Chapter 188: Giant House and Will
After Charlotte opened up Kami Island, not only did various major forces enter, but spies from the World Government and Navy Headquarters also infiltrated and hid within the island.
Charlotte was aware of this, but there was nothing he could do.
Even if one batch was cleared out, another would always come.
The only way to counter this was to secretly monitor these spies and manipulate the information they spread, ensuring that they only reported what Charlotte wanted them to.
This was the only method Charlotte could think of after watching so many spy movies in his previous life.
Charlotte retracted his Observation Haki.
The moment someone mentioned his name, Charlotte already knew their location.
His Observation Haki had grown stronger with age.
Initially, it only allowed him to foresee danger, then evolved to reading minds upon physical contact, and later developed into sensing emotions. But then, it underwent a sudden transformation.
Now, when Charlotte activated it, he had a god-like perspective—his surroundings appeared three-dimensional in his mind, every detail imprinted clearly.
Within this three-dimensional space, he could instantly detect anything related to him.
As long as someone mentioned his name within range, he could lock onto them immediately.
Charlotte's Observation Haki was becoming increasingly abnormal.
At this point, his range had expanded to cover half of Kami Island—roughly 10,000 square kilometers—and it was still growing.
This was an advantage for Charlotte.
He led his crew toward the center of Kami Island.
A special base had been set up there, where all the Rockefellers lived.
As they approached, two loud voices rang out.
"Captain!"
Charlotte looked up and saw two towering figures standing guard at the camp's entrance.
They were giants, as massive as hills, standing straight like gatekeepers.
These two were House and Will—giants from Elbaf Village.
Both had once set sail as pirates, but after being captured by the Navy, they were supposed to be sent to Impel Down.
However, because the Celestial Dragons desired powerful slaves, they were instead sold to Mary Geoise.
The Navy received a large sum of military funding in exchange, though some righteous Marines were deeply ashamed by this transaction.
"Thanks for your hard work!" Charlotte smiled and nodded at them.
"Captain, it's not hard work! It's our duty!"
Will, standing by, grinned innocently.
"Hahaha!" Charlotte chuckled at Will's simple-mindedness.
"Just keep standing guard here! If you need anything, come to me. I'll make sure you're taken care of."
That was how Charlotte recruited these two giants.
After rescuing them from the Valley of the Gods, they had initially wanted to leave.
But Charlotte wouldn't let that happen.
He immediately lured them with food and various benefits, while also warning them about the dangers of the Navy and World Government.
Finally, after a fistfight, they surrendered.
There was nothing a good punch couldn't solve. And if there was—just punch again.
After that, House and Will willingly followed Charlotte to Kami Island, becoming its protectors.
With two adult giants defending the island, most invading pirates wouldn't stand a chance.
If it came to pure physical strength, only Charlotte himself could overpower them.
Charlotte also provided them with weapons—a massive broadsword and a giant axe.
Having two giants under his command was equivalent to having two Vice Admirals in terms of combat power.
This pleased Charlotte greatly.
The Rockefeller Pirates were still in their infancy. Apart from Charlotte, no one else had made a name for themselves in the New World.
Not a single one.
But after these two giants joined, and with Charlotte's unlimited resources backing them, they quickly fell in love with the island.
Now, even if Charlotte ordered them to leave, they wouldn't.
Where else could they find a place with food, shelter, and warmth?
Compared to going hungry as wandering pirates, staying here was paradise.
Charlotte also found it amusing.
Charlotte Linlin had spent her entire life trying to recruit a giant into her crew, pouring in endless resources and sacrifices, yet failing completely.
Meanwhile, Charlotte had casually strolled through the Valley of the Gods and walked away with two loyal giant warriors.
"Yes, Captain!"
The two giants grinned.
At that moment, a voice rang out.
"Boss! You don't know how much these two giants eat! They devour as much food as a hundred men daily! At this rate, our finances will collapse!"
Charlotte turned to see Ivan, his butler, approaching with a distressed expression.
"Hmm? Are we short on money?" Charlotte asked, frowning.
"Oh! My boss! Our Rockefeller Pirates spend an astonishing 1 billion Berries per month!
Out of that:
200 million Berries go to salaries.
300 million Berries are spent on shipbuilding.
The rest is burned through scientific research!
These scientists spend money like water! Every day, they throw requests at me like 'I need this! I need that!' And because of your orders, I cover all their experimental costs!
Especially Caesar Clown and Vinsmoke Judge—these two are bottomless pits! Their expenses alone could bankrupt us!"
Ivan wailed dramatically.
As Charlotte's butler, he was responsible for handling finances, and every time he saw money flowing out instead of coming in, his blood pressure spiked.
Currently, most of the Rockefeller Pirates' income came from taxes collected on Kami Island.
After Charlotte took over the island, he officially removed the previous mayor, Mr. Chamberlain, who had no choice but to flee back to Umit.
From that moment on, everything on Kami Island was under Charlotte's control.
However, Charlotte only imposed taxes.
He had no interest in micromanaging the island's daily affairs.
His only rule? As long as taxes were paid and no trouble was caused, he wouldn't interfere.
The island flourished with commerce—merchant ships, local businesses, and even real estate were booming.
But even that wasn't enough to sustain their extravagant spending.
Charlotte sighed.
"If we're short on funds… then I guess it's time to make some money."
He stood up, stretching his muscles.
"Prepare the ship, Ivan. It's time for the Rockefeller Pirates to make a little 'business trip'."
A grin spread across Charlotte's face.
Ivan gulped.
He knew what 'business trip' meant when it came to pirates.
It meant plundering, raiding, and making a massive fortune.
Charlotte was about to set sail again.
To be continued…
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