The Radio Snail's incoming call display naturally doesn't show a number, nor does it have a number to display.
However, it has a particular feature: once it's used for a long time, it won't just simulate the caller's face after the call is connected.
As long as a particular Radio Snail is used often for outgoing calls, it will become accustomed to the signal, and before the call even connects, it will feedback to the receiving Radio Snail, thus simulating the face.
For instance, the now ringing one, without being connected, has already turned into an image with a fat chin and red lips.
Sage glanced at the Radio Snail, didn't answer, but instead laughed and said, "Big Mom? Charlotte Linlin? What, did Urouge encounter this pirate crew?"
"Yes, and it's one of the 'Three Sweet Commanders', Snack, with a six hundred million Belly bounty."
Even Lily was a bit surprised, "Urouge actually defeated him, was this also in your plan, Sage?"
"How could I have that many plans."
Sage rolled his eyes, "But, I'm not surprised he managed that, given his ability to convert received damage into physical strength."
With capability and Haki, and his body techniques are decent, how could he not win?
"Hmm?"
Thinking of this, Sage raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
"Nothing... Just remembered something, not important."
If he hadn't interfered, it seems Urouge also defeated Snack...
Was it premature?
After all, now is different from before; Urouge followed Sage to the New World right after the top.
The original 'Super Rookies' weren't like this; they didn't enter the New World right after topping, but stayed in 'Paradise' for at least half a year before slowly entering the New World.
The pirates in the first half have to prepare too; entering the New World isn't something you just do without being fully prepared; otherwise, you'd truly become a 'Super Rookie', shining for a short time before fading out.
Urouge came in quite early, already mastering Armament, improved his body techniques, and beating Snack was within expectations.
"A bitter victory..."
Sage sighed, then looked at the Radio Snail, gestured for the female pirate to come closer, and reached out to take the receiver.
The Radio Snail's simulation became vivid with round eyes with lashes staring at Sage, though communication was purely vocal, in that moment, it felt like Sage was being watched by the person inside.
He held the Radio Snail for quite a while, looking at it, both parties said nothing and waited silently.
Approximately five minutes later.
"Hohohohoho!"
"Mamamama!"
Both sides burst out laughing almost simultaneously.
"Norton Sage..."
From the other side of the Radio Snail came a voice full of robust energy, yet seemingly emanating endless greed.
"I know you, you clashed with that guy Kaido, didn't you?"
"It wasn't in the newspapers, yet you collected this information, and also my phone number, I don't remember communicating with you, no wonder you're known for being the industry's best in intelligence."
Sage laughed, "Why call, Charlotte Linlin?"
From the sound alone, there's a sense of overwhelming greedy Haki from the Radio Snail, more pure than Sage's.
"Seems you know who I am..." The Radio Snail chuckled briefly.
"Captain of the Big Mom Pirates, Queen of Totto Land, one of the Four Emperors, a peak female pirate, with a bounty of 4.3 billion eight hundred thirty million Belly, your prominence is unavoidable, but..."
Sage lifted the receiver slightly aside, "You may not know who I am, Lily."
Lily pursed her lips, showing some resistance but with the receiver handed over, could only reluctantly say:
"Speaking to you is..."
"A mighty force destined for overlordship, a butcher of the nobility, a slayer of kings, the owner of New O'hara, disseminator of knowledge, claimant of all lands, an occupant at a corner of the New World, a dominator of trade..."
"King of Farming, Fishing King, Dance King, Mountain Bandit King, Sea Merchant King, Captain of the Disaster Pirates, Landowner Master, a great pirate with a bounty of 1.8 billion Belly, Norton Sage!"
Finishing, she turned her head, cheeks slightly flushed.
Shy, no.
Embarrassed, lots.
Except for the last few titles usually spouted by Sage, the rest weren't said by him, but sincerely praised by the people under his rule.
Then it reached Sage's ears...
Accurately speaking, it was Owl who, when idle, wandered about, sharing the gossip he heard with Sage.
Sage found it pleasing and directly used it for self-introduction.
"That's it."
Moving the receiver back in front, under the Radio Snail's face turning visibly sluggish, he said, "So, what do you want from me, Big Mom!"
The Radio Snail stared blankly for quite a while, its round eyes wrinkled, the red-lipped mouth widened:
"Mamamama, interesting little kid! The island of Scope, though not my favorite dessert, falls within my chosen territory range, your subordinate beat my son, in compensation, I'll give you a choice..."
"Surrender to me, and I'll forgive your transgressions."
"Ha!"
Sage laughed as if he'd heard a funny joke, "Since when did Pirates become such childish things, expecting me to surrender with just a Radio Snail? I might as well go stay at Impel Down and not come out!"
"Ma ma ma ma ma, that's certainly an answer befitting a Pirate. If there's something a Pirate wants, they should go and take it themselves!"
