Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 346 Novice Tasks
"General, are we really going to let those outsiders set up weapons factories in Wano Country at will?"

"These pirates don't seem like the kind of people who would behave themselves. If they..."

Fukurokushou, who had escorted Jin out of the inner courtyard and then returned, walked to the giant snake's side and whispered.

He didn't say everything, but the giant snake already understood his meaning: he was worried that the beasts would become too powerful and even usurp his authority.

But what does that matter?

Anyway, his current decrees can't even leave the Flower Capital, and the daimyo and even the samurai under him simply ignore him.

You're not even a [Kozuki], yet you dare to dream of becoming a general?!

In their eyes, he was nothing more than a puppet who had been placed in the position of general by sheer luck. His only value was to wait for that damned Kozuki Oden to return and then obediently pack his bags and leave!

Hmph! A bunch of damned, lowly bastards!

Since you're unwilling to kneel before this general, then go and talk to the beasts' knives.

A fierce glint flashed in the snake's eyes, then it waved its hand, indicating that the other party did not need to worry.

"It's alright, Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity."

"As long as the Flower Capital is in my hands, that's enough. As for the other places..."

"Let those daimyo and the beasts fight it out slowly~ It would be better if they were all dead. Mwahahahaha!"

……

Outside the general's mansion, the pirates who had been waiting nearby rushed forward to greet Jin when they saw him come out so quickly.

It must be said that Jhin's direct troops are indeed the elite of the beasts, and their discipline even surpasses that of the armies of ordinary countries, almost to the point of being able to obey orders without question.

You have to understand, this is a group of pirates. Who has ever seen a group of pirates stand still like a stake, without moving an inch?

In comparison, the members of the "Meeting the General" group, who were supposedly the general's personal guards and stood watch outside the general's mansion, seemed rather insignificant. These people were either daydreaming or dozing off, or whispering among themselves. Some of them were already discussing which red-light district they would go to relax on after their shift ended...

"Lord Jin, what did they say from Wano Country?"

One of the pirates spoke up, but it wasn't one of King's subordinates; it was Takalong who had come along.

Having already been designated as a member of the Flying Six, he boarded Jin's ship to take a look at their future new base.

Frankly speaking, many cadres were unwilling to leave the Fenrir Islands for a completely new and unfamiliar country.

After all, pirates are human too, and humans always unconsciously develop an attachment to familiar environments... Having lived and been stationed in Fenrir Islands for so many years, although there are rotations, the officers stationed there have become accustomed to every blade of grass and every tree.

However, Takao is not included in this list; this guy has always been at the forefront of the pirate crew's strategic plans.

There was no way around it; he was just too eager to improve.

Since being appointed as an island-based cadre, this guy seems to have turned on some strange switch, spending all his time frantically cultivating involution instead of doing anything else.

And his talent is indeed quite good... or rather, the people in this world are somewhat special. Basically, as long as they have a certain goal and the will to persevere, they can quickly become stronger.

So in less than a year, Taolong surpassed Skipgate, who had initially propelled him to the top, and became the number one middle-level manager at the time.

Later, he consistently topped the rankings in the annual New Year competition, firmly holding onto his position as the number one cadre... After that, when Hundred Beasts Heavy Industry was established, he took the initiative to cooperate with Hua Zha, traveling all over the world to expand weapons sales channels.

In short, he is recognized as an ambitious figure within the Beasts, and even Kaido admires him greatly, directly giving him a place among the Flying Six.

King also had a very good impression of Takalong, so while gesturing for his pirate crew to prepare to leave, he replied:
"The shogun of Wano Country has already arranged for people to assist us in transferring the pirate crew." "Our fleet will first land at the Blade Port in Hakumai, and after replenishing our supplies, we will head to Onigashima, which will be our base in Wano Country."

"What we need to do now is to contact the people of Wano Country and prepare the supplies needed for the subsequent large fleet landing."

Relocating a pirate crew of tens of thousands is indeed a huge undertaking, requiring considerable preparation and coordination in advance.

In particular, most of the Beast Pirates are undisciplined individuals, and if any mishap occurs, it could easily trigger a large-scale riot.

That's why Jhin took charge of this matter personally.

"Wright's idea is to relocate the pirate crew to Wano Country in batches. The first batch will mainly consist of some construction craftsmen and you 'Flying Six'."

"The construction on Onigashima can be handled by the local craftsmen; Orochi will arrange that. But the construction of the weapons factory will require our own people to do it. Wano Country doesn't have the workers to build such factories and assembly lines."

"As for bringing you here, it's for temporary guard duty."

The current situation within Wano Country is unclear, but xenophobia is certain.

Once the civil engineering masters specially trained by the Hundred Beasts arrive here, they will definitely travel around to select factory sites. At that time, it is hard to guarantee that some fools will not choose to do something irrational... Taolong and his colleagues need to protect these people on their own.

"By the way, have your directly subordinate units been formed yet?"

"Yes, others may not know, but mine is already set up."

Tao Long replied.

"But to be honest, the quota of 150 people is really too few. Those brothers who weren't selected always look at me with a sense of being abandoned."

Now that he has become one of the "Flying Six," Tao Long is qualified to form his own direct force, just like Jin and the others.

These people are naturally the best of the best, but each of the "Flying Six" has a maximum quota of 150 people, which is equivalent to one ship. This is a decision made by Kaido after listening to Wright's advice, intending to take the elite route in the upper echelons.

It's important to understand that after several years of rapid expansion, the number of troops stationed on each island has increased from a couple hundred to anywhere from eight or nine hundred to two or three thousand...

For example, the pirates that Takalong previously led numbered more than 2,700, and his direct subordinate force of 150 men was selected from these 2,700 men through a rigorous process.

"The strong advance further, while the weak are abandoned. They should have been aware of this the moment they joined the beasts."

King paid no attention to the so-called 'resentment' of the pirates who were not selected.

"..."

"Yes, it's not just the beasts, but also the vast ocean."

The two walked one after the other along the street they had come from, until they reached the gate of Ebisu Town. On one side of the gate, a man wearing a demon mask seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

"Fellow beasts, I am Sarutobi, a ninja from the Oniwabanshu under the command of the Shogun. I am here to await your arrival."

As he spoke, the man who claimed to be a ninja took out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Jin.

"Ha, you people really can't wait a moment longer."

Jin coldly stared at the scroll handed to him, but did not reach out to take it. Instead, he turned to Tao Long behind him and said:
"Taolong, take half of my direct troops with you. You are in charge of handling this matter."

"……what?!"

(End of this chapter)