Chapter 576: The Black Ship's Conquest!
Chapter 576: The Black Ship's Conquest!
"Execute them."
Amidst the cheers, Sage's hand gestured, and the command was given.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
The Calamity Pirates, well-prepared, pulled their triggers, firing lead bullets that took down the first wave, followed by another round of shots, felling more people.
Like mowing down wheat, in the open space where people gathered, they fell in droves, their blood instantly staining the ground. The entire area, shaped by Strongbaru, was now covered in blood like a river.
Five thousand people, as a number, didn't seem like much.
But seeing them all together was an overwhelming sight.
Being executed en masse was a shocking sight.
The three leaders, Kuro Tan He, Tokito, and Da Wa, bound by the power of the Sea Tower Stone, couldn't move and were shot down, falling into the pool of blood.
However, for the onlookers, there were too many people to be executed, and it was hard to distinguish individuals in the crowd. No matter how special they were, once they fell, they became ordinary.
"Fire the cannons!"
After the guns fell silent, Sage gave another order. The executioners stepped aside, revealing men pushing cannons behind them.
Boom! The cannons roared, raining down shells on those lying in pools of blood, creating clouds of smoke and explosions.
What was left of the bodies was now blown apart, limbs scattered, and torsos mangled, forming a pile of dismembered corpses.
There was no other way; executions had to be carried out to ensure death.
But in this world, with high blood volume, a single bullet might not be enough to kill, especially for the stronger individuals.
Shooting one person was manageable, but if one bullet wasn't enough, more could be fired.
However, with five thousand people mixed together, it would be too troublesome to shoot them all and then finish them off individually.
If they didn't do this, there was a high chance some might escape.
So, it was better to shoot them first and then use the cannons.
Cannons were just guns with larger calibers; they just had a wider range.
The cannons fired for a while until the blood and flesh were all mixed together in a pile. Only then did they stop.
The smoke obscured the scene for ordinary people, but Sage carefully sensed the situation and looked into the smoke, waving his hand, "Strongbaru."
Strongbaru, now part of the ground, rose as a giant stone figure. The stones he moved resembled giant waves, engulfing the smoke-filled square and burying the bodies, forming a massive tombstone.
The people were dead, but their memory wouldn't be erased.
This tombstone would serve as a reminder of what had happened in this country.
It would also warn those who still harbored defiance that even five thousand people couldn't succeed. If they didn't exceed this number, they shouldn't even think about rebelling.
And if they did exceed this number, there would be no issue.
"It's done."
Sage stood up and spoke to the live broadcast Den Den Mushi, "From now on, you are part of my rule! So, I declare..."
He spread his hands and laughed loudly, "Let's start with a grand banquet here! Hohohoho!"
With victory, a celebration was in order.
This wasn't just a simple conquest of a country; it was a defeat of Kaido, fulfilling his plan.
A grand victory like this deserved a banquet to proclaim his triumph!
"Lily, call the others. Let's make it a grand celebration to mark my unification of the first half of the New World. Have representatives from the stationed crews on various islands come over. Also, call Katakuri and ask him to send some representatives as well. The expenses for the simultaneous banquet..."
Sage grinned, "will be covered by me, Sage! Let's have another banquet spanning the entire territory!"
Lily's expression was one of expectation as she said, "I'll make the arrangements right away."
A celebration was inevitable.
Moreover, Sage had every right to host it.
Back then, a national banquet had nearly bankrupted the Gold family, but Sage didn't care. Now that he had taken over Tesarolo, there was plenty of money, and he would definitely hold a grand banquet.
It was also a way to stimulate consumption indirectly.
...
There wasn't a suitable place to stay in the Flower Capital except for the Heavenly Castle, but it had been destroyed. Unsatisfied with other options, Sage decided to return to the ship.
On their way back, Renetia couldn't help but ask, "Sage, why not keep the Devil Fruit users? Some are Mythical Zoan types; we could give them to Teach."
The three Mythical Zoan users and some other Devil Fruit users could significantly boost their forces if distributed among their crew.
"Why?" Sage chuckled, "Lily, what do you think?"
"We are in a dangerous partnership, not a master-servant relationship. There are some things Teach can't do."
