Upon hearing this, Sage looked over, "Natural Disaster?"
The Labor Slave said, "Captain, I've heard your name from those guards. They say you are a very brutal Pirate, having destroyed many places and killed many Kings."
Another Labor Slave raised his hand and said, "Yes, I've heard too. The newspapers say you are like a Natural Disaster; wherever you appear, destruction follows."
"That's right, Captain! I also heard that. I didn't believe it at first, but you destroyed a bridge! That's incredible!" another laborer exclaimed.
"That was Garp who did that!"
Sage corrected them, "I haven't killed many Kings; I've only taken down three."
Being honest, he didn't play around with exaggerations.
However, the words that came out of his mouth only made these Labor Slaves admire him even more.
Those were Kings!
Whether they were from non-member countries or criminals, most of them had nations, and with nations came Kings. Having been ruled since childhood, they had never doubted the authority of Kings, even if they felt discontent, they would only keep it to themselves.
Now, there was someone who had genuinely killed three Kings. Those were Kings! "No wonder you're the Captain; you've easily done what we couldn't!" the Labor Slaves cheered again.
"Alright, alright."
Sage waved his hand to silence their cheers. He looked up at the brilliant starry sky, thought for a moment, and said, "Well, since there's already a title, I guess there's no helping it."
A Pirate Crew is just a Pirate Crew; there's basically no deliberate naming involved. But to say there wasn't any at all would be inaccurate; at least Sage himself wanted to come up with a name.
After all, when starting a business, you can't just go without a name.
But now that there was already a title, the name he wanted to choose would naturally be voided. In the world, a Pirate Crew is either named after the name of the crew or, after the captain has made a name for themselves, named after their actions or characteristics.
'Red-Haired' really has red hair, 'Whitebeard' really has a white beard; those are characteristics.
As for actions, there's 'Big Mom' because she is a mother of many children and has a gigantic physique, and there's the Pirate Crew called 'Beasts' because they possess the most Zoan-type abilities.
The former is a characteristic, the latter is an action.
And Sage, due to his actions, was deemed a 'Natural Disaster', so his future Pirate Crew would naturally be called the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew.
"Then this ship will be called 'Death Star'!"
Between Big Dipper and Death Star, Sage thought for a moment and chose the latter as the name for the ship, saying, "From now on, this will be the flagship of our Natural Disaster Pirate Crew. As for you all, work hard to become officers. If you perform excellently, I will make you captains of the subordinate Pirate ships!"
"Oh!!" The over six hundred people on the ship cheered collectively.
However, the officers' expressions were quite calm.
Lily was the navigator, Renetia was the shipwright, and Marika was the cook. None of them had thought about becoming captains. Although they were officers, they were irreplaceable existences on the ship.
Lily vowed to follow Sage and serve as his navigator, having no interest in being a captain, as switching roles on the ship would disrupt her work.
Renetia wanted to follow the first ship she built, watching it sail through the waves, to see if the ship could truly ignore all weather and storms at sea. The maintenance and strengthening materials all needed her oversight, and she wanted to create them bit by bit.
She had no interest in other captains.
As for Marika, she also had no interest in that area. She was somewhat forced onto the ship by Sage and was only interested in researching food that could fill people's stomachs, especially delicious food. She was quite content following Sage.
Akin had no interest in that either. He supported Sage and was very loyal. Rather than being a captain, he preferred to serve under Sage as the chief of combat, leading the pirates on the ship and faithfully executing Sage's orders.
Only Paru, like the other pirates, joined in the cheers, showing excitement on his face.
If he could become the captain of a subordinate ship, that would be great. Captain Sage clearly aimed to build a large fleet, just like the former Captain Klic, after all, they were both dominant figures in the East Sea.
He was the closest to the officers; as long as he performed well, he would soon become the captain of a new ship.
As a pirate, he certainly wanted a promotion!
Sage waved his hand vigorously and laughed, "Let's celebrate the new crew members joining us! Let's have a feast! Marika, is there enough food for so many people?"
"Ah, it's such a joy to feed so many people. I can manage on my own," Marika smiled gently.
She had supported many people with her cooking skills in the Shallow Sand Kingdom, and now there were enough ingredients on the ship for her to handle.
"Then let's have a feast, hahahaha!"
Sage laughed heartily, "Everyone, get lively!"
"Oh!!"
The shackles of the Labor Slaves were easily removed. These were just ordinary iron chains, requiring no special skills. Sage sat on the throne in the banquet hall on the first floor, waiting for each person to come up. With a casual slice, he completely cut the shackles, freeing them from their bonds, completing what could be seen as a transition or evolution.
From Labor Slaves, they became Pirates of the Natural Disaster Pirate Crew! The ship had a place to bathe, but there wasn't much fresh water on board. In fact, as pirates, taking a long bath was a luxury. The fresh water on the ship was reserved for drinking. But Sage, being someone who enjoyed comfort, would definitely take a bath; the others could do as they pleased.
Since these people were joining his Pirate Crew for the first time, it was only natural to welcome them properly, especially after their hard labor; they certainly needed a bath.
If there wasn't enough fresh water on the ship, they could just find an island.
He had Lily look for an island with water, and they sailed over. On that island, the pirates had a good wash, and as for clothes, there was no opportunity to change them now; they would deal with that once they found an island with a town.
A bonfire was lit, and Paru led people back and forth between the ship and the island, setting up drinks and food. The bonfire flickered in harmony with the starry sky, casting a glow like a light shield under the starlight.
The over six hundred people found an island and shouted loudly, either crying or fighting, while devouring meat and scooping up rum from wooden barrels with wooden cups, drinking it down in gulps, and then bursting into tears.
They were free! Not only had they boarded the ship to venture into the sea, but they were also truly on solid ground. Not to mention the delicious food they had never tasted in their lives, just being able to drink their fill of rum was something some of them had never experienced.
This sense of reality made them lose control on the spot.
Sage sat on a wooden crate, took a sip from a beautifully crafted wine bottle, and smiled.
It should be like this; once they vented their emotions, the pent-up feelings inside them would dissipate, and then each one would become a true hero.
Emphasizing the spiritual civilization of his subordinates was something a leader should do.
Sorry, I caught a cold and have a headache, so the update will be delayed.