https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-660-Yearning-for-More-Yearning-for-Power/13464632/
Chapter 659: Ohara at Four in the Morning
Chapter 659: Ohara at Four in the Morning
Man!
Have you ever seen Ohara at four in the morning?
Ajin, with his brown skin and no knowledge of basketball, hasn't, because he's not in Ohara. Instead, he's in the first half of the first half of the New World, tasked with conquering the Magnetic Islands and the surrounding areas.
But in Ohara, Lily has seen it, and even earlier.
"Lady Lily, we have successfully conquered Reedchiled Island, Mistria Island, and Thundergod Island. Using these Magnetic Islands as our base, we have started exploring the surrounding areas and expect results soon. Currently, we have stabilized control over all the Magnetic Islands leading to Mermaid Island in the first half of the New World."
At around three in the morning, Ajin called, and through the Admiral's report, Lily was connected.
The three islands he mentioned are the ones the Log Pose points to after leaving Mermaid Island. These islands, known for their unpredictable weather, are the first major obstacles for anyone entering the New World.
Each island is dangerous, especially Thundergod Island, which is constantly shrouded in storm clouds, with lightning as common as rain.
For the Apocalypse Pirates, however, this is like returning home.
Come on, it's just lightning. The Pirates who have followed Governor Sagel on campaigns are already accustomed to such conditions.
It's no challenge for them.
The conquest of these three islands signifies that they have secured the final Magnetic Islands connecting the first half of the New World to Mermaid Island, effectively ruling over the entire first half of the New World.
"Alright, we'll continue with our original strategy. Use the Magnetic Islands as our base and scatter our Pirate ships. Map out each island as we discover it, and place Life Papers."
Lily nodded slightly. "You can hand over the exploration of the first half to others. Prepare yourself to return and join the front lines."
"Understood, Lady Lily!"
The Den Den Mushi's expression turned serious, filled with determination.
"That's all. I have other matters to attend to."
Lily hung up the phone without further ado.
It wasn't out of rudeness or an excuse; she really was busy.
At this hour, she had just woken up from her bedroom, still in her nightgown.
"Lady Lily."
Kalifa, who was serving her, asked, "Would you like to bathe and change clothes? I can assist you."
"Send a maid to help. Give me the geological reports of the recent islands, including the three Ajin just reported. They should have been submitted already, right?"
Lily shook her head and got up from her desk. Under the light, her loose, white, sheer nightgown did little to conceal her figure, instead accentuating her curves, especially her chest and hips, which made the dress appear even more form-fitting.
As she walked, her chest swayed with each step, showing off its elasticity.
"Yes, the reports have already been compiled."
"Good, give me the reports on the Magnetic Islands first."
With that, Lily entered the bathroom, and Kalifa, pushing her glasses up, followed her inside.
Although it wasn't the large bathhouse often used by Sagel, as the Grand Minister, Lily's own bedroom in the palace was well-equipped, including a decent-sized bathroom.
The bathroom was always filled with steam, and the water was changed every few hours to ensure freshness. The maids worked in shifts, always ready to serve.
Lily held the reports Kalifa gave her, reading them as she walked to the bathtub. Before she had taken two steps, two maids approached, gently removing her clothes, while two others sprinkled petals into the bath.
Lily didn't look up, and under the cover of the maids, her smooth, flawless back, unobscured by the steam, was revealed as she entered the water.
Lily tilted her head back, letting her golden, wavy hair spread out in the water, as the maids washed her. After closing her eyes for less than three minutes, she opened them again and continued reading the reports.
Unlike Sagel, who could spend hours enjoying his baths, Lily's was more practical. Despite the maids' service, she was done in about half an hour. After being dried and dressed in her white long dress, with armor added to her chest, arms, and hips, she was ready for work.
Throughout the process, her eyes never left the reports.
After the bath, Lily left her bedroom and spent ten minutes reaching her office. Sitting down, she pondered for less than three seconds before looking at Kalifa. "Ten Magnetic Islands. I'll dictate, you write, and then report to the three Admirals for their allocation."
