"Is there anything you need our help with?"
Noah sat down across from Andy with a smile. "You're a smart man. The truth is, I could take or leave the value you have to me, but I admire your medical ethics. At the same time, this is a way for me to put my own will into practice."
"Putting your will into practice?" Andy did not quite understand what Noah meant.
"When poor, one should tend to one's own virtue; when prosperous, one should help the world. I'm saving this country because I have the ability to do so. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here."
"'When poor, one should tend to one's own virtue; when prosperous, one should help the world'?" Andy repeated the words, sensing the powerful, weighty bearing Noah carried.
Beside him, Mirei wiped away her tears and pleaded, "As long as you're willing to save Flevance, I'm willing to take the lead in raising ten billion Beli for you."
In fact, the common people of the Kingdom of Flevance earned quite a bit. Otherwise, it would not have become an Affiliated Nation of the World Government. Given a few months to raise the money, they could have come up with ten billion Beli relatively easily.
Unfortunately, time was not on their side. The allied forces of the four surrounding kingdoms would attack the Kingdom of Flevance in two weeks, and its king had long since left with a group of trusted followers to vacation in the Drum Kingdom on the Grand Line.
Before Andy could speak, Noah continued.
"Let me tell you something. The four kingdoms near you are tightening their border blockades. Take a look at this!"
Ray took out a Den Den Mushi and played footage of officers from the kingdoms discussing the matter among themselves.
After watching the footage, Andy and Mirei felt as though they had plunged into an ice cellar.
"How could this happen?"
"Didn't we already explain the situation with Amber Lead Syndrome to the neighboring countries?"
Noah smiled and shook his head. "Naive. Do you think those four countries are really acting on their own? I looked into Flevance's Amber Lead exports over the past few years. They've fallen from 1,270 tons in 1490 to 288 tons now. That's the fundamental reason you're going to be exterminated."
"What?" Andy fell into thought.
"Amber Lead isn't just a source of wealth for the Kingdom of Flevance. It's also a source of wealth for the neighboring countries. They transport and process Amber Lead, supplying Amber Lead products to the entire world in a constant stream and reaping enormous profits."
"But as Flevance's common people died of illness in large numbers, especially after the cause of Amber Lead Syndrome came to light these past few years, didn't many local miners refuse to continue mining Amber Lead ore? That caused production to plummet."
"With that enormous source of wealth gone, the four surrounding countries would have to raise taxes at home to maintain their status as Affiliated Nations and support the nobles' lavish lifestyles. If they didn't raise taxes, the nobles of those four countries would have to cut all kinds of expenses."
"At a time like this, the World Government only needs to drop a hint, and they'll definitely set their sights on the Kingdom of Flevance as a fat prize. As long as they slaughter all the common people of Flevance, the hundreds of billions of Beli accumulated among them will fall into the hands of the four countries and the World Government."
After hearing Noah's reasoning,
Andy and Mirei broke out in cold sweats.
Coupled with some of his past experiences, it made Andy even more certain that all of this was very likely to become reality.
As a doctor, he often needed to buy medicine from the neighboring countries. In the past, the merchants there had treated him reasonably well, but over the past few years, they had grown increasingly cold. He was even questioned and harassed when entering their countries.
"Sir, you must have a way to save Flevance. I'm willing to give up everything," Andy pleaded.
"I have an ability that can seal people away. While a person is sealed, time stands still for their body. That's the first method, and it's also a way to save Flevance's common people on a large scale right now."
Understanding dawned on Andy. "A Devil Fruit ability? I see. That really is a way. As long as we can buy time until a cure is found and medical technology advances, they can be treated."
Noah continued, "The second method is to use the Op-Op Fruit. This Devil Fruit can cure Amber Lead Syndrome completely, but I haven't found it yet."
In fact, Noah had a third method: use IQ Plant extract along with the immense vitality in Barton's body. The IQ Plant would stimulate the body's potential, consuming the vitality to expel the Amber Lead from the body.
However, this approach required an enormous amount of vitality. With Barton's reserves, treating the more than eighty thousand common people in the Kingdom of Flevance was impossible.
That was why Noah had chosen the first option, planning to wait until he found the Op-Op Fruit before curing them.
Andy quickly made up his mind. "May I ask your name, sir?"
"Just call me Noah. This is Ray. We're from the Noah Family."
"The Noah Family?" Although Andy had never heard of the Noah Family, he could no longer concern himself with anything else. "Sir Noah, how do you need us to cooperate?"
"I plan to recruit you as doctors and pharmaceutical researchers for the family. As for the other people of Flevance, you only need to gather the nearby residents at designated locations under the pretext of medical examinations. Leave everything else to the family."
"Is that so?" Andy thought for a moment. "I suggest starting with the remote White Stone Village. The thirty-odd thousand people in the city would make it easy for us to be exposed."
The two sides discussed the matter for more than two hours.
While it was still dark, Andy first had Noah seal the more than 130 orphans in the hospital and his own two children.
Then Andy took his wife and Noah, who was disguised as a caregiver, and hurried to White Stone Village, eleven kilometers away.
In less than three days, the thirteen villages around Flevance City had been completely emptied.
That left only the thirty-odd thousand people in Flevance City and the more than five thousand in the mining town.
Noah had no intention of going to the mining town under the pretext of free medical examinations. It was directly controlled by the king, who had recruited several hundred thugs to oversee the miners.
Late at night, when the mining town was quiet,
Mary, Lilith, Ray, and Jay joined forces.
Jay released a dense web of graphene threads, quickly covering the entire town without leaving a gap.
Lilith released a paralyzing toxin, restricting everyone's movements, including those of the Den Den Mushi hidden among them.
Mary was responsible for examining each person. Those with long records of wrongdoing were killed outright with a single slash. Those without serious problems were sent by Ray to a temporary underground cavern, where Noah sealed them away.
It took two days to empty the entire mining town. Mary killed more than 536 overseers, enforcers, and managers with serious offenses to their names.
Meanwhile,
In Flevance City, Noah, Andy, and the others also quickly sealed away some of the single people and those who lived alone.
Only after Mary finished dealing with the mining town did Noah lead the family members in taking full control of the entire city.
To prevent the secret from leaking,
Jay's Graphite Fog Sea had completely enveloped the city.
Noah and Lilith immediately subdued the royal soldiers and some royal attendants left behind at the palace. All those with records of wrongdoing were dealt with, while those without problems were sealed on the spot.
In less than three days,
All of Flevance City had been emptied. The Noah Family stripped it clean of all valuable gold, silver, jewels, and Beli.
According to a preliminary count, the Noah Family had acquired a total of 83.6 billion Beli in cash and gold, silver, and jewels worth around 160 billion Beli in this operation.
That was after King Flevance III had taken a large portion of the treasure with him. Otherwise, the amount could have at least doubled.