https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-631-This-Path-Is-Risky-But-I-m-Ready-to-Go-Solo/13464594/
Chapter 632: Garp?
Chapter 632: Garp?
"Oh?"
Sagel made a meaningful sound. "Your plan is quite impressive."
"Just like we discussed before", Crocodile said confidently. "I ensure your plan goes smoothly, and you make sure mine doesn't falter. Sagel, when it comes to strategy, I'm no less capable than you."
Just as the Marine's bounty announcement added, his powerful scheming ability is a force comparable to his Logia powers.
Sagel nodded. "Very sincere, I'll agree to it. Since you're so straightforward, I won't let my partner down. Running small-time underworld operations is too petty and a waste of your organization's potential."
"Let's handle it like any other business. The discounts will remain the same as before. As long as you can secretly secure Red Land, the amount of business you can do in the Grand Line will depend entirely on your own skills!"
The world is vast, and Sagel's business only accounts for 20% of the market, with most of it in weapons.
His production hasn't increased much since the beginning because the initial scale was already large. The islands he conquered later expanded his production, but the excess was consumed by internal demand.
The Apocalypse Pirates, numbering over seventy thousand, can't just swim into battle without weapons, can they?
The first half of the New World is nominally under his control, but there are always some ambitious pirates who attack his territory, especially as they move farther from Ohara.
Additionally, the large population of magnetic islands, including the security forces of Ohara, also require weapons.
Guns are not banned in Sagel's territory, and ordinary people also buy a few for safety.
With the growing population and his newly acquired resources, internal demand has consumed everything.
Because of this, Sagel's greed has only grown.
In the sea, his business thrives only in his own territory. Compared to the entire world, his share is too small, and his weapons are his best-selling items.
Ships?
They are the most expensive, and while they sell well, they are high-value goods with limited production.
When Big Mom lost three ships to Kidd, she was heartbroken. Renee's ships, known for their superior quality, are no exception.
These shares are absolutely unacceptable to Sagel.
However, the geographical conditions are what they are. Even with efforts to expand into the West and North Seas, the only significant progress has been in the Calm Belt's fringe countries.
How much resources and population do those small islands have? The dangerous navigation conditions pose a significant risk. Even if they reinforce the keels with Sea Stone, accidents can still happen.
Frequent trips to the riverbank will eventually get your shoes wet, and frequent voyages on the sea will eventually encounter Hydrozoans.
Those intelligent creatures aren't blind. If they spot you, it means certain shipwreck, especially in the Hydrozoan's lair, the Calm Belt.
The North and West Seas currently add little to Sagel's business, merely a sprinkle on the food, so to speak.
But the future holds promise.
"Then I'll take it!"
Crocodile grinned. "Sagel, my plan won't fail, but it will require your cooperation."
"Make a commotion, right?"
Sagel also grinned, guessing Crocodile's plan. "Don't worry, even if I don't want it, those people won't let me have my way!"
"Exactly, create a commotion to divert attention. It doesn't need to last long, just half a day. Using Everton's ability, we can create a temporary haven and then use mechanical barriers to form a stone door. Once that's done, we can choose a hidden location."
Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke. "Deno."
"Got it, Boss!"
Brother Three quickly stood up, his hands melting into candle wax, which spread across the table like a wave, forming a small model of Red Land, including the crater from the Red Port explosion and the swirling vortex below.
"It's different from the one in the Kingdom of Loulisha."
Boa Hancock looked at the model's vortex and then at Sagel. "Is it because you attacked the main body of Red Land?"
"Right, Lily?" Sagel turned to Lily.
"Pluton is different. It's an energy weapon that focuses on 'complete destruction.' If hit, it physically disintegrates the target. The damage isn't a perpetual vortex like in the Kingdom of Loulisha, but a catastrophic tsunami that could be apocalyptic. Beyond that..."
Lily frowned. "I don't understand much more. These are things Big Mom mentioned. He's still researching, talking about continental shelves, ocean floors, crustal melting, and conservation of mass."
