"Weren't you going to invite them?"
Seeing Sage directly grabbing people, Lily asked in confusion, "What if these simple Little People Race decide you're a bad person?"
"I never said I was a good person anyway. I don't care what they think, as long as they willingly work for me and prove useful, they can curse me however they want!" Sage was indifferent.
Lady yells about frying fish in front of him every day, do you see him getting angry?
For such a trivial matter, he really doesn't care.
"If we sincerely continue to invite them..."
"Then wouldn't I be begging like a bum?"
Sage interrupted Lily, extending his hand adorned with jewelry and gold jewelry, "What is this?"
"A ring... no, wealth." Lily responded quickly.
"Can this invite people?" Sage asked.
"Yes, but you need to sincerely invite them, after all, not everyone is moved by wealth," Lily said.
Sage clenched his five fingers into a fist, "What is this then?"
"A fist... no, strength."
"Can this invite people?"
"Yes, but they will be hated, and not everyone submits to strength."
Sage spread his five fingers again, "Then my strength, combined with my wealth, together, what is that called?"
Lily remained silent for a moment, then said, "Dominion..."
"Exactly."
Sage laughed, "What is dominion? Dominion is as long as you're willing to work for me, whatever I owe you I'll give it without fail, and as for the rest... it doesn't matter even if they hate me to the bone, they can't overturn it."
Beneath a wealthy landowner, besides loyal and corrupt cronies, there are of course tenant farmers who curse him but still must do their work diligently.
And Sage is a different kind of wealthy landowner, he doesn't withhold... because he himself belongs to the exploiting class, able to acquire wealth whatever the situation.
"I just want to be a landowner, not stop people from living, we can negotiate things like treatment, being stuck on a small island is not a path, when we get to the place, let them feel it themselves slowly."
Being refused twice, do they really think he, a Pirate, is just for show?
He's a Pirate first, then a landowner... but no matter which identity, Sage makes it clear, attributes like good or bad people don't exist in these identities.
Returning from Greenbit to Dressrosa with his people, he released all the Little People Race from his cloak, counting about eight hundred under it.
Sage waved his hand, Haki piercing their Secret Holes, causing paralysis and weakness, then left them under Moriah's watch.
These Little People Race can't be given the chance to escape, if the target is too small, without some strong people watching, it's easy for problems to arise.
"If someone comes to rescue them, catch them too, bring some more Little People Race along, and wait until the new ship is finished, then we'll talk after getting them on board."
Sage instructed, and added, "Get old Haw and old Uro for me."
"Sage, what are you going to do?" Lily asked.
"To perform an act!"
Sage said through gritted teeth, "I just don't believe it, that I can't catch a single one!"
Lily: "..."
Hawkins was responsible for divination, Urouge brought his followers there to chant, praying for Sage's fishing rod, trying to increase the odds.
With such a setup, it can't be said there was no effect, but it was also little better than none...
"Two in ten thousand."
On the bridge, Hawkins stood in front of a group of Holy Professionals chanting and praying, looking at Sage fishing at the side of the bridge, and silently drew a few Tarot Cards, his face full of conflict.
"That's an increase!"
Sage said excitedly, "Chant more, we have to succeed today!"
Hawkins wanted to say something, but thought better of it.
He actually wanted to say that it might be because Fighting Fish themselves are more active than other fish, so the odds increase, and it has nothing to do with the chanting.
Even if they chant...
That bit of probability is useless.
Lily, who had followed them, bit her lip and advised, "Sage, fishing is actually meant for relaxation, whether you catch fish or not isn't the point, it's mainly for meditation and calm thinking..."
"Thinking my ass!"
Sage cursed, "I want both the process and the result, if I'm not fishing to catch fish, then why fish at all? I might as well find a place to read haikus!"
"Sage, that word is pronounced haiku." Lily corrected.
"Don't worry about the details, as long as humans can convey the correct meaning, that's enough. Alright, Lily, go get a net, when I catch one, you'll scoop it up, then I'll take it around Dressrosa, got it?"
Lily pursed her lips, but after thinking about it, still went to do as told.
Whether he catches one or not is one thing, but following Sage's orders is another.
But the outcome was obvious, from day to night, those Fighting Fish acted as if they were dead, as soon as Sage's fishing rod touched the water, they obediently hid in the water, refusing to move.
Helplessly, Sage could only pack up for the next day.
Lily didn't know where Sage's confidence came from. She had always heard him talk about how his startups failed and yet he didn't give up, thinking it was an excuse for his bad luck...
Now she sees, it's not an excuse.
This guy is really stubborn!
Sage really doesn't easily give up, even if he fails and changes careers, he still has plans to reach the pinnacle of those past professions.
Because the main role is that of a landowner, all else is merely peaks to be climbed in the ascent to being a landowner.