Chapter 417: Took the Captain

“Poor as a church mouse?”

Katakuri raised an eyebrow.

Whole Cake Island may not be as wealthy as Wano, given that Wano controls over ninety-nine percent of the Sea-Prism Stone mines across the seas.

But it’s certainly not poor as a church mouse.

Not to mention the massive food processing plants established in recent years through cooperation between Whole Cake Island and Wano, generating enormous profits exported across the four seas.

These are nearly cost-free ventures.

Just the specialties from Whole Cake Island’s thirty-five islands, plus the wealth plundered by the Big Mom Pirates over decades, are enough to make the New World take notice.

How could it possibly be poor as a church mouse?

Kizaru was well-versed in the art of slacking off; he acted as if he hadn’t heard a word, continuing to sip his tea.

Katakuri was, after all, from Whole Cake Island, and the Captain likely sent him here primarily to keep things in line and prevent Luffy from causing trouble.

At first, Kizaru had been puzzled by Luffy’s unusual cooperation, but now he finally understood.

This Four Emperor, who had ruled the seas for years, had long since drained Whole Cake Island’s wealth, leaving behind only an empty shell for the United Kingdom.

Kizaru couldn’t help but silently mourn for Luffy for two seconds.

You took the Captain’s money and now think you can just walk away?

Your name, Luffy, is already on the little black book.

“Sir, it’s truly poor as a church mouse.”

We’ve learned: roughly two years ago, the Four Emperor Charlotte Luffy began selling off Whole Cake Island’s assets and heavily purchasing raw materials—the purchase list has already been sent back to the Holy Land.

Upon hearing this, the light in Katakuri’s eyes instantly dimmed.

Mama, what are you plotting now?

“Thank you for your hard work. Go on with your duties.”

Katakuri knew: within the United Kingdom, from department heads down to ordinary clerks, everyone held near-fanatical loyalty and faith in the Captain.

They would never falsify the statistics.

Once the purpose behind the raw material purchases was clear, it would reveal what the accumulated wealth of Whole Cake Island had been used for.

This matter was actually Kaido’s fault.

Since overthrowing the World Government, Kaido had spent most of his time pressuring Seven, under the pretense that the four seas were still unsettled and not yet ready for leisure.

In truth, he feared that before Yamato came of age, Seven would take another woman.

And with the entire Beasts Pirates joining the United Kingdom,

he’d forgotten to report that, in the past two years, Luffy had approached Gatz and used bloodline factor technology to mass-produce numerous offspring.

“Big brother, let me report this to the Captain.”

“Fine.” Kizaru stood up: “The Captain said the cakes on Cake Island are delicious—I’ll go take a stroll.”

Katakuri pulled out a Den Den Mushi and reported the news that Whole Cake Island was poor as a church mouse.

The Den Den Mushi mimicked Seven’s smile.

“As long as the people are still alive, there will always be a day when wealth is restored. In the meantime, do your best, and remember to come back for the concert.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“No problem.”

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Katakuri took a deep breath and silently resolved: he would not return to the Holy Land until Whole Cake Province was properly governed.

To avoid being tormented by Quinn’s seductive dance moves.

The news that the Four Emperor Charlotte Luffy had surrendered Whole Cake Island to the United Kingdom spread across every corner of the four seas via the News Paper.

The matter was neither huge nor trivial.

Morgens insisted on putting it on the front page.

He intended to tell the world: even a Four Emperor is nothing before the great Saint Seven.

One must admit, Morgens was a master of flattery.

He always found the most unexpected angles, endlessly inventing new ways to praise Seven’s achievements.

Did it work?

From Morgens’ relentless, unwavering dedication to this task, it was clear it worked.

East Blue, Loguetown.

The Blackbeard Trio carefully hid their pirate flag and disguised themselves as traveling merchants before entering Loguetown.

Passing a newsstand, Lafitte bought a copy of the News Paper; after reading just two lines, he cursed and shoved it at Blackbeard.

“Morgens, you brown-noser.”

Blackbeard took the paper and stared at it.

【Whole Cake Province Established: Thus, Every Inch of Land Across the Seas Now Belongs to the United Kingdom】

“Brother, you’ll get used to it.”

Blackbeard had long grown accustomed to Morgens’ insane fawning over Whitehair.

People’s circumstances are simply different.

He was still striving for his dream, while Whitehair had already unified the four seas, bringing every patch of ocean under the United Kingdom’s domain.

“You forgot,” Blackbeard whispered.

“When Barzab Seven had no territory at all, Morgens called him Emperor of the Sea. Now that he’s King of the World, that bird Morgens will keep inventing new ways to praise him.”

Blackbeard assumed Lafitte was angry over this.

In truth, Lafitte only regretted that the one praising the Captain’s greatness wasn’t him.

This kind of subtle, fact-based flattery—so smooth it left no trace—might even overwhelm the Captain himself.

From Morgens’ appointment as head of the United Kingdom News Daily, it was clear he enjoyed the Captain’s full trust.

Lafitte suddenly realized he must urgently push Blackbeard to grow stronger and bigger, so they could track down the Dark-Dark Fruit.

Otherwise, if they delayed another ten or twenty years,

people like Morgens would climb high in the United Kingdom through relentless flattery—and where would that leave Lafitte?

“Captain, we must speed up.”

Blackbeard nodded in agreement.

But their reasons for wanting to hurry were different: Lafitte wanted to secure the Dark-Dark Fruit and return to the Morning Star Pirates as soon as possible.

Blackbeard wanted to find Lu Bianyi.

And through Lu Bianyi, reconnect with the missing Queen of the Happy Street, Stussy, to ally with the remnants of the old era hiding in the shadows.

Not long after, the King of the World Bar in Loguetown.

Compared to Blackbeard’s last visit, the bar’s sign had been refurbished, and the small text below now read: “One Minute: Make the King of the World Saint Seven Fall in Love with Drinking.”

“See? Everywhere you look, brown-nosers.”

“Look at these people—where’s the spirit of chasing dreams? All they think about is how to flatter.”

Still,

Blackbeard felt uneasy. With the United Kingdom’s unification of the four seas, the ocean had become Whitehair’s reflection.

The only consolation: with the Red Line still standing, the four seas…

“Damn.” Blackbeard muttered under his breath.

For he suddenly realized—

If Whitehair could sever the Red Line when he stormed Mary Geoise, then perhaps soon, the Red Line that divided the four seas… would be severed again by Whitehair.

Only then would true unification of the four seas be complete.

Blackbeard’s future situation would grow increasingly difficult.

Thinking of this, Blackbeard pushed open the bar door and strode up to the bartender, about to speak—when he suddenly spotted a disheveled figure passed out drunk at the counter.

“Lu Bianyi? Are you Lu Bianyi?”

Lu Bianyi lifted his head, his blurry vision seeing a large, black, fat face.

“Captain, why are you even fatter now?”