Pirates on Rocks' Ship 996

"Brother, it's such a waste to leave the island's population here!" Reina approached Whitebeard and brought up the issue of relocating the population.

"Huh? Reina, you want to traffic people? That's absolutely unacceptable. There are some things that must have a bottom line!" Whitebeard righteously rejected Reina.

"Please... Brother, do I look like that kind of person?" Reina said helplessly. They had no idea what population represented.

Reina regretted his words as soon as he finished speaking, because not only Whitebeard, but even the captains around him were looking at Reina with strange eyes.

“I believe you wouldn’t do something like ordinary human trafficking! But if it’s profitable and doesn’t harm these civilians, I also believe you wouldn’t hesitate! And I believe that with your intelligence, it wouldn’t be difficult for you to do that!” Whitebeard said with a strange expression.

The captains standing nearby nodded in agreement, as if Whitebeard was referring to Reina.

"........."

"I'm truly... speechless! Don't you know that wealth is produced? Don't you know that people are the primary productive force? We don't need to traffic people; we just need to bring these people to our territory and let them integrate! Then they will continuously produce wealth!"

"Although this wealth is not ours, it is within our territory, and therefore indirectly belongs to us! The more prosperous our territory is, the stronger we will become; it is mutually reinforcing! At the same time, it can also weaken our opponents!"

Reina explained it with gestures, but everyone looked at him blankly, they didn't understand at all.

"Does the first mate mean to make these people work for us? If so, how are we any different from those slave owners? Let's not do that!" Joz didn't understand what Reina was saying, but he caught one of the sentences, so he advised in a deep voice.

"Ugh~ I can't stand you idiots anymore! Didn't I explain it clearly enough?" Reina was already on the verge of losing his temper.

"Just tell me what you want to do!" Whitebeard looked at Reiner and found it somewhat amusing, but he understood that Reiner probably wasn't planning on doing anything bad.

“Yes! Big brother is so smart! I think you’ll understand better if I put it this way! Do you think Kaido will compensate these civilians we robbed?” Reina said after thinking for a moment.

"No!" everyone shook their heads and said.

"So their lives will be very difficult from now on, right? Although we left them enough food, they have lost all their possessions and need to start from scratch. This is a very serious matter for an ordinary family! And Kaido is not the kind of person who would help them!"

“But what if we take them away? For example, to the large islands around our Xuan Yue Island. Although there are quite a few of them, they are nothing to those islands! We can find a place to build houses for them, give them some food, and let them live there. Wouldn’t that be better than leaving them here?” Reina considered all the possible scenarios that the civilians might face.

After listening, everyone fell into thought. According to Reina, that would indeed be better for these civilians.

“Or they might not be able to integrate into those big islands. We could find a small town and send them there. There are places on those islands, but the population is too small, and the islands haven’t been developed at all. Once they get there, they can not only develop the islands but also make a living. Wouldn’t that be better?” Reina continued.

"Not bad, that makes some sense!" With Reina's simple explanation, Whitebeard finally understood something.

"The main reason we're taking them with us is because Kaido isn't someone who can manage them. If we leave them behind, it might actually harm them!" Reina further explained.

“But does that mean we’ll have to take people with us every time we go out to rob? Otherwise, wouldn’t the civilians we leave behind be indirectly harmed?” Lakyo said, frowning.

“It depends on whose power it is, or whether those civilians are willing! If they are willing, we can accept them. There are some uninhabited islands in the waters under our control that they can live on. We can let them develop the smaller islands. It won’t be a loss for us!” Reina nodded and said.

As for the economic benefits that would result from the islands becoming prosperous or the development of uninhabited islands, Reina did not intend to explain them, as that would be beyond their comprehension.

After Reiner finished speaking, everyone looked at Whitebeard. Ultimately, it was up to Whitebeard to make the decision!

“Reina’s suggestion was good. We can hand over the uninhabited island to them. We only need to provide food for the initial period. Once they have income from the crops they grow, we won’t have to worry about it anymore! But there’s one thing: when you go, make sure to explain it to them clearly. Don’t force them! And once you’re on our territory, you have to follow our rules!” Whitebeard said after thinking for a moment.

