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Chapter 591: Rob, Decapitate, Receive, and Unify!
Chapter 591: Rob, Decapitate, Receive, and Unify!
"Alabasta?"
Lily pondered and said, "It's a great place, with a large population and vast territory. Once conquered, the sheer size of the domestic demand alone is enough for us to achieve a massive expansion."
They had been working for several years, and the total population in their territory was only over four million. Just the population of Alabasta, as far as they knew, was more than three times their own, and even more.
This was without a thorough census. Such a large place, capable of maintaining a million-strong standing army, couldn't possibly have a population of just over ten million.
"Yes, the domestic demand alone is sufficient."
Sage laughed, "A person, once full, will desire better food, and once warm, will want more expensive clothes. With a place to call their own, they'll crave a bigger house. That's human nature, that's desire."
"To have these things, one must work, earn money, and buy more goods. Especially these poor folks in the desert, spending their lives as sandworms in their own sandy holes, relying on the heavens for water. They could release more labor and buy more, instead of squandering their lives in the desert!"
Sage waved his hand, "The abundant sea resources are right here, but no one knows how to use them! If they can't, then I will!"
The desert might have oil, and oil breeds mold.
But this was the sea, and the hard currency was gold. Sage didn't know if there was oil, but he knew what was truly valuable.
It was the powerful productivity of humans combined with the rich resources of the sea!
"Indeed, a good idea, but our transportation industry isn't sufficient yet."
Lily said, "Even if we target Umite and Giberson, as pirates, we can't integrate the underground world at this stage."
Their geographical location inherently limited their development.
The circulation of the sea primarily relied on transportation.
Setting aside the Calm Belt, the Red Line alone divided the world in two, separating the East and South Blue from the West and North Blue, and thus the Grand Line into its first and second halves.
There were only three ways to cross: Mariejois, Fishman Island, and
over the Red Line.
However, none of these methods could provide large-scale and timely transportation.
Even the underground world, if they wanted to cross the Red Line, would have to go through Fishman Island.
The juicy opportunity was there, but it was still a hassle to take a bite.
Most importantly,
"We have an agreement with the World Government, right? They won't cause us trouble, and you can't go to the West and North Blue," Lily said.
"Of course, but the agreement has expired. They can't provide us with the population trade anymore."
Sage said, "What you mentioned is indeed a problem, but I'm not after Alabasta."
He looked out the window, his eyes gradually filled with excitement. "Lily, how big is my territory?"
"The first half is yours, but some areas are yet to be conquered or discovered. Our men are working hard to conquer the entire first half," Lily said.
"Then, who am I?"
Lily thought for a moment, "A landlord?"
"Yes! I'm a landlord. In my homeland, as a landlord, the size of my territory determines the number of tenant farmers I have. My territory is vast, but my population is insufficient!"
"Alabasta, with its massive population, has lost its king. Do you know what this resembles?"
Sage turned his head, revealing the sinister expression he often wore, but at this moment, it sent a chill down Lily's spine.
"My neighbor, a fellow landlord, is in trouble. The father has passed away, and the daughter who inherited the family business is missing. Although I can't absorb all of their territory due to geographical limitations, those 'homeless' people make my mouth water!"
"So, at this moment, shouldn't I lend a helping hand, bringing those living in dire straits to my place where everything is provided, letting them live better lives while working for me?"
His bared white teeth made Sage's sinister face blend seamlessly with the bustling backdrop outside the window.
In this moment, Sage became the embodiment of the bustling city outside, with countless people transforming into his sharp teeth, clashing with his words as if ready to devour everything in sight.
"Indeed."
Lily composed herself and said, "Kobra is a good king, and his daughter is excellent too. But she's also missing now. If it takes too long, Alabasta will undoubtedly elect a new king. We can't guarantee who the next king will be, so it's better to bring them under our territory.
"The other powerful nations in the world, with their kings still reigning, possess formidable governing power. Military conquest is the only option, but we haven't even fully consolidated our own territories yet, and it's not the right time to wage war against such nations. Finding new populations is indeed a great idea."
The most crucial point, Lily thought, was that since everyone would be living in the same place, it was indeed most suitable for the people of Alabasta to come here.
Oppression by the environment is also a form of oppression.
Would those people willingly live in the impoverished desert for generations?
Who even lives in the desert? Their islands are vast and sparsely populated. They can't just wait for a few decades for the population to grow; it would be foolish not to utilize the readily available people.
"The most crucial thing is the absence of barriers. There's no racial segregation among humans; the only difference is in their nations, and that's truly delightful!" Sage burst into laughter.
This was a significant problem that the world had inherently solved for Sage since he became a landlord!
"Black hair, black eyes, blonde hair, blue eyes, dark skin, light skin—all are humans with no distinctions! This includes other races like fish-men, who can live together under a powerful leader!"
"You understand discrimination, right? The biggest problem is already resolved! Haha, hahaha! Lily, this is why I've developed so rapidly!"
Big Mom was a perfect example of this.
"Discrimination..."
Lily furrowed her brows. "Like the discrimination against fish-men and merfolk? No, they were just priced higher in the slave markets, which can't be considered discrimination. Aside from the Celestial Dragons, is there discrimination between humans?"
Oppression alone was already tragic enough; adding racial discrimination would only make matters worse.
"Hmm, Lily, two things can sometimes become one, and it's not about being good or bad; it's about different environments. National enmity and racial discrimination have historical reasons. However, there's none of that here because I equally discriminate against everyone."
"As for the Celestial Dragons, they're just foolish. Their stupidity led them to Mary Joa, isolating themselves from normal people, leaving behind only pure servitude and hatred."
