Chapter 647: Trouble Comes
Chapter 647: Trouble Comes
Late at night.
Vakanogres, the island of volcanoes and fertilizers, had lost half its land area after a two-meter rise in sea levels.
Barnaby, known as the "Remarkable Barnaby" with a bounty over a hundred million, chose to stay and garrison the island rather than become one of the captains of the Catastrophe Pirates. Despite the fact that the combat members in the core group were undoubtedly stronger, he preferred the stability of garrisoning the island. He never had grand ambitions; becoming a pirate was a necessity, and if given a choice, he would have preferred a peaceful life.
In the largest mansion, Barnaby, dressed in a robe, sat comfortably on a sofa with his legs crossed, holding a glass of red wine. He gently swirled the crimson liquid as the Den Den Mushi in front of him broadcast the latest news.
The Governor loved alcohol, and so did the people under him.
His brother sat opposite him, his face filled with anticipation. "Brother, with the full-scale war, do I have a chance?"
"What does this have to do with you?"
Barnaby glared at him. "I won't allow you to join this recruitment. Stay here and behave yourself! We've finally secured a safe life. Do you want to ruin it? Think about your wife and your children!"
"Brother!"
His brother stood up, agitated. "I want to serve the Governor too! I want to be like you!"
"Being like me means staying here and studying. There will be opportunities for you in the future."
Barnaby shook his head in exasperation. "Instead of wasting time, help me convince the people on the island not to move to the volcano."
The two-meter rise in sea levels had submerged half of the volcanic island, causing the residents to fear and seek shelter near the volcano.
But it was a volcano!
If it erupted, they would be too close to escape in time.
Despite his repeated warnings, these people were still anxious and afraid, leading to a standoff.
"Brother, I don't understand. They're just civilians. We could just order them—"
"Shut up! With that attitude, I won't let you join the recruitment at all! You're not serving the Governor; you just want fame. I thought you would have matured after getting married and having children, but you're still so naive!"
"We are only carrying out the Governor's authority to manage. The people on this island are not our slaves. Don't think that having fame gives you the right to do whatever you want. Here, only the Governor can do that!"
"The people on the island are also the Governor's subordinates, just with different roles. If you can't adjust your mindset, you'll stay here, and you won't go anywhere!"
Barnaby sternly said, "I warned you last time to serve the Governor properly. Have you still not understood that?!"
His brother shrank back. "That's not what I meant. I want to be famous in the sea too. This is an opportunity, a better way to serve the Governor."
"Once you understand these things, you can serve the Governor."
Barnaby sighed. "What does a full-scale war mean? It means we're no longer retreating. Our current forces are sufficient. Our population is enough to help the Governor establish rule in various places. External battles can serve the Governor, but internal governance can too."
"Being able to use Haki, some combat skills, and killing a few people doesn't mean anything. Ohara needs people like Lady Lily—those who can wield a sword in battle and govern in peace. Your talent is lacking, and you're just an ordinary person. Forget about fighting; focus on internal governance."
He leaned back slightly. "If you study well, you will stand out. Who knows, you might become even more famous than your big brother."
"I can't compare to you, Brother."
His brother scratched his head, embarrassed. "Brother, you're so smart. Why do you stay on this island? Ohara has summoned you several times, but you never went."
"Because my work isn't done yet."
Barnaby sipped his wine. "If I want to go, I need to have a stable record. Since I'm in charge here, I must ensure everyone improves."
"Let me give you some advice. When you're in charge of an island, make sure to attract merchants to set up businesses. If that doesn't work, organize your own factory. Despite the island having only a few thousand people, managing their work and daily needs, and gradually improving their lives, will require your attention."
"Maintain a good relationship with the deputy leaders. Even though you're not an old pirate, put aside your unwarranted arrogance. Only by doing so can you perform well. Only by performing well do you have the right to move to a larger stage."
He put down his glass. "The population of the volcanic island needs to be relocated. This is a good opportunity to move them to larger islands. Leave a portion of the population here to maintain production, which will ensure their prosperity. I'll leave this to you. If you do well, I'll let you participate in the internal governance selection. If not, you'll stay here as an ordinary person. Understand?"
"Yes!"
His brother stood up straight at Barnaby's stern command.
"Go back and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, you'll be busy."
