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The warship navigated through obstacles with ease, heading straight toward its destination as if it were an empty field.
Along the way, they encountered some unfortunate pirates.
At this moment, the Marines made a point to gather all the kings and nobles, demonstrating their power by "annihilating" the pirates before their eyes.
No pirate fleet could withstand a single round against such a formidable force.
Any pirate targeted by them quickly tried to flee.
Even the Whitebeard Pirates had to retreat swiftly under such a threat.
After all, no one could ignore the fact that Vice Admiral Garp was leading the charge.
Meanwhile, the officers behind him casually brushed aside the deformed leaves like old currency.
The kings and nobles, who would normally be terrified at the sight of such infamous pirates, could only watch shockingly as the Marines handled them with ease.
Their shock was palpable, and the true might of the Marines was now fully apparent to them.
But these encounters were merely fleeting.
Soon, the warship docked at the port of Bertomy Passion Kingdom.
"Kings and nobles, please disembark in an orderly fashion. Thank you for your cooperation," the soldiers called out, guiding everyone off the warship.
Graeme and the CP0 team followed the group.
As they set foot on the soil of Bertomy Passion Kingdom, Garp approached them.
"So, everyone, would you like to see the houses now, or would you prefer to explore the area first?"
"Whatever you choose, Marine has already made all the necessary arrangements for you."
"Look over there!"
Everyone turned in the direction Garp pointed.
What they saw was a curious scene: ordinary people standing outside a white line, watching them intently.
It was as if they were ogling something rare and precious.
Although the civilians looked decent, and their clothes were clean and tidy, the kings and nobles were still taken aback by their enthusiasm.
"Don't worry, everyone, these are local residents of Bertomy Passion Kingdom."
"They've been employed by the Marines to serve as your guides for the next seven days, introducing you to everything here."
"It's important for everyone to get to know Bertomy Passion Kingdom. After all, if you decide to buy a house here, you'll be living here for a long time, so understanding the surrounding environment and facilities is crucial."
Hearing Garp's explanation, everyone nodded in agreement.
Indeed, regardless of whether they decided to buy later, it was essential to first check out the area's infrastructure and amenities.
Otherwise, they might rush into a purchase only to find themselves living in a ghost town.
Those who had been urgently seeking a safe place after their home kingdoms were destroyed were in no rush at the moment.
"Well then, I'll take a look around first."
"Let's wait two days and then go see the house."
"Same here."
Most of the kings decided to explore Bertomy Passion Kingdom first.
Graeme naturally followed their lead.
He was mainly there to observe how the Marines planned to profit from selling the houses. Since the potential buyers chose to wait, there was no point in him visiting the houses right away.
And he didn't have five billion berries to purchase one anyway.
So, Graeme and his subordinates randomly picked a little boy under the Marine's guidance to be their guide and then set off.
"My lords, welcome to Bertomy Passion Kingdom! You've come a long way."
"Our kingdom is famous worldwide for its variety of floral fragrances, so our specialty is perfumes of all kinds."
"If you're interested, I'd be happy to show you around."
The little boy was clearly thrilled to have been chosen.
He chatted non-stop, sharing everything he knew as they walked.
Graeme didn't interrupt, listening quietly.
"By the way, wasn't there a war here recently?"
"How come it doesn't look like a war-torn country at all?"
It wasn't until the boy paused that Graeme pointed to the surroundings and asked with a puzzled expression.
The ground beneath their feet was paved with stone slabs and cement.
The houses on either side looked newly built, yet people were already living in them.
Moreover, the civilians they passed didn't have the distressed faces typical of those in war-torn countries.
None of this seemed like the aftermath of a war-ravaged nation.
However, before coming here, Graeme had researched Bertomy Passion Kingdom, and it had indeed been in a state of chaos just a month ago.
When Graeme mentioned this, the boy's face suddenly lit up with gratitude and admiration.
He gazed up at the towering building in the center, his expression full of awe.
"That's all thanks to the help of the Fleet Admiral."
"He sent the Marines to help us end the war."
"Because of his assistance, many, many Devil Fruit users are now helping us rebuild the kingdom day and night."
The boy became talkative again, his words filled with admiration and gratitude for Akira and the Marines.
Graeme listened, piecing together what the Marines had done since intervening in the Bertomy Passion Kingdom's conflict.
In truth, the Marines hadn't needed to do much.
They simply suppressed a few ambitious individuals in public and then elevated Princess Cameron, essentially taking full control of the kingdom.
Children who grow up amid the chaos of war tend to mature quickly.
They endure hardships, grow up surrounded by guns and shells, and deeply understand the value of peace.
If this was true for children, it was even more so for adults.
After learning that Princess Cameron was the companion of the Fleet Admiral and that the Marines had helped her restore the kingdom under the Fleet Admiral's orders, everyone laid down their weapons.
They obediently followed every Marine command.
When told to build houses, they built houses. When told to replant trees, they replanted trees.
