Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Technology of Sky Island
"Thank you very much for saving my country." Princess Vivi and her childhood friend Koza bowed deeply to Daniel Davis.
With Crocodile's conspiracy exposed and a rainstorm alleviating tensions between the rebels and the royal army, and thanks to the efforts of Princess Vivi and Koza, the rebels were now mostly returning home to rebuild.
"A flower blooming in cow dung," Daniel thought to himself, watching the two standing together.
The so-called childhood sweethearts seemed destined to be together unless something unexpected happened. Daniel was pleased with this outcome. Although Princess Vivi was beautiful, she was already spoken for. He wasn't the type to pursue every beautiful woman he met.
His intentions with Nami and Robin were purely to save them, not out of any ulterior motive. Similarly, he had no special interest in the Pirate Empress; her affection for Luffy was a result of various coincidences, and Daniel lacked Luffy's indifference to temptations. Additionally, Luffy's courage to strike a Celestial Dragon, though reckless and nearly leading to their doom, was something Daniel lacked.
It's like the saying: would you rather be a coward for a lifetime or a hero for a few minutes?
"You two should leave here soon. Most of this place is still full of pirates, and it's not good for you to be here. Also, I only targeted Crocodile to take his position as a Shichibukai. As for the king's invitation, I'll have to decline."
Princess Vivi and Koza came to Rainbase to thank Daniel and to invite him to the palace for a formal recognition from the king.
"Someone like you should join the Navy. Why become a Shichibukai?" Robin asked curiously after Vivi and Koza left.
Since meeting the members of Baroque Works, Daniel had mostly stayed at the base, letting his subordinates handle the pirate hunts. One advantage of being a Shichibukai was that members of the pirate crew weren't pursued by the Navy.
As for piracy, Daniel hadn't engaged in any, unlike Crocodile, who would occasionally rob ships, even in front of the Navy, laughing at their helplessness.
In this sea, encountering a Shichibukai was considered bad luck, but the looting had limits—indiscriminate killing wasn't allowed.
"Being in the Navy isn't as free as being a Shichibukai." Even Admiral Kizaru had to clock in for work. If Daniel joined the Navy, he wouldn't get special treatment above admirals.
Another reason was that being a Shichibukai allowed dealings with the World Government, enabling certain trades like arms dealing. Without this status, breaking into the arms market would face heavy resistance, but with it, things were different.
Crocodile himself was involved in arms trafficking. Rainbase wasn't just for pirate enjoyment; it was a hub for information, supplies, and underground trades.
Alabasta's strategic location made it a vital stop for pirates entering the Grand Line, often seeking supplies at Crocodile's base.
Unlike the Straw Hat Pirates, who had few members and could easily buy supplies, large pirate crews needed significant resources, making them dependent on Shichibukai-run supply chains.
Daniel was beginning to resemble Doflamingo in some ways.
Despite the similarities, Daniel differed significantly from Doflamingo, maintaining ethical limits. For instance, in Rainbase, coercion was not allowed.
Daniel's experience in the Marvel universe provided some understanding of underground dealings, but it wasn't until he became a Shichibukai and took over Crocodile's operations that he realized the depth of this world.
Due to his status and wealth, Daniel occasionally received invitations to unusual auctions involving slaves, beauties, organs, and more—transactions beyond imagination.
Slave trade thrived in the pirate world due to the involvement of Celestial Dragons, even with the Navy turning a blind eye and euphemistically calling it an employment agency.
This setup made slave trade flourish, as dealing with Celestial Dragons was highly profitable.
Despite their privileges, Celestial Dragons had to comply with transactions. They could publicly abduct people with impunity, but still had to pay slave traders.
This made such individuals quite formidable.
Aside from the obvious powers like the Navy, Revolutionary Army, Four Emperors, and Shichibukai, the underground bosses held significant influence, as evidenced by Big Mom's tea parties, where refusal was not an option.
Pirate world's technology might seem underwhelming, but it formed a coherent system. For example, underground auctions involved remote bidding through Den Den Mushi, with goods delivered upon payment.
Daniel once saw a Zoan Devil Fruit auctioned off, intending to buy it, but Kaido's men took it instead. Daniel, despite his desire for the fruit, avoided provoking the Beasts Pirates.