With Whitebeard's approval, Reina turned a robbery into a population relocation. Only Reina understood the benefits of this; the others, including Whitebeard, were simply worried about the future of these civilians.

After bringing all those who were willing to leave onto the ship, the Moby Dick set sail again, leaving Kaido with only a small, ravaged island.

Actually, not many people came this time; it was less than half the population of the entire island.

But Reina believed that everything is difficult at the beginning, and when such things happen again in the future, more and more people will be willing to go to their territory!

Because people's lives will get better and better in the territory controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates, those who know this will try their best to go there, and their population will increase!

When the population becomes overpopulated, that's when the Whitebeard Pirates will begin their expansion.

The Whitebeard Pirates were the sole rulers of that sea. The larger the population, the easier it was for strong individuals and talented people to emerge. Those talented individuals and strong people would become the pillars of the Whitebeard Pirates in the future.

Unbeknownst to him, Reina found that he seemed to have turned the Whitebeard Pirates into a kingdom, a kingdom centered around the Whitebeard Pirates.

Not long after the Whitebeard Pirates left, Kaido's Beasts Pirates finally arrived, but upon seeing the island that had been completely looted, Kaido turned and left without saying a word.

He didn't want to waste any time on places that were no longer of any use.

After Kaido left, those who chose to stay felt deep regret. There was nothing left there, and if they continued to stay, it seemed they could not live at all except wait to die.

Meanwhile, on his return journey, Whitebeard found Reina and asked him a question that puzzled him: "What exactly are you planning to do by taking these people away? The more I think about it, the more something seems off! These people are a burden to us. You never want to suffer a loss, so it's really unbelievable that you're doing this on your own initiative!"

"Brother, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just too troublesome to explain, and you might not even understand!" Reina said, shrugging.

"If you don't understand, explain it to me until I do!" Whitebeard glanced at Reina and said directly.

Reina smacked his lips, sighed helplessly, and began to explain things to Whitebeard.

It wasn't until the Moby Dick returned to Crescent Moon Island that Whitebeard vaguely understood some of Reiner's meaning. He was shocked and also developed a different opinion of Reiner.

"Kid, we're just a pirate crew! Not a kingdom!" Whitebeard saw through the problem and said directly.

“So what? We don’t want to build any kingdom, we just want to become stronger so that we can protect our families… right? As for how things will turn out in the end, I don’t know, and neither do you, brother!” Reina nodded and said.

"Gurarararar... In that case, let's wait and see!" Whitebeard seemed to understand Reyner's plan and said with a loud laugh.

Chapter 174 The Initial Construction of Xuan Yue Island

The first thing Whitebeard did after returning was to settle the people he had brought back. After giving them a deserted island, Whitebeard also sent people to help them build houses and cultivate wasteland. Only after everything was done did he leave amidst the people's gratitude.

The construction of Xuan Yue Island also resumed with Reina's return. The supplies brought back from this voyage were enough for them to use for a period of time. In fact, many of the crew members enjoyed the feeling of looting everything they saw.

Whitebeard preferred the feeling of sailing on a ship, so he would take his men out to sea every few days. Occasionally, Reina would go with him, but most of the time he stayed on Crescent Island to carry out construction.

A year later, the first phase of the Xuan Yue Island project was finally completed. Most of the buildings were finished, and the outermost defense system was also completed.

"This will be our conference hall from now on. It can accommodate five thousand people at the same time. The conference hall will only be opened for important matters!" Reina led the white-bearded man on a tour of the main building at the very center of Crescent Moon Island. As soon as the door opened, they saw a super-large conference room.

"What does this mean?" The white-bearded man pointed to the center of the conference hall, where a rectangular table was placed. At the head of the table was a huge chair covered with a white tiger skin, and on either side were two rows of ordinary chairs.

Reina chuckled and pulled Whitebeard to the head seat, saying with a smile, "This is where Big Brother sits, and the other two seats are for the crew's officers! As for the ordinary members, they're behind us, you see!"