Furthermore, supplies were shipped daily from the allied nations and warships, distributed according to the hours worked.
This system, where people can eat as much as they want as long as they work, makes everyone more obedient.
With the assistance of numerous life-like Devil Fruit abilities, the miracle of rebuilding the kingdom and making it look brand new was accomplished in just one month.
"Yeah, I see!"
This time, the little boy talked even longer, repeating several stories multiple times.
Graeme finally interrupted with a wave of his hand.
"Tell me about the current facilities in the kingdom."
"Oh, alright."
Although the boy still had much more to say, he had been taught that the customer is always right.
So, he quickly led Graeme and the CP0 team members toward the various development areas.
"My lords, this is a five-star hotel newly built by the Kingdom, and it's said to be stunning inside."
"And over there, that's a newly developed amusement park."
"This is the Pleasure District..."
Time flew by.
Soon, night fell.
Graeme and his CP0 subordinates returned to the hotel to rest.
"Captain, shall we check out that arsenal?"
Once they were back in their private space, the CP0 subordinate dropped the pretense and used the regular title.
Graeme stood by the window, quietly gazing at the brightly lit area in the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.
An arsenal.
That afternoon, the two of them noticed many able-bodied individuals walking in the same direction after arriving at a particular location.
Their years of intelligence-gathering experience told them that something secretive was going on there.
So, they dismissed the little boy for a short time and eventually discovered a building called "Arsenal" tucked away in a corner.
In reality, they didn't need to investigate further to understand what was happening, as the name alone was revealing enough.
However, as a seasoned spy, even if Graeme could guess the nature of the building, he didn't have to act on it.
"Wait."
After pondering for a moment, Graeme shook his head and declined, "Our mission isn't about this. It's not worth creating additional problems, and..."
He paused, licking his lips slightly, a serious expression crossing his face, "There are strong individuals guarding the place."
The CP0 subordinate nodded, remaining silent after hearing his words.
With the captain's decision made, as a subordinate, he knew he only needed to follow orders.
Suddenly!
Knock, knock, knock.
There was a knock at the door.
"It's the little boy."
After sensing the presence briefly, the CP0 subordinate spoke up.
Graeme nodded and motioned for him to open the door.
Sure enough, the little boy was standing outside, smiling widely. "Sirs, the night can be dull. Would you like to visit the casino and play a few games?"
"Casino?" Graeme frowned slightly, puzzled.
He couldn't understand why a casino was involved when Bertomy Passion Kingdom was supposed to be focused on selling houses.
"Yes, yes, many of the other gentlemen who arrived with you today have gone there to play," the little boy eagerly added.
Graeme rolled his eyes slightly, figuring there was no harm in checking out the casino since staying in the hotel all night would be boring.
"Alright, lead the way!" he ordered.
"Okay!"
The three of them left the hotel and headed towards the bustling casino.
Meanwhile...
On the tallest building on the island, Akira's clone sat casually at a table, legs crossed, leaning back in his chair as he watched the casino's activity through a surveillance Den Den Mushi. A female croupier in revealing attire was shaking a dice cup with a sweet smile, entertaining a king and some nobles who were eagerly gambling, their faces flushed with excitement, large stacks of berries in hand.
"Akira, almost everyone who arrived today has gone to play inside," Garp reported, standing beside him, also watching the screens.
"Hmm, just as planned!"
Akira's clone nodded slightly, a sly smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "Did you give the order for everyone to win tonight?"
"Yes, all the dealers have been notified," Garp confirmed.
"Good!"
Akira's replica narrowed his eyes slightly, relaxing a bit. However, Garp still seemed uneasy, his voice lowering as he asked, "Everything we're doing now is about making money, so why let them win at the casino?"
It was something Garp just couldn't wrap his head around. Akira's plan was to sell these luxurious villas and rake in massive amounts of berries. But instead of jumping straight into selling, they were essentially giving money away.
Not only were the Marines covering all the kings' and nobles' expenses for food, lodging, and entertainment during the seven-day stay, but they had also instructed the casinos to ensure that the guests won through various rigged methods. Despite Marine's shortage of funds, Akira was spending even more on what seemed like reverse operations. Garp, with his straightforward mindset, found this hard to understand.
"Mr. Garp, you know how steep the prices for our villas are. Just selling the idea of safety isn't enough to make them buy," Akira's clone explained, taking out a cigar from his pocket, lighting it, and taking a deep puff. "We need to make them fall in love with this place. Only then will they grit their teeth and decide to buy a villa here."
He continued, "And don't worry, the discounts we're giving to these nobles might seem like a lot, but if you calculate it, they're not worth much. Once we sell even one villa, we'll make back thousands of times more."
Garp's brows relaxed upon hearing this. "It's good that you've thought this through. But what if someone enjoys their time here and then decides not to buy anything?"
Akira's clone didn't even hesitate, responding immediately, "Then, when they're about to leave, we'll hand them the bill! If they refuse to pay, they can find their own way back."
Garp: ...