Chapter 92: Pirate Morality
"Deep cooperation?"
Sag raised an eyebrow. "How do you want to cooperate?"
A Shichibukai cooperating with an ordinary pirate like him? What was there to cooperate on?
Crocodile exhaled smoke. "If you want to occupy territory in the New World, the required funds are considerable. I can invest in you, but correspondingly, after I enter the New World, you help me. How about it?"
In terms of financial resources, he was completely lacking.
What he lacked most were influence and helpers.
Sag was strong, Crocodile could sense that. Moreover, he was a budding newcomer, and seemed to be of a similar type to himself. Cooperation was possible.
"Help you? As an underling?"
Sag crossed his legs. "Are you joking with me, Crocodile?"
Crocodile said gravely, "How could someone like you follow others? It's merely mutual utilization. You guarantee my plan proceeds without errors, and I guarantee your plan encounters no problems."
So-called cooperation, naturally, wasn't about mutual trust; he wasn't that kind of person. By nature, he trusted no one.
But long-term mutual utilization could still be established.
"Hmm…"
Sag nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Alright. But I don't need your investment. My territory must be controlled by me personally. Let's change the terms. As a Shichibukai, you have quite a few businesses, right? How about letting me take a share?"
Among the Shichibukai, even Doflamingo didn't have as many money-making channels as Crocodile. This guy could be called the pirate who made the most money!
This was also the point Sag envied the most.
Others seemed to succeed effortlessly in everything they did. In comparison, even robbing was fraught with difficulties for him.
This robbery in Arabasta was probably the easiest so far.
Even so, upon first arriving, he had already fought two consecutive battles.
If his strength had been any weaker, he would have died there.
Having robbed so much money, being unable to spend it was also a problem. Currently, he couldn't go to the New World yet. Neither he nor his subordinates were prepared for that aspect.
Before then, having too much robbed money was also a hassle.
Everyone liked money, but if there was too much and it couldn't be used, it became a burden.
His ship was only so big; the amount of treasure it could hold was limited. He couldn't just stop robbing after it was full, could he?
Besides those collectibles worth admiring, the remaining money always needed somewhere to go.
Before having territory, even finding a place to bury treasure was troublesome. He had profound confidence in his own bad luck; he was basically certain that if he buried it today, someone would find it tomorrow.
This portion of money was originally intended for business. Possessing fixed assets could guarantee that even if he capsized, he would still have a chance to make a comeback.
Even without Crocodile, he was prepared to find a suitable opportunity and continue starting businesses!
Now, Crocodile's invitation presented him with just the opportunity.
Working for someone was out of the question, but cooperation was perfectly acceptable.
His luck was bad; he failed in every line of work he tried. But surely someone who knew how to do business like this wouldn't also fail in every venture, right?
Investing some money, what if money made money?
"Take a share? Not impossible. How much money do you have?"
Crocodile certainly controlled many channels. In the underworld, he also participated in finance, transportation, and warehousing businesses.
Not accepting investment, but being invested in instead was also fine. It was just a matter of a contract guarantee.
Sag's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "I'll use the money robbed from Rainbase and Alubarna to buy shares. The size of the business doesn't matter; earning even a little bit is fine!"
This way, his money would at least have a channel where it could be stored and withdrawn at any time.
As for putting it in a bank…
He was a target wanted by the World Government. Putting money in what bank? Wasn't that ridiculous?
Veins popped on Crocodile's forehead. "You rob money from my territory, then give it back to me, and expect me to help you make more money?"
"Don't fuss over the details. Our contract is established; it's all mine anyway. As for Alubarna, you be your hero, I'll rob my treasure," Sag smiled.
Whether creatures like pirates were trustworthy depended on the person, but most people still paid great attention to promises and contracts.
Crocodile was one of them.
In fact, on this sea, even small figures wouldn't necessarily go back on their word.
Sag didn't consider himself a small figure, and Crocodile, as a Shichibukai, was naturally a standard big figure.
Crocodile stared deeply at Sag, lit another cigar, waited for the smoke to drift up, then said:
"Alright. I agree to your conditions. But don't rob Rainbase. Ultimately, it's my property. As for valuation, let's count it as 500 million Beli principal from you."