As Reina spoke, he pointed behind him. The entire conference room was designed in a semi-circle, with the seats for ordinary members arranged in a fan shape. The seats in the middle and back were where Whitebeard and the executives sat. Behind Whitebeard was a huge blackboard, used for recording and demonstrations.

“Very good! But this table… I don’t quite like it. It makes me feel very special!” the white-bearded man said, pointing to the rectangular conference table.

“Okay! Actually, I originally designed it as a round table! But I changed it to this because I think the most important person in a pirate crew is the captain, especially our Whitebeard Pirates, which is built around our leader. It’s normal for our leader to have a special position! Just like an elder in a family, he has the highest authority!” Reina said, shrugging.

"A round table? What's the difference between this and a round table? Wouldn't it be better if everyone just sat down casually like this?" the white-bearded man asked, puzzled.

“A meeting room needs a table! With a round table, you and everyone else are no different. The intention is that everyone at the meeting is equal and has the right to speak. Because the table is round, there is no concept of who is in charge. This rectangular table, on the other hand, has seats for the main and secondary members!” Reina explained to Whitebeard the different meanings implied by the two types of tables.

After listening, the white-bearded man nodded, then pointed to the hanging table and said, "Change it to the round table you mentioned! Also, why is this place called the White Tiger Hall?"

"Um... I just picked this one randomly. You can change it if you don't like it, big brother!" Reina said with a smile, touching his nose.

"I thought it had some special meaning, but since it's already done, let's not change it!" Whitebeard said with a smile.

After touring the largest conference room, Reina led the white-bearded man to the reception rooms located on either side of the conference room, which were used to receive visiting guests.

The room on the right is of a higher standard, with more luxurious furnishings and decor, and is used to entertain guests of similar status and rank to the white-bearded man. The room on the left is a regular reception room, used to entertain ordinary guests.

The second floor of the main building was designed by Reina as an activity room, where any large-scale activities involving the entire group can be held. Of course, banquets cannot be held here. The banquet venue is behind the main building, in a huge square specifically for banquets.

"Very good!" After touring the main building at the very center, the white-bearded man nodded in satisfaction and said.

The entire themed building was designed by Reina in the shape of a whale, with the whale's large mouth serving as the entrance, and a prominent Whitebeard Pirates symbol on the whale's forehead.

The whale's raised tail serves as the canopy for the banquet plaza behind it, ensuring that even on rainy days, there's no problem holding a banquet if you want to.

Besides the main building being fully completed, all the housing units are also finished!

Since Crescent Moon Island is larger than Sky Island, Reina's housing design this time is not like the modern buildings on Sky Island. Instead, it is divided into three main areas to separate combat members, ordinary members, and officers. All three areas are behind the main building, with the officers' area in the middle, the combat members' area on the left, and the non-combat members' area on the right.

This wasn't because Reina was being patronizing anyone; rather, the combatants were mostly real pirates, while the non-combatants were more like ordinary civilians. Although everyone got along well, the combatants led a more carefree life, so Reina deliberately separated them to avoid disturbing the non-combatants.

"Brother, most of the pirate crews under our command will be here today. We'll need to hold a meeting in the conference room to officially announce that Xuan Yue Island will become the core of the Whitebeard Pirates' power! After the meeting, it will be time for the banquet. Food and drinks are already being prepared in the banquet square!" After the tour, Reina told Whitebeard about today's arrangements.

"Is this really necessary?" the white-bearded man asked, frowning slightly.

“Of course it’s necessary! This is our Whitebeard Pirates declaring to the world that this place belongs to us from now on. Whether it’s the Marines or any other pirates, they have to follow our rules here, or they’ll be provoking our Whitebeard Pirates!” Reina said with a smile.

"Alright! You decide for yourself!" Whitebeard nodded, saying nonchalantly.

"In addition, I plan to hold a Monopoly competition for the entire crew soon. This game seems to be very popular among the crew members. The competition will be held in groups of four, with a time limit of one hour. The player with the most property and cash will win and advance to the next round!"

"Oh? This is interesting, I want to participate too!" Whitebeard's eyes lit up as he said.

