Rumble rumble!
The familiar lightning strike, the familiar howling storm, the familiar whirlpool of seawater, under the assault of the massive curtain of rain, a Black Ship faintly appeared and disappeared with the brief brightness of lightning in the rain.
A sky as gloomy as black noon carved out a black domain in the vast blue sea, continuously moving.
Just like in the legends, the terrifying ship that symbolizes disaster...
Gin held up an umbrella, taking advantage of the heavy rain, dodging the lightning, walked to the ship's railing, looked at the sea beasts below that were suddenly approaching, swept away by the vortex or even torn apart, then glanced forward again, and walked back, disappearing on the empty deck.
The two-story large building on the deck flashed with lights, lively and noisy, forming a stark contrast with the dark deck outside.
On the second floor in the captain's room, Sage lit a cigar, leaned comfortably against the chair behind him, half of his back embedded in it, "Hey, don't say, this throne is quite comfortable."
The original throne was replaced, now the one placed in the captain's room is a new throne.
Seized in the Country of Cyan, called the 'Cyan Sand Wood Throne', this type of wood is also found around the Country of Cyan, one of the miracles of the great sea, clearly wood, but with a soft texture, works as both a wooden chair and a sofa, and this throne is the best of the best.
Just as he found the previous throne too hard for the captain's room, so he replaced it directly.
Sage has quite a few thrones now, large and small, displayed in many places within the Royal Palace.
But when it comes to premium items, this one is only the fourth.
The Jewelry Throne and the Golden Throne, though from the East Sea, are made from excellent materials with historical significance, and belong in the category of premium items.
The Velvet Lion Head Golden Throne seized on the Grand Line is also decent, and the subsequent ones seized are mediocre, used by Sage in various places within the Royal Palace.
Thrones with such preciousness and historical significance are still quite rare.
On the side, Bella received the tea and snacks brought by Marika and served them to Renedia, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa occasionally scratching her head with a pen, then walked to the window, handing a portion to Lily.
Lily took a sip of the tea, glanced outside the window, and said:
"Zou, meaning 'Elephant', I've really never seen such a big elephant, the wonder of the New World, is much higher than Paradise. Sometimes I wonder, are the Four Seas and here really in the same world?"
Clearly separated by just the Calm Belt and Red Earth Continent, the split Four Seas are actually similar, but the Grand Line alone is completely different.
Sage exhaled a puff of smoke, saying: "The Four Seas also have many magnificent places, some areas even the World Government hasn't discovered, like the vast Outer Sea, who knows how many islands exist there. But... indeed not as wondrous as the Grand Line."
Leaving aside the factors of so-called powerful figures changing the weather and environment, the New World itself is wondrous enough, and Sage doesn't know how those things came about, as long as they can be used and produced, he doesn't care where the source is.
"Hey, Leti, stop thinking, have some food first."
Sage looked at Renedia, who was still thinking, and said.
"Just a little more..."
Renedia drew a few more strokes on the blueprint with her pen, made a 'clang clang clang' sound effect herself, then held it up facing Sage, "Look! In future Storm City will be like this!"
The drawing was a design plan for Storm City... supposedly.
The lines on it were in a very postmodern abstract style, with a unique eerie feel, combining indescribable things and future technology, stirring in Sage a remote memory of cyberpunk, no... a bit like cyber R'lyeh.
Though he's never seen it, Sage inexplicably thought of the term.
"Weren't you drawing technical blueprints?" Sage raised an eyebrow.
"What's interesting about something simple like that, just modify it a bit!"
Renedia flashed small fangs, "This is more fun! Sage, let's build Storm City like this in the future!"
"I wouldn't want to enter dreams, people I haven't really entered, and now enter dreams..."
He rolled his eyes, said: "Leave that to Old Hawkins, you don't need to worry."
The idea of Sage setting up a gold line and doing infrastructure was naturally known to these close people, drawing technical blueprints and such also was handed over to Renedia.
She's fine with technology, but lowering technical specifications for simpler versions is easy, but her aesthetics... leave something to be desired.
Post-apocalyptic mechanical style is alright, anyway, some technologies are ready to be tendered and sold, and the appeal will be up to those people; but city planning... now actually produced an indescribable version of a city.
In combination, it carries a madness and eccentricity of a cyber R'lyeh post-apocalyptic style city.
Sage wanted prosperity, not a dance of demons.
For aesthetics, it's better left to Hawkins, he is responsible for the city planning duty anyway, he should do it.
Moreover, there's no rush.
Things like infrastructure and setting up a gold line are currently only in the preparation stage, before that, Sage must first conquer Zou.
A few days ago, Buffalo under Doflamingo's command came by ship, delivered Zou's Life Card, then he set out.
Not taking many people, the standard of three female officers, plus Combat Commander Gin and Deputy Commander Pearl here, with two thousand subordinates.
The rest are still digesting the territory he conquered, as well as sailing within his sphere of influence, looking to see if there are any undiscovered islands.
However, Marika, very gently patted the somewhat puffed-up Renedia's little head, picked up the cake on the table, scooped a spoonful, and offered it to her mouth, smiling:
"Have a bite first, it's very delicious."
"Hmph! Sage you idiot, this is obviously so pretty!"
Renedia rolled her eyes, deliberately turned away from Sage, and opened her mouth to eat the small cake Marika fed.
If not for the different hair colors, they would indeed look a bit like mother-daughter or sisters.
"Alright alright, I'll approve an area for you later, just do it yourself."
Sage waved his hand, "Maybe it can even become a tourist area or something."
"What! You know I'm amazing!"
Renedia quickly turned her head, eyes shining, "Don't worry Sage! I... I will definitely create the best city!"
"I was talking about a curiosity tourism area."
Sage laughed: "When your twelfth birthday comes, I'll approve it, by then it should be just right."
Compared to when they first set sail, everyone has aged a bit.
Sage was twenty-two when he set sail, now he's almost twenty-four.
Lily is nearing eighteen.
Marika is almost twenty-six.
Renedia's birthday is nearly twelve.
Last year, Sage celebrated the birthdays of these subordinates, and this year he'll do it again, and it will be grand.
To hold a banquet, Sage loves it the most.
"Master Sage."
A knock on the door and Gin's voice came from outside.
As Lily called out, Gin walked in, saying: "It seems we've found Zou..."