Yet another country bumpkin dreaming of joining high society.
Count Arcadio smirked inwardly but decided not to reject William's proposal, as it conveniently addressed one of his concerns.
If William had no desires, Arcadio would find the situation difficult. Despite his disdain for William's origins, William was still the leader of a pirate crew. If things turned sour, he could indeed make Arcadio's life difficult, even threaten his safety. Much like a beast, you can mock them for their primitive ways, but their fangs and claws are their intimidation and bargaining chips.
However, if William coveted a noble title, things became easier. It was akin to William, the beast, willingly entering a cage for stable food. His ambition to become a noble and be part of the upper echelons of society meant he could no longer remain an outsider. He would have to integrate into the kingdom's system and consider the opinions of the kingdom's finance minister, since it was the Navia Kingdom granting him the coveted noble title.
This would also ensure that Arcadio could maintain a degree of control over the forces William commanded.
Having made up his mind, Arcadio still played his cards carefully, drawing out his tone as he tentatively asked, "Given this, I have another question. If His Majesty agrees to your proposal, you become a noble, and your subordinates are integrated into the kingdom's army, then what about military expenses...?"
William was momentarily stunned, inwardly cursing Arcadio's stinginess and greed, but outwardly he quickly displayed an excited expression, seemingly forgetting everything upon hearing he could become a noble. He eagerly replied, "Self-provided, we'll supply all our own provisions."
Arcadio frowned; the phrase "self-provided provisions" struck him as odd. "Your enthusiasm for serving the country is commendable. I'm sure His Majesty will be pleased and likely agree to this proposal. Your subordinates will no longer bear the dirty pirate identity, and you can become a noble member of Navia Kingdom's upper society."
Arcadio had actually accepted William's proposal, especially upon hearing that William wouldn't require military funding. This meant he could rightfully pocket the military budget while only paying the price of a noble title from Navia Kingdom. Since it was the state making the offer, what did he have to lose?
William wasn't angered by Arcadio's unconsciously condescending tone. He nodded repeatedly, appearing spineless, which made Arcadio feel both amused and somewhat disdainful.
Arcadio, no longer interested in speaking with William, turned to Roy. "Is there really no way to resist Germa 66?"
Roy took a drag on his cigar, shifting his gaze from William to Arcadio. "You know the Vinsmoke family of Germa Kingdom once dominated the North Blue, right? That sea is nothing like the East Blue, where pirate forces run rampant. The local nations have developed higher military standards to survive in such an environment. Against such a nation, such an army, what do you have to resist them? That empty-headed king's vacant mind?"
"Just put on a show for your useless king," Roy waved dismissively.
Roy's words made Arcadio realize that Navia Kingdom lacked the means to resist Germa 66. Even with William's Morgan Pirates, the best he could do was fulfill Norton I's order to expand the military and pray Germa 66 wouldn't target them, ultimately earning Norton I's praise for completing the task.
Roy was cautious and prudent, a trait Arcadio knew well. Since Roy had made his stance clear, he wouldn't help against an enemy as formidable as Germa 66.
With nothing more to discuss, William rose to take his leave, guided by a servant through the estate, across gardens, and to the front gate.
William appeared in high spirits, humming a tune softly as he walked.
Outside the gate, Hatcheson, sporting a ruddy nose, was talking to a somewhat inexperienced young pirate. Upon seeing William emerge from the estate, they both approached him.
"Captain, why are you in such a good mood?" The young pirate, Ropita. Rolle, asked curiously.
Hatcheson, hearing this, scolded in a fatherly manner, "Why are you so curious? You want to know everything!"
Rolle pouted and fell silent.
"The captain has secured a good future for everyone, that's why he's happy," William said with a smile, patting Rolle on the shoulder.
William's pirate crew was quite diverse. He commanded four ships with over three hundred crew members, including veterans from Barbarossa's era, visitors from the Grand Line, talents recruited from defeating other pirate crews, and newcomers hired from the shore.
Ropita. Rolle belonged to the latter category. Unlike the bankrupt sailors, fishermen, and ruffians previously recruited, he came from a "respectable family." He was the son of a village chief whom William had saved. Rolle had some education and knew a bit about navigation. He had no prior intentions or needs to become a pirate until his father was killed by attacking pirates. After witnessing William and the Morgan Pirates defeat the attackers, Rolle was drawn to them and voluntarily joined the crew.
Rolle's skills were average; he was only seventeen and lacked systematic training. William recruited him with experimental intentions, and there were several other newcomers with similar backgrounds on board. As William expected, these originally honest young men quickly assimilated into the pirate lifestyle, adopting many of its vices in less than half a month—drinking, gambling, womanizing, and cunning became second nature.
Only Rolle managed to maintain some of his initial demeanor, so William kept him close, teaching him swordsmanship and minimizing contact with the more unsavory pirates to reduce their influence.
Humans are social creatures, and few can remain untainted in a corrupt environment. Pursuing this is impractical, and William, recognizing this, already had plans to form a unit composed primarily of individuals like Rolle, free from the typical pirate habits.
The act he put on in front of Arcadio was actually a spur-of-the-moment decision, deliberately staged. His true intention was to acquire the grounds and legitimacy to form an army. As a pirate crew, even if he attacked other malicious pirates, recruiting crew members lacked a legitimate reason. Donning the guise of a state changed everything, especially since William needed to separate from his original pirate crew.
His display of desperation for a noble title was entirely for Arcadio's benefit, a spontaneous performance relying on William's cleverness and adaptability.
"You go find Dampier and tell him I want to buy an estate in the noble district. It should be large, luxurious, and preferably extravagant—something that suits a nouveau riche's taste," William instructed Hatcheson with a smile. "He's the local bigwig, so he can handle this. Also, let him know there's no rush to complete the transaction, but he can make a show of it."
Hatcheson was puzzled but nodded in agreement. William then turned to Rolle and said, "You go with him."
Rolle was about to leave with Hatcheson when he noticed William still standing there and asked curiously, "Captain, aren't you leaving with us?"
William laughed heartily, "I'm buying an estate, so I should inspect the area, take a stroll around the noble district until the guards find me suspicious and question me, then I'll leave."
Once the confused pair had departed, William strolled along the estate's walls, heading deeper into the noble district. With no one around, he swayed his head as if unable to contain his joy and satisfaction.
With no one around, William swayed his head and, as if singing opera, muttered theatrically in a language no one in this world could understand:
"The carnivores are ignorant, unable to foresee..."
His tone carried a heavy dose of disdain.
...
On the balcony, Arcadio sipped his tea, watching William swagger down the road, and let out a contemptuous laugh. "Ignorant country bumpkin."
(Information about the release schedule and additional updates has been posted in the related sections.)
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