Just as Reina said, the allure of Monopoly captivated the entire Whitebeard Pirates, and even Whitebeard himself loved it. However, his luck had never been very good, and he rarely had the chance to dominate the game.

“Of course, no problem, but Big Brother also needs to start from the first round, just like everyone else. Whoever wins in the end will win the title of the first Whitebeard Board Game Tournament!” Reina grinned and said.

"Gurarararar... Why do I feel like I'm destined to get this title?" Whitebeard said with a loud laugh.

Soon, pirate ships began to arrive at the port, which occupied about a quarter of the island's coastline. These pirate ships all had one thing in common: they flew two pirate flags, one of which was the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates. They were all pirate crews under Whitebeard's command.

Besides the pirate ships, there were also some ships that only flew the Whitebeard Pirates' flag. They didn't look like pirate ships at all. Those were people sent from small islands within the Whitebeard Pirates' territory. They came as representatives of the local islands to celebrate the completion ceremony of the Whitebeard Pirates' Crescent Moon Island.

"Huh? Fishman Island has actually sent people here. They're not exactly close to here!" Just as the crew was receiving guests from all directions at the port, they suddenly spotted the Fishman Island ship.

"Go and inform Father and Reina quickly. We didn't notify Fishman Island, did we? I didn't expect them to come!" Lacjo, who was in charge of port reception, instructed one of his subordinates.

Soon, Reina arrived at the port after receiving the notification. Because there were many people there today, Whitebeard did not come to greet the guests from Fishman Island.

"Tiger? What brings you here?" Reina exclaimed with delight to Fisher Tiger as he disembarked from the ship.

"Hahaha... Reina, you're really not being fair! The Whitebeard Pirates are having such a big event, and you didn't even send us an invitation. Have you forgotten that Fishman Island is also within the Whitebeard Pirates' sphere of influence?" Tiger laughed and hugged Reina, saying.

“You’re too far away. The New World isn’t as peaceful as it seems. What if something happens to you on the way? That would be terrible!” Reina shook his head and said, “By the way, how did you find out about this? We only notified the captains of our pirate crews; we didn’t tell anyone else!”

"Hahaha... You don't know yet, do you? News of the initial completion of Xuan Yue Island has spread throughout the entire sea. From now on, this place will serve as the Whitebeard Pirates' headquarters. With the power of your pirate crew, which force would dare to be careless in dealing with you? What if someone happens to pass by here one day and accidentally bumps into you? Wouldn't that be courting death?" Tiger said with a laugh.

“Let’s go! Big Brother is in the reception room. A lot of old friends have come today! We must have a good drink at the banquet tonight!” Reina said, pulling Tiger’s hand and walking towards the island.

"Tch~ Is this the so-called Xuan Yue Island? It's not as amazing as people say!" The fishman Arlong, following behind Tiger, said in a low voice with a look of disdain.

"Arlong!" Jinbe quickly tugged at Arlong's sleeve and said, "This is the Whitebeard Pirates' territory. Even Tai-san respects them greatly. They have done a great favor for Fishman Island. You can't treat them like this!"

Upon hearing Jinbe's words, Arlong was about to retort, but Tiger and Reina both turned to look at him at the same time, so Arlong had no choice but to shut his mouth in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, although the situation on Fishman Island has improved a lot because of you, every day around the world, a large number of fishmen are still captured by humans and enslaved! Right above Fishman Island, on the Sabaody Archipelago, they are now openly auctioning off the merfolk, which makes everyone very angry!" Tiger clenched his fist and said in a low voice.

"Hmph! That's all those Celestial Dragons can do! If I ever get annoyed, I'll sneak off to Mary Geoise and set it on fire, and show them what's what!" Reina sneered.

Reina's words made Tiger give him a strange look, because he had the same idea, but had not told anyone.

Chapter 175 Reina's Attack

Once everyone had arrived, they all went to the conference hall, which could accommodate 5,000 people, and the occupancy rate was almost half.

At the newly set-up round table in the center, Whitebeard sat at the head of the table, with Reina and the captains of the various combat squads to his right, and the captains of the various pirate crews under his command to his left.