Log Town is a prosperous town economically, both before and after Smoker's arrival.
Before Smoker came, there was a delicate balance between Pirates and the Navy; Pirates used it as a transit point and spent a lot, contributing significantly to the economy.
After Smoker's arrival, although the Pirates were gone, much of the chaos was also reduced, which in turn stimulated commercial vitality, leading to the establishment of many new shops.
Following Sage's rules, the Pirates did not target the civilians living in the small buildings; in fact, they looked down on such people, as there were better targets waiting for them to rob.
In the clothing store, valuable garments were rushed by the Pirates dressed in prison uniforms, who emerged with large bundles of finely made clothes. Some even changed their clothes on the spot, discarding their prison outfits without caring whether the new clothes fit or not, wearing them in bizarre styles.
The weapons store's weapons, worth hundreds of thousands to millions of Belly, were all taken away in one go. The towering Sea Pirate, who stood nearly three meters tall and had half of his tongue cut off, chose a gigantic katana that suited his height and began battling the Navy, effortlessly cutting down several Navy soldiers with a single swing.
Of course, the Navy base was not limited to just the port side; there were also some Navy personnel who had not managed to come for support or return to adjust their equipment. Upon seeing the Pirates attacking, they rushed to stop them, but in terms of numbers, they were no match for Sage's group of Pirates.
While the Pirates fought the Navy, they continued to loot Log Town. Besides clothes and weapons, the most important target was, of course, the jewelry stores, which were the prime targets for their heist.
From time to time, one could see a dozen or twenty Pirates breaking into a jewelry store, plundering it clean, with jewels hanging from their hands, necks, and bodies as they laughed heartily.
This place had everything they wanted, allowing all six hundred of their subordinates to have a complete wardrobe change.
"Let's call it a day here. After we've caused enough chaos, we can count our spoils. Lily, why don't you go stretch your legs? Don't girls like to pick out pretty things when they go shopping?"
Sage himself, of course, did not participate in the robbery; after all, he would get half of what was stolen, and he couldn't carry much loot with both hands, so it was just right to leave it to his subordinates.
"I'm not really interested. As long as I get my share, that's enough for me," Lily replied.
She was a cadre, and even without participating in the robbery, she would still receive a share, and she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the heist.
Except for Akin, who was quite diligent, the other cadres seemed to show little interest in the matter. Renetia was also not very interested in treasure and went to pick out useful tools after arriving in town.
Marika, on the other hand, was interested in the local food supplies and went to the food market.
Lily stayed by Sage's side.
"By the way, Sage, what are we going to do?" Lily asked.
"Of course, we're here to gather intelligence," Sage replied.
He paused at the entrance of a dark alley, smiling, "This used to be a gathering place for Pirates. Although it has been calm for a few years, many things still exist, like this."
He pointed to a protruding sign with a wine glass, "Like this old tavern, located in such a dark place, it's clear it used to be a frequent gathering spot for Pirates. For example, this one."
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, staring at the words on the sign, hesitating, "Um, this one."
"Gol D. Roger."
Lily read it aloud: "A tavern named after the Pirate King."
"Exactly, let's go in!"
Sage nodded and led Lily into the alley, pushing open a small wooden door to enter the tavern.
The tavern was, of course, completely empty.
In such a remote place, with poor lighting, it was likely dark all year round, making it impossible for anyone to come here for a drink.
The decor and layout of the place were quite old-fashioned, resembling a tavern from two or three decades ago, completely different from the vibrant bars of today, and certainly unable to attract customers in such a bustling town.
Moreover, this kind of establishment was not meant for ordinary patrons.
"Sorry, we don't serve customers here."
An old man polishing a glass at the bar turned around to speak, but upon seeing the white-haired newcomer, he instinctively paused and glanced at the wall.
They certainly did not recognize him, but it did not prevent the owner from recognizing the Bounty Notice posted on the wall, which featured the man's wild grin.
"Bring me a good drink, and don't serve me that cheap rum."
Sage said, finding a spot to sit down, propping his feet up on the table.
Lily thought for a moment, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold coin, placing it on the counter.
The old man took a bottle from the liquor cabinet, mixed it with ice and other spirits to create a drink with an orange-red hue, then looked at Lily, "Madam, you..."
"Make it a lighter flavor," Lily said as she sat next to Sage.
The old man nodded, mixed another drink, placed it on a tray, and set it on their table before saying, "You've come at a bad time. If you had waited a while longer, you could have come directly. Now, coming here so openly, aren't you afraid of being surrounded by the Navy?"
"Isn't it normal for Pirates to be surrounded by the Navy? As long as you're still a Pirate, you can't escape! Hahaha!"
Sage laughed heartily, raised the orange-red drink, and downed it in one gulp, then suddenly paused, exhaling, "It's strong, but it's indeed good liquor!"
"Oh?"
The old man's eyes lit up, "Are you also drawn here by the name of the Pirate King, interested in Roger's story? Norton Sage."
"No, not at all."
Sage shook his head, "I'm not really interested in hearing other people's stories. I came here because I thought a tavern like yours must have had quite a few old patrons, and I wanted to gather some intelligence."
"What kind of intelligence?" the old man asked.
"Help me contact a black market dealer; your reward will be substantial."
Sage pushed the empty glass forward, "I want to sell them something."
In a large town, especially one close to the Grand Line, how could there not be black market dealers in a bustling town that was once a chaotic mix of Pirates and the Navy just a few years ago?
The things he had stolen were of dubious origin and could not be legitimately exchanged for Belly anywhere. Even if merchants would buy them, they would offer a low price, and due to the variety of items, he would have to find different merchants.
It was better to sell everything to a black market dealer at once and let them handle it directly.
Such old taverns surely had dealings like this.
"Oh, what are you selling? Gold?" The old man was taken aback for a moment, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.
It had indeed been a long time since he had done such a thing.
"Not gold."
Sage flashed a grin, his white teeth revealing words that made the old man break out in a cold sweat, "I want to sell the entire Log Town!"