Luca looked at the accounts in his hand and came to two conclusions:

One: Blatantly collecting protection money is a more profitable way than directly grabbing it. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

2. Making war money is a more lucrative way than collecting protection money.

But even if the pirates approved of this approach, could the merchants' minds really change so easily?

Hearing Luca's question, Kate replied with a smile: "Of course it's not as simple as we say, making the businessman believe us is still acting in a play." ”

"Acting, what play?" asked Luca.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps in the hallway, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

"Long time no see, Captain Lester. Leon Emmonson, captain of the New Horizon and leader of Luka's personal caravan, walked in.

"It's been a long time, why are you here?" Lukka stood up and beckoned him to sit down. It is true that Leon himself has not seen him for a long time, but the silver coins and gems he sent arrive on time every month.

Leon replied, "No, as soon as I heard that you had taken Tata Island, I thought it would be useful to me, so I immediately set sail and ran here." But at that time I was on Hibiscus Island in the far northwest, and the goods on hand had not yet been cleared, so it was still a step too late to hurry, and by the time I arrived on this island, you had been away for several days. ”

Kate followed: "As soon as I talked about acting, people came. This Captain Emmondson is the director and star of the good show I just mentioned. ”

"Sounds interesting, is there a script? Show me. "Luca came interested.

"No, I'm improvising. Leon elaborated, "As soon as I arrived on this island, the pirates of the docks handed me over to Lady Kate, and I was so scared!"

"Anyway, you just ended up in the pirate's den?" Lukka admired his guts.

"It's not that I'm bold, the chart you gave me, when you took the island, the color of danger was removed from the vicinity. How dare I?"

"Later, after communicating with Ms. Kate, we also felt that now is the best time to collect protection money, and if the situation changes in the future, the empire and the alliance are no longer so evenly matched, it will be difficult to make this money. ”

"She was worried that the merchant ships didn't believe in us at all, and they didn't dare to deal with us. So, I made our caravan a billboard. ”

"I'll have our merchant ships fly the Scarlet Staff Flag—the one without skeletons, not the Pirate Flag—and go back and forth in the most unsafe part of the seas. The pirates sent out from this island followed from afar, and when other merchant ships approached, they went to grab them, but our merchant ships swaggered by. ”

"It would be best if there were daring businessmen on the robbed ship who asked questions. If no one dared to speak, the captains of the pirate ships would ask themselves the sailors, 'Why don't you grab that ship?' or 'Stupid, that ship paid the protection money, and we protect it!' and so on. ”

"Then, they didn't hurt anyone, and just let the merchants go. It didn't take long for the entire business district of the Sunset Islands to spread, and I don't know how many copies of the protection fee were collected, but when I returned to the collection point in Fangang and read the daily newspaper a few days ago, it was almost crowded!"

"Just now Ms. Kate said that I was the main actor, but in fact, I didn't do anything, that pirate captain is the first starring role!"

Lukka asked, "Which captain is that?"

Lukka doesn't remember any other acquaintances on the island, only Gray seems to fit the bill, but he doesn't have a boat, and he's grounded by himself, so there's certainly no way to play the show.

"It's that chubby Captain Haken, the one who should now be managing the entry and exit of merchant ships on the docks. Leon's answer was a far cry from Luca's vision.

"How could it be him?" Not only Luca, but also Ollie and the others were very surprised.

"Wait, didn't we agree? Too vicious pirate, we can't use it! That butcher is not a good person when he hears this nickname!" Nora still has a lot of prejudices about the pirates here, after all, she was almost sold as a slave.

Kate said: "I thought so at first, but later I found out that Haken was not a vicious person at all. It's just because he was a butcher before he became a pirate. ”

"Don't say it, he looks like a butcher. Lukka thought back to what Haken looked like and almost burst out laughing.

Kate continued: "He used to run a butcher's shop on Al Ato, and he is still my fellow townsman with Ollie. Since the Empire occupied the island of Atto, his butcher's shop was forcibly expropriated for military use, just across from the port. The little compensation given is not enough for anything. The Haken still had some strength, and he gritted his teeth and used the money to buy a scimitar, and found a ship to do the work of robbery. ”

"Although I have lived on the island of Yato for twelve years, I have not met him before. Or is it this Haken himself who recognizes me. ”

Ollie suddenly asked, "You mean, that fat man, the one who makes the sausages that are particularly delicious, has been supplying our family?"

Kai nodded: "That's him." ”

"It's good that you all agree with him, and I think he's quite clever. Luca's impression of Haken wasn't really bad.

After a pause, he asked, "So, all those wounded merchant sailors on the dock were accidentally affected by the war?"

Kate said: "Some of them accidentally broke into the range of the fighting, and some of them were robbed by privateers without paying us protection money, and rushed to pay money to seek refuge. ”

"Very good, anyway, this thing has to be profitable, and the risk is acceptable, so let's continue in this direction. Luca's conclusion can be regarded as giving official permission to Tata Island.

Gray hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind and asked, "The alliance and the empire have already started a war, Lord Lester, aren't you going to help?"

"Help, who to help, why do you want to help?" Lukka asked with a smile.

"Aren't you well acquainted with Archon Taylor, and he wrote to you!" Gray could scarcely believe his ears.

Lukka walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "I think, you got one thing wrong. I'm a pirate, not an employee of the Alliance or the Empire. My friendship with Taylor is limited to his money, and I do things. Even so, whether I accept his commission or not depends entirely on my mood. ”

"But this time it's a war!" shouted Gray.

"Yes, it's about politics and war in the Sunset Islands, and as a neutral pirate, I'm even more out of it. Luca particularly emphasized the word "neutrality".