Ian was very rich.
Although he was definitely not as wealthy as the future Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro, after all, that guy controlled 20% of the world's Berries.
He was as rich as the domineering CEOs in old Mary Sue novels, it was almost like fantasy.
But Ian was still very rich.
He was rich enough that Ian felt that, at this point, there was probably no one in the world who was wealthier than him.
The Sea King Stone business and the worldwide weapons trade were undoubtedly highly profitable industries, especially the weapons trade.
In this chaotic world, pirates, affiliated nations, and non-affiliated nations, there were so many people who needed weapons.
So many, that after the channels were established, the Beast Pirates' military factory was continuously expanding.
The production capacity was rising rapidly, and large quantities of weapons were being sold worldwide every day.
And more importantly, the weapons trade was practically a monopoly for the Beast Pirates.
The World Government could make huge amounts of wealth just by harvesting from affiliated nations, so they had no interest in selling weapons.
The Whitebeard Pirates and the Charlotte Family were also not very interested in this industry.
As for others, there was no one else.
Who else in the world dared to offend the Beast Pirates?
Aside from the World Government and the other two Emperors, who would dare compete with the Beast Pirates for business?
Undoubtedly, the Beast Pirates were the largest arms supplier in the world, with small-scale regional arms dealers only coming after them by several ranks.
This, of course, brought the Beast Pirates astronomical wealth.
What?
Isn't the wealth of the Beast Pirates Ian's wealth?
Well, this could be considered misappropriation of public funds.
Then Ian would just say, "I'm a pirate, too."
Kaido-sensei didn't say anything, so who are outsiders to gossip?
Hiring three hundred giants at once was indeed a huge expense, probably more than several affiliated nations could come up with combined.
But for Ian, this amount was nothing, it was just a piece of cake, no big deal at all.
"Nine cows, one hair."
"Xixixixixi! Then I'll be counting on you, Boss Ian!"
The speaker was the leader chosen from the 300-strong giant legion.
He was also one of the people Ian had crossed paths with during his travels through the Giant Kingdom. His name was Solem, a burly man with a thick beard, even taller than Dorry by a head.
Among all the giant warriors, his outfit was the most unique, wearing heavy armor embedded with exquisite gemstones, and his shield was gilded in gold.
Even the war hammer strapped to his back gleamed with golden brilliance.
According to Dorry, this guy was quite greedy. As soon as he heard that Ian was willing to pay a high price for hiring giant warriors, he immediately rushed over.
However, his strength was not to be underestimated.
Ian had fought him before, so he knew well that this guy's strength was no weaker than Dorry's or Brogy's. He was a formidable warrior known as a giant hero.
"We'll crush all the fools who stand against you, Boss Ian!"
Now speaking was the second-in-command of the giant mercenaries, Himir, a chubby guy with squinted eyes.
His weapon was rather unique: a giant kitchen knife for offense and a large pot serving as his shield.
According to Brogy, this guy's main job was a chef, and his culinary skills were highly regarded by the giants in his village.
But aside from studying cooking, this guy's greatest passion was hunting.
Wild beasts on land, sea beasts, and even sea kings—every powerful creature was his hunting target.
His strength was also extraordinary. A bit weaker than Solem, but still not something an ordinary giant could contend with.
With just Solem and Himir, the giants were already worth the price. And that's not even mentioning the other elite giant warriors.
They were bound to win.
"From now on, please take care of me!"
Ian said loudly.
"Ga ba ba ba ba! Before that,"
Brogy laughed heartily, "Let's start the feast!!"
And so, the grand feast, attended by hundreds of giants, began.
While Ian and his friends had experienced many such feasts during their travels through the Giant Kingdom, Ace, Zoro, and Kuina had never been through anything like it.
They were so amazed that they couldn't help but look around the entire time.
Ian also realized something.
The cost of hiring the giant army was a small matter.
The real trouble was that... they seemed to eat too much.
The food supply on Hive Island might not be able to handle it.
As expected, they would need to spread them out.
Just like the wild beasts they had captured on Rusukaina Island, they needed to be distributed across the various islands under their command.
This way, they could establish authority, ensure safety, and, most importantly, ensure they were well-fed.
However, based on the current situation, it would be better to place them near Hive Island, avoiding areas around Wano Country.
After all, they needed to send a message to the government about the intensifying conflict between themselves and Kaido-sensei.
Hmm, they would also need to craft new equipment for the giants.
The giants' destructive power was obviously top-tier, but without a domineering presence, their enormous size made them perfect targets.
If they could equip them with heavy armor and long-range weapons, they could become the perfect war machines.
And when it came to crafting weapons, the Beast Pirates were the most professional.
After a lively and joyful banquet, it was time to part ways.
"Gah-bah-bah-bah! Ian! We'll come visit you often!"
"Heh-heh-heh-heh! Get ready for a feast when we come over!"
The two good friends didn't seem sad at all.
After all, the distance between the Giant Kingdom and Hive Island wasn't really that far.
Having reorganized the Giant Pirate Crew, they were about to set sail again, and they could easily come to Honeycomb Island to visit Ian anytime.
"Then, see you later," Ian said with a smile.
Then, they set sail.
Behind the Golden Dragon, a series of massive ships followed, even bigger than it. These were the ships of the giants, with three hundred giant warriors spread across ten enormous vessels.
Ace and Zoro excitedly peeked over the stern of the Golden Dragon, looking back.
"Unbelievable!"
Zoro couldn't contain his astonishment. "Three hundred giants!"
In the East Blue, one giant would be enough to shock everyone.
But now, three hundred giants had chosen to follow Ian!
Just the sight of it was terrifying. Their strength alone could easily flatten the entire East Blue, right?
"We've joined the strongest pirate crew in the world!"
Ace said with excitement. "And Ian, this guy, is even called the Pirate Emperor. Not surprising, right?"
Not surprising?
Zoro blinked.
It still felt unbelievable.
On the way back, Ian suddenly received a communication from Hive Island.
"You said..."
His brows furrowed immediately. "Stussy?"
"Yes, Lord Ian!"
The Beast Pirates left on Hive Island respectfully said, "It's that person, the one known as the Queen of Pleasure Street, Stussy! She says she wants to move the headquarters to Hive Island!"
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24