyone stop him! Where are the people on this ship? I give them a lot of money every year, why! Why!"
In front of him were Tanaka, sitting upright, Baraka with a worried expression, and Des with a clueless look.
The Catastrophe Pirates were wreaking havoc on this ship, but no one, not a single person, tried to stop them. It was completely different from what he had envisioned.
According to his plan, there should have been a grand battle on this ship, with people motivated by money on one side and threatened by the Catastrophe Pirates on the other, all uniting to fight against the pirates. Tazolo would be the one who created this dramatic play, shocking the world and forcing the Navy to send reinforcements, only to have the Four Emperors retreat.
But now, not a single person resisted.
The guests who came to play, along with their combat-ready bodyguards and subordinates, paid the Catastrophe Pirates at the port and were allowed to leave through the only exit without wind pressure and whirlpools.
The Navy and government officials seemed to have disappeared, hiding in a remote residential area beyond Tazolo's ability to sense, completely avoiding the Catastrophe Pirates.
They let these pirates run rampant in the city.
"Ten warships have arrived already."
Baraka noticed Tazolo's face contorting and advised, "Boss, just wait a little longer."
"If I wait any longer, it'll be too late!"
Tazolo roared, "That's one of the Four Emperors!"
After spending so much time on the high seas, it was impossible for him not to know the strength of the Four Emperors.
He could look down on the new generation of pirates and even rival the Seven Warlords with his intelligence and strength. In the past, he had pushed Donquixote Doflamingo to his limits, forcing him into a cooperation.
Strictly speaking, before Doflamingo's downfall, Sage's business ventures were also within Tazolo's reach. However, with Doflamingo's imprisonment in Marineford, all of that had vanished.
As a wealthy tycoon, Tazolo had no interest in groveling before Sage for a partnership. He was different from Doflamingo; his wealth was enough to maintain a position of superiority, even surpassing Doflamingo's.
But now, a more violent force had surpassed him!
The feeling of helplessness made Tazolo even angrier.
"In this place, in this world, I will not tolerate anyone who disobeys my orders or fails to follow my instructions! I can mobilize the Navy, and even the Dragon People are under my control. There's nothing I can't do!"
Tazolo emanated a golden thunderous aura, which gathered in his hands and transformed into electric sparks that scattered on the ground. Instantly, the entire ground turned into a golden tidal wave, surging and rapidly spreading towards the surroundings, as if it would engulf the entire city.
If they couldn't do it, then he would use the golden power of this ship to continue the bet with Sage!
Bang!!
Just as he made this move, the golden gate at the entrance was abruptly smashed open, hitting Tazolo's subordinate, Des, and sending his body flying backwards, slamming into the wall.
Immediately after, a black-red Slaughter Wind, so intense it was almost like lines, blew into the hall. The aura it carried made everyone's hearts tremble, causing Tazolo to halt his actions, and the surging golden tidal wave was forced to dissipate.
Baraka and Tanaka trembled, their faces dripping with cold sweat, filled with terror.
Under this aura, Tanaka couldn't even use his ability to teleport through the ground with Baraka, as fear had rendered his power useless.
Tyrant Aura!
"What are you howling about?!"
At the entrance, Sage strode in, his fingers hooked, and with a few strands of wind, he threw three Dragon People onto the ground. Amidst Tazolo's rapidly changing expressions, Sage laughed, "You were the one singing in the docking area earlier, weren't you? You sang beautifully. I really like you. Let's make a deal, Tazolo. Become my subordinate, and I'll spare your life. These Dragon People are my reward to you. How about it?"
Sage got straight to the point.
For Tazolo, Sage wanted his money and his person.
Even the Devil Fruit ability was secondary. After all, Tazolo could only control gold and couldn't create it out of thin air. Although he could turn other objects into gold using gold dust, it was still fake.
Fake gold couldn't fetch a good price, and it was his business acumen that had brought him to this level of success.
Just as choosing a fruit that symbolizes enjoyment, Sage had chosen Tazolo, who could create wealth, indicating that he was a capable individual.
Sage urgently needed someone to share the burden of managing his territory, especially the business side. With someone to oversee it, he would save himself a lot of trouble.
Lily was doing a great job, but her talents were more suited for internal affairs. She was weaker in other aspects, and even Sage sometimes felt guilty about burdening her with everything.
Adding a few more talented individuals would help lighten Lily's load.
"Reward? Subordinate?"
Tazolo was initially surprised, but upon hearing Sage's words, a vein popped out on his temple, "I won't be anyone's subordinate! Not even the Four Emperors!"
In the past, he had sought recognition, even offering money to buy friendship. Later, when he couldn't produce the money, he was severely beaten.
Seeking recognition from others was the most foolish thing to do.
In this world, there was only oneself.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Sizzle!
The golden tidal wave surged again, engulfing all the gold on the ship and gathering beneath Tazolo, forming a massive golden pillar.
"I will never surrender to the Four Emperors! Let's face off in a bet! The winner takes it all!" Tazolo roared.
Bang!!
Just as the golden pillar rose, a massive aura of tyrannical will burst forth, instantly shattering the golden pillar and causing Tazolo to spew blood, his body covered in bruises as he fell to the ground, trembling.
Sage clenched his fist and sneered, "You and I are not on the same level."
(End of Chapter)
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