"Lily replied, "There were already signs during Link's incident."
"That's right."
Sage spoke, "Three Mythical Zoan types, no, it should be two. That peach dragon is a replica and a failed creation. Although I don't know why it retained the exact same abilities as Kaido, there's definitely something wrong with it. Moreover, it's another question whether it can be extracted or not."
The Yami Yami no Mi draws out the devil residing within, extracting the ability and the will.
But where does the will and devil of an artificial fruit come from?
"As for the other two Mythical Zoan types, they are truly rare. Teach worked tirelessly to hunt down ability users but couldn't find a good fruit. Last time, when I asked him to draw the Kuku Kuku no Mi, he was already hesitant. If it weren't for the fact that the Kuku Kuku no Mi isn't very powerful in combat, I assure you he would have turned against me then and there."
"Now, with two Mythical Zoan types, giving them to people with potential would result in a tremendous boost in strength. Add Kuzaan to the mix, and it's a question of whether they will enhance my strength or become a burden."
This issue had already surfaced when Link became the Kuku Kuku no Mi user.
Although the Kuku Kuku no Mi couldn't create gold out of thin air, it had made Tesoro the richest man before Sage's rise to prominence.
That fruit symbolized wealth.
When Link returned, he described the details, and at that time, Shiliew and Bazil were openly discussing taking the ability for themselves and turning against Sage.
But in the end, Teach gave the ability to Link.
While wealth was important, the fruit required someone with business acumen to utilize it effectively. In terms of combat strength, it wasn't particularly powerful.
However, the Mythical Zoan types were different.
They were even more precious than Logia types.
And there were two of them!
If it were an average Paramecia or Zoan type, or even a less impressive Logia type, Teach might have helped, but with two Mythical Zoan types, the chances of Teach turning against him and stabbing him in the back upon meeting Kurozumi Orochi and Kozuki Oden were higher than him obediently extracting their abilities.
"Letty, when you think about things, you should consider all aspects. That guy is only cooperating with me because we have common interests. He uses me to block Red Hair and share the pressure of encroaching on Whitebeard's territory. Likewise, I use him to block Red Hair and share the burden of the chaos in the second half of the New World."
Sage took out a cigar and bit down on it. Lily took out a lighter and lit it for him.
"Huff!"
Exhaling the smoke, Sage looked up at the sky and laughed, "But in the face of greater interests, this alliance can be broken, especially since we are pirates, traditional pirates."
Sage wasn't even as traditional as Teach, as Sage's main business was being a landlord, while Teach had always been a pure traditional pirate.
For traditional pirates, personal interests surpass alliances.
And his influence wasn't small either.
"As for why it's dangerous, you could already see it before. I don't know if you sensed it, but I did."
"Red Hair."
Before Sage could finish, Lily interjected, "I thought it was the aftermath of your battle, but it seems it's true. There's indeed an unusual Conqueror's Haki."
One wrong move, and it's a one-hit knockout!
Sage chuckled lightly, "Good, Lily. Indeed, that guy showed up, probably to protect his chosen son."
He had sensed it even before chasing after him. But at that time, he didn't care much. One or two, or even three, it made no difference to him.
He was in a state of fully unleashed Conqueror's Haki, not a resonance, but his sensitivity to Conqueror's Haki was indeed much sharper than usual.
However, Red Hair didn't catch up, and Sage wasn't going to bother chasing after him for no reason.
There was simply no benefit.
The territories in the first half of the New World were already claimed, but not fully settled. After dealing with Kaido and Nika, engaging in a battle with Red Hair would be too exhausting for him.
"But his arrival means Teach either couldn't keep an eye on him or didn't want to. He has his plans, and I have mine. This alliance is already in a fragile state."
An ambitious person like him wouldn't let this chaotic world situation pass by without taking action.
The invasion of Kaido's territory by Sage wasn't the only event on the sea. The World Council had also made significant decisions.
The abolition of the Shichibukai itself was a chaotic event.
...
Wano Country fell into a brief tranquility, like a dangerous place on the verge of explosion, ready to ignite with the slightest spark.
Because the unification had begun.
After executing the rebels and announcing the banquet, it didn't take long for a large amount of resources to be transported to Wano Country.
