Magnus had made plans for Sphinx more than a decade ago.
Establish an underground black market, develop the service and entertainment industries, use the money earned from pirates to build up core industries, and eventually move ashore.
In a country lacking resources, technology, production capacity, and outside investment, the only option was to live off the mountains if there were mountains, and live off pirates if there were pirates.
This was not a short-term project, so Magnus had merely offered his suggestions back then, left his pirate flag flying over Sphinx, and departed.
But after all these years, Sphinx's development had remained stuck at the second step.
The reason was that pirate money was simply too easy to make. Pirates who lived with their necks on the line were often willing to spend lavishly on fine food, liquor, and women. Casinos were also among the places pirates frequented most.
So even though Magnus had repeatedly emphasized that these gray industries could not see the light of day, and that Sphinx needed to strengthen itself if it truly wished to develop—
Sphinx's rulers had paid no attention.
Thus, after using Magnus's flag to plunder vast wealth from pirates, when Magnus's pirate flag could no longer protect them, they had no strength of their own to defend themselves.
From that point on, the nation of Sphinx had existed in name only.
And this time—
After defeating the alliance formed by the three major pirate crews, Magnus had no intention of returning power to Sphinx's rulers.
He had ignored them before because he had not had the time.
Now that Magnus planned to use Sphinx as a springboard to develop his own power, he naturally could not allow these worthless princes and nobles to stand in his way any longer.
"Magnus, if you turn Sphinx into your own territory, the Marines won't just stand by and watch."
Doctor Goat had come aboard the Black Pearl again to help Rocks and the others change their bandages, and he cautioned Magnus.
Magnus needed the strength to hold this territory!
"Haha, you don't need to tell me that. I won't drag ordinary people into this."
At Doctor Goat's words, a strange smile appeared on Magnus's face.
"Why do you think I chose Sphinx?"
Leaving everything else aside, the pirates under the three major pirate crews alone numbered over ten thousand. They might be small fry who could not even withstand Haki, but in a war, even such small fry could play a significant role.
Not to mention that besides the pirates from the three major crews, Sphinx also had dozens of pirate crews of varying sizes temporarily docked there.
If the Marines truly went to war, they would have to factor those pirates in as well.
"What if the Marines send an admiral?"
"Leave that to me!"
Magnus answered without hesitation.
If he wanted to build his own force but refused to face any risks, where in the world could he find such a bargain?
Even if he intended to coerce all the pirates in Sphinx into opposing the Marines, it was more likely that those pirates would all run the moment they saw the Marines.
Unless he displayed the strength to confront a Marine Fleet Admiral head-on.
"At the end of the day, they're just a rabble!"
So Magnus had another option: run.
It was normal for a pirate like him to run when he encountered the Marines, wasn't it?
"That hurts!"
While Magnus was talking with Doctor Goat, a girl dressed as a nurse was changing Edward Newgate and the others' bandages.
Her slender figure and ample curves made quite a few of the more mature boys swallow hard and itch to reach out.
The moment they extended their hands, however, they were pinched, earning them the girl's cold sneer.
"A bunch of brats think they can take advantage of me? Try again next life!"
The girl was none other than Stussy.
After witnessing Magnus crush the three Great Pirates, Stussy became even more determined to latch onto White Wolf Magnus and make a fortune.
To that end, she had thrown tantrums and made a scene until Doctor Goat agreed to bring her aboard the Black Pearl.
And after getting close to Magnus and seeing what he looked like, Stussy's heart stirred even more.
She might want money, but she had standards too!
If White Wolf Magnus had been some ugly old man, then no matter how wealthy he was, she would not have wanted to force herself to be with him.
But one look was enough to show that he was no ugly old man.
He was clearly a handsome older man!
Especially when Stussy saw Magnus having Black Heart Merchant Dukemon carry chest after chest of gold, silver, and jewels out of the ship's hold.
Her eyes practically took on Magnus's shape.
Older, handsome, and rich!
An old man like that was impossible to find even with a lantern.
However, whenever Stussy tried to approach Magnus, she ran into an obstacle.
Ripley!
A girl dressed rather wildly, with a bright and cheerful personality.
Apparently, she was already a member of the White Wolf Pirates.
Stussy had originally thought that, since they were about the same age, Ripley should be closer to that smug guy named Rocks.
But that was not the case at all.
Ripley often followed Magnus around, asking him this and that, leaving Stussy without the slightest chance to get close to him.
Get lost, you bitch!
Stussy bit her nail as she thought spitefully.
On the other side, Ripley did not know Stussy and merely regarded her as a pretty nurse from Doctor Goat's clinic.
But perhaps because she had been fighting constantly lately and her Observation Haki was close to awakening, Ripley felt that the way Stussy looked at Magnus was strange.
"Captain, is my Observation Haki about to awaken? I think I can sense other people's emotions!"
"Really?"
Magnus frowned and glanced at Ripley. As far as he knew, Observation Haki that could sense others' emotions was generally innate.
"Then can you sense my emotions?"
"Uh..."
Ripley looked at Magnus and answered cautiously.
"You think I'm extraordinarily gifted, a genius?"
"Bullshit!"
Magnus gave Ripley an irritated kick.
"Right now, I think you're an idiot!"
"That was so mean~"
Ripley grinned and made a face at Magnus. Seeing him raise his leg again, she hurriedly ran away.
In the corner—
Watching Magnus and Ripley interact, then seeing Magnus occasionally guide Rocks in training and help him gain a deeper grasp of Haki—
Edward Newgate's eyes held a trace of envy.
He was an orphan, and precisely because he was an orphan, he yearned even more for a family.
In his eyes, the way Magnus, Ripley, and the others got along was like a real family.
He had already heard from the others that Magnus would take control of Sphinx again. The Orphanage of Lambs, which had closed due to funding problems, would be rebuilt, and the displaced children would once again have somewhere to belong.
But what about him?
He was no longer young. He could not remain at the Orphanage of Lambs forever.
Go out and find work?
But there was not much work to be found in Sphinx.
After thinking it over, Edward Newgate realized there was only one thought in his heart.
Magnus noticed Edward Newgate's gaze.
He smiled.
He knew that after taking control of Sphinx again and resolving to change it, Edward Newgate no longer needed to worry about his companions. At last, he had nothing holding him back.
Magnus extended his hand and asked once more.
"So, Newgate, are you willing to become my family?"
This time, the boy did not hesitate.
"Yes!"
Before you continue