"Boss."
The door to the Black Serpent Merchant Guild headquarters office was knocked upon, and Claire, dressed in sharp business attire, entered with elegant strides.
"Ah, Claire. How are things with the guild?" Wilder looked up, a slight smile touching his lips.
"Everything is running normally, however..." Claire began, then hesitated.
"Hm?"
"Our funds are running low," she continued, standing straight but bowing slightly as she reported the guild's status. "We've nearly finished recruitment – we currently have five hundred crew members and twenty managerial staff. The daily operating costs are increasing steadily, and we don't have any income streams yet..."
"I understand. Funds will be available soon. As for income... that should start coming in shortly as well." Wilder nodded, his eyes darkening slightly in thought. Yes, it's about time, he mused internally. Time to begin.
The next afternoon, Wilder summoned everyone for a meeting at the Black Serpent Merchant Guild headquarters.
"Consolidate all forces in Chenoat, assemble the fleet, and open sea trade routes." These were Wilder's exact words. As he spoke them, a rough, long-term plan had already taken shape in his mind; this was merely the first step, not even the true beginning.
As for trade goods, Wilder planned to follow the Cloud Sea Merchant Guild's previous model, primarily selling common goods and some weaponry. Other, more illicit trades were currently beyond their reach due to a lack of established channels. Who was the best and most established in that particular business? A certain pink-haired figure surfaced in Wilder's mind, and a few related ideas began to germinate.
Becoming a dominant power on the seas was never a solo endeavor. It involved too many facets: strength, influence, connections, and more were just parts of the equation. Profit, however, was the core principle.
With the Giant Lizard Pirates annihilated and their captain, Paison, dead—killed by the anaconda now presumably under Wilder's sway—the merchant caravans within the Kingdom of Chenoat no longer needed to pay exorbitant "protection" fees. If Wilder left this power vacuum unfilled, another "Giant Lizard" would inevitably rise to take control. Naturally, Wilder wouldn't allow that to happen.
Thus, an armed fleet responsible for the coastal waters was established, with Sherilmo placed in charge. He was also tasked with overseeing territorial expansion.
Meanwhile, the Black Serpent Merchant Guild's own trading fleet, including its armed contingent, fell under the direct command of Claire and Franpetar. They would have the authority to deploy forces as needed to handle rival powers, while Wilder maintained overall strategic command.
Vice, Bacon, and Bica, along with Sherilmo, were assigned to expansion efforts, appointed as captains of Combat Squads One, Two, Three, and Four, respectively. Each would be responsible for pushing outwards in a specific direction, though initially, all would participate in consolidating power within Chenoat itself.
Ashin, Eigg, and Yves were tasked not only with intelligence gathering and recruiting special talents but also with logistics and, crucially in Wilder's view, establishing infrastructure—factories, research and development—all requiring unique skills. Ashin himself possessed such administrative and perhaps innovative talents, which was why Wilder had placed him in this vital role.
The basic framework of his organization was thus formed.
Wilder set a deadline of one week for consolidating power. Within a week, the Kingdom of Chenoat must have only one dominant force: Black Serpent.
In the courtyard of a wooden bungalow adorned with carvings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, a rockery stood beside trickling water, creating an atmosphere of tranquil elegance.
Wilder stood in the yard, shirtless, revealing well-defined muscles. He held a massive, round boulder above his head with both hands, performing rhythmic squats.
Having set his plans in motion, Wilder wasted no time and began his Armament Haki training.
Squatting with a one-ton boulder was just his warm-up. Next, Wilder moved on to conditioning his body through direct impact.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A tall tree, reinforced with thick steel plates, shuddered violently.
Wilder delivered whip-like kicks against the trunk, thick enough that it would take three people to encircle it. His standing foot sank deep into the earth, unmoving.
A faint, stinging pain radiated through his leg as his core muscles engaged, unleashing maximum power.
When one leg became unbearably sore, Wilder switched to the other, continuing the relentless assault on the tree trunk.
After conditioning his legs came his arms. The limbs were crucial tools for combat. Haki, fundamentally, involved drawing out the body's latent potential; therefore, forging the body to be stronger and tougher directly impacts the application and intensity of Haki.
Simply put, the body and Haki are like two legs: when one advances, it pulls the other forward; if one falters, the other falls back.
Was Wilder's body strong? Undeniably. His current physical prowess was likely comparable to some Vice Admirals specializing in hand-to-hand combat.
Yet, Wilder continued to push his physical limits. His current goal was to force out the latent Armament Haki slumbering within his body—to awaken it.
"Boss... the bath is ready," Claire's voice interrupted him. She approached, holding Wilder's clothes.
"Thank you for your trouble, Claire." Wilder stopped his training. For a Devil Fruit user, soaking in a hot bath after intense exercise was the ultimate pleasure.
Wilder had become quite addicted to these baths over the past few days.
Furthermore, Claire's attentive service during bath time was something Wilder found himself thoroughly enjoying. He realized, for the first time, that he might be getting a little spoiled, actually content with being pampered like this.
Yes, having his back scrubbed was genuinely enjoyable. Claire's fingers were soft, her cheeks flushed red... Wilder kept his eyes closed, savoring the sensation, yet acutely aware of every detail.
By the time he finished bathing, it was noon. Wilder took the clothes Claire offered, dressed neatly, and they walked out together, Claire trailing slightly behind him, a faint blush still dusting her cheeks.
"Boss... Huh? Eheheheh..."
A group waited outside. Seeing Wilder emerge, Bacon started to speak, but then noticed Claire's slightly flushed face and immediately broke into a knowing, suggestive laugh that everyone understood.
Thwack!
A high-heeled shoe instantly imprinted itself on his face, cutting the laughter short.
Claire retracted her foot, her expression cold.
The others shot Bacon pitying glances and shook their heads before turning to Wilder. "Boss, is it time to start?"
"Let's begin," Wilder commanded. "Work in pairs. Those who refuse recruitment... eliminate them!"
Soon, another crimson storm began to sweep through Chenoat.
The operation had begun!
Meanwhile, a Marine warship departed from Marine Headquarters, setting course for the East Blue.
Within the Kingdom of Chenoat, five teams began their operations, covering the north, south, east, west, and center. Wilder and Claire formed one team, assigned to the central district.
The Miatolo family was a significant power within Chenoat, having built their influence through arms dealing. This was Wilder's target.
"Aaargh!"
Screams echoed through the Miatolo family headquarters. Wilder and Claire walked at a leisurely pace, undeterred by the surrounding attacks. Their advance didn't halt for even a second. Blood stained their path forward.
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