According to the investigation, that woman has been a courtesan since her childhood, so no one noticed her, and as for those she executed, they certainly wouldn't talk about it, and that's how it was missed.
Fortunately, Bao Huang discovered it in time, and Who's-Who handled it well too.
"Hmm, Who's-Who did alright this time, but as my special agent, it's what he should have done... Don't reward him openly, but give him something secretly."
Sage thought for a moment and said, "The industries of Wano Country should be distributed to other islands, and new industries will also emerge. Let Who's-Who choose one of those industries run by merchants, and give him the opportunity to bid on it."
Except for the core industries, other industries are run by merchants; wherever there is an opportunity to make money, there they are. But unlike before, Sage won't give merchants the opportunity to exploit this time.
The ones being exploited are all his money, after all.
With Bao Huang and the Imperial Court Guards, he has too many eyes within the power structure; no one can escape his control. If any anomalies appear, someone will report them.
Whether the capability is good or not is irrelevant because this special agent directly under him has more power than Jabra and the others.
Everything that can be investigated, they can investigate, lurking in the shadows, providing him with intel within his domain.
Jabra and the others are like the personal guards from his homeland, and Who's-Who leading the Imperial Court Guards is like the Eastern Depot, while Bao Huang's inspection mechanism is like the Western Depot.
It's not about internal struggle, just that Sage doesn't want to be the last to know some information. He always values intelligence highly.
Some things cannot wait until they explode before taking action; precautions must be taken.
Things are quite fine now, and when there's a sign, it can be reported and resolved immediately to prevent the situation from escalating to the point where Sage would have to carry out a massive purge.
The matter with Kozuki Hiyori is just a small episode in Wano Country, where 800,000 people, along with rare animals, were evacuated ship by ship from Hidden Harbor until it was completely emptied.
And on this day, the Death Star set sail, and Sage took his men straight to Wano Country.
"Eh? They're really going to dismantle it all!"
Queen, at this moment also on the Death Star, gazed at the giant waterfall gradually approaching Wano Country, biting on a cigar, assessing it up and down, "Never thought Pluton would be here..."
They have been entrenched here for twenty years and never thought about this matter, just knowing there was a Roadsign Poneglyph here and nothing more, never expecting an ancient weapon to be hidden beneath!
Kaido...
So unjust!
But who would have thought that an ancient weapon would be hidden underwater.
"Hmph, who do you think Sage is!"
Renedia stood with hands on her hips, proudly saying, "He is the strongest, after all!"
Queen nodded in agreement: "Coming from O'hara, he surely knows something."
With an O'hara background, whatever Sage does, Queen would not be surprised since the place doomed for destruction was famous for its studies of history.
"Oh? If not from O'hara, can't one know?"
Sage came out from the captain's room, walked onto the deck, smiled and glanced at Queen.
"That's not it, Governor, but you do bear O'hara's style, analyzing the history of various countries to find flaws and lessons, something only O'hara could accomplish," Queen said.
A smile surfaced on Sage's lips, "The only lesson humanity learns from history is that it never learns from history. Throughout the vast history, humanity cannot see all, but the ever-present sun continuously shines upon it."
"There's nothing new under the sun; everything has an example. The longer the history, the more examples found, but still, people repeat mistakes."
Sage stared at the enormous waterfall, coming to the forefront of the main cannon, placing one hand on it, and smiled:
"Standpoints, interests, dreams, will... various reasons drive humanity to act. Just like now, the emergence of ancient weapons has surely appeared in past history, a larger Wano Country beneath the ocean, likely a consequence of ancient weapon warfare."
He had his Fishmen go and check.
Apart from Wano Country underwater, Lily measured the water level, finding the current sea level much higher than that of the underwater Wano Country, significantly higher.
No one would build a town idle in the water, even Fishman Island dwells in the space-gap rather than fully submerged areas.
And with those islands' foundations around Wano Country under the high walls of barriers, Lily can assert the ancient sea level was sincerely very low.
The whole sea doesn't have this problem of high sea level here and low there, so with detailed information from Water Seven, it can be confirmed...
The sea level rose by about 200 meters!
The ancient sea level was below 200 meters!
Then many things can almost be confirmed.
Sage asserted that the World Government must have ancient weapons but is constrained by certain conditions, unable to fully utilize them.
As for whether they'd have any scruples...
The sea level rose by 200 meters, where lies the empathy.
The Heavenly Celestial Dragons reside on the Red Earth Continent, so high up that the flood wouldn't reach them.
And their diving suits and bubble helmets...
If you say it's not a coincidence, Sage wouldn't believe it a hundredfold!
Honestly, upon confirming the 200-meter rise, Sage thought about directly attacking the Red Earth Continent. He'd stop being a Pirate and turn into a mountain bandit to fight at Mary Geoise.
But with so much territory, so many people, any move would affect everything. It's not the time to start over.
No reason to change before they strike first.
"I have a big Plan!"
Gazing at the waterfall, Sage spoke solemnly: "To obtain something equal to the World Government, even if it's just one shot, as long as it's of equal destructive power!"
For this, his More-More Fruit is not sufficient.
Destroying an island and destroying an island are not the same.
His destruction could create whirlpools to make islands vanish, yet it cannot achieve that sea-level-raising power. Upon reaching the Red Earth Continent, taking down Mary Geoise is easy, yet destroying the Red Earth Continent is not quite feasible.
Based on the massive vortex observed in Lulucia, as an ancient weapon, if he could successfully resurrect, he might blow a massive hole into the Red Earth Continent with a single shot, ending it all for everyone.
"Plan A, successfully replicate Pluton."
"Plan B, if replication fails, then I'll take people to the Red Earth Continent."
"Plan C, if all else fails, build a Noah's Ark, prepare sufficient energy, and we go to the Moon, starting anew!"
He has numerous various contingency plans, such as sailing alone, perpetually targeting Mary Geoise, taking one of their islands at a time, killing batches of Heavenly Celestial Dragons.
Or, if life becomes unbearable, invade West and North Seas from the Calm Belt, wiping out allied nations in those seas completely, etc.
There are many contingency plans, but Sage doesn't really want to use them, as they imply his dreams of being a landlord would be postponed, unable to become a Pirate, maybe ending up as a maritime bandit.
Yet, all this must wait until after Wano Country has been unsealed.
"Renee!" Sage called out.
"Coming!"
Renedia ran up, firmly pressed the button; under Sage's enhanced capabilities, the prow of the Death Star opened a maw, launching a massive shell with a roar, a blur intercepting the waterfall.
Boom!!!
A mushroom cloud exploded from the waterfall, scattering it apart, while a dazzling white light shot across the sky.
The angle was perfect, power adjusted by Lily's measurements; one shot, no barrier remnants were left.
This barrage, the waterfall that flowed from Wano Country, this barrier wall, completely vanished.
And as the water above lost its barrier, it all gushed downwards into the ocean.
Wano Country begins to unseal!