Their foolishness made Sage want to laugh.
"If I were a Celestial Dragon, Mary Joa would remain, but there would also be Celestial Dragon cities everywhere. In my hometown, there are examples of the minority ruling the majority, and I have that here." Sage chuckled.
"Does Ohara have such a history?" Lily knitted her brows, but if Sage said so, it must be true.
"In any case, the lack of discrimination is the biggest advantage. We can introduce various populations without any barriers. In the first half, our tentacles couldn't reach everywhere, so let Umit and Giberson handle it. They're experts in this field."
"Ideally, we should engage in dialogue with those we can communicate with." Sage said.
"Understood. I'll take care of it." Lily nodded and left Sage's room.
Sage sat down again, picked up his wine glass, and swirled the deep red liquid. As he did, the sky outside the window and the bustling city below were reflected in the wine, captivating everyone who came here with the desire to blend in or conquer.
"Hmm." Sage chuckled and drained his glass.
The world was his for the taking.
...
In the first half of the New World, near Ohara, a pirate ship flying the Calamity Pirates' flag sailed through the waves.
Bellamy stood at the bow with his arms crossed, the captain's cloak fluttering behind him in the sea breeze.
This was his pirate ship.
After defeating Big Mom and Kaido, they didn't have it easy; instead, they became busier.
Defeating them only cleared the path for Sage to unify the first half, but someone still had to do the unifying.
The Governor now openly ruled over 108 islands, which seemed like a large number, but in the context of the first half, it was insignificant, and there were still many unconquered territories.
Even the areas surrounding Ohara, Sage's original territory, weren't fully conquered.
After all, they had only been there for a little over two years, and with their existing industrial issues, rapid development was impossible.
Bellamy's current task was to search for islands and assist Lady Lily in surveying the sea routes.
Throughout the New World, the magnetic fields, weather patterns, and the treacherous seas beyond the Paradise Islands, the demarcation between islands is anything but normal.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be a need for three recording pointers to navigate.
Even Kaido and Big Mom, who have spent decades on the vast oceans, have only charted maps of their own strongholds and their immediate surroundings.
One relied on the Land of Wano, while the other found an archipelago. Both had only secured a small portion of the vast sea.
Unlike them, when they arrived at a new sea area, they would chart the ocean currents and the sea area, regardless of whether there were islands or not. They ensured that wherever they went, they left their mark.
Of course, it wasn't solely their doing. Some nearby pirates who joined them possessed maps of unexplored seas that others had never reached. By combining these maps and gradually organizing them, they slowly unveiled the mysteries of the New World.
"Captain Bellamy!"
A navigator ran over and handed him a telescope, saying, "I think I spotted a pirate ship ahead."
"Oh?"
Bellamy took the telescope and looked ahead. Through the lens, he saw a mast on the vast sea, where waves occasionally rippled. A black flag fluttered atop the mast.
He couldn't make out the emblem, but it didn't matter. No one but pirates would fly a black flag.
"Indeed, they are pirates."
Bellamy put down the telescope, stuck out his tongue, and grinned menacingly. "Perfect, I was getting bored. Let's go see who they are!"
Navigation on the high seas was inevitably monotonous. With only the vast ocean and their small ship in sight, the reason for hosting feasts every few days became apparent.
Boom! As the ships drew closer, they could make out each other's silhouettes. Bellamy also spotted their flag, and at that moment, the pirate ship fired its main cannon, launching a cannonball.
Bellamy bared his teeth and laughed maniacally. His wrist transformed into a spring, and aura covered his fist. He punched the incoming cannonball, and the spring extended, adding a spring force that sent the cannonball ricocheting back faster than before. It stuck to the enemy ship's hull and exploded in the sea, creating a massive splash.
"Captain Bellamy, it's a pirate flag I've never seen before," the navigator beside him spoke up.
"Oh? A small pirate crew? Seeing our flag, they not only don't flee but fire at us," Bellamy said.
Bellamy squatted down, his legs transforming into springs. He pressed one fist against the bow and stared at the opposing pirate ship.
"Then let it be destroyed!"
Boom! An aura wave rippled from his feet, and Bellamy launched himself towards the enemy pirate ship.
Boom! The ship's mast snapped first, followed by a series of loud noises. As the Catastrophe warship approached, the entire ship began to fall apart, with half of it sinking into the seawater.
By the time the ships were close enough, everyone on the enemy ship had lost their ability to resist.
"Leave it to you," Bellamy said, kicking the captain, who was lying on the ground. He turned back to the deck, "Ask them where they came from."
"Yes!"
The pirates, ready to ambush, charged into the damaged pirate ship, capturing prisoners and looting.
The results were fruitful.
They found a substantial amount of supplies, and under pressure, the captured captain revealed the information they sought.
They were pirates operating in this sea area. They had just discovered an island and raided the coast, leaving before the local guards arrived.
"There's an island?" Bellamy's eyes lit up. "How far is it from here?"
"Very close. They left just two hours ago," the navigator replied.
"Saxis! Saxis!" Bellamy shouted.
"I heard you, Bellamy," Saxis, wearing a fur coat and carrying a large saber on his back, took off his sunglasses and smiled. "Two hours, huh? It must be a new island. Let's go and take care of it!"
"Exactly!" Bellamy grinned menacingly. "Leave the supplies, but let's go and return the stolen goods to the weak. Then, we'll go and plunder the strong! We'll rule there!"
This was the Catastrophe Pirates' governing strategy.
Return everything to the weak and split the spoils fifty-fifty with the strong!
Plunder, behead, collect, and unify! This formula never failed, and no one dared to resist.
(End of Chapter)
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