She is not illiterate and has a strong literary background, but literary refinement and technical expertise are two different things.
Once a technician reaches a certain level of mastery, their skills seem almost mythical to ordinary people.
"In any case, let's put that aside for now. We just need to know the power it has."
A hint of envy flickered in Crocodile's eyes.
To some extent, his ideal had already been achieved by Sagel.
"The current issue is that we haven't decided on the location for the passage."
Crocodile used the golden hook on his wrist to trace the white wax waves beneath the Red Land model. "This area is the Grand Line, and outside is the Calm Belt, which we can ignore."
He placed his hook at the top center of the model, pointing to a building. "This is Mary Geoise, the World Government headquarters. Hmph, now that I think about it, Red Land is just too massive."
"Hah." Sagel let out a cold laugh.
The limit for the ocean floor is ten thousand meters, but that's just the limit for Fishman Island. Below that, it goes much deeper, seemingly bottomless.
Vegapunk said that people once lived on a supercontinent, but that was only at a depth of two hundred meters. The ocean remains the dominant force.
Red Land is incredibly tall, at least taller than the elephant on Zou, which is thirty-five thousand meters high.
Skypiea is only ten thousand meters!
While most of that body is underwater, the altitude isn't as extreme, probably a few thousand meters.
But the scale of Red Land completely surpasses Skypiea.
No wonder the bear's body was covered in burns when it was brought here. At such a height, even Devil Fruit abilities have their limits.
The ocean is truly amazing.
"Regarding the location..."
Sagel looked at the floating white waves on the table, pointing to the area behind Red Land, where the amusement park is located.
Brother Three's sculpting ability is precise, even marking the buildings near Red Land, including Marineford, Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and Sabaody, which is closest to Red Land.
"Let's place it here."
Sagel pointed to a position on the opposite side of the continent, parallel to Sabaody. "We'll connect the continent to Sabaody, which can serve as a transit point."
After all, there are always many pirates in that area, a mix of fish and dragons, making smuggling especially easy, especially after the Marine headquarters moved.
"I thought you would choose a position parallel to Fishman Island."
Crocodile was surprised. "I heard you have many Fishmen under your command. Have you collaborated with them?"
"What's the point of choosing that location? Can you even connect to Fishman Island? If you did, Fishmen and mermaids would consider you their savior." Sagel laughed.
Red Land is bottomless, while Fishman Island is just a hole in the continent.
Not all underwater expeditions can reach Fishman Island and then enter the New World.
If the underwater currents carry you to the wrong place, you'll crash into the continental wall, similar to Reverse Mountain, but Reverse Mountain has a much higher tolerance for errors.
If you're lucky, you can navigate the four reverse currents into the Four Seas, but any mistake near Fishman Island will result in shipwreck and death.
Choosing Fishman Island is completely unrealistic, and its position is too close to Mary Geoise and the elevator.
It's not suitable.
"Sabaody, huh..."
Mihawk pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Not a bad idea. Even if we enter, others will assume we coated ourselves and came up from the ocean floor. No one will suspect a thing."
He looked at Sagel. "But you seem very serious about this, considering even this. Are things not selling well?"
"Hah! Even if I do nothing, Ohara will remain prosperous until my death."
Sagel sneered. "I'm just planning for the future!"
Capitalism has its limits, and when those limits are reached, crisis follows.
But Sagel is far from that point. Ohara hasn't even reached its peak, let alone decline.
The situation where things don't sell won't happen within a hundred years.
But some preparations are necessary. He has no intention of slowly expanding.
Connecting the entire Grand Line and turning the amusement park into his own business hub will truly allow him to dominate the Four Seas and provide more security for his future plans.
"It's settled!"
Crocodile waved his hand, signaling Brother Three to retract his ability. His other intact hand clenched into a fist, and he laughed his signature laugh. "Once this plan is completed, the entire Grand Line will have no barriers for us! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
"Hohahaha!"