"Deal," Sag thought for a moment and agreed to this valuation.
It wasn't an economic hub like Loguetown. Just a gambling city in the desert; its scale was limited. Although he was more interested in Crocodile's personal wealth, the man's money wasn't all kept in Rainbase.
Compared to a cooperation channel, he could let this city go.
"Originally, letting you go to Alubarna was just to add a layer of security to my plan. Since you're actively participating, I might as well tell you what's truly behind this 'Utopia' plan," Crocodile said slowly.
The so-called Utopia plan was to let the royal army and the rebel army fight in the capital city Alubarna, simultaneously detonating special bombs hidden in Alubarna to eliminate the king and most of the army.
Without a leader, Crocodile, as the hero of this desert, would naturally be supported by the people, indirectly seizing control of this kingdom.
Whether he became king or not didn't matter, as long as this country fell into his hands.
"Deep within this desert lies buried a terrifying weapon. A single strike can destroy an island. Only by obtaining this country can I find that thing. For this, I need Arabasta's army completely buried. As long as I am in control, I will have enough time to find that weapon."
After hearing Crocodile's plan, Sag seemed somewhat uninterested. "I have no interest in that kind of thing. One's own strength is the most important."
He seemed to remember something like that being here, but couldn't recall exactly what it was, but it wasn't important.
Others could rely on external objects; he couldn't.
With his kind of bad luck, whether he could find it was one thing, and whether he could use it if found was another. With that time, it was better to improve himself.
Personal strength was the only choice to ensure his plans didn't go wrong. He had always operated this way.
"Personal strength, huh…"
Crocodile's action of biting the cigar paused slightly. He didn't know what he thought of,愣 (stared blankly/paused) for a while, then shook his head. "I have my plan. You just need to guarantee you can do your part."
"Is that so…" A red dot flashed in Sag's eyes. He smiled, "Then let's leave it at that. But you should be careful. Staying in this desert for too long, it's easy to lose your spirit. Don't get defeated by some small-time pirate from nowhere, for example…"
Bang!
From the cage in front of them, several people suddenly fell out, landing on the ground.
"...a certain hot-blooded small-time pirate."
Sag looked towards the cage at the Straw Hat youth who had been thrown down but stood up again.
"Crocodile!"
The Straw Hat boy grabbed the bars of the cage, shouting loudly at Crocodile seated on the sofa, "Fight me!!"
Crocodile's face darkened, a shadow appearing in his eyes. He slowly said to Sag, "Are you perhaps underestimating me a little…"
Saying this, he stood up, facing the people inside the cage. "Trash like this is worthy of defeating me? Don't be hasty. The main guest hasn't arrived yet. When they do, I'll deal with all of you together."
"Damn it! You even used a despicable trap… I have no strength," Luffy, grabbing the bars, suddenly went limp and fell back to the ground.
"This was an avoidable trap! Why did you have to go through the Pirate Passage?! You clearly could have gone through the VIP room!" Nami roared at Luffy.
"Hahahaha, truly beyond my expectations! Does someone really walk through that idiot passage?" Sag laughed, amused. "The sea is truly magical."
He had just been saying he didn't know what kind of idiot would walk through the passage marked 'Pirate,' and then someone actually approached it.
Inside the cage were four people.
Besides Luffy, there was a green-haired guy, a long-nosed guy, and a clever orange-haired woman.
"Hey, why are you here?"
Zoro pressed the hilt of his sword at his waist, gazing intently at Sag, and said gravely, "Are you cooperating with Crocodile?"
"Natural Disaster!"
Nami and Usopp hugged each other, crying out in fear, "It's over! Why is he here too!"
Two hundred and seventy million…
This number completely exceeded the limits of their imagination.
Luffy was only thirty million, not even reaching the odd amount of his bounty.
"Just take them down together!"
Luffy climbed up, glared at Sag, then reached out and grabbed the bars again. "You bastard, you really are a bad guy… I have no strength again."
"Then don't touch it!" Zoro shouted, then fell into contemplation. "Wait, why do you have no strength…"
"Seastone."
