Night.
After finishing their training and enjoying a delicious dinner with the members of Dream House, El, while resting, called over Streusen.
"El-sama, did you need something?" Streusen asked curiously, glancing at El, who was leaning against a tree.
"You've spent many years in the New World. You must be familiar with the underground black markets and auction houses there, right?" El asked, getting straight to the point.
Though they had already caught the Navy's attention, the Fallen Angel Pirates were still in their phase of quietly accumulating strength. El wasn't yet ready to openly challenge for control of the seas. However, he could begin laying the groundwork for future plans.
"Of course! I'm familiar with many black markets and auction houses on different islands, and I still have Vivre Cards for some of them!" Streusen responded confidently, patting his chest.
"You're already aware of my Mythical Zoan ability, the Quetzalcoatl form..."
"In the next few years, we're not going to fly the Fallen Angel flag and recklessly rob or take over territories to establish a pirate nation," El said as he looked at Streusen. "For now, our priority is building strength. You understand that, right?"
"Absolutely!" Streusen nodded in agreement.
He knew El had grand ambitions, a keen mind, and remarkable wisdom. El was unlike any ordinary pirate, and certainly not someone to be treated like a mere child. Right now, what the Fallen Angel Pirates needed most was to accumulate power and wait for El to fully grow into his potential. Everything else was secondary.
"That's one thing," El continued, nodding in satisfaction, "but we can't just focus solely on training without doing anything else. Some groundwork and preparation are still necessary."
"What do you have in mind, El-sama?" Streusen's eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly awaited El's plan.
"Pillaging isn't a sustainable approach, and it's mostly a one-time deal."
El crossed his arms and said, "The initial plan is to find some uninhabited islands in the Calm Belt and develop large plantations. We'll cultivate crops, valuable herbs, and other economic products. Then, we'll establish a trading company to manage the sales."
"In the shortest time possible, we'll aim to monopolize the food and herb trade in the New World, expanding our influence while accumulating the wealth and resources necessary for future plans—like recruiting soldiers, conquering territories, and establishing a nation."
Originally, El hadn't planned to move into commerce so soon, but Gerd's mastery of the Soul-Soul Fruit had grown rapidly. She could now easily harvest souls and create various Homies. With enough souls, she might even be able to create a Sea King Homie army. Considering this, El felt that speeding up his plans was a viable option.
Not only could they dominate the food and herb business, but if they successfully built a Sea King Homie army, they could also consider entering the maritime transport industry. However, El wasn't rushing things—he would proceed step by step, knowing that moving too quickly could lead to problems.
"Tomorrow, take Oars and some treasure, go to the black market, and buy slaves and crop seeds," El said, patting Streusen's shoulder. "If you can't find seeds, buy live plants or branches, as long as they're still alive and not completely dried out or dead. Is that clear?"
With the plant-manipulating abilities of his Quetzalcoatl form, El could quickly rejuvenate those plants, making them bloom, bear fruit, and even reproduce rapidly. Seeds weren't strictly necessary.
"Understood! Don't worry, I'll take care of it perfectly!" Streusen responded enthusiastically, excited by El's trust in him.
"And when it comes to slaves, we'll need not only strong laborers but also skilled managers. Older ones are fine, as long as they have experience."
To set up the trading company, it needed to be separate from the Fallen Angel Pirates, at least until El was ready to fully reveal his plans and establish a pirate nation. For now, the connection between the two would remain hidden. Additionally, they would need a substantial number of outside personnel to act as guards and representatives, handling the company's affairs.
Buying a batch of slaves was essential. Having experienced despair, these slaves would be easy to control and turn into loyal workers with some basic kindness. Of course, some people might prove ungrateful or harbor ill intentions, but with El's advanced Observation Haki, it would be easy to identify and eliminate those who weren't truly loyal.
"Oh, and if you find any promising young talent, bring them back as well!" El added, thinking of something else. "If there's a Devil Fruit for sale, buy it no matter the cost!"
For the crew, treasure was a secondary concern. The primary goals were recruiting capable individuals and collecting Devil Fruits to strengthen the members of Dream House.
In summary, over the next few years, the Fallen Angel Pirates wouldn't make any major moves, allowing the trading company to grow gradually. However, their influence should spread throughout the New World and eventually reach the first half of the Grand Line and even the Four Blues.
"Understood…" Streusen asked excitedly, "What should we name the trading company, El-sama?"
"Call it the Hell Trading Company… You're talented in the arts, so I'll leave the design of the logo to you," El said with a shrug as he stood up to leave.
As a first-class chef, Streusen's artistic talents were well-refined, evident in his ability to design intricate dishes and pastries. El had full confidence in him and didn't feel the need to worry about these details.
"No problem, leave it to me! Hohoho…"
~~~
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