Chapter 56: Starry Sky Jolly Roger
With bellies full of food and wine, having made enough noise, the subordinates lay down on the ground and snored soundly.
As for Sag, he had the subordinates responsible for the night watch move tents out from the Death Omen Star.
Among the supplies looted from the royal palace and various warships, there was naturally camping equipment. Although they were simple tents, the contents were quite luxurious.
While the Deep Forest Kingdom didn't have much money, they could procure some decent furs, which were just right for making beds inside the tents.
He, Sag, was someone aiming to be a Lord Landlord! How could he possibly sleep the same way as his subordinates? Even when camping, there had to be different treatment!
Thus, after a large tent was erected, three smaller tents were set up beside it. Along with the subordinates sleeping on the ground, the world rotated with the starry sky above, transitioning from dark night to dawn.
Sag was awakened by a fragrant aroma.
He had slept more soundly this time than usual. Using 'Life Return' indeed consumed stamina, something that no amount of eating could replenish; it still required rest to recover.
After a good sleep, he felt completely restored. Pushing aside the tent flap, he saw Marika already preparing food.
In a huge pot, a meat stew made from the animals hunted the previous night was simmering, with apples and some honey dates added. The rich aroma whetted the appetite.
"Ara, is the Captain awake? I was just thinking of having a subordinate call you... Please wait a moment, breakfast will be ready soon," Marika smiled.
"Where did such a big pot come from?" Sag asked. "Did Renettia make it?"
"Yes, because I'm responsible for feeding several hundred people, I thought having a large pot was quite necessary," Marika chuckled.
Those shackles weren't wasted either; Renettia melted them all down. At the very least, they were iron, so it shouldn't be wasted. It just so happened that Marika needed a pot, so she made a large iron pot first. The remaining materials were stockpiled, to be used later when iron was needed for repairs.
"Assign some people to you. Even if you enjoy doing it all yourself, when holding banquets, don't make people wait too long. And train some cooks along the way," Sag said.
Among the six hundred or so people, although they were determined, not everyone enjoyed fighting. That was a separate matter from whether they *could* fight. Perhaps some people preferred cooking. Of course, if they were willing to fight, they could do both.
People with special roles on the ship could receive a slightly larger share of the spoils than ordinary combatants.
"Ara, then I'll start selecting people later," Marika smiled and nodded.
Waiting for the meat stew to finish cooking, the group enjoyed their breakfast on the island, filled wooden barrels with enough fresh water, and only then returned to the ship.
Arriving at an island, of course, required a careful search for anything useful.
Besides fresh water and the leftover meat, they also cut down enough wood on the island for reserve. Especially regarding food, on average, every ten pirates managed to kill a beast. Although the size was just normal, it could still supplement their meat supply.
After all, they had the daily needs of several hundred people to consider. Relying solely on stores, if they encountered an accident at sea and couldn't reach the next town, that would be bad.
So upon reaching an island, they definitely needed to gather some supplies.
The profession of a pirate involved weathering the wind and rain; before securing their own territory, they were all just a struggling group (苦哈哈 - ku ha ha, implying hardship and lack).
At their current size, robbing ordinary towns was no longer effective. Usually, they would select a location as a temporary base, then send pirates out in batches to find and rob merchant ships.
But Sag couldn't do that now. Having just destroyed Bridge-Top Kingdom and encountered Garp, this matter wouldn't stay small. In a place like the East Blue, they would sooner or later be surrounded and crushed. Breaking into the Grand Line was the better option.
After all, there were plenty of pirates in that place. Plunging in headfirst wouldn't attract much notice, and the Marines wouldn't focus their full strength on him. But in the East Blue, he stood out, attracting the attention of Marine HQ and the entire East Blue.
Simply put, the East Blue wouldn't allow someone as badass (牛逼 - niubi) as him to exist!
The longer they stayed, the more trouble it would be.
Sag walked towards the Death Omen Star. Just then, Renettia, covered head-to-toe in paint, appeared on the ship's railing, waving at him.
The black sails had undergone a major transformation. Their blackness resembled the night sky, dotted with numerous star patterns, like a starry expanse.
And beneath this starry expanse, a faint, looming skull pattern dominated the entire field, as if the starry sky itself was enveloped by the skull.
"The Jolly Roger?" Sag was stunned.
"Hehe! *I* designed this Jolly Roger, pretty good, right! Since we're the 'Natural Disaster' pirates, it has to be related to the sky! A skull hidden within the stars - that represents disaster!"
Renettia proudly tilted her small head, saying, "This is the Jolly Roger *I* designed for the crew!"
Her expression looked like she was waiting expectantly for Sag's praise.
Lily, following beside him, whispered, "She woke up at dawn, gathered some people, and designed the flag. I suggested a starry sky theme, since you often gaze at the stars..."
Pointing at the starry sky, telling people the Death Omen Star is shining – it fit perfectly.
How could a pirate crew not have a Jolly Roger? They had enough crew members now, the crew had a name, so of course, they needed a corresponding Jolly Roger.
"Not bad."
Glancing at the flag on the sail and the one flying at the top of the mast, Sag nodded with satisfaction and walked onto the ship.
These were good subordinates.
The essence of being a landlord was letting subordinates handle the affairs below, while he just enjoyed the benefits.
Although the venture hadn't fully succeeded yet, and they still lacked a stable territory, they pretty much had everything else they needed!
Becoming a pirate was definitely the right choice!
"Set sail!"
Standing on the deck, Sag waved boldly. "Straight to the Grand Line! Let's head towards our goal: the New World!"
"Oooooh!!"
The pirates, already on deck and ready, cheered loudly. Under Lily's command, they raised the sails and set course, departing from the island and following the sea chart towards Reverse Mountain.
With around six hundred people, some had been pirates before, though not many, but this wasn't a major issue. Handling a ship wasn't that complicated. Veterans teaching rookies plus plenty of hands-on practice meant soon everyone learned how to handle the ship, sparing Renettia from having to constantly use her ability to propel the ship.
Besides basic sailing relying on wind, they had an auxiliary power system, a combination of steam and manual power. Normally, it used either boiled water for steam or manual pedaling. Renettia could forcibly activate it with her ability, but doing so consumed considerable stamina.
During the escape from Bridge-Top Kingdom, Renettia had also expended a lot of stamina. Driving such a large ship entirely with her ability was certainly not easy.
Luckily, Garp's warship hadn't pursued them; otherwise, they truly wouldn't have known how to escape.
Now, with half the necessary crew size, they could operate the ship.
The remaining subordinates could be recruited gradually later.
"Sag, if we're going to Reverse Mountain, should we stop somewhere nearby to resupply and make repairs?"
In the third-floor meeting room, Lily pointed at a sea chart showing the location of Reverse Mountain and an island near it. "According to the chart, there's a town here."
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