"A hero of justice..."
Lily finished the intelligence she received and said, "This is the information obtained from the Navy, Sage."
Zephyr's death ultimately didn't make the news.
It was only mourned internally among the Navy, using the slogan 'A hero of justice'. His retirement letter was ultimately not approved, and he retired in the capacity of a Navy officer.
And this intelligence was voluntarily reported by Jabra and the others.
"Eh? Why isn't it reported?"
Renedia, leaning against a sofa and swinging her legs, asked curiously, "Zephyr was a Navy Admiral, right? Isn't there a newspaper for even an Admiral's death?"
"Ah, well, they have to be mindful of the internal impact."
Marika happened to come in with refreshments and smiled upon hearing this, placing the treats in front of each person.
"Strawberry cake!"
Renedia's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly picked up a spoon to dig into the strawberry with cream on top and took a bite, revealing a satisfied smile.
Lily thanked her, picked up the red tea, and took a small sip.
Sage, sitting with his leg crossed, picked up a piece of jelly with a skewer and stuffed it all into his mouth, then gulped down a cup of green tea completely, showing no trace of tea savoring and civility.
"The former Navy Admiral was taken down by a pirate; although not as shocking as Whitebeard's death, the impact isn't far off, and the World Government isn't that stupid," Sage said.
In such scenarios where evil prevails over justice, the impact is too great, and they will undoubtedly hide it if they can.
Especially if dying in the hands of someone like him.
Lily nodded in agreement.
Within a year of debut, he has built such a large empire, a high bounty, and on the sea, he and Blackbeard have started to be referred to as [Pirate Emperor], with both sides debating who truly is the Pirate Emperor, without considering anyone else.
Sage now has a high level of topicality on the sea; if news similar to the former Navy Admiral being killed by him surfaces, it would cause quite a stir.
It's clearly a genuine victory for evil; even thinking with one's knee, just after achieving victory in the Summit War and promoting the Navy's valor and the sea's stability, the World Government wouldn't want such news to spread.
It's just that Sage himself doesn't care; not being sung praises by the sea, it just doesn't bother him; he merely wishes to fulfill his promise at the time.
"Marika, how many hours until dinner?"
Sage smacked his lips and asked.
"Lunch will start in two hours, do you have anything you'd like to add temporarily?" Marika smiled and said.
"Hmm... is there any of that slow-cooked duck leg from yesterday?" Sage inquired.
Marika thought for a moment, then shook her head, saying, "Unfortunately, it seems the main ingredient for that dish ran out today; we'll have to wait for a delivery from over there if you want to eat it."
Sage was taken aback, "What do you mean ran out?"
In his domain, regardless of what he does, there's one top priority.
That is to supply Sage himself first!
Whether it's a specialty or weapons and ammunition, Sage himself must be supplied first, then his subordinates, absolutely no trades will be prioritized over him unless he orders it.
It's not like the bigger the territory, the easier Sage's desires are satisfied; on the contrary, his desires deepen.
When he wasn't a pirate, he wasn't picky, willing to snatch someone else's drink or pick some wild fruits off trees if he was poor.
As a pirate with no territory, his expanding wealth led him to start demanding high-quality food, but even then, he was restrained; often without rare ingredients, other foods would do.
With territory, his desires began to escalate endlessly.
He wouldn't eat anything but rare ingredients, and began to splurge; previously, his lunch standard was 333 dishes based on his eating capacity, which he certainly consumed.
Now, although he can still eat only too much, Sage's lunch standard has reached 600 dishes; he definitely can't eat them all, so he starts sampling everything, enjoying a variety of delicacies.
After all, Marika's cooking is getting better and better.
In addition to extravagance, he also demands an increasingly grand display.
Pasia's dancing troupe has only developed to twenty people; formerly praised by Sage, the dancing girl troupe is now deemed inadequate in specification, and he's having Pasia recruit dancers throughout the territory, aiming for at least a hundred people.
The orchestra is the same; Byron, promoted to music group leader, now has to recruit more people, creating more magnificent or joyous music, matching the dancing girl's troupe, and aligning with Sage's banquet themes.
In other aspects, Sage is even more lavish, setting aside the cloak already embodying Homiez and his taste in gold jewelry worth appreciating.
The clothes he wears, after conquering an island known for fabric and silk, have gradually upgraded.
The island itself was prosperous; besides producing popular cloth, the local textile industry thrived, and they had an extremely precious fabric.
And now, it's all Sage's!
That type of fabric is no longer sold outside, as merely supplying Sage's side is barely enough, and Sage doesn't like selling raw materials.
Aside from the material being precious, he's becoming increasingly particular about craftsmanship, even a slight error in stitching isn't acceptable, even if it's a most basic shirt, the stitching and craftsmanship must be top-notch and luxurious.
After all, the shirt's golden threads are woven from gold little by little, then carefully sewn in, ensuring no mistakes.
Such clothes, if placed on the market, are no less than tens of millions of Belly per piece, more exquisite than the fashion worn by royal nobility.
Sage is entirely unacknowledging, wearing them out is one thing, wearing them to pieces, he simply throws them away, not to mention he personally trains, basically changing a few pieces every period.
The chairs he uses, besides the throne preserved as a collection, have also been swapped out many times, because he desires better wood and craftsmanship.
Eating items and playing, everything one might think of in daily human life, within this Royal Palace, showcases the most lavish side.
Whether it's the best or the most expensive, no one knows.
But it's certain, this is the best and most expensive that Sage's domain can offer.
However, no one has a complaint.
To Marika, it's quite normal for a ruler concentrating authority entirely on himself, a king among kings, to do these things. After all, everyone in the nation is well-fed, and food is plentiful, so she has no complaints.
As for Lily...
Sage pays well!
He doesn't oppress or exploit; the more work one does, the more money they get, couldn't be better.
Regarding those extravagant items his subjects can't enjoy, Lily also doesn't care, as Sage is so extravagant, it's reached a level ordinary wealthy people can't even aspire to, causing no impact on the territory.
Moreover, Sage is indeed the landlord; it's only right he enjoys first.
As for his increasingly deepening desires...
I've heard Devil Fruits have the power to influence personality, like Renedie the 'Mover', incredibly energetic and lively, never idle.
But Lily feels Sage isn't affected.
The More-More Fruit, though it symbolizes more, she feels it doesn't influence Sage.
Sage, this guy who fails a hundred times without losing morale, solely aiming to be the landlord, truly isn't someone who ceases once the goal is reached.
Sage, with such deep desires, might even be affecting the Fruit in reverse...
"Lily?"
Sage's voice echoed beside her, Lily returned to her senses, thought for a moment, and said:
"Dark Island doesn't have many people; the Special White Duck produced is indeed limited. What they supply us with are premium ducks, and the yield is quite low, so the failure to supply promptly is normal. Sage, there's something now..."
"We're beginning to lack manpower..."