"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business."
After several days of negotiations, Daniel Davis and Candela finally reached a preliminary agreement. The terms were similar to those with Siesta, as both Dosores and Siesta were resort cities, albeit with different focuses. Further collaboration would depend on how well this initial partnership went. Candela would likely follow in Herman's footsteps and visit Chernobog at some point.
For independent mobile city mayors like Candela and Herman, having an additional ally was always beneficial, especially when that ally was Chernobog, a city that had effectively seceded from Ursus. While Chernobog hadn't officially declared independence, it was clear to anyone paying attention what had happened.
The reason Chernobog hadn't formally announced its independence was due to negotiations with Ursus. Both Vitrat, the Ursus parliamentarian, and Fyodor, the current emperor, had drawn a hard line: Ursus' territory could not be divided, at least not openly. If Chernobog had declared independence, Ursus would have mobilized its full military might to crush it. Even Daniel couldn't guarantee Chernobog's safety under such circumstances. For instance, if Ursus sent a few of the Emperor's Blades to self-destruct in Chernobog, the city would be obliterated.
Ursus was capable of such extreme measures if pushed, so it was unwise to provoke them too much. For Herman and Candela, the fact that Chernobog had managed to break away from Ursus, a nation known for its aggression, was impressive. Allying with Chernobog could bring significant benefits to their own cities.
Independent mobile cities without valuable resources could maintain their autonomy relatively easily. However, those with desirable assets needed strength to protect their independence. When Dosores was first established in the chaotic nation of Bolívar, Wei Yenwu of Lungmen had provided considerable assistance. This was why Candela had invited Wei Yenwu and Lin Gengrui to Dosores every year since.
Even though Wei Yenwu and Lin Gengrui had never accepted the invitations, Candela continued to send them. This year, however, things were different. While Wei Yenwu hadn't come, Lady Wen Yue had, along with Ch'en, Swire, and Lin Yühsia—the future leaders of Lungmen.
Although Wei Yenwu had never returned to Dosores after his initial visit, Lungmen and Dosores had maintained a strong partnership. Dosores primarily used Lungmen's currency for transactions, and even in the midst of Bolívar's three-way conflict, Lungmen's currency was widely accepted, while Bolívar's own currency had fallen into disuse.
"Mr. Davis, what do you think of Dosores?"
As Daniel left the city hall after finalizing the agreement, Enciodas, who had been accompanying him, suddenly asked. Enciodas, the deputy director of Dosores' International Trade Department, was an excellent diplomat and had been assigned by Candela to act as their guide. He was also the future Rhodes Island operator, Tequila, though he hadn't joined Rhodes Island yet.
"This city? In my opinion, it's somewhat unhealthy."
During his time in Dosores, Daniel had conducted some investigations to better understand the city for the negotiations. While Dosores was a resort city like Siesta, it lacked the vibrancy of Siesta's Obsidian Festival and Extreme Ironman Competition. Instead, Dosores was dominated by gambling. The streets were filled with people hoping to strike it rich during the Extreme Ironman Competition. If they won, they could rise to the top; if they lost, they'd end up working in the factories outside Dosores.
The outskirts of Dosores were home to numerous factories where anyone, Infected or not, could find work. The wages were higher than in other parts of Bolívar.
Dosores reminded Daniel of Kazimierz. Candela had spent part of her childhood wandering Kazimierz, where she likely developed her views on money. She later studied in Victoria before returning to Dosores, the city she had once fled, and spent over a decade transforming it into what it was today.
Dosores had once been a small, dilapidated, and impoverished mobile city under the Singuas Dynasty. Its current state was entirely due to Candela's efforts over the years, purchasing mobile city modules to expand and develop it.
This information came from Lady Wen Yue, who had shared it with Talulah when she learned that Chernobog was negotiating with Candela.
"Unhealthy? This city is full of life. How is it unhealthy?" Enciodas raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Life? Yes, it's full of life, but that life is built on the suffering of most of Bolívar's people." Daniel shook his head at the mention of Bolívar's situation. After learning about Bolívar from Lady Wen Yue, he found the region's problems just as troubling.
Bolívar could have been saved if the Resistance, which claimed to represent the true people of Bolívar, had succeeded. However, their efforts were destroyed in a single battle. The current Resistance was controlled by nobles and capitalists vying for Bolívar's mineral resources, not fighting for its independence.
The three-way conflict in Bolívar was a fight over resources, not independence. It was a war where allies betrayed each other. The Resistance had sent those truly fighting for Bolívar's future to their deaths, resulting in over 3,000 casualties and driving away the Resistance's elder, Pancho.
This reminded Daniel of *Akame ga Kill!*, where the Revolutionary Army turned on Night Raid after their victory. Pancho had only survived by fleeing to Dosores and seeking Candela's protection, where he now served her.
"Do you have any ideas on how to change Bolívar's situation?" Enciodas asked after a long silence.
"Unless someone can unify Bolívar, it will be difficult to change its current state. And given Bolívar's current situation, unification is even harder."
Bolívar needed a hero, someone born in Bolívar who could unite its people. Outsiders wouldn't be accepted.
"Kjerag was lucky to have SilverAsh."
Bolívar's situation made Daniel think of SilverAsh in Kjerag. While Kjerag and Bolívar weren't directly comparable, Kjerag had its advantages. In terms of land area and strength, Bolívar was superior, but Kjerag had SilverAsh, the goddess Kjera, and a thousand years of cultural cohesion.