Barnaby waved his hand, dismissing his brother, then poured himself a little more red wine. Holding the glass, he stared at the Den Den Mushi for a long while before shaking his head and smiling.
"Seems my current subordinates haven't caught up yet, so they need to call me back, huh? In this era, there's no way to stay out of things, is there? I wonder if they'll make me a vice admiral or put me in charge of a region this time."
He knew when to quit while he was ahead and didn’t have grand ambitions. This kind of life, comfortable and satisfying, was exactly what he wanted.
Clever, content, knowing what to do and what to avoid, and above all, able to resist temptation—that was what made him great.
But now, the situation forced his hand.
...
The Den Den Mushi began broadcasting from the early hours of the morning, playing continuously at different times to ensure everyone in Ohara could hear it. Soon, the entire region, including the surrounding islands, was gripped by a recruitment frenzy. No one needed to go door to door; everyone showed up at the local officials' homes early in the morning, eager to be selected for the army.
In the tent set up in the collapsed palace, Lily found Sag and gave him a routine report.
"The specific reconstruction plan is ready. The idea is to have people work in exchange for repairs, supplemented by basic disaster relief funds, with food and lodging provided during this period. Afterward, once Renee gets the factories back up and running, these people will be reassigned to their original places. Of course, this is also a test. Those who perform well can be sent to newly conquered islands."
Lily held a stack of documents and gave a brief summary, not even bothering to show them to Sag.
"As for the conquest route, we've divided into three groups. Katakuri and Jinbe will head towards the designated front lines, while Moria will lead a force towards Mary Geoise. Once all the magnetic islands are secured, they will regroup at the front lines. We've also mobilized the Mink Tribe and Fishman Tribe, aiming to complete everything within half a month."
Sag nodded and asked, "What about supplies? Have they been distributed worldwide?"
"Not yet. We don't have enough transmission devices. The Big Mom's Den Den Mushi, which can connect to the entire world, takes too long to set up and isn't currently usable. Many places don't even have Den Den Mushi, so it's best to find a substitute for news birds", Lily explained honestly.
"Don't we have a newspaper? Who's in charge of that? After all this time, the news industry hasn't even gotten off the ground?"
"Our newspaper mostly prints and distributes written news across the region, or broadcasts through Den Den Mushi. Ohara has its own news industry, but it hasn't gained much influence outside. Sag, it's just too soon", Lily said.
The six major industries in the underground world have been expanding, but the most successful have been storage and transportation, as they are interconnected. His vast array of goods relies on these two to be distributed, which in turn has fueled the black market and smuggling from his territory.
The assassination and finance industries have largely merged, forming a significant share.
The remaining news and entertainment industries are still self-sufficient and haven't expanded beyond their borders.
Especially the news industry, which requires talent. Morgan relies on his own Devil Fruit, and the World Government has unique methods, but we lack a species capable of global navigation.
"Have someone look into it. We need to get the word out, not just my orders, but more."
Sag's lips curled into a sinister smile. "If you want it so badly, I'll give you what you want. I'll send it out for the whole world to see!"
He didn't care about the Poneglyph. If everyone considers it a treasure, he might as well spread it globally and let them fight over it, whether they can understand it or not.
"Try to figure out any other methods."
Sag stood up, cracking his neck. "You continue to coordinate everything. I need to make a trip."
Lily was taken aback, her eyebrows furrowing. "Sag, now isn't the time—"
"Who said there's a right or wrong time? War is war, and revenge is revenge."
Sag walked out of the tent and approached a sturdy tree that looked decent. He patted the trunk and said, "Two of them came here to declare war, so of course, I'll accept. But attacking my base, halting my business, and causing casualties, even nearly killing my subordinates, that's something I need to avenge."
"As for Red Hair, he's like a rat, always on the move, but what about Tee? How could I not find him? Since he's come to my Ohara, I have to make a trip to Beehive Island. Otherwise, it would make me look bad! Direction!"
"Understood."
Lily sighed softly. "North-northeast, ten o'clock direction. The Damnation Star will take half a month to reach there, but with your speed, it should take you a day."
"Less than a day!"
Sag picked up Hasuigai, securing it at his waist. Then, with a palm strike, he split a section of the tree trunk. He raised it with both hands, aiming it at the direction Lily had given. Haki instantly enveloped the trunk, turning it into a black pillar.