Kalifa skillfully picked up her pen and paper, ready to jot down Lily's words.
The Magnetic Great Island, which includes the three islands mentioned by Ajin, is currently located near Mermaid Island. There are five routes, each leading to two islands, and the information is all recent, compiled together.
"Mondigu has developed quite well, with a university and a cathedral. The university should remain as is, teaching whatever they have been teaching. As for the cathedral, we can ask the local bishop if he’s willing to replace the deity with Sag. If not, we’ll abolish it and change the doctrine. The island has many estates, making it a good place for wine production, which is Sag’s favorite. So, let’s focus on the wine industry."
"Sevimadri has very fertile land and some grasslands. We don’t need to produce unnecessary items. I’ll set a few points for reform. Let’s focus on cotton, tobacco, and sheep."
"Ceylanca has a tropical monsoon climate and produces gems, but the yield is too low, so we don’t need to regulate this much. They grow tea well, so let’s focus on that. They are also known for their clothing, so we can develop both industries."
Lily quickly recited the information and development plans she had noted down within half an hour.
The connectivity between the islands is quite poor, but the transport industry of the Apocalypse Pirates is quite efficient, ensuring basic connectivity. While small-scale agriculture isn’t prohibited, it’s generally not included in the plan. The current focus is on the main industries each island will develop in the future.
As for other secondary industries, whoever wants to do them can do them; she only cares about the main direction.
After dictating the plans for several islands, Lily paused for a moment and said, "The three newest islands: Reedchiled Island is a tropical rainforest with abundant natural resources. For now, focus on mining and farming, and we can make adjustments later. Remember to remind me about this."
"Mistria Island is very important because it has copper and gold deposits. We need to deploy more troops here. Normally, we station between five hundred to a thousand people on a Magnetic Great Island, but for this one, we’ll station two thousand. We need to keep a close eye on it."
"Thundergod Island has frequent thunderstorms and a variety of fierce beasts. The island is quite barren and sparsely populated. We can try to develop it for animal husbandry, but if that’s not possible, we can use it as a training ground. Harsh natural conditions are excellent for building willpower."
Not all Magnetic Great Islands are inhabited or have industries. Some are barren and have nothing but harsh weather. Given the harsh climate, normal people would have long since moved away and wouldn’t settle there.
However, these islands aren’t entirely useless. From a broader perspective, anyone who can survive on Thundergod Island and hunt the beasts there is bound to be an elite. It can indeed serve as a training ground.
As for the areas with frequent thunderstorms, the soil is likely fertile, but we’ll put that on hold for now and consider it later.
After laying out the plans for the Magnetic Great Islands, Lily moved on to the other islands discovered around them.
"Who do you recommend as the admiral for Sribaga Island, Kalifa?" Lily asked.
"Akai."
Kalifa thought for a moment and said, "He was Sag’s old subordinate from the East Sea era and worked well with us in Maryland."
"Akai, I remember him. He used to be under Crik."
Lily smiled slightly. "He lost an arm and an eye, right? Alright, let’s choose him. As for the neighboring Linya Island, let’s pick Mani. He was an old subordinate from the Bridge Kingdom era and can serve as the admiral."
Their strategy is as follows: follow the log pose, initially occupy the Magnetic Great Islands, and then use them as a base to send exploration ships. These ships, manned by navigators, will map the sea charts and plant a life paper of a specific person on each discovered island.
Then, the subsequent forces will land and conquer the islands. This method has been used before and has proven to be very effective.
However, mere conquest isn’t enough. Planting a flag is just a formality. During the early part of Sag’s nominal rule, many surrounding islands had flags planted, but due to expansion limits, they were left alone and not officially recognized.
To truly control an island, it’s essential to have subordinates stationed there as admirals.
In the past, these positions were filled by elites—those who could maintain order through their martial prowess or those who could get things done through their capabilities. They were all sent to the islands.
Now, with the rapid expansion, it’s not feasible to handpick each one. So, when Lily consulted Sag, he waved his hand and decided to give more responsibility to the old subordinates, allowing them to enjoy a bit of comfort as well.
