After temporarily wrapping up the smuggling business, William needed to find more opportunities for the distillery. In addition to the regular alcoholic beverages it produced, he planned to introduce a high-end product line, focusing on premium packaging and emphasizing product differentiation. Furthermore, he intended to promote the so-called health benefits of honey and wine, concepts from his previous life, to break into the untapped health and gift markets of this world.
However, Sherlock raised a valid concern. Previously, the distillery's alcoholic beverages sold well in the Navia Kingdom due to the prohibition laws, which eliminated most competition. But now that they could no longer access this thirsty market, the distillery would face direct competition.
The wine produced by the Maple Village distillery lacked brand recognition and didn't possess any outstanding qualities, leading to less-than-ideal sales.
"You don't need to worry about that," William reassured him, sharing his idea of having the crew of the Morgan Pirates invest part of their plunder as capital to buy shares in the land-based business.
Sherlock's eyes widened, and he clapped his hands in excitement, unable to hide his admiration. "A shareholding company? William, you're brilliant!"
He paced back and forth, looking even more thrilled than Edmond had been upon learning that William had consumed a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
"With your pirate crew, why would we ever worry about competition? And with shares, we don't have to worry about your crew slacking off. The better the business does, the greater their returns. The more important the company shares become to them, the more they'll naturally protect the company's interests without us needing to remind them. Plus, this raises the cost of betrayal. If they dare to leave your banner, they'll have to say goodbye to all their prior investments."
William sighed. When he first revealed this plan, perhaps only Kuro had grasped some of its implications; the other pirates hadn't considered the deeper meaning. Sherlock truly was a natural-born businessman.
"While you're managing things on land, remember to recruit talent," William said once Sherlock's excitement had subsided a bit. "On the ship, we need navigators, gunners, and sailors. On land, we need teachers, media professionals, craftsmen—anyone with skills or abilities. I want them all!"
"Recruiting so many people—can you even use them all right away?" Sherlock asked.
"What's the point of making so much money if I can't spend it? I'd rather recruit them now and pay to keep them than scramble to find people when I need them later!" William declared. "I'm planning to build a shipyard in Maple Village, so prioritize recruiting talent for that."
Sherlock nodded. Edmond, unable to hold back any longer, finally asked, "William, you've assigned everyone else. What about me?"
"You'll stay with Sherlock and ensure his safety," William replied. If it weren't for the fact that some of the older pirates in the Morgan Pirates had seen Edmond before, and that William wasn't yet ready to reveal his crew's true identity or openly clash with Arcadio and others, Edmond might have been a better choice than Aramis to join the ship. But reality didn't allow for such "what-ifs."
Sherlock would be meeting many people while managing the business and recruiting talent. The sea was a chaotic place, full of all sorts of characters. Since Sherlock had no training in self-defense, he needed someone to protect him. Among the group, Edmond's combat skills were second only to Gin's, making him more than capable for the job.
Having dreamed of becoming a pirate since childhood, Edmond couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at not being able to join the ship. However, understanding the reasons behind William's decision, he had no complaints.
Seeing his expression, William spoke seriously, "Your job is to protect Sherlock. If anything happens to him, I won't forgive you!"
Edmond set aside his disappointment and replied earnestly, "Understood."
After issuing orders to everyone, William exhaled deeply and leaned back against the edge of the pool, tilting his head upward to gaze at the ceiling.
The bathhouse ceiling featured a meticulously crafted ukiyo-e painting with a dragon as the central figure. The rising steam from the pool swirled around the dragon's body like clouds, making the ferocious golden dragon appear almost alive.
"Be cautious, but don't be overly timid," William said softly, staring into the dragon's eyes through the mist. "Since we've chosen this path, there's no turning back. We can only move forward. If we settle for minor gains and mediocrity, it'll lead to our demise. Right now, we're insignificant in the eyes of the world. But trust me, one day, we'll leave the world utterly speechless."
"Of course!" everyone responded in unison.
The group gradually dispersed, leaving only Gin behind with William.
"Do you think we can get information about the Six Powers from Roy?" William asked.
"It's unlikely. Roy is quite cautious. If it were Nezumi, maybe, but he might not be able to get his hands on the materials. Besides, these physical techniques aren't just about reading notes—you can't easily learn them just by studying books," Gin replied after some thought.
William pondered for a moment before saying, "Still, we should try. We can have Nezumi approach Roy with the request. If Roy agrees, that's ideal. If not, we haven't lost anything, and it might even drive a wedge between them."
William then asked, "What do you think of Nezumi as a person?"
Gin paused briefly before giving his eight-character assessment with disdain: "Money-hungry and afraid to die."
William smiled at this evaluation. "I want to help him become the highest-ranking officer of the 16th Branch. What do you think? Any objections?"
William's original plan had been to support Gin in becoming the highest-ranking officer of the 16th Branch. With his funding and the ability to transfer credit for defeating other pirate crews, Gin could easily rise through the ranks. But after hearing about the Six Powers, William had changed his mind. He felt obtaining this technique was also crucial. If the path through Roy proved difficult, he might consider sending Gin to Marine Headquarters for training.
After careful consideration, Gin gave a firm answer: "No problem."
But he immediately followed up with, "What about Roy?"
"Roy must die," William said calmly. "After hearing your assessment of him, I want his life even more. But we'll wait until Nezumi becomes part of the base's senior leadership, maybe even second-in-command, before sending Roy to his grave. That way, Nezumi's succession will face fewer obstacles and surprises. We'll bring Nezumi into the plan too, and have him prove his loyalty to us."
"We'll need to be extra careful when dealing with Roy. He's not just an officer from Marine Headquarters; he also trained under the once-famous 'Black Arm' Zephyr," Gin said gravely. He hadn't mentioned this when Aramis and the others were present, fearing it would discourage them. Only when alone with William did he feel comfortable sharing this information.
"Zephyr?" William repeated the name. "Never heard of him."
"I learned a bit about him from Nezumi," Gin explained. "More than twenty years ago, during the golden age of legendary pirates like the Pirate King, Whitebeard, and Shiki the Golden Lion, he was a Marine Admiral. But he resigned after just a few years."
(According to the encyclopedia, "steam" is a general term that needs to be qualified before use, such as water vapor, mercury vapor, etc., referring to gas formed by evaporation, boiling, or sublimation of liquids or solids. "Vapor" is a specific term referring to water steam. William has the Steam-Steam Fruit, though currently, he can only affect water vapor.)
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