"Full power, and it should take just a few hours. I might even be back in time for dinner. Keep an eye on things, I'm off!"
“Huh!”
With those words, Sagel threw with all his might. The black tree trunk, along with Sagel's figure, vanished in a blink. In the sky, a massive black pillar suddenly appeared, and Sagel landed on it, sitting cross-legged and drinking from a bottle.
In that instant, Lily couldn't even see the scene, only a black dot remained.
Maria approached at the right moment, handing Lily a drink. "It's something to keep you alert. Don't worry, Sagel will definitely win."
"I'm not really worried about him getting hurt."
Lily took the drink, her words brimming with strong confidence. "After all, Sagel has always been strong."
But even now, when he should be sitting tight, he insisted on moving. Plans are one thing, but Sagel is, at heart, a pirate.
"What's Tee doing? I can't see him anywhere." Lily suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Who knows? He's definitely not on Ohara. Maybe he's off on some journey. You know, that man has been wandering alone since he left the ship. Sagel said not to worry, that he won't leave the territory."
Lily nodded. "Let's go. We have a lot to do. You need to come up with a big plan for logistics. Make sure the soldiers are well-fed."
"Don't worry, I might not be good at much, but feeding people is what I do best." Maria smiled.
...
In the latter half of the New World, on Honeycomb Island.
Honeycomb Island still bore the marks of half-repaired damage, with the other half remaining in ruins.
This was Garp's doing.
They had planned to finish the repairs, but after Tee's attack on Ohara, they abandoned the effort.
Inside the tallest building, which resembled a skull, Kuzan crouched by the window, looking down at the partially evacuated streets and the pirates boarding ships at the port. He sighed deeply.
"Must you do such pointless things?"
"Ha ha ha ha, how can you call it pointless!"
A rough laugh echoed from behind him.
Tee, seated on his throne, laughed loudly. "After all, we got the imprint of the Poneglyph, Kuzan. That's what matters most."
"Would you abandon your base for that?"
Kuzan countered, "This place is your symbol, Tee."
"Symbols mean nothing compared to the Pirate King! Big Mom said it's the key to the world! Ha ha ha ha, Garp already has it, and as long as we can establish the Pirate Kingdom, it will all be the same in the end!"
Tee grinned, showing a few missing teeth. "For pirates, having a ship is enough!"
"I'm afraid Sagel might show up suddenly." Kuzan said gravely.
"Oh ho ho ho, that's impossible."
Rafitte spun his cane and adjusted his hat. "We have enough time. We haven't delayed, so even if Sagel brings his fleet, we'll already be gone. Maybe—"
"Maybe we'll even destroy his fleet." Shiliew said, puffing on his cigar and chuckling. "These waters aren't under his control, after all."
Kuzan turned to look behind him. Apart from Tee, all the captains were present.
"You don't understand him."
Kuzan shook his head. "I've fought him. He seems magnanimous, but it depends on the situation. He's very generous about things he doesn't care about. Even if someone defeats his subordinates at sea, he sees it as a normal outcome."
"But, Tee—"
Kuzan sighed again, scratching his head. "You and Red Hair destroyed half of Ohara, wrecked his palace, and devastated the port. It clearly affects his business. If you make his business hard, he'll make your life hard."
And he means it literally.
After all, once you're dead, you can't do much.
Tee's smile froze for a moment. He knew Sagel's temperament well, but this was a gamble.
A gamble that he could complete his plan first.
"Ha ha ha ha, if worse comes to worst, we'll just run. We have enough time." Tee's laughter was a bit forced.
Although he had decided to abandon Honeycomb Island to avoid being trapped by Sagel's fleet, he still held out a bit of hope, so they planned to be the last to leave.
If he could help it, he didn't want to abandon this symbol of Rocks' legacy.
"I used to think so too."
Kuzan pointed out the window. "Not anymore."
At the far end of the sky, a layer of black had spread.
Under the rolling dark clouds, the wind whipped up, visible as if it were lines, mixing with the torrential rain and stirring up monstrous waves. Even from a distance, the wind seemed to reach them, causing the windows to rattle and bang.
The air felt thick and uncomfortable.
"Look", Kuzan said, exasperated. "Trouble is here."
(End of Chapter)
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