Bolívar, on the other hand, had been a colony of Iberia, then Leithania, and later Columbia, never developing its own cultural identity.
"Well, I've arrived. You can go attend to your duties."
Seeing the bar ahead, Daniel waved off Enciodas, who had been accompanying him, and walked inside.
This bar had become their group's regular spot, and their drinks were complimentary. The bar's owner had changed to Lin Yühsia. The official representatives from Lungmen to Dosores were Lin Yühsia and Ch'en. Lady Wen Yue was only there to see Talulah. Candela, out of concern for the younger generation, had given them some tasks to handle, though they were free to ignore them if they wished.
Initially, Ch'en had no interest in getting involved, but when Lin Yühsia said she could handle it alone, Ch'en immediately insisted she could too. The dragon of Lungmen didn't get along with the tiger or the mouse, only the Oni.
As the daughter of Rat King, Lin Yühsia's approach was straightforward. She targeted an underground group in Dosores that had no backing, confronted them directly, and the bar's owner quickly submitted, recognizing Lin Yühsia as his boss. The man knew how to play the game.
Previously, he had been struggling in Dosores with no one to rely on. Now, with Lin Yühsia's protection, he wouldn't be abandoned again.
"Die Hard, haha, Lungmen profanity."
As Daniel entered the bar, he heard Swire laughing loudly, occasionally punctuating her speech with Lungmen profanity. Hoshiguma watched with a smile.
"What happened? And where are the Doctor and the others?"
"Nothing much. They just crashed into a competition today while chasing someone and ended up becoming part of a competing team. The Doctor and the others went shopping."
Hoshiguma quickly explained the situation.
"If you're forming a team, why don't you join in?"
It turned out that today was the final selection for the Extreme Ironman Competition, and the last hurdle was a no-holds-barred fight. This was purely a test of strength, unlike other qualifying events that allowed for special skills.
Despite the intense competition, Ch'en and Lin Yühsia had stormed the event while chasing a smuggler, defeating all the competitors. Although they could have refused, they discovered that the smuggler was part of a team that had already qualified, so they decided to join the competition to investigate.
"Good luck, you two. I've bet heavily on your victory."
The next day, at the Extreme Ironman Competition venue, Hoshiguma cheered loudly for Ch'en and Lin Yühsia. She had placed a significant bet on them, using not only her own money but also borrowing from Swire, who had no interest in gambling.
The Extreme Ironman Competition was different from regular competitions in that it allowed for sabotaging opponents. If you were strong enough, you could take out all your competitors. This was why Hoshiguma was so confident in Ch'en and Lin Yühsia. While there were many strong competitors, none could match the two of them.
"Water guns? So this is the infamous Water Ch'en. In the game, Chi Xiao couldn't compare to the damage of a water gun." Since it was a competition, Ch'en hadn't brought Chi Xiao or her other sword. Instead, she wielded a modified water gun.
"Glass? So sand can be used like this. Crocodile would cry if he knew. It really comes down to creativity when developing Devil Fruit abilities."
Watching Lin Yühsia create glass with her Originium Arts on the competition field, Daniel realized he had never thought of such a simple application.
"Speaking of which, the Sand-Sand Fruit still hasn't found a user. Lin Yühsia would be a perfect match." Lin Yühsia's Originium Arts involved sand, making her an ideal candidate for the Sand-Sand Fruit. Of course, this was just a passing thought. Daniel wouldn't give such a valuable Devil Fruit to someone who wasn't closely connected to him.
"Kaido's Devil Fruit would suit both Talulah and Ch'en."
In Terra, humans had animalistic traits, and those with strong wills could summon corresponding manifestations, such as the Golden Pegasus or Ursus' Great Bear. Daniel wondered what would happen if these traits were combined with Zoan-type Devil Fruits. He planned to create artificial Zoan Fruits for FrostNova's Snow Squad, preferably ice-based ones, though he didn't have any at the moment.
For example, using a polar bear to create an artificial Zoan Fruit would combine Ursus' strength with the polar bear's power.
"Hmm, someone's watching me. Not just me, but Talulah and FrostNova too."
While focused on the competition, Daniel suddenly noticed a strange gaze. He discreetly traced it to a Zalak observing him.
"Let's see who you are."
Having noticed the watcher, Daniel decided to act first. He had no intention of waiting for them to make a move.
"An assassin? So it's trouble from the Scar Market. It seems we really need to deal with this issue."
After capturing the Zalak, Daniel quickly understood the situation. The assassin was in Dosores on vacation and had stumbled upon Daniel and his group. The high bounty on their heads had tempted him. Some wanted Daniel alive, likely hoping to extract information about the ancient ruins and the weapon that had repelled Ursus.
"Wanting me alive? For the ancient ruins and the weapon that drove back Ursus? How ambitious. But you're out of luck. Go take care of those people for me."
Following the trail, Daniel found the assassin's accomplices and used the Feather of Hypnos to alter their targets. Since they were ruthless assassins, Daniel showed no mercy.
In the chaotic world of Terra, mercenaries, assassins, and bounty hunters often blurred the lines.
"Red Contracts? Some people really don't want Chernobog to succeed. It seems I need to have my shadow clones take care of a few people."
Red Contracts were agreements among mercenaries, similar to the Crisis Contracts established by Catastrophe Messengers, but their purpose was assassination, not rescue. Those who received Red Contracts were all formidable, often snipers.
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