The Radio Snail laughed loudly, its mouth splitting into an even wider, ferocious grin, and its voice turned low and sinister:
"Then, I will be coming for you, Norton Sage!"
Sage's mouth also curled into a menacing grin, "Exactly, I'll be waiting for you at Scope! Big Mom, no, Charlotte Linlin!"
Pa!
He jammed the receiver back into the Radio Snail, ending the call, and raised his glass to drink it all in one go.
"Sage?"
Lily was momentarily stunned, "This is..."
"It's obvious, isn't it? She came to declare war, and I accepted it. It's just that simple!"
Sage put down his glass, stood up, and sneered:
"To become the Pirate Emperor, you have to make it so the other Pirate Emperors dare not act rashly. Just as well, I think dealing with just Kaido isn't enough, adding Big Mom should just about do it!"
"Starting a war now?"
Lily furrowed her brows, "Sage, shouldn't we be conquering more territories first? Isn't it too early, we haven't even become one of the Four Emperors yet..."
"Lily, you don't understand. To become one of the Four Emperors, territory is important, but what's truly important..."
Sage clenched his fist, baring a set of sharp white teeth, "is making sure the other Pirate Emperors cannot strike easily!"
"Territory? Power? Those are just stories on the sea, who knows how much you really have? The only way people truly get it is by going toe-to-toe with the current Four Emperors, that's how someone steps into that realm!"
"I'm not the same as that guy, Teach. He captured Hive Island, recruited a batch of Pirates, but as you know, his way and mine are different. He can avoid offending anyone, picking up what others leave behind, but I cannot!"
Half a month ago, Sage had received a call that Teach had defeated Ochoku and taken Hive Island.
And during his occupation of the island, his forces expanded significantly.
That well-known Pirate island was indeed home to many Pirates.
But there's something different; Teach is able to recruit so many people quickly because he operates on 'cooperation', cooperation among Pirates.
It's an assembly of interests, using Hive Island as a hub, coming together, and those Pirates don't completely belong to Blackbeard, but they have their respective Pirate crews and just follow his orders.
He's more like a Pirate Overlord.
Very few have truly joined the 'Blackbeard Pirates', and he also needs time to expand his forces. But with this method, those Pirates on Hive Island can be used by him.
But this approach, Sage couldn't do it, and he didn't like it either.
If Teach was a union of interests, allowing anyone to come here, issuing commands to Pirates under the guise of that 'Overlord', then Sage was pure domination.
The people under a ruler also dominate those Pirates.
His subordinates were certainly allowed to disembark, and although Sage maintained the Captain's accountability system, he didn't care about regular subordinates, offering them the option to leave if they didn't want to follow him.
But as long as they were within The Pirates, he was the only one, and his rules and orders had to be followed.
Sage had no affiliate Pirates, nor did he lend his name to others, within his sphere there was only the Disaster Pirates.
This model, which requires abandoning their original Pirate crew name to join, even when Sage assured those who served him would never be abandoned, didn't attract many people, thus recruitment naturally grew slower.
But what it wins is stability, longevity, and easier governance for Sage.
And his method requires the most...ensuring complete victory!
Teach can sneak around, avoid provoking anyone, develop himself, wait for opportunities to make a move on unsuspecting targets.
Sage must fight openly and ensure that anyone who comes at him and devises strategies for the places he cherishes is thwarted.
They can't even look at them!
The island Urouge occupied, Sage hadn't even noticed any specialties there, and in his eyes it wasn't really important, but once taken, it can't be allowed to go!
Whether due to his personal temperament or the critical juncture of developing into a Pirate Emperor's force now...
"Lily, there are many silver medalists on the sea, all of them failed after encountering the Four Emperors, some defeated by Whitebeard, others by Big Mom. Why didn't they expand their influence?"
Sage clenched his fist fiercely, baring his teeth:
"Because they couldn't defeat them, they knew that even if they occupied new territories it was useless. The New World is the domain of the Pirate Emperors, whether Pirate or Navy, when you come here, you have to play by the Pirate Emperor's rules!"
"They failed, they didn't even have the power to leave their opponents with injuries, which equates to weakness! And weakness is a sin!"
"So we have to fight, fight until those Pirate Emperors have no ideas, cannot strike at will, then we've secured our position!"
"Compromise? Retreat? Wait for an opportunity? Pirates aren't such obedient creatures that wait for you to be ready, what you want, you take, and if someone else wants it, fine! Defeat me!"
Boom!
In the sky, thunder boomed once more, stirring up a storm.
"I'm not giving an inch! Can what's in my hands be taken away with just a few words? Is her blade really harder than my fist? We'll only know by trying!"
"So we'll fight! Fight all those Four Emperors, beat them so they won't want to look my way, and then I'll be the new Pirate Emperor!"
Sage looked up at the sky, eyes widening, and spread his hands wide, laughing loudly:
"Notify everyone outside, tell them to come back, we're..."
"Going to war!!"