First, I'll need your help in designing a new town. As you can see, there is enough wood and stone on the island, and a rudimentary dam has already been built. But the dam will need to be reinforced if we plan on providing clean water to a city of several thousand people. Overall, I think it's quite possible.
Both engineers studied the diagram of the island closely and immediately noted how good the natural harbor was.
"Yes, I think it's possible," the elderly engineer said and added, "We can gather a team of our civil engineers to design the town. But first, what animals and crops are grown there?"
Hearing this question, Bill felt relieved, as he needed people with sound judgment—managing all the tasks alone would have been impossible.
"Currently, there are mostly goats and sheep on the island. The crops grown include wheat, and there's a tangerine grove, which is important to the locals. Mostly, there are individual gardens. Even the goats and sheep total only about sixty heads."
Goats and sheep were the most popular farm animals in this world; aside from the Sea Kings, they made up nearly all the red meat consumed. Even on the Island of Mechanisms, people had sheep, and rescuing them was a priority for those who owned them.
Bill wasn't surprised that this world had the same animals as on Earth, just as he wasn't surprised that the nobility spoke English or that Arabic numerals were used worldwide.
After they discussed the island, Bill made it clear that the island's mayor, Fabre, would need to approve the plans. Though he didn't think the old man would object to anything.
After several hours of discussions, Akisu's mother asked the last question that Bill had anticipated:
"And, Captain Ox, what do you want us to do once we settle on the island?"
Looking at them one by one, Bill decided that honesty was the best policy.
"I am starting a business aimed at producing everyday goods: washing machines, refrigerators, clocks, and the like. Of course, initially..." Bill reached for a box and took out one of the designs he had crafted himself—a manual washing machine. He handed the blueprint to the engineers and continued, "At first, we'll produce a few items I'm confident about. We won't have raw material suppliers at the initial stage, so we'll travel to less developed islands and trade with them. Over time, we'll expand to the point that other traders will handle supplies, and we can focus on our products."
Then, tapping his finger on the table, Bill sharply said, "Our goal is to create an environment where any hardworking individual can identify a problem and start a business to solve it. Since we'll be the first, we'll naturally benefit from it."
As Bill continued his proposal, the two senior engineers listened enthusiastically, though they didn't realize they were witnessing the first steps of globalization.
On the small island of Little East Blue, Bill aimed to dismantle mercantilism and, unknowingly, reignite a process that hadn't occurred in this world for a thousand years.
And at that moment, finishing his proposal that would initiate this process, Bill couldn't foresee that the World Government had destroyed this world.
Looking back at Loguetown on the horizon, Bill once again glanced at his battered convoy.
At Borodo's suggestion, they paired up the ships. The lead vessel carried the young people capable of handling sails, while the other ship transported animals and those unable to manage the sails. This way, the convoy reached its destination in just over four days.
This was fortunate because, by that time, almost all the food had been eaten, and the water was drunk to the last drop.
Standing on the deck and looking forward, Bill didn't show it, but he was concerned about whether Loguetown could accommodate such a large influx of refugees, even if temporarily.
Loguetown was a major city with a population of about fifteen thousand people, so Bill assumed the city might have enough provisions for two thousand refugees.
In case that wasn't enough, Bill divided his time between discussing with Ricky and Borodo possible options for purchasing supplies and working together with the engineers on plans to build a city on the island of Little East Blue.
After calculating his expenses, Bill realized he could buy three frigates with hulls made of sea stone at the average market price if they were available.
This would completely deplete all his money, including the funds he would receive for capturing the Trump Pirates and selling the caravels, but with four frigates, he would be able to transport about a thousand refugees through the Calm Belt at once.
Recalculating everything repeatedly, Bill couldn't shake the feeling that it was a waste of money, but he knew these ships would be a long-term investment, as they would be essential in the future.
Several times he chastised himself for not even setting up his lab or workshop, let alone planning trade routes. It was never in his plans to settle on an island like Little East Blue, because despite the favorable conditions, it was an uninhabited place