"No, it won't."
Sage exhaled a puff of smoke, "This is an irreconcilable conflict. The set championed by the Revolutionary Army is nothing more than stripping the Heavenly Celestial Dragons of their status and ending the reign of slavery. The foundation of the World Government rests upon the Celestial Dragons; without them, the World Government wouldn't be the World Government."
"But let the chaos spread, make it bigger. The bigger it gets, the better my business thrives."
"There are impacts, though."
Lily said, "The population trade on both sides has ceased, leaving us unable to expand. Right now, both population and jobs are saturated. Moreover, there's one more thing..."
She took out a newspaper, placing it on the table, showing a zombie dressed in Navy attire...
"What? Moriah's figurine has escaped?" Sage asked.
"Navy Vice Admiral T Bone was assassinated."
Lily added, "The reason, according to our intelligence, is that the person reached the Cross Guild. It's said that the Guild issued reverse bounties for the Navy, and T Bone was killed by a civilian. We verified the kingdom, and on average, a thousand people die of hunger annually, shrouded in famine. With a valuable head there, naturally, someone took action."
"A Vice Admiral taken out by a civilian? An unknown master?" Sage was stunned.
"No, just an ordinary person. I'm also puzzled as to why a Vice Admiral was so easily killed." Lily shook her head.
Even a weaker Vice Admiral is a formidable opponent, especially for figures like Sage. In fact, their skill level in dealing with pirates on the seas is not lacking at all. Ordinary Vice Admirals can handle pirates with bounties over a hundred million without issue. Elite Vice Admirals can handle bounties of two to three hundred million or even higher.
An ordinary civilian could not pose a threat to a Vice Admiral, not even via a sneak attack.
But it was just this peculiarity that led to the assassination.
"Moreover, Teach has captured the currently renowned 'Navy Hero' Coby on the seas."
Lily contemplated and said, "No wonder when we were dealing with Kaido, we noticed Red Hair. That guy wasn't watching them; he was simply not paying attention and went to find the Navy."
"Hmph, it's a complete mess."
Sage stood up, biting his cigar and gazing out the window, overlooking his increasingly bustling O'hara City.
"No population, saturated trade... insufficient, completely insufficient, still not enough to satisfy!"
Sage grinned maliciously, baring sharp white teeth, "Given everything has become such a mess, I might as well take action myself. Those small nations are no longer enough; I need to conquer larger and stronger nations, take over their markets, make them work for us!"
"You mean..."
"Isn't Cobra dead? Isn't Vivi missing? I don't care what happened, but Alabasta certainly needs my assistance!"
Sage chuckled, "Go there! The huge population and market there is precisely what I need!"
On the Grand Line, there aren't too many large countries; Totto Land counts as one, but it relies purely on military might and its population is not that large.
Wano Country, although decent, doesn't have too many people in its internal market, and with its vast territory, is already digesting it, likely going to finish digesting soon.
Business in the North Sea and West Sea is only coercing some small nations, with populations numbering in the tens of thousands, barely passing hundred thousand even.
The markets of these people are simply not enough.
Better to set sights on those powerful nations!
Once settled, Sage will possess more prosperity!
So many people, such vast territories, all characteristics of powerful nations.
Especially Alabasta, with an army of millions.
These people switching gears are already business, not to mention the commoners below them.
Small nations couldn't do much, so now it's time for the big nations!