Sag shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa, extinguished his cigar in the ashtray, poured a glass of wine, and said slowly, "A type of stone possessing the energy of the sea. If ability users rely solely on their abilities, it will leave them powerless."
Saying this, he drained the wine in his glass, stood up, and said, "Let's go, Old Sand (Lao Sha - familiar/disrespectful nickname). Get me some Log Poses and mounts. Since I'm not robbing Rainbase, I need to take my subordinates to Alubarna."
"Don't call me Old Sand!"
Crocodile's face darkened. "Regarding the items, I will instruct people to give them to you. Just right, my agents should be arriving soon too. I will send a message to them, lest you be hindered by them."
Sag shrugged and walked towards the upper stairs.
…
After getting several Log Poses and a few crocodile chariots (Bananawani) from Crocodile, Sag set off with his people in a vast and mighty procession.
"Eh? We're not robbing anymore? I was all prepared to make a move."
A crocodile pulled a huge carriage, speeding across the desert, stirring up clouds of dust.
Inside the empty carriage sat Sag and the three women. Renettia, biting a straw, took a sip of water resupplied from Rainbase and spoke.
"No need. I used the money from Rainbase to buy shares. We'll just rob Alubarna."
Sag spread his hands, resting them on the back of the sofa behind him. He looked imposing and bold, smiling at the three women. "Life is just full of surprises like this. But this is a good thing. With a business channel, my dream is one step closer. In the future, the money I rob will also have a place to be put."
"A weapon…" Lily, however, pondered for a moment. "A weapon that can destroy an island with a casual strike, does it really exist? Renetti, with your technology, have you considered this kind of problem?"
They had also shared Sag's intelligence, knowing Crocodile's true purpose.
"I'm a shipwright, not a weaponsmith."
Renettia shook her head. "If it's a cannon, it would have to be at least a hundred times larger than current cannons, the barrel also a hundred times larger, and the firing speed would also need to exceed it by a hundred times. Only then might it be possible. But just accumulating that amount of gunpowder, once it misfires, it would be destructive. My technology can't achieve that yet."
"Truly a terrifying weapon…"
Marika's smile remained unchanged. "That Shichibukai, does he want this kind of thing? If he gets it…"
"It won't matter much either."
Sag's head, leaning back, slowly straightened. "The power to destroy an island isn't impossible on the sea. That crocodile has become petty… I remember now, it was after failing against Whitebeard that he lost his will."
"Whitebeard?" Lily asked.
"Ah," Sag nodded. "He seems to have challenged Whitebeard before. Really, in this desert, encountering three Logia users, but all three are failures."
One was assigned to the East Blue, restricted by superior orders and unable to move (Smoker).
One also challenged Whitebeard, was defeated, and became his 'son' (Ace).
Similarly, that crocodile also challenged, failed, became a Shichibukai, and is dreaming sweet dreams here at the entrance of the first half (of the Grand Line).
However, this one currently dreaming sweet dreams was now considered his cooperation partner.
As for whether Crocodile would lose…
In his memory, it seemed he did, but that was without Sag's participation.
"Although there's the favor to Garp…"
Sag lifted the curtain, looking at the desert rapidly passing outside. "But the grand plan to get rich is right before my eyes. When necessary, I won't let Crocodile fail."
Having finally found a business partner, Sag wouldn't let him lose!
Five hundred million Beli wasn't much, but the business channel was very important.
If Crocodile lost, where would he find another person like this?
If the Shichibukai was gone, he was gone. The country wasn't important either. What Sag needed to guarantee was that his money had a place to be put!
He wasn't interested in anything else.
Whoever destroyed his grand plan to get rich and his path to becoming a landlord was his enemy.
Sparing Luffy's life was already because he was giving face to Garp.
No choice. Even as a pirate, one had to talk morality (道义 - dào yì - righteousness/justice).
Sag wasn't the kind of petty person who went back on his word and lacked magnanimity. Otherwise, things like Haoshoku Haki wouldn't exist for him.
●●●
● 24 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
● https://www.patreon.com/c/Devmaya
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)