The role of an admiral is significant in terms of responsibility but also in status. High pay and significant power make it a position that many view as a comfortable retirement.
Pirates aren’t known for precision and efficiency. As long as they’re loyal to Sag and follow the rules, it’s good enough.
There’s an old saying among the old crew: their hardships ended once they fought alongside Sag and infiltrated Augustus.
It’s true. Ever since the East Sea days, they braved the storms and battled the Navy and guards, surviving through violent seas and storms. Countless lives were lost to reach this point.
Sag is powerful, but he can’t do everything alone. He needs his subordinates to get things done.
And now, it’s time for these subordinates to reap the rewards of their efforts.
Fairness?
They’re pirates, and fairness comes from Sag alone. If they don’t like it, they can take it up with him.
After dealing with over thirty weak magnetic field islands that couldn’t be pinpointed by the Log Pose, Lily began to manage the affairs of the conquered islands. By then, it was already seven o’clock.
The maids pushed the breakfast cart into the office, set the table, and stood by respectfully.
Lily sat at the head of the table and invited Kalifa to join her. After taking a spoonful of the thick soup in front of her, she frowned slightly and then smiled lightly.
“My tastes have changed. Maria has been too busy to cook lately.”
“Lady Maria has been working hard on logistics, and the Governor has been enduring it for days,” Kalifa said with a smile. “But I think this tastes pretty good too.”
Lily nodded gently and continued, “We’ve only mined halfway through the stone on Tyltren and started extracting lodestones. With so many islands, we need a lot of materials to make permanent Log Poses.”
“Reduce gold mining on Sulent by 30% and focus more on spices. Some of the newly conquered islands have unique spices. See if we can plant them here to increase production.”
Rare spices require specific soil conditions. Some islands have very little of the necessary land, but the spices are excellent. Fortunately, we have a large territory, so we can try planting them on other islands.
After all, with so many islands, it’s not always possible to stick to a set plan. Some adjustments are necessary as circumstances change.
Islands that mine stones can’t keep mining forever; they will eventually run dry and risk damaging the island’s ecosystem. They need to transition gradually.
These issues are among Lily’s top priorities.
She finished her breakfast while planning the future of the other islands. By the time she wrapped up the affairs of the old islands, it was already ten o’clock.
“Should we meet the two new recruits today?”
Seeing that Lily had finished her basic work, Kalifa, acting as her secretary, brought up some new matters.
“Oh, the two from Hailar.”
Lily nodded. “Can we fit it in today?”
“It’s doable. You have ten minutes,” Kalifa said.
“Then let them in.”
Sivir and Heinrich had been waiting to be received since they finished handling the island’s affairs. They arrived at the palace’s reception room every day and waited all day.
Mainly because Lily was too busy to deal with them. As for Sag—
Why would he need to manage his subordinates?
Lily never relied on Sag in this regard.
About three minutes later, Sivir and Heinrich arrived at the office. Before they could even speak, Lily said directly:
“I know your backgrounds, and it was my suggestion to recruit you. I’m very busy, so I hope you can take some of the load off me. But I need to verify your capabilities first.”
Lily looked at Sivir, who was a mix of confusion, shock, and discomfort, and said:
“I have high hopes for you. I want you to be my chief admiral. Muna Island is not far from Hailar. I’m sending you there as the head. You have one month.”
“The requirement is that everyone on the island must have a high level of devotion to Sag. Also, the industries there are chaotic. I need you to untangle the mess and determine the best main industry for the island. Of course, the data and our business structure will be provided to you. Any questions?”
“I, I—”
Before Sivir could speak, Lily waved her hand. “It’s settled. Choose your team. You can take your brainwashed old subordinates if you want. The ship is at the port. Go take charge now.”
With that, she had the maids escort Sivir out and then turned to Heinrich. “Your abilities are very useful. I hear you can control eagles. Interested in managing the newspaper and distributing information?”
This guy’s current abilities are similar to those of Morgans, which fits Sag’s recent plans perfectly.
Distributing the three major landmarks’ information and delivering papers to the latter half of the route!
(End of Chapter)
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