"Hahahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Sage tilted his head back and laughed, "I killed a Celestial Dragon, and you're inviting me to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Is your World Government crazy?"
"This is an order from higher-ups, I'm just delivering the message, it's all up to you whether to accept or not," Guernica said expressionlessly. "Regardless, the conditions for passage through Mary Geoise have already been agreed upon."
"Heart repeatedly, why so keen on inviting me? Heh heh heh, I'm not interested, there are plenty of territories waiting for me to seize, no need to do such a thing, I'm not Teach, won't go to any lengths for my goals," Sage said with a smile.
The conditions are increasingly lenient each time.
Now, becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea has obvious benefits, with the power of the World Government, one can gain more support in the New World, and quickly seize territories and form a scale.
But it's meaningless, as turning against each other is inevitable, and Sage is unwilling to let his territories be filled with the presence of the World Government. A special agent seeks only information, but once cooperating with the World Government, there are too many complications.
"Understood, I'll report faithfully. Besides... regarding Saint Charlos, please do not insult him during this period. Also, where do you plan to return him to us?"
Sage leaned against the sofa, crossed his legs, pointed at Guernica and smiled at Lily:
"See this? This is the attitude of professional negotiation! Knowing the rules, understanding the bigger picture, unlike your peers, who have no idea what respect is called! Hey, why not come work for me too, I quite admire your execution of orders attitude."
"Just kidding, don't you already have someone like me?" Guernica said while glancing at Lucci.
"Hehahaha, alright, I agreed, I won't touch that thing. As for how to return it to you, we'll arrive at Mary Geoise tomorrow morning, and how my subordinates get up there, that's your concern."
"Once we reach the New World, you can send a ship to follow us, and I'll hand it over to you then."
"Okay, then I won't disturb you any further."
Guernica bowed again and disappeared like a leftover shadow.
"Hey, Lucci, is he considered your superior?" Sage looked at Lucci.
"No, we're not interconnected..."
Lucci slowly shook his head, "We are directly under the World Government, they are directly under the Celestial Dragons... in terms of command levels there is a difference, but there is no direct command authority."
Sage nodded, took another sip of wine, "Forget it, doesn't matter, since I agreed, let's loosen that thing, don't hit him anymore."
This was said...
His subordinates, each silent.
In fact, besides their master Sage, the only one who dared act at critical moments was Master Lily, but occasionally stamping on Celestial Dragons was still something only Master Sage would do.
Although insulting Celestial Dragons thrilled them, they were still afraid to offend Celestial Dragons due to deep-rooted ideological issues.
"Sage... why do they insist on inviting you to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Is there a particular reason?" Lily asked.
She could only think of Sage's identity as an O'hara Survivor and the Pluton's Blueprint, but the latter had been declared by Renedia as impossible to fully replicate with existing world technology, and Sage would not hand it over to the World Government.
O'hara?
Whether others believed it or not, Lily was sure Sage was illiterate; they had been together the longest, with Lily watching Sage every day. She was sure the Poneglyph in the captain's quarters was unreadable for Sage.
He couldn't even understand the common language...
Information and literacy are not closely linked.
Does the World Government know this?
Perhaps...
"Of course they have their own plans, but whatever they are, I'm not interested, I've rejected them all anyway."
Sage snapped his fingers, "Alright folks, let's continue the feast tonight, celebrate my plan being completed! But don't drink too much, we need to enter Mary Geoise tomorrow morning and break into the New World!"
"Oh!!"
His subordinates cheered.
...
The size of the Red Earth Continent is vast, in terms of width, it's as wide as the Grand Line, basically qualifying as gigantic.
Within the continent, it's not empty, there're seasons divisions, and many territories present... if there are any left.
The location of the so-called Holy Land and Inverted Mountain is the same; at the center lies the World Government, ruling for eight hundred years, supremely noble and authoritative.
Mary Geoise.
Pangu Palace.
In a giant area like a conference room, an elder in a black suit with curly white hair, fluffy beard, flat hat, and a scar on the left cheek, standing by the enormous window, gazing down at something.
Those slightly sharp eyes seemed to penetrate this city, through the high ground of the Red Earth, reaching below.
"He didn't agree..."
The elder spoke faintly, turning to glance behind him, "But it was expected."
The highest power entity of the World Government, one of the Five Elders, Science Defense Martial God, Jaygarcia Saturn.
As he looked at the position, there were three sofas, one long and two short, each with someone seated.
"Ah..."
The one who responded was an elderly bald man with glasses, wearing a white open-collar bathrobe on the left sofa, holding a sword in his arms, who responded and said: "After all, he is an O'hara Survivor, the accumulation of knowledge, the absorption of information, may have led him to perceive something."
One of the Five Elders, Financial Martial God, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro.
"He probably wouldn't."
The elder wearing red suit with blond hair and red skin on the long sofa on his right slowly spoke:
"Although he has been researching all along, specifically developed into a plan, only happened in recent years, O'hara has long been destroyed, just simply unwilling to become a Warlord of the Sea."
One of the Five Elders, Agricultural Martial God, Shepherd Ju Peter.
"Then let him leave, rather than causing trouble here, release him to the New World to battle those, which aligns with our interests."
Beside him, an elderly man in a green suit with a bald head sporting mutton chops and a birthmark on his forehead spoke in a slightly hoarse voice:
"No matter who wins, it's pirate matters, merely a new balance."
One of the Five Elders, Legal Martial God, Topman Warcury.
"Indeed, balance must not be disrupted, current interests are optimal."
On a single-seat sofa sat an elderly man in a navy blue suit with long white hair and beard.
"But, the situation with the Celestial Dragons remains troublesome, the whole world witnessed this scene, the sanctity was once again broken."
One of the Five Elders, Environmental Martial God, Marcus Mars.
"Just control the public opinion, tell them it's false, as soon as Charlos returns, we'll have room to maneuver, then wait for time..."
Saturn said in a deep voice, "After all, isn't humanity's greatest skill forgetting?"