Aside from the Carp Waterfall entrance, Wano Country had another hidden cave, deeply concealed behind the waterfall. To access it, one had to manually control the waterfall from above, enter the cave, reach the endpoint, and then hoist the ship to the Wano Country's land port.
This is the location of the hidden harbor.
Of course, it was under Sage's control.
Aside from the initial quietness, numerous ships later arrived at Wano's waters, and Sage did not restrict the movement of the Wanoese. As a result, many witnessed vessels they had never seen in their lives, as well as unfamiliar goods brought by these ships.
Naturally, the most significant part was the abundance of food.
Sage directly distributed this.
First and foremost, he ensured everyone was well-fed; he couldn't just dangle a carrot in front of starving people. Sage had no desire for rule if his subjects were on the brink of starvation.
He was a prosperous landlord, not a beggar king in the slums.
He wanted them to be well-fed and spirited before anything else.
For the Wanoese, it was like a heavenly blessing. That white-haired man who promised to feed them in that wondrous scene had actually kept his word!
Every household received food from the Beast Pirates stationed in Wano, who traveled to various places for distribution. Even the samurai lords were providing food and clean water, ensuring no one went hungry.
Once they were full and satisfied, their gaze upon the samurai lords softened.
As for the pirates,
they didn't know what pirates were, but
they seemed like kind-hearted beings!
Was this the 'unification' some people talked about?
It was too good to be true!
Even a starving family, saved by the food relief, couldn't help but rush to the port to express their gratitude to the ships, especially the massive black ship docked there. The black vessel, with its white-haired, benevolent owner, received the utmost reverence.
Within a few days, the winds of change began to blow, and some geishas even composed songs and tales, spreading them throughout the streets. The song was titled,
"The Black Ship's Unification."
In the captain's quarters, Lily recounted the events of the past few days, saying, "In just a few days, the winds have shifted. As I suspected, my guess was correct."
Sage, leaning back in his green-sandwood throne with one foot propped on the table, waved his hand upon hearing this. Lily then poured him a glass of gemstone wine.
Sage took a sip and smiled, "Guess what?"
"Division."
Lily explained, "This country is extremely divided. It's governed by nobles and samurai, with no existence of commoners. Commoners aren't even considered people, and no one cares about them. Their sole purpose is to pay taxes, and the tax rate is incredibly high."
Sage's taxes were based on per capita income, with different rates for each income bracket, as well as business taxes. To be honest, he initially thought the business taxes were a bit high, but after seeing the gratitude of those around him, he continued with the same rates.
From that moment, he understood that the tax rates he set had nothing to do with him personally; they were influenced by neighboring countries.
In the past, when Ohara was still called Garess, it was a nation with window and shoe taxes, and no one found it strange. People only felt it was their fault if they couldn't pay the taxes.
But in Wano,
"The peasants and merchants pay eight out of ten, and the nobles take nine out of ten."
Lily continued, "This is the tax rate for farmers and merchants. I inquired carefully, and this rate has been the same for many years, long before Orochi's rule. Orochi only caused pollution and exploited labor, turning a barely manageable situation into one of starvation."
"With this tax rate, farmers have to hand over eight-tenths of their produce, keeping only two-tenths. Merchants must pay nine-tenths of their profits. That's why there are no large-scale merchants here, only small-scale artisans, apart from the big merchant groups of the samurai and nobles."
True merchants were subordinates of the noble lords, while commoner merchants could only be considered as self-employed artisans, barely making a living by selling their handmade goods. Their status was similar to that of farmers.
The division was evident here.
The commoners didn't know what pirates were or what invasion meant.
They only knew that with the pirates' arrival, they had food to eat.
Under Orochi, they still went hungry.
As for the concept of nations and invasions,
those were the thoughts of a minority, the nobles, and even many samurai didn't possess such ideas.
Samurai followed the nobles without much personal consciousness or ruling power, making them easily divided.
As for the majority, the commoners,
they knew nothing.
You couldn't expect someone starving under oppressive rule to protect their homeland, especially when they didn't even have a home to call their own. They were merely tax-paying appendages.
Such a nation was easy to control!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