While weapon and Devil Fruit auctions interested Daniel, he had no interest in slave or beauty trades.
He chose to ignore such things, knowing slave trade was legal in Sabaody Archipelago. Unless he could topple the World Government and Celestial Dragons, any action would be futile.
Even Fisher Tiger's rebellion didn't shake the Celestial Dragons' slave trade.
Being a pirate was hazardous; a pirate crew once dissolved after its captain was enslaved by Celestial Dragons upon reaching Sabaody Archipelago.
"Any news on the new Shichibukai's activities?" Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked his adjutant after signing documents.
"None at all," the adjutant replied after checking a file.
"Too quiet, which is strange." Sengoku mused.
While Sengoku should be pleased with Daniel's lack of activity, his strategic mind found it suspicious. A new Shichibukai would typically make a name for himself.
Reputation was crucial in this sea; even a fake high bounty could deter enemies.
Like the fake Straw Hat Pirates in the original story, who gathered many pirates using the real crew's reputation, even attracting supernovas.
"Keep an eye on him," Sengoku ordered after some thought.
Sengoku's caution stemmed from Daniel's sudden rise. After Crocodile's exposure, World Government affiliates criticized them, placing the blame on Sengoku, leading to a reprimand by the Gorosei.
This led the Navy to increase Shichibukai surveillance to avoid another incident.
The Navy already monitored the Four Emperors' crews with high risk to their surveillance ships, with Kaido's crew causing the most losses.
"The pirates in Rainbase are acting oddly," Robin reported to Daniel.
"Bold of them, they really don't respect me as a Shichibukai," Daniel remarked after hearing her report.
Robin reported that several pirate crews planned to take down Daniel, the new Shichibukai.
In the Grand Line, making a name involved high bounties or challenging powerful figures like the Shichibukai or Four Emperors.
This was inevitable for all Shichibukai, especially new ones.
Hawkeye Mihawk faced the most challenges due to his legendary sword and title as the world's greatest swordsman, making him a must-challenge figure for all swordsmen.
It was a miracle Mihawk accepted and acknowledged Zoro's challenge in the East Blue. Despite Zoro's progress, the gap between him and Mihawk seemed unbridgeable.
Facing Admiral Fujitora's meteors, Zoro had to go all out to cut them, whereas Mihawk could obliterate them with a casual swing.
"It seems I need to make an example of them," Daniel decided.
"Philosopher's Stones are running low, and these guys came at the right time." Using Robin's intel, Daniel deployed his full magic arsenal, quietly eliminating the conspiring pirates.
Though some were strong, none stood a chance against Daniel at full power.
"The highest bounty here is only 50 million? Are they underestimating me? I guess I'm a bounty-less Shichibukai like Mihawk."
"What's this?" The sight of dozens of corpses burning outside Rainbase startled many.
Pirates in the Grand Line were accustomed to death, but seeing so many notable figures killed was unusual.
"I heard these guys planned to take on the new Shichibukai. Didn't expect him to be so ruthless despite his harmless look."
This deterred many with similar plans. If Daniel had killed them openly, it wouldn't have caused such a stir. But their silent elimination was another matter.
With fear spreading, many left Rainbase, suspecting poison was involved, making them unwilling to stay.
"Finally, some peace. Time to visit Sky Island. Too bad I can't beat Enel yet; otherwise, I'd take his Rumble Rumble Fruit."
Though Rainbase's prosperity waned, Daniel didn't care. He focused on Sky Island.
"Enel's arrogance nearly got him killed with Seastone. Maybe I can exploit that."
Enel's ignorance of Haki was a potential weakness. If Daniel could use it effectively, he might kill Enel in one strike. But if he failed, Enel's retaliation would be devastating, as Daniel had no good counter to the Rumble Rumble Fruit.
"A water gun won't work; he can fly. Iron Man suits? His lightning would devastate them. Enel is a tough nut to crack."
Compared to the Sand Sand Fruit, Daniel valued the Rumble Rumble Fruit more.
"It seems I can't handle Enel for now. I'll focus on acquiring Sky Island's technology first."
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