Sagel burst into a manic laugh. "I have a new plan!"
He knew the amusement park all too well!
So well that he could come up with a plan on the spot!
Half a day later, the banquet ended, and the satisfied Sagel didn't linger. He set sail from Cali Bali, heading toward the location provided by the World Government's life paper.
With the Red Port gone, the permanent pointer had lost its effectiveness. The only way to ensure Sagel wouldn't get lost in the vast ocean was to have the Navy stay at the original site and use the life paper for positioning.
Even a powerful figure like one of the Four Emperors had to follow the basic rules of the sea.
...
"Rob the amusement park again?"
In the captain's cabin, Lily listened to Sagel, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Is this your plan? But we're supposed to establish trade routes, right?"
Sagel's plan was simple: revisit the past, return to old haunts, and relive the journey, reflecting on the hardships and the good times.
That journey had been all about robbing places.
"Not just that."
Sagel grinned, showing his teeth. "It's been over two years since I last robbed those places. Have they recovered? Can I start plundering them again on a regular basis?"
"Besides those places, we'll raid any location we pass, especially the poor ones. If a place is too poor, some people might join us out of desperation. If it's wealthy, we'll destroy it and force it to rebuild, creating business opportunities. In the end, everyone will be working for me!"
He spread his hands excitedly. "What I set out to do will not be stopped."
This was why he had agreed to work with Crocodile.
Negotiating with the World Government would secure a major trade route, allowing him to conduct legitimate business.
Meanwhile, he could use his own secret routes for his clandestine operations, ensuring his plans would proceed even if the World Government became suspicious. They would focus on the official channels he had established.
One open, one hidden—using robbery to drive his plans forward, he didn't even need to consult Hawkins for divination. His plans were inherently eight out of ten!
Lily nodded thoughtfully, her eyes brightening.
This way, she could use the oppressors of the Grand Line to further her own ideals.
The New World was chaotic and lawless, but most places lacked the Celestial Dragons. The amusement park, while more orderly, frequently saw people starving to death.
A stark irony, indeed.
"We can do it. We, the iconic figures, shouldn't show ourselves, but Cross Organization can. The Fishmen and Mink tribes can blend in and carry out our plans", Lily suggested.
"No need for that! I've already said no one can stop me. Since we're negotiating with the World Government, I'll go boldly and openly, in person!"
Sagel laughed. "It's always been the affiliated nations robbing the unaffiliated ones. This time, it's my turn as an 'unaffiliated nation' to taste what the affiliated nations experience. I haven't tasted the flavor of those top-tier nations yet! The Navy is busy dealing with the Rebel Army and maintaining the sanctity of the Celestial Dragons. They can't stop me, and they won't be able to."
Boom!
Before he finished his last word, the room shook, and the sound of bombardment echoed from outside, as if a cannonball had struck.
A cannonball?
Lily quickly reached the cabin door, pulled it open, and saw a hole in the deck near the bow, still smoking. Her crewmates were shouting in anger.
What a joke!
They were the Apocalypse Pirates, their flag proudly flying. How could someone be so blind as to fire a cannon at them?
But that wasn't the most important thing.
Lily's brows furrowed, her expression puzzled.
This ship, besides being black, had been long nourished by Haki. Not only Sagel but all the officers practiced covering the ship with Haki. Over time, the ship had become a genuine "black ship", though still in its early stages. It was far from being breached by a regular cannonball.
"Naval ship?"
Lily looked at the Navy ship that had suddenly appeared in the adjacent waters, even more confused.
The Navy?
Would the Navy attack them now, when they were in negotiations? They should be off-limits.
"Sword?"
Just as she thought this, a hearty laugh echoed in her ear.
"Hohahaha!"
The distant sound made Lily's pupils constrict as she fixed her gaze on the figure standing at the front of the Navy ship, exclaiming in shock, "Garp?!"